From The Police to solo production: an inspired Sting closes the 2019 edition of the Summer Festival and sets Piazza Napoleone ablaze...

There couldn't have been a better conclusion to the 2019 edition of the Lucca Summer Festival, an extra-luxury edition with 18 concerts and the presence of true music giants such as, to name a few, Toto, Take That, Francesco De Gregori, Eros Ramazzotti, not to mention the farewell concerts of Ennio Morricone and Elton John.

Tonight (July 29), bringing down the curtain on the stage in Piazza Napoleone was one of the most talented singers and musicians of all time: Sting. For his Sting: My Songs tour, the former Police frontman treated fans to a setlist packed with the greatest hits from his prolific career, both with the band that made him famous and as a solo artist. A career studded with 16 Grammy Awards and four Oscar nominations for Best Song. The concert was dedicated to the prefect of Lucca Leopoldo Falco, who passed away prematurely during the night between Saturday and Sunday.

Sting is one of the world's leading exponents of pop music. A singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist (though everyone obviously associates him with his inseparable bass), and actor, throughout his long career he has written and performed songs spanning a wide range of genres, from rock to jazz, from punk to reggae (a signature sound of the Police), and even classical music.

Sting is also a great lover of Tuscany: for several years, he has owned the Il Palagio estate in the hills south of Florence, where the lucky ones have often had the opportunity to see him perform live in small, impromptu concerts. Furthermore, in 2009, he participated in the Concerto per Viareggio organized by Zucchero. He is an activist for human and environmental rights and a staunch opponent of Brexit in his homeland. In short, a great all-round artist who, while no longer drawing the masses like he did in the Police days, still has much to say to lovers of good music.

The fans' expectations were immediately met: Sting greeted his fans in perfect Italian and took to his guitar for a breathtaking acoustic version of "Roxanne," the prelude to a great evening. The show continued in style with "Message in a Bottle," one of the Police's most famous and beloved songs. The show then featured two of the singer's most successful solo songs: "If I Ever Lose My Faith to You" from 1993's Ten Summoner's Tales, followed by the elegant "Englishman in New York" from 1987. The show then went even further back in time, to 1985, with the funky "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," Sting's first solo release. The show then returned to the Police era with "Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic," which was greeted with great enthusiasm by the crowd.

The setlist gives plenty of space to the key moments of the British singer's solo career: first, "Brand New Day" (from the 1999 album of the same name), then "Seven Days" (from Ten Summoner's Tales), where the band showcases their rhythmic prowess on stage, and the splendid "Fields of Gold" (also from Ten Summoner's Tales). There's also room for R&B with "Waiting for the Break of Day," a 2018 song co-written with Shaggy. The tempo then slows and the volume is lowered for the splendid "Shape of My Heart," a 1993 ballad. The grand finale features a trio of songs from the Police catalogue: "Wrapped Around Your Finger," which already features the work of soloist Sting; the wonderful "Walking on the Moon," one of the band's masterpieces interspersed with a reference to Bob Marley's "Get Up Stand Up"; and the lively "So Lonely." Sting's solo career continues with the oriental-sounding "Desert Rose," before the grand finale features another Police staple: "Every Breath You Take," sung at the top of his lungs by the entire crowd. The singer then leaves the stage to a standing ovation, with the enthusiastic crowd calling him back for the inevitable encore.

Sting and his band then returned to their instruments to treat the audience to three more songs: first, "King of Pain," followed by "Next to You." The finale was a goosebump-inducing acoustic version of "Russians" and the poignant "Fragile," where Sting once again thrilled the audience with his guitar as well as his voice. The perfect conclusion to the concert and this year's top-notch Lucca Summer Festival.

(c) Lucca in Diretta