Where do stories begin and where do they end? In 1951 in Wallsend, England, a man was born who, like so many others, would later search for the meaning of life in his songs. Growing up near a shipyard, which he personally chose as the symbol of his life: building the ship in a safe harbor, getting it ready, and then conquering the world. This is exactly what Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner, better known under the name “Sting”, did – initially with his former colleagues The Police-bandmates Stewart Copeland and Andy Summers and subsequently as a one-man world-conquest squad. To match his most recent world tour, which also took the musician to Germany in June of this year, Alex Sebastian from Munich has come up with something extraordinary: a live concert with comic projections called “Sting Illustrated”, which will take place on August 26th.
Sebastian came up with the idea a good 20 years ago while listening to one of the songs on Sting’s fifth studio album “Mercury Falling”, released in 1996. Said song “I hung my head”, a plea against the death penalty packaged as a Western story, created the decisive vision in Sebastian’s head: the lines of the song passed in front of his inner eye as small cartoons. The foundation for his current project was laid.
Concrete implementation only takes place many years later. “Some time ago we rehearsed the show in a smaller circle in Munich and the surrounding area, but this is the first major performance. No other concerts are planned yet,” says Sebastian. He himself, who also writes his own pop and rock songs, will take on the role of singer. He receives musical support from Oliver Hahn (keyboard), Enrico Coromines (guitar), Manni Müller (drums) and Markus Angeli (bass). The creative mind behind the more than 400 illustrations is the comic artist Dennis Hauk from the Palatinate, who found the project through an advertisement on the internet. The Munich cabaret artist and author Sven Kemmler, long-time co-author of comedian Michael Mittermeier’s stage program, takes on the role of narrator. Together, the group embarks on a journey from Sting’s safe haven, Wallsend, to the present day.
The Mond & Sterne cinema in Munich’s Westpark acts as the venue. Every year, the amphitheater is converted into the venue for the open-air light stage. A nice coincidence that both the world hit “Every breath you take” (1983) and the park were created 40 years ago.
The 17-time Grammy winner is not only one of the most important musicians in recent music history, but also campaigns against the clearing of the rain forest and for education and clean drinking water with his “Rainforest Foundation”, founded in 1987. Sting is also active on a political level. In March 2022, for example, he shared a video of the song “Russians” (1985), which alludes to the nuclear threat posed by the Cold War, on Instagram. A fear that is back in people’s minds after 38 years. A sign to stop the Russia-Ukraine war and, according to the artist, an appeal to humanity, which is why the link to an aid organization should not be missing under the video.
When asked why Alex Sebastian chose Sting of all things for his concert, he replies: “The event is a “heart project. Everyone knows songs like ‘Roxanne’ (1978) or ‘Fields of Gold’ (1993), but these At least understand what it’s all about.” He himself describes the event as a “homage project” in order to bring people closer to the music and, above all, to the statements behind the lyrics that were relevant then and are still relevant today.
Sting Illustrated, August 26, 8 p.m., doors open at 6:30 p.m., Cinema, Moon & StarsSeebühne Westpark