Sting in Milano...a real gentleman! Read this story.

[giovanni]

Ciao from Giovanni, here in Milano where Sting came for a couple of days to promote the new album.
Saturday 7th, Sting was at Corriere della Sera (newspaper) Q&A with fans and media people, about 170 seats in front of him: everyone could make questions! Sometimes even Sting life isn't easy! The fan club seats were some of the best in the hall!!! Thank you once again Sting.com.
The Q&A lasted around 1 hour and Sting answered to all the questions related to various and several issues, such as the new album, the future, the past, from the early days to the concert with Gil Evans, from the Reunion...to Stewart Copeland (he said NO COMMENT...ahahah, laughing).
A guy from a cover band (The Policemen) after his question, asked him if he could sign a guitar, and Sting said yes, even if unfortunately, at the end of the Q&A, the service rushed Sting away as they were a little worried about all the people who wanted autographs.
You know what? Sting remembered he said yes to the guy with the guitar, and WANTED to sign it, so what happened:
- later in the day, Sting asked to his assistant to get in touch with someone in order to find who the guy was;
- the assistant got in touch with Sting PR;
- Sting PR got in touch with UK (D&W);
- D&W got in touch with me, asking if I knew who the guy was;
- I could only find the e-mail address of this guy, this morning;
- I then tried to find Sting & his assitant at the hotel to know how to arrange a possible meeting between Sting and the guy at RAI tv studios, where Sting today was recording a mini live show + interview;
- the guy (with the guitar to be signed) called me after reading my mail and I told him to come to the tv studios;
- I went to RAI tv studios, but I had to explain them the whole thing; can you imagine how difficult is to let some people in a tv studio without a permission?
- Sting was doing rehearsals so no one could bother the people working with him...
- I could manage, with tons of words, to reach the studio where Sting was rehearsing, talked to Sting assistant....but it took some more...
- the assistant couldn't let the guys in easily, because there were problems of insurance...yes, insurance; when you get into a tv studio, and for example, you fall, they are responsible for this, and without a proper request to be in, you can't let people in;
- after some more words, knowing that Sting wanted to sign the guitar of the guy (such a gentleman that HE is), I could make all ends meet: Sting and the guys met in the studio and finally Sting signed the guitar! He picked it up, played 'Message In A Bottle' (of course you couldn't listen to it, being an electric guitar), but it was good to be there and see how the hands moved along the neck of the guitar. Easy to spot that it was MIAB.
So Sting was happy to sign the guitar, the guy from the cover band (the three members were there) was happy to have it signed and to meet Sting for the first time; I was happy to see them all happy.

At the mini-live show he played 'Gabriel's Message', 'Christmas At Sea', 'The Snow It Melts The Soonest' and 'Soul Cake' (+ a long interview); this show will be broadcasted next Saturday; he also recorded the appearance that was broadcasted today, and he played 'Soul Cake' + a short interview (The show is Che Tempo Che Fa, on RAI 3)

Back to yesterday, at the Q&A he also played 'The Snow it melts...' and 'Soul Cake', both sang by Sting alone with his guitar. MORE THAN AMAZING.

Thank you Sting.com, if it wasn't for you...
And today (November 9th) is my birthday, so Thank you Sting for being here just before it!
Ciao ciao
Giovanni

[dufmanno]

Wow, that is above and beyond. Imagine all that work to make good on your word? Color me impressed.

[TheEqualizer]

Wow. I really respect that.

[smax]

nicely done, what a gent (and i mean you too, gio) x

[IndyGirl]

It was nice of Sting to do that & nice of you to help bring both of them together to make the guitar signing possible.

[Jose]

Great... I know Sting is like you describe Gio, I remember April 1993 at the Royal Albert Hall in London, I previously met Dee and Tina at the Outlandos Fan Club and gave her a bag with some gifts for Sting, Andy & Stewart, you imagine me travelling from Peru - South America to Europe and I knew Sting will start on April his Ten Summoners Tales World Tour in London..So , I flew from Paris to London specially for that gig ... I was with my brother but in different seats him on gallery upstairs and me on first rows with an Outlandos Fan Club Ticket...at the end of the concert I was in front of Danny Quatrochi and requested about Sting, I also commented it to Dee and Tina, but they not confirmed if I had the possibilitie for meeting Sting, thats why I gave them my bag with the gifts I got from Peru -one of this an Alpaca's Sweather... at the end I got out of the R.A.H. for getting the underground with my brother to the Hotel... when I return the next day to Outlando's Fan Club Dee & Tina said me Where I was, because when Sting received the gifts and see the Alpaca's pullover he requested about me... he wore the pullver arund his waist for about two days, but unfortunately I need to return to Paris for getting the flight to return to Peru... you imagine that night my chance to met Sting dissapeared and I never slept ... but I knew that Sting was worried about this situation because he requested about me and used the pullover I gave and this mean a lot about his gentle... by the way at those time communications not were the same at today...

[Maud138]

So Sting was happy to sign the guitar, the guy from the cover band (the three members were there) was happy to have it signed and to meet Sting for the first time; I was happy to see them all happy.

And I'm happy to read this

Great story, Gio! Have a nice birthday!

[ltwoman]

Thanks for sharing this, Gio. It's always good to hear about the "human interest" side of our heroes!

[oneworld]

Wonderful story. Thanks for sharing, Gio! Very nice to read about this side of Sting, a gentleman indeed. And you're great for making this meeting possible.

[BongoBoy]

Totally cool.

Nice of you to work so hard for that guy GIO.

Some humans are still classy.

That guy has a good story now.

BB.

[AnaliaFer]

Love that story!! Thanks for sharing Gio!!

[plutonic]

Very nice story. Good on you and the people from Sting.com to make it happen, too.

[MariaH]

Thanks for sharing that story, Gio. Its amazing that you all went to so much trouble for the guy to get the guitar signature. Very nice when a fan gets a chance like that.

Jose-Peru. I hope you finally got your chance to met Sting as well. He very much likes sweaters and Im sure the alpaca is wonderful to wear in those winters he likes in North England.

[Mary]

Thanks for the whole story Gio.
I spoted the pics at myspace, I'm their friends and I knew something happened cause I saw the guitar signed.
I asked for the music he was playing and Policemen told me was it " Message".
He was in fact a gentle and I'm happy for the cover band. Glad you're around and in the middle of this amazing stories!

[DirtyMartini]

Lovely. Kudos to all involved.