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23-Jun-08: New York - Tickets, Preview, Meetups, Review/Photos


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Coldplay @ Madison Square Garden, NYC 6/23/08

 

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Confetti jets, a huge projection screen at the band's back, Chris Martin's mug projected onto massive balls dangling from the ceiling, a stage with dual runways (out to the crowd on one end and an alternate drums/amp setup on the other) -- you could almost be forgiven if you forgot it was a free show at Madison Square Garden last night. Except that Chris Martin reminded you with every other song. And hey why not, it was a nice time, and it was a certain experiment with our collective fascination for loss leading musical ventures, staged for the benefit of around 10,000 people here and similar amounts in London and Barcelona in the days before. They're not putting up Lil Wayne numbers, but Coldplay's selling, and this was their way of saying thanks (optimistic) or please put us in your headlines (cynical). Whatever your view, you should hand it to 'em: they managed both.

 

I've seen Coldplay a few times, once back in the Parachutes days, and then a couple times at Wembley the month Rush Of Blood... was released. This show had many (many) rough spots, but overall they're a much better band now: more sturdy, and empowered by the X&Y rut-busting of the Viva La Vida... songs, even if the post-Eno incarnation has further marginalized everyone's musical identity save Martin. But you know, it's Coldplay -- not high artists, but self-admitted appreciators and appropriators of high artists -- and it's nice to see solid reference points wading so far out into the mainstream. To make an occasion of it last night, the band played with the venue a bit. "Chinese Sleep Chant," one of their more interesting and outlying musical moments (hi, MBV), got the showcase treatment: performed on its own, not affixed to "Yes" (which wasn't played at all), with the band set up on a little stage jetty that sorta put them in the thick of the crowd.

 

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I say "sorta" because later, for "Yellow," they were actually deep in the thick of the crowd: after warning us they were trying something new and it "might backfire," Chris led the band on a long, spotlit walk from stage, through the crowd, and up into the second level, close enough to my post-photo pit seat to grab a shot or two.

 

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Now, if you're looking for a great (not great) way to temper people's expectations and diffuse awkwardness after numerous fuck-ups, forgotten lyrics, an untuned guitar, earpieces falling out, and/or bum piano chords, just say something like "hey, you could ask for a refund -- except this is free!" Over. And over. (Also improvise new lyrics to "Fix You" -- "when you embarrass yourself at MSG-eee / but it doesn't matter 'cause they got in for free-eee," etc. PEOPLE LOVE THAT. Side note to the youngsters: don't use this if your show isn't actually free. Or at MSG. It'll be even less charming.)

 

So no the night didn't go entirely smoothly, but maybe you heard, IT WAS FREE. There were some good choices, like DJing a straight shot of Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" while readjusted the stage, rather than performing the song that samples it ("Talk"). And overall the Viva stuff sounds good: "Lost!" and "Strawberry Swing" and "Lovers In Japan" brought some cute hug-your-lover moments, the former being my favorite Viva song and strong live, the latter bringing lots of confetti and ending the show sans encore, moving into the same "Eno was here" electronic music that bookends the new album (and opened the show). At an hour and change, sure it could've been longer. Chris never offered an explanation, but you know exactly what he'd have said if asked.

 

SETLIST

01 "Life In Technicolor"

02 "Violet Hill"

03 "Clocks"

04 "In My Place"

05 "Viva La Vida"

06 "Chinese Sleep Chant"

07 "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face"

08 "42"

09 "Square One"

10 "Trouble"

11 "Lost!"

12 "Strawberry Swing"

13 "Yellow"

14 "Death Will Never Conquer"

15 "Fix You"

16 "Lovers In Japan"

 

http://stereogum.com/archives/concert/coldplay-madison-square-garden-nyc-62308_010636.html

 

More pics:

 

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:lol: Listen to the girls screaming in that video! Is like a Backstreet Boys concert or something...I love it!

 

OH MAN that is most likely my best friend and I....we went NUTS. I have been to a crapton of concerts and have been at least 15 rows from the stage, but never that close at a Coldplay concert. We sat in section 97 and they were right behind us. It was incredible. I have never ever been so moved. The entire concert was beautiful. I am so thankful to go to this show- I had tickets to the Philly show and since It got moved, I couldn't go. I was so devastated. Then I won tickets off the radio to see the MSG show. It was like i was meant to be there. Incredible. I'm trying to figure out how to see them one more time before my show in October.

I loved that they messed up the lyrics, it happens!! It just makes them human. Can someone PM me how to post pics? I have some great shots of the magic balls.

alex

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I was lucky enough to get to the show yesterday but missed my big chance to buy the $10 poster that was being sold since the vendors closed down early. Anyone have an idea on where I could get one? It's not on the Coldplay Fanfire site, and I'd love to get it as a remembrance of such a great night!

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Guest LiquidSky

I love how the guys are wearing V :nice: Thanks for the pictures everyone. They are awesome!

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i felt like everyone sang along to fix you. and im pretty sure i saw almost everyone standing up...

 

Someone in this thread wrote that they saw people sitting and I'm not 100% sure but this was the first time Chris had to actually sing the last part of Fix You in this mini free tour. If you watch any video of it on youtube the singing is barely noticeable compared to other videos

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MSG Free Concert Video of Fix You. Chris messes up!!

 

You gotta watch this....This is from Tuesday's free concert at MSG in NY. CM messes up the lyrics and busts out an "Oh, Shit!" then later makes fun of his mistake as part of the lyrics. Great stuff!

 

 

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people sitting down? no one singing along with fix you, people bitching about every aspect of the concert.. what a crowd

 

Everyone stood up for the whole show, sang every lyric (especially the two dudes behind me who seranaded me in my ear the whole show) and screamed their heads off after every song. You should have seen the crowd gravitate towards the band as they set up to play two songs up in the seats. If the show had taken place on a boat, it would have capsized from so many people moving to the back! The crowd also stuck around screaming for a good five minutes after the show ended, even as the lights went up and the roadies started breaking down the stage to try to squeeze one more precious song out from the band, but it didn't happen. Don't rip the crowd - they came prepared and put on as good a show as the band (if not better).

 

As for the complaints, the title of this thread has the word "reviews" in it, does it not? People are entitled to their opinion, so let us have our say. I raised my opinions several pages back, some agreed, some didn't. If you just want to read unabashed gushing over the band, maybe start a thread devoted to positive comments only.

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The Media are still adding new reviews. Any I've found, I've added to the Wiki page as well as those added in here since I last looked yesterday. Photos to be added in the relevant points when i get to my home computer

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there are always going to be people that loved the show, and people that hated the show... if you didn't have a good time then it's your own fault. it pisses me off when people focus on the 'bad' points of the show. if less than the usual amount of people were singing along for Fix You then i didn't notice because i was in my own little world, screaming at the top of my lungs. my best friend and i were on our feet (and chairs) the whole time, and disregarded the girls next to us that were sitting down. we laughed when the guys messed up lyrics or chords because it shows that they're human and that's what we love about Coldplay. and as far as the setlist goes.. i will never be 100% happy until they play every song they've ever written, but we cant exactly ask for that can we?

the experience, as with anything else, is what you make of it. if you go into it expecting to be dissapointed, you will be. enjoy whats given to you (FOR FREE) and focus on the positive... you got to see the best band in the world play in one of the most famous venues in the world. so shut up and count your blessings.

 

[/rant.]

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