Sting concert was in perfect working order...

Having come a long way from his former days as a schoolteacher, Sting emerged on the BIC's dauntingly perfect shape - confident in the knowledge that he would be on a winner with the capacity crowd.

Tickets to the concert had sold out five weeks before the event, and 4,100 punters were waiting eagerly to se one of rock's greatest stars perform again in Bournemouth, where he last appeared four years ago.

Starting the show with hits from the Mercury Falling album including Let Your Soul Be Your Pilot and You Still Touch Me, Sting and his group of excellent backing musicians really got things going when they turned to slightly older material.

Every Little Thing and Fields of Gold were just some of the favourites, leading ion to what seemed to be one of the evening's highlights with the crowd - a singalong session for which four delighted volunteers from the audience joined Sting on stage.

Then jazz was on the cards, pleasing the audience just as much as the more easily recognisable rock numbers.

It was an evening of brilliant musicianship, with excellent acoustics enhanced by the sound volume which was kept at an endurable level.

Having seen Sting at the same venue four years ago, my only criticism is that last night's performance seemed almost too perfect; musically spectacular but perhaps lacking an edge - but maybe it is Sting's shift to more introspective material which caused that impression.

The crowd certainly loved the show, and so did the BIC management. To sum it up with director Kevin Sheehan's words: "I wish we could have concerts like that every night."

(c) Bournemouth Echo by Sandra Kosanke