South Florida Sun-Sentinel Palm Beach (Sunday)
Sting raring to perform at residency
After spending much of the last decade tending to his Broadway musical, “The Last Ship,” Sting will set out on a maiden voyage this fall when he opens his first residency in Las Vegas at Caesars Palace on Oct. 29.
The show, “My Songs,” is scheduled to run through Nov. 13 before returning in June 2022. It also precedes the Nov. 19 release of
“The Bridge,” a new set of pop-rock songs the singer, 69, says were “written in a year of global pandemic, personal loss, separation, disruption, lockdown and extraordinary social and political turmoil.”
This interview with Sting has been edited for clarity and length.
Q: Would you have made a record if COVID19 hadn’t happened?
A: It was certainly time for me to make a record, but the circumstances were unique. It’s difficult to get people together in one place, so I did a lot of recording remotely via Zoom and via studio technology. But I think the theme of the record is building bridges between separations. I didn’t begin that way — I was just writing songs — but at some point in the process I went, “Oh, that’s what this is about.”
Q: “The Bridge” handles some heavy topics. But the lead single, “If It’s Love,” is a sparkling pop song.
A: It’s the most whimsical song on the record, so I thought, “Why not?” Any song with whistling in it is a winner for me.
Q: Is it gratifying to realize you can still bust out such a catchy tune when you want to?
A: Yes. I’m often drawn to music that’s problematic or complex; I like puzzles, and I like solving puzzles. But occasionally, you have to put that aside and just do something that’s easy. A major chord followed by a rounded minor — it’s the oldest trick in the book.
Q: What did Sting the young English punk think of Las Vegas?
A: It would conjure up Frank Sinatra, Dino, the Rat Pack. Then Elvis, Tom Jones, Engelbert Humperdinck. All great artists, but they seemed to be trapped in this world. Vegas was an enclosed system, and it never really appealed to me; the idea of a residency seemed like some kind of prison sentence. Now it’s not that way at all, because you play these pods — four shows for three weeks. That doesn’t seem like such an onerous job. Also, I haven’t been onstage for almost two years, so I’m raring to go. I want to do 20 rounds in Vegas.
Q: Are you a gambler?
A: No, and I’ve really no idea what the appeal is.
I’ll sometimes play Texas Hold ’em with my wife, but she always wins, because she’s smarter than me.
Q: You and Trudie Styler have been married for nearly 30 years. What’s Sting’s secret to a successful marriage?
A: Every day is a negotiation. You have to work at a marriage; it’s not an easy thing, but I’ve got a great partner. We spent a lot of the last two years together — more time than ever. And she still puts up with me, so go figure.
Sept. 5 birthdays: Comedian Bob Newhart is 92. Actor William Devane is 82. Actor George Lazenby is 82. Actor Raquel Welch is 81. Singer Al Stewart is 76. Actor Michael Keaton is 70. Actor Kristian Alfonso is 58. Singer Terry Ellis is 58. Musician Dweezil Zappa is 52. Actor Rose McGowan is 48. Actor Carice Van Houten is 45.