Bitten by the Sting!
Bahrain-based British musician Stefan Marque is set to pay tribute to 17-time Grammy Award-winning English artist Sting, with a high-octane performance on March 7.
Stefan, popular among fans as 'Mr Sting' owing to his love for the internationally renowned songster, will present his act, alongside two other local musicians, at The British Club in Adliya.
'This show is based on Sting's current 'Sting 3.0' tour lineup and set list. He's playing essentially a collection of his greatest hits as a live trio, Drums, Bass and Guitar, much like to the original Police (band),' the 51-year-old told GulfWeekly.
'I'm calling my version Mr Sting 3.1,' he added.
'For the show next month, I'm happy to be working with Karl Roderick on guitar and Krishain Dewaas on drums.
'We'll be covering a full range of Sting classics, from his Police days, to his more up-to-date songs. But switching out a couple of the deep cuts he plays for his dedicated fans, for songs that everyone here will recognise and enjoy.'
Sting, known for his creations spanning rock, jazz, reggae, classical, new-age and worldbeat elements, was the frontman, principal songwriter and bassist for The Police, a new wave band that was active from 1977 to 1986. With the ensemble, Sting sold more than 100 million records and singles. As a solo performer, he has released 15 albums between 1985 and 2021, most of which have sold millions of copies worldwide. Sting's last single I Wrote Your Name (Upon My Heart) was released in 2024.
'I've always enjoyed playing Sting's songs, and I've started to sound more and more like him, vocally, as I got older,' Stefan said.
The full-time musician from Juffair realised his passion for music during his years growing up in the UK. Coming from an artistic background, he started performing while he was still a child.
'I followed my dad into the music business,' Stefan recalled.
'He was, and still is, what you'd call a session bass player, working in theatres and cruise ships. He backed Gene Pitney, Shirley Bassey and other well-known acts on tour.
'I started out playing jazz gigs as a kid and eventually came out to the Gulf playing rock with bands like Legal Racket, Sonic Avengers, The International Playboys, Graffiti Park, Axent and many, many more.
'Sting is also a jazz fan, as well as a Bach aficionado, and he says it's essential to include some element of surprise in his music, be it odd time signatures, interesting chord changes or just fascinating stories in the lyrics. This is never your generic pop music,' the creative talent, who moved to Bahrain from Dubai six years ago, added.
Stefan first played in the kingdom 26 years ago, and has since been in and out of the country many times. The event next month will be his only Mr Sting show in Bahrain for this year.
However, the artist has big plans for international performances, having just returned from China.
'I'll be taking Mr Sting to Europe for the summer, where I'll also be playing in a tribute to The Beatles,' he revealed.
Tickets to Mr Sting 3.1 are available at The British Club.
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