A TV legend joined him on stage as he belted out the Beach Boys classic “God Only Knows” at the glitter-studded event at the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead.
Pop superstar Sting was joined on stage by Jimmy Nail at a glittering party to help raise £10m for the arts on their native Tyneside. Sting, 74, and Jimmy, 71, belted out the Beach Boys classic ‘God Only Knows’ at the £1,000-a-head star-studded do at Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art in Gateshead. Artist Jim Moir, aka Vic Reeves, his wife Nancy Sorrell, Alan Shearer, and Sting’s siblings Angela and Philip were on the guest list to hear a collection of his hits. Artists Damien Hirst, Antony Gormley and Anish Kapoor donated their work for a charity auction. There was also a holiday up for grabs at Sting and his wife Trudie Styler’s home in Tuscany, Italy, which raised tens of thousands of pounds at auction.
Vic Reeves, 66, aka the artist Jim Moir, told the Mirror: “I am going to butter him up so I get an invite and see if we can go to his place in Italy. I’ve got some Lurpak in my back pocket.”
Before performing the songs, Sting explained the origins of the songs, including his hits “Englishman in New York” and “Every Breath She Takes,” which Sting eluded as inspiration for his romance with Trudie.
He persuaded him to perform as he introduced Jimmy Nail, who had also been ill with a bug, and made fun of the fact that he had “been around to see a mate who was on his deathbed.”
Sting’s voice is still incredible, according to a customer who spoke to the Mirror. It’s amazing to experience being so close and personal.
“The holiday at his place was listed at less than $90,000, which is what we paid for.” The event will have raised hundreds of thousands for a worthwhile cause.
Before the performance, Jim Moir revealed how he met Sting because the singer had a “hot toddy” to protect his voice before the performance. The Sage founder Graham Wylie and other local business figures, including singer Nadine Shah, sat down with the stars.
In the Carabao Cup final on Wednesday, Sting and Shearer, 55, watched Newcastle United defeat Spurs 2-0. It’s always good to see a win, according to the England legend. He was fantastic at a fundraiser for my charitable foundation. He is a wonderful man.
After the gig, Sting said: “When I was a kid my Dad used to bring me down to the quayside on a Sunday morning and I’d look at this building and wonder what it was. “If we lose cultural venues due to a lack of funding, the entire industry disappears, so I’m here to say we have to protect the Baltic. This area is a hotbed of talent and it needs to be encouraged.”
The Gala marked the beginning of our effort to establish a £10 million endowment fund for Baltic, said Sarah Munro, director of Baltic. Everyone in the room was reawakened poignantly of the value of creativity, culture, and the arts.
Source: Mirror
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