Here's What We Want...

As Sting walks toward the stage, dozens of photographers tumble over each other to get a good shot of the man. Strange, because just a few hours earlier, the former Police leader had been strolling calmly through the backstage area of Bospop in his everyday attire, barely noticed by anyone. Whatever disparaging things have been written about the British pop musician, actor, and human rights and environmental activist in recent years, you can't accuse him of any airs and graces. He's the undisputed top act on the first day of Bospop, which is celebrating its 26th edition this year.

Fiction Plane, his son Joe Sumner's band, delivers some sedate, stadium-sized rock. Sometimes reminiscent of early U2 and not without a touch of bombast. The Charlatans might reasonably relive the days of the Manchester craze (their hit single "The Only One I Know" still stands proud sixteen years later), but that's clearly not what the seven-thousand-strong audience came for. These bands merely function as glorified support acts for Mr. Gordon Sumner, who convincingly proves that's entirely justified.

No jazzy freaking, but a rock set, and that's what we get. It's a shame the irresistible opening guitar riff of "Message In A Bottle" has been replaced by the drum rolls of Paul McCartney drummer Abe Laboriel Jr., but boy can the guy pack a punch. And that Police classic remains an irresistible song, of course. And there are more of them. Against the backdrop of a (sometimes literally) dazzling light show, Sting gives it his all, just like in his best days with The Police. A punky version of "Don't Stand So Close To Me," or the inevitable sing-along "Roxanne," rearranged for the umpteenth time. It doesn't matter. We love this.

Sometimes a bit drawn out, but generally short and powerful, with guitarists Lyle Workman (known from Beck) and regular Sting second Dominic Miller getting ample opportunity to let the strings screech. During the almost psychedelic-sounding "Walking On The Moon," it slowly starts to pour, though hardly anyone seems to notice. "Is it raining?" a boy asks bewilderedly, pointing at my soaking wet jacket. How could it not be when timeless songs like "Can't Stand Losing You" and "Every Breath You Take" are being reviewed. Even the Beatles classic "A Day In The Life" gets a valuable treatment. And let's not forget his solo work. "If I Ever Lose My Faith In You," the stately "Englishman In New York," and the ultimate ode to freedom, "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free," culminating in a stunning rendition of the acoustic guitar-driven "Fragile." We can forget about that classic album promised for the fall. We eagerly await the new pop album. Because that's where Sting's greatest strength lies, as is once again abundantly proven tonight. The Bospop organizers couldn't have wished for a better opening for their festival.

(c) Oor by Marcel Haerkens

Bospop celebrates cosiness and big names...

The self-proclaimed "most welcoming rock festival in the Netherlands" has once again managed to bring big names from its musical heritage to Weert this year.

The 26th edition of Bospop, which originated on a farm cart, opened Friday evening with a dazzling performance by Sting, who, drawing from his old Police repertoire, brought the 7,000-strong audience to ecstasy.

The driving force behind Bospop is a group of 850 volunteers. The core audience consists of portly, heavy-handed fifty-somethings. The 10,000 rock fans will be treated to performances by artists like Anouk and Simple Minds on Saturday.

Simply Red will close the three-day festival on Sunday. Another big name is The Tragically Hip from Canada, who proved to have a crystal ball ten years ago with their hit "New Orleans Is Sinking." Also performing were Roxy Music, Steve "Sebastian" Harley, Joe Jackson, and musician and furniture maker Julian Sas.

Saturday afternoon, the voluminous blues rocker Popa Chubby was a highlight. Sweating profusely, the American labored through his Jimmy Hendrix-inspired guitar riffs in a packed and stuffy tent at the Bospop site.

Starsailor failed to impress on Saturday and gave the impression of dragging themselves from song to song. Their closing song, "Silence Is Easy," elicited a faint aha moment from the audience, but nothing more.

Saturday evening, Anouk got off to a slow and somewhat lacklustre start, partly because her voice was inaudible during part of the opening number. Yet, as the show progressed, she visibly began to enjoy her performance more, and the organizers were rightly proud that Anouk, who recently moved to Ohio, had bypassed Pinkpop but found Bospop.

Her long, drawn-out hit "Jerusalem" struck a chord with an enthusiastic audience, but her closing song, "Girl," sounded too clunky again, after which "We Want More2" sounded weak and ultimately futile.

Saturday evening closed with Simple Minds, one of the biggest bands of the eighties, featuring singer Jim Kerr and guitarist Charlie Burchill as the central duo. After a lean period in the nineties, the band is back in full force, as evidenced by their performance in Weert on Saturday evening.

(c) Brabants Dagblad