When Peter Gabriel joked that he and Sting were doing the same yoga routine on the tour, he also mentioned their bandmates couldn’t tell them apart — they were the “tantric twins”. And though they are not actually twins, their longstanding friendship allowed for them to perform a show that was more than a greatest hits presentation, it was a collaborative effort between the musicians and their respective bands. Each artist looked happy when sharing the stage or when playing the other’s songs even though Gabriel insisted the crowd decide which of the two was superior — Gabriel’s band were designated team red and Sting’s were team blue.
As Radio.com noted, “They both care deeply about human rights and environmental causes, and toured together in 1988 on the Amnesty International Human Rights Now! tour.” So it was no surprise that the two mentioned current events. Regarding the Brexit situation back home, Gabriel specifically dedicated a new song, “Love Can Heal” for Jo Cox, the British politician who was killed. Sting introduced “Fragile” with a note about “empathy” for the victims of the shooting in Orlando.
Of course there were some moments that didn’t quite fit into a “collaborative” type set, including the “Love Can Heal” song, but those were quickly forgiven given the tremendous enthusiasm sustained throughout the night. I knew somewhat less of Gabriel’s catalog than I did of Sting’s (and he fortunately included material from The Police) so I was a bit less enthused for the former overall. However, there were many hits scattered throughout the set, including “Red Rain”, the trippy “Big Time” and “Message in a Bottle”, that built up to the slam dunk finish of “Desert Rose” (the newest composition in the set save for “Love Can Heal”), “In Your Eyes”, “Every Breath You Take” and “Sledgehammer”.
If you are a fan of either artist, this is a must see tour (a few west coast dates remain as of now). Watching the visual production, witnessing the camaraderie between the bands and, most importantly, hearing the outstanding music made this an incredible show.
SET LIST
Peter Gabriel – “The Rhythm of the Heat”
Sting – “If I Ever Lose My Faith in You”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “No Self Control”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “Invisible Sun”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “Games Without Frontiers”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “Shock the Monkey”
Peter Gabriel – “Secret World”
Sting – “Driven To Tears”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “Fragile”
Peter Gabriel – “Red Rain”
Sting – “Dancing With the Moonlit Night”/”Message in a Bottle”
Peter Gabriel – “Darkness”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “Walking in Your Footsteps”/”Kiss That Frog”
Peter Gabriel – “Don’t Give Up”
Sting – “The Hounds of Winter”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “Big Time”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “Englishman in New York”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “Solsbury Hill”
Sting – “Every Little Thing She Does is Magic”
Peter Gabriel – “If You Love Somebody, Set Them Free”
Sting – “Roxanne”/”Ain’t No Sunshine”
Peter Gabriel – “Love Can Heal”
Sting – “Desert Rose”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “In Your Eyes”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “Every Breath You Take”
Sting and Peter Gabriel – “Sledgehammer”
TOUR DATES
July 07 Québec, QC Festival d’été de Québec
July 09 Chicago, IL United Center
July 10 Milwaukee, WI Summerfest
July 12 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
July 14 San Jose, CA SAP Center at San Jose
July 15 Lake Tahoe, NV Harvey’s
July 17 Los Angeles, CA Hollywood Bowl
July 21 Seattle, WA Key Arena
July 23 Calgary, AB Scotiabank Saddledome
July 24 Edmonton, AB Rexall Place