Sting is currently in Toronto for a run of performances of his musical The Last Ship and threw a free show for local General Motors workers whose plant in Oshawa, ON is in danger of shutting down.
The show took place Wednesday night (February 13) at the Oshawa Tributes Communities Centre and featured the Toronto cast of The Last Ship. The production is a semi-autobiographical tale of Sting growing up Newcastle and the economic hardships experienced when the town’s main industry collapsed.
In Oshawa, the city’s biggest employer is GM. If the plant does close as is expected in 2019, it will have devastating effects on the city’s economy.
“I think you have a duty to support a community that’s worked for you,” said Sting in a report from Toronto’s CityNews. “It should be a mutual support system. It’s about loyalty. These workers have loyally given their lives to the company. It’s a two-way street. You can’t just walk away.”
In addition to songs from The Last Ship, Sting also performed Police classics “Message in a Bottle and “Every Breath You Take.” The show can be viewed in its entirety below.
Erica Banas is rock/classic rock news blogger that loves the smell of old vinyl in the morning.