Sting took the stage Tuesday night September 11, in Tuscany, Italy, to record ...On Such A Night, his first live album in 15 years. The show was performed before an exclusive audience of two hundred invited guests on a small plaza in the Italian region where Sting has a residence.
The concert was to be webcast at 3 p.m. ET on Yahoo! however in the wake of the airline hijackings, Sting decided to broadcast only one song, "Fragile" as a tribute to the victims and their families.
This message appeared on Yahoo! prior to Sting taking the stage for his live webcast:
"We are performing the song 'Fragile' as a prayer and a mark of respect for those people who have died or are suffering as a result of this morning's tragedy. We are shutting down the webcast following this song.
Sting"
At 3 pm ET Sting emerged to applause and offered the following thoughts:
"Thank you everybody. I'd like to say a few words before we start.
This was to be a very joyous occasion tonight. After the horrific events of today, it simply can't be a joyous occasion. We have three choices, one is the show must go on, the other is not to do anything at all, and the band and I came up with a compromise we'd like to have one number on the webcast for the rest of the world to see and then shut it off as a token of respect to those who lost their lives and those who have lost loved ones in this terrible event.
And then it's up to you and how you feel. I'd like a minute of silence after that song, I don't want any applause, I just want us to stand there and think about what happened today. It's difficult for all of us. I'm angry, I'm confused, I'm frightened, and I don't really want to give this meaningless act of violence any credence. It's totally and utterly pointless. We'll sing this song for those people who have lost their lives. Thank you."