Review by: Val Tapia
Photos Curtesy of Kylie Brennan, All Rights Revered
Promoter: Live Nation (https://www.livenation.com/ )
Venue: Arizona Financial Theatre (https://www.livenation.com/venue/KovZpZAEk7lA/arizona-financial-theatre-events )
Date: Sunday June 1st, 2025
Tour: 3.0 Tour
After being postponed back in January due to illness, pop-rock legend Sting made good on his promise to reschedule his Phoenix show at Arizona Financial Theatre on Sun. June 1.
Better yet, there was no opening act either. Seemingly in great spirits throughout the 110-minute, 21-song set, the veteran musician kicked things off with a predictable, yet rightly beloved, song from his former band The Police.
If you’ve seen Sting as a solo artist in the 21st century, his opening song for the most part is Message In A Bottle. No question it’s a timeless classic; however, it would arguably make a better encore. Yes, I’m getting ahead of myself. But I digress.
For his first (of ten) solo songs of the night, Sting’s “new” band (which rounds out with guitarist Ben Butler and drummer Chris Maas) rolled out If I Ever Lose My Faith In You from 1993’s Ten Summoner’s Tales.
On a side note, longtime Sting guitarist Dominic Miller didn’t appear at this show. No reason was given for his absence.
Getting back to the music, the excellent “3.0” trio then took the sold-out crowd (of 5000) back to 1987 with Englishman In New York, from (again, arguably) Sting’s best solo album …Nothing Like The Sun.
Speaking of another “best” album, it was back to The Police for Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic from their finest hour on record, 1981’s Ghost In The Machine. Talk about being the right album and the right song at the right time.
I’ll put it another way. Every Little Thing… is a song that someone like Paul McCartney wishes he would’ve written at the time. There, I said it.
Sting kept his stage banter relatively short. He told the audience about “his little house in the English countryside”. Then he quickly (and humorously) added that it’s really “more like a castle near Stonehenge”. From there, he led the band into Fields of Gold.
With all the hits that are played between The Police and his solo work, Sting did find time for an obscure track or two. One of them was Never Coming Home from his criminally overlooked album Sacred Love, released in 2003.
Funny thing is, the way the band rearranged several songs throughout the set, I thought they were going to play the excellent Send Your Love. In my opinion, that would’ve been the better choice from that particular album. But again, I digress.
On the point of reinterpreting his or the songs of The Police, it pains me to say that Sting’s current take on the classic Spirits In The Material World was extremely disappointing.
In short order, the arrangement falls flat without a synthesizer, which is a crucial part of the song. Just listen to the original and you’ll know exactly what I mean.
In all fairness though, that song has never sounded good live, for precisely the reason stated. The Police did a less-than-stellar rendition of it as well when I first saw them on the Synchronicity tour in Sept. 1983. I remember it very well— and not fondly, to be candid.
Speaking of Synchronicity, it was cool to hear Wrapped Around Your Finger again live. Apparently, it’s a song that isn’t played all that often on Sting’s solo tours. Nice to see him bring it out this time.
What can one say about the simple-yet-brilliant Driven To Tears (from 1980’s Zenyatta Mondatta)? Actually, I know… it’s the greatest song The Police ever recorded. It’s great to see a “deep cut”, if you will, bring the house down like that one— without fail.
I’ll also add that none of Sting’s solo bands I’ve seen live come even remotely close to the way The Police played it onstage. Yes indeed, Truth Hurts Everybody. Pardon the bad pun good readers!
I have to say I was surprised that there were no songs played from Sting’s solo debut album The Dream of the Blue Turtles. Given that this classic album turns 40 this month, it would’ve been cool to hear a song or two from it.
We did get one new song though, released in Sept. 2024, called I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart). Vocally, it’s quite a departure for Sting, at least to my ears. He even remarked that the “weary” voice behind it was “intentional” during the recording.
The main set concluded with solo track Desert Rose, followed by The Police’s King of Pain and Every Breath You Take, respectively.
Interestingly, the latter song stayed the closest to its original arrangement more than any other song in the set. Perhaps rightly so, given that it was (and still is) the biggest hit single of their career.
To conclude, it would’ve been nice to hear songs like Set Them Free and Be Still My Beating Heart. But only if they were faithful to the original versions. Somehow, I doubt they would’ve been, so maybe it’s a good thing they weren’t played.
With Roxanne and Fragile ending the night, it’s fair to say that most in the audience felt they got a generous mix of both solo material and The Police in one night.
The final verdict? I’ll say 3.5 out of five stars. The set list and performance was most certainly solid…but could’ve been better. That said, if you see this tour when it hits your area, perhaps it would make a great “date night” for you and yours.
If you’re still on the fence, I’m happy to say it’s definitely worth seeing one of rock’s greatest living musicians still touring the live circuit these days. Before you can’t.
Sting “3.0” set list: (*Sting Song, ** The Police Song)
Message In A Bottle**
If I Ever Lose My Faith In You*
Englishman In New York*
Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic**
Fields Of Gold*
Never Coming Home*
Mad About You*
Spirits In The Material World**
Wrapped Around Your Finger**
Driven To Tears**
It’s Probably Me*
Can’t Stand Losing You/ Regatta De Blanc**
Shape Of My Heart*
I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart)*
Walking On The Moon**
So Lonely**
Desert Rose*
King Of Pain**
Every Breath You Take**
Encore:
Roxanne**
Fragile*
