When you buy a ticket to see Coldplay, the first thing that goes through your head is the thought that this probably won’t be the most active concert you’ve ever gone to.
And you would be right.
But what they lack in up-tempo, get-you-up and pogoing tunes, they more than make up for with a selection of melodic, well-rehearsed songs, which are a delight to hear live.
Most of the songs were from the Parachutes album, but we also heard some from their forthcoming album.
Kicking their set of with Shiver this band, formed from deepest, darkest corridors of University College of London, showed a great deal of maturity, while at times lead singer Chris Martin almost seemed like a child with a new toy…full of excitement and disbelief at where he was and how well the band had done.
"Thank you for having us, it’s so good to come back here again," he said for the fifth time that night!
Martin is blessed with an exquisite voice, comparisons of which will always be made with the likes of Thom Yorke and Jeff Buckley.
His vocals came through strongest on numbers such as Spies, Trouble and Everything’s Not Lost.
The latter of which was introduced with Martin announcing, ‘ This one goes out to the English cricket team, and the Sydney Swans!’
Well he was right about the Swans anyway.
A few tracks off their next album, (due out next year sometime), were played.
Only got the name of one of them called Idiot, which had some very chunky chords ripping through it, definitely their most hard core song they’ve written, maybe this is a taste of things to come?
Audience participation was good, especially during Yellow, but one could not help but think that in a smaller venue, this band, with it’s intimate and personal selections of songs, would have made an even bigger impact.
Chris Martin did a fine job of keeping us all entertained and singing along.
Before the first encore, a robot with a stuttering voice asked the audience if they wanted more, and if so to make some noise.
And make noise they did.
The night ended with house lights up and Martin playing a few bars of Parachutes before saying thanks, (again).
The last light to go out on stage was that of the illuminated globe, which is on the cover of the album. However, the lights are on, and burning bright for Coldplay.
Michael Sommers - redbackrock.com
Comments