18-Jul-08: San Jose - Tickets, Preview, Meetups, Review/Photos [ORIGINAL DATE 7/24]

[Clocks30CM]

lets meet up inside by the main entrance (the entrance facing santa clara street) before 7:30? I'll be the indian guy with a black t-shirt that says coldplay in front in yellow with a mosaic like image of chris's hand (from the last tour)

 

:shocked2: wow i think i saw you standing in the long line waiting to buy t-shirts or somthing. i was like probably 7 people in front of you.

[Clocks30CM]

I think I saw you during the concert when I looked back at majority of the people in our section, in disgust. Not at you, of course. :lol:

I was one of the few down below at the front (Row 6, seat 21) flailing my arms like a nutter at times. You, and the rest of the few who kept their energy up, were much needed down below too!

 

lolz i know, i was very disapointed when everybody sat down when they started playing 42. i was like WTF PEOPLE?! and i refused to sit down because i was pissed off that people were siiting down even when the guitars started rolling in.

[strawberryfields]

great!

 

any one have 42,yes,chinese sleep chant videos?

 

and yeah god put a smile up on your face and death and all his friends videos?

 

please post them please never mind quality.

 

i just want to see that's all.

 

Yep! They might not be uploaded until very late tonight, since it takes a LONG time to upload each one... but I'll post them here when they're ready!

 

For now, here's Life in Technicolor! The quality is terrible, but the sound isn't too bad.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEm_aSHPdEY

[gigg]

Yup i wanna see yes too.

the ones on you tube arnt the full version

[laynemc]

Hello All:

 

I too was LUCKY enough to have tickets in 113 last night. I have been very lucky with Ticketmaster in the past too......I got tickets for Coldplay at the Fillmore in May of 2005 on the X & Y short promo tour.......images of Robin Williams "blessing the crowd from the balcony" (and the best band in the world) playing in such a small space was amazing. I thought I was close to the band then..........last night topped it for me.

 

I was in Row 11, seats 9 and 10 for my girlfriend Denise and I. This was my 5th Coldplay show. We noticed all of the extra security hanging out (there was a nice blond lady next to me (I was in the aisle seat) and I said hey......I know they go into the crowd....they are coming by here aren't they. I assumed (fortunatley, this was a wrong assumption) that Chris would come whizzing by.

 

Sure enough.....here they come. I had my hand out to give them a "high five" as they passed me, but Chris has his head down, so I patted him, and Johnny and Guy and Will on the back as they went by. Will was a little out of breath as he got to me and he slowed down and looked me in the eye and I helped pull him up the stairs. My girlfriend (Coldplay show number 1 for her) almost fainted. She kept yelling......"You got to touch them......OMG.........they are your favorite and you got to touch them......OMG!!!!"

 

Once they stopped and started playing I almost passed out when I realized that they were only 5 rows in front of me. My cell phone camera is the craps...but here is a short my girlfriend got of me so my kids (I am a high school teacher) can see that I got to see and actually pat them on the back.

 

 

Hopefully the picture shows up......my girlfriend is an awesome photographer and we did not bring a camera.....and they did not search......so everybody out there......try and get one in and get more pics. "I promise you I will learn from my mistakes". - CM

 

Thanks to everybody for the posts of the show and the great reviews (I agree with them). There are too many people out there in my age bracket (45) that forgot what rocking out was all about. They are at a Coldplay concert cause it is the thing to do. They just sit there and watch them play. I read Coldplaying every day so I KNOW about the best band in the world. Thanks to all who have and will continue to post. I even send in notices when I find information to share.

 

Sincerely,

 

MC

 

ps.....If somebody could e-mail me at [email protected] and let me know how to get a copy of Nick's video of the show (I am just out of view as they come up the steps) I would greatly appreciate it.

[xneverwherex]

Love these reviews and cant wait to see them. Im always surprised when people cant stand for 90mins long to see the headliner. Really pisses me off, especially as i just stood 5.5 hours in 95 degree sun watching bands and nearly passed out. And the drummer in Broken Social Scene had heatstroke, but we all got through it. But I digress. Heres a review posted by a friend of mine (vansmack) on the 9:30 Club message board in DC. http://www.930.com/cgi-bin/ubb-cgi/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=1;t=016423;p=25

 

It was a great show. The tempo was great - plenty of speed ups and slow downs, a lot of entertaining banter (a lot of self-depricating humor), and a good crowd.

