July is the usual time most British folk escape the rain of our homeland for the more summery climates of our European neighbours. Well, since I joined this leg of the tour in Mannheim the rain has been following me! Normally this isn't a problem; tonight I'm in a beautiful Roman Amphitheatre in Lyon, open to the elements. Sting had a quizzical expression and meaning on his face singing out "it's a big enough umbrella..." lyric, on 'Every Little Thing She Does Is Magic' tonight's opener (and not 'Faith' as earlier in the tour) that I wondered whether he had been caught in the torrential downpour we had experienced walking to the venue?

The fans had been expecting him since 2006, when he last performed in the antic theatre. For his big return to Fourvière (Lyon, France) last Thursday for his big 'Symphonicity' concert, the English singer performed during over 2 hours a wonderfully reorchestrated show of his hits from his solo career as well as from the Police era in front of won over crowd of 4,500 people. All kept their fingers crossed. On the Facebook page of the Nuits de Fourvière(2), messages poured in all day: would the concert take place despite the forecasted rain? It had already played a bad joke on the singer in 2006, pouring continuously during the whole show...