Famed singer Sting will perform songs from The Last Ship, the name of his latest album and also his new Broadway musical, on 24 and 25 April 2015 at the Tyneside shipyard in England to benefit the Sage Gateshead 10th Birthday Appeal.
These will be the only UK performances of their kind and are both supported by Cunard Line, which has historic links to the shipyards of the Tyne.
“The Last Ship is a musical allegory set in Wallsend, the town where I was born and raised,” said Sting. "The demise of industry – not only in shipyards like Tyneside and Gdansk, but also great manufacturing centres like Detroit – has been well documented and the effect of that demise on the identity and future of local communities particularly resonates with me. I’m very much looking forward to bringing these songs and stories home.”
Sting will be joined onstage at Sage Gateshead by many of the region’s best loved musicians, including fiddle and Northumbrian pipe player Kathryn Tickell and The Wilson Family from Billingham, Co. Durham.
This homecoming of The Last Ship has generated great excitement and support from partners, particularly relating to the North East’s shipbuilding heritage. Leading the support is Cunard Line, the world famous cruise company, with its historic links to the Swan Hunter shipyard in Wallsend.