 

The set was simple and so was the lighting. There were a few lasers and yes, big balls that were very well used (as seen in that video above).

 

It was very heavy with Viva (all but Cemeteries of London, I think) and the new stuff sounded great. Lost was the highlight of the new stuff for me. The only song I could have done without was Chinese Sleep Chant which seemed forced to me and didn't play well live. It did lead into a dark version of God Put a Smile upon your Face, which was nice.

 

We were lucky to have the electric version of Yellow, which I hadn't heard since I first saw them years ago (the last couple of times was the acoustic version). Politik was another added bonus with fantastic lighting.

 

Unlike the LA show, the piano was out for Chris (they used some pre-recorded tracks in LA). He's quirky enough with the piano and I see him being a disaster without it. He's definitely going to fall off the cat-walk before this tour is over. The show is about 90 minutes long and smackette is convinced that Chris is not capable of staying focused any longer than that. He did completely goof up two outros of new songs when it was just him, so I think she's on to something.

 

The little letters next to some songs on the setlist are alternate stages, but I won't ruin any surprises for you. We were thoroughly entertained by both alternate stages.

 

After a little Bill O'Reilly clip, I was hoping we'd get a clip of Fix You as used in the OC (shout out to Fico, where are you man?), but no. Alas, don't think for a second that it's disappearance stopped me and smackette from acting it out in our seats.

 

They did a great job in the Arena, which good for them but bad for the fan - there's no going back now. We'd definitely see them in a big venue again.

 

 

and i must add - i think im going to have to watch the OC now. damn it really did have a lot of great music on that show.

[Cobalt]

Chrissy without any piano isn't good because then he dances around and gets all tired from it and it screws his voice and concentration. Ugh.

[CRYSTAL]

Yep! They might not be uploaded until very late tonight, since it takes a LONG time to upload each one... but I'll post them here when they're ready!

 

For now, here's Life in Technicolor! The quality is terrible, but the sound isn't too bad.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rEm_aSHPdEY

 

thanks!

[concertkid]

laynemc,

 

You've got mail!

[guster]

my vids are uploading!

[EnglishSilk]

Wooo!!(clapping hands ) how was it?

[EnglishSilk]

Wooo!!(clapping hands ) how was it?

[guster]

soooo great

mercury news review

i dont think this guy is a fan

 

Review: Coldplay shines in San Jose

By Tony Hicks

Contra Costa Times

Article Launched: 07/19/2008 10:00:35 AM PDT

 

Click photo to enlarge

Alternative rock band Coldplay (Publicity art)

 

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One knows it's not a run-of-the-mill, overly serious Britpop show when, 10 minutes before the band goes on, the crowd launches into a terribly giddy version of the wave.

 

Is that what Coldplay's career come to: playing to American arenas full of people who don't know they're supposed to take this band more "seriously?"

 

Yes and ... yes, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, especially if you aren't one of the music snobs who clung to the band after its first two albums. Coldplay's career arc has gained it a certain level of commercial success that Chris Martin and his mates were in no way eschewing Friday night at HP Pavilion at San Jose. In fact, they were pushing it, with a crowd-friendly, clap-along, c'mon-get-happy show that, at times, would've fit nicely in Las Vegas.

 

At times it worked; at times it didn't. It was nice to see a band that too many people crowned as the intellectual standard-bearer of rock music eight years ago, just put on a show.

 

Pumping up the fun factor to an arena packed with screaming, giddy fans certainly had its advantages. The band scored by throwing such Coldplay standards as "Clocks" and "In My Place" to the crowd early on. The self-deprecating Martin — who missed a couple cues to everyone's delight — excelled at being the affable, almost goofy, "who, me?" frontman that made him far more human and likable than in the past.

 

On the other hand, it was evident Friday night that much of the former

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moodiness and aura that lent power to Coldplay's live show has been replaced by stunts like alternate stages in the crowd (not one, but two, including a late-show jaunt through the crowd for a couple songs halfway up the first deck) and props that would've fit perfectly in a circus.

 

It was difficult to reject but hard to totally embrace at the same time. The band was tight and Martin's voice was as fresh as on record, especially with drummer Will Champion's harmonies.

 

But the counterpoint to all that smoothness was a show that was almost too seemless. Occasionally, it felt like a hurried review of medleys, as if Coldplay was intent on squeezing as much material from its four records into a 95-minute set as possible — with notable exceptions from its new album "Viva La Vida or Deeath and All His Friends," like "42," which resonated powerfully.

 

The band shifted gears, not entirely successfully, by disembarking the big stage about a third-of-the way through for a more intimate square out in the crowd. There, Coldplay played a couple songs, including a hurried, stripped-down version of "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face," which lacked the dynamic subtlety of the original.

 

Throughout the show, Martin and company balanced new and old, with the monster hit "Yellow" being the giant sing-along of the night. "Politik" was one of the few classic Coldplay songs afforded the proper space it needed, as did "Death and All His Friends."

 

It proved Coldplay can still put the showbiz rush on hold to treat a live song with the proper respect. Coldplay is still a good live band, even if it doesn't seem as challenging as it used to be.

[strawberryfields]

I still haven't had a chance to upload anything else to youtube, but here's a compilation of my favorite parts:

 

 

:D :D :D

[busybeeburns]

thanks!

 

More superb pictures here too

 

 

 

[Lauve]

I went to the site that hosts it, and there is a link that says "Download Options" and you can dl the whole 1gb file...

 

 

Thanks Chrisedge,

I guess I have to make some space on this 4GB slow non genuine thing that looks like a comp. :shocked2:

 

The girl is low tech :smug:

 

Will shove stuff onto the mp3 player (of course not a Ipod) temporarily to allow space (its a 4GB too and Coldplay's 5 albums + a few others hardly add up to 1,5, so at least dont have to delete):cool:

 

Definitely dont want to miss out on Concertkid's chef d'oeuvre, knowing that :

 

A) Yellow looked so good with fun intro and all

B) I have got such a bad seat for Rotterdam that, unless a miracle, I wont see their inspiring, graceful, expressive, handsom faces any closer than on a good video.

 

Thanx for the help.:)

[busybeeburns]

Leaving San Jose.

 

I’m on the bus. Front top bunk. Driver’s side. I just marked my name on the mini-whiteboard that has the 11 other scribbled names for this bus. One of 5 on the tour. I can hear the set frantically being wheeled out case-by-case from the loading bay, onto the shining red trucks. Drivers eager to hit the road, and crew, ready to hit the hay. I’m fascinated by how fast that whole set gets boxed up and heads for another venue. That venue waiting for us this time is the MGM Grand.. Las Vegas.

 

I hear it’s ‘hot’ in Las Vegas. And Crazy. I’m excited. And intrigued..

 

If Oxfam has a group of volunteers as good as tonight, we’ll do fine. Another night. Another raft of names signed up for Oxfam America. More people showing support for the cause. More people ready to use their power and take action on injustice. It’s exciting to meet so many people ready to do something positive. Also to meet all the people who already know about Oxfam, and want to do more.

 

The Coldplay show shifted a little tonight. Don’t Panic was an acoustic track, with ‘Yellow’ played in full, I think for the first time so far. No venue seems too big for this band. If anything, the bigger the better. More people = more noise from the crowd. The HP Pavillion in San Jose is a huge concrete dome. Home of the Sharks hockey team. Coldplay seem to feed off the singing voices of big crowds. Not quite like sharks though.. thankfully.

 

Just before I go (as my eyes are drying up with this bedlight shining at them), I just wanted to say. I went to San Francisco with a couple of old uni friends last night. Checked out the pacific and the misty Golden Gate Bridge. That thing is awesome. I got vertigo just looking at it. Apparently they never stop painting it. Imagine the guy who paints that thing all year round.. I have enough respect for the rigging guys on the tour who swing from the lights and speaker stacks every day!

 

Enough from me. 8 hours, 528 miles, and we’ll be in the desert. Farewell California. Viva Las Vegas*.

 

*I had to say it.

 

http://www.oxfamblogs.org/coldplay/

[strawberryfields]

I’m on the bus. Front top bunk. Driver’s side. I just marked my name on the mini-whiteboard that has the 11 other scribbled names for this bus. One of 5 on the tour. I can hear the set frantically being wheeled out case-by-case from the loading bay, onto the shining red trucks. Drivers eager to hit the road, and crew, ready to hit the hay. I’m fascinated by how fast that whole set gets boxed up and heads for another venue. That venue waiting for us this time is the MGM Grand.. Las Vegas.

 

I hear it’s ‘hot’ in Las Vegas. And Crazy. I’m excited. And intrigued..

 

If Oxfam has a group of volunteers as good as tonight, we’ll do fine. Another night. Another raft of names signed up for Oxfam America. More people showing support for the cause. More people ready to use their power and take action on injustice. It’s exciting to meet so many people ready to do something positive. Also to meet all the people who already know about Oxfam, and want to do more.

 

The Coldplay show shifted a little tonight. Don’t Panic was an acoustic track, with ‘Yellow’ played in full, I think for the first time so far. No venue seems too big for this band. If anything, the bigger the better. More people = more noise from the crowd. The HP Pavillion in San Jose is a huge concrete dome. Home of the Sharks hockey team. Coldplay seem to feed off the singing voices of big crowds. Not quite like sharks though.. thankfully.

 

Just before I go (as my eyes are drying up with this bedlight shining at them), I just wanted to say. I went to San Francisco with a couple of old uni friends last night. Checked out the pacific and the misty Golden Gate Bridge. That thing is awesome. I got vertigo just looking at it. Apparently they never stop painting it. Imagine the guy who paints that thing all year round.. I have enough respect for the rigging guys on the tour who swing from the lights and speaker stacks every day!

 

Enough from me. 8 hours, 528 miles, and we’ll be in the desert. Farewell California. Viva Las Vegas*.

 

*I had to say it.

 

http://www.oxfamblogs.org/coldplay/

 

If Coldplay themselves actually came into San Francisco with him... then, just, AHHHH! OMG! WHY DIDN'T I GO CAMP OUT AT THE BRIDGE TO SEE THEM?!? :stunned:

 

 

 

 

 

 

:P

[soulsalsa7]

lol no i was in section 128 but i was in the back, row 24 seat 19, right next to where the people come down the steps. I was rocking out all right! i was wearing the pink baby doll t-shirt.

 

Oh I think I only looked back once, Glad to know though that there were other people around me enjoying the concert as much as I was.

 

I was wearing a white shirt underneath a black vest...now that I think about it, I never once sat down when Coldplay came on. : )

 

He's quirky enough with the piano and I see him being a disaster without it. He's definitely going to fall off the cat-walk before this tour is over.

 

If I were Chris running down those ramps under those dim lights, I would be flying into the crowd, not by choice either. I hope too he doesn't fall off at any upcoming shows...since I would feel really bad for laughing when I see the clip (knocking on wood)

[strawberryfields]

If I were Chris running down those ramps under those dim lights, I would be flying into the crowd, not by choice either. I hope too he doesn't fall off at any upcoming shows...since I would feel really bad for laughing when I see the clip (knocking on wood)

 

Even though they're quite entertaining, I really hope he stops doing those random somersaults on stage... he's going to break his neck. :stunned:

[soulsalsa7]

^^yeah i agree, injuries would be a major bummer

[busybeeburns]

Coldplay spreads musical wings

 

Chris Martin just can't make up his mind.

 

Not only did Coldplay have a hard time naming its just released fourth album - finally calling it "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends," but the band's leading man also can't make up his mind about who exactly he wants to be, remaining fraught with insecurity despite having the No. 1- selling album in 36 countries.

 

"Everybody OK?"' he said Friday after "Violet Hill," the single from the 20-song set the band played at HP Pavilion.

 

Over the course of the evening he apologized for barely noticed missteps, any little mistake and even for dragging about 17,000 fans out on a Friday night.

 

"I hope it was worth coming so far for," Martin said, looking down at his feet. "I know there's so much good TV and strip clubs you could be at, I'm humbled that you came out to see an aging soft rock band."

 

But since persuading producer Brian Eno to take Coldplay under his wings, the sound of the already super successful band has transformed. Eno, producer of four U2 albums, urged Coldplay to spread its musical wings. By adding Led Zeppelin-esque flourishes and Middle Eastern tinged background strings, the band now has a sleeker, shinier sound.

 

Now lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion take greater roles, replacing the band's former minimalism with distorted guitars and trashy grit.

 

Simply speaking, the music is no longer a backