Sting: Live At The Olympia Paris

Sting: Live At The Olympia Paris captures the musician’s critically acclaimed guitar-driven rock tour as it hit the French capital for a very special performance at the iconic venue on April 13, 2017. Hailed as “the show of a lifetime,” the concert celebrates highlights from across the 16-time Grammy® Award winner’s illustrious career, with blistering performances of new songs from his latest album 57th & 9th, including the infectious first single “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You,” and the anthemic “50,000,” alongside classic hits from The Police as well as Sting’s solo career. The concert showcases the wide range of Sting’s eclectic style and songwriting influences in one momentous live show. Sting is joined onstage by a four-piece band including his longtime guitarist, Dominic Miller, Josh Freese (drums), Rufus Miller (guitar), and Percy Cardona (accordion), with backing vocals from Joe Sumner plus Diego Navaira and Jerry Fuentes of The Last Bandoleros. (Gary Reber)

Special features include nine performances from Sting and special guests featuring Joe Sumner and The Last Bandoleros, as well as a 12-page color booklet with pictures and credits.

The 1080i AVC picture, reviewed on a Sony Bravia Z9D 4K Ultra HD HDR display, upconverted to 2160p with greater resolution and luminance, was photographed digitally. The stage lighting at times casts an overall blue tint to the proceedings. At other times the drum kit and stage is highlighted with lighting that casts a warm brownish sepia hue. Sting’s guitar retains its weathered brownish-black appearance throughout. The various lighting arrays provide an engaging staging presence for Sting and his band. Fleshtones appear natural enough under the various lighting conditions. Resolution is decent but not great, except for extreme close-ups of Sting. Overall, this is a decent presentation, but overall it lacks the pazazz of more elaborate productions. (Gary Reber)

The DTS-HD Master Audio™ 5.1-channel soundtrack, as well as the Linear PCM 2.0 stereo mix, sounds great with a solid, driving DW drum kit flawlessly powered by Josh Freese. The guitar sound is far more mellow than the heavier rock bands, and the addition of an accordion brings a new twist to the sound of Sting. Sting’s tenor voicing is perfectly clear and projects in perfect balance with his band. The music projects into the surrounds and actively the audience roars in the surrounds at the end of each song, for a nice feeling of the venue’s spacious environment. Fidelity throughout is excellent, with perfectly natural-sounding bass from Sting’s guitar and Freese’s bass drum and well-balanced group sound. Sting and his band are fantastic musicians! This is sure to please fans of Sting. (Gary Reber)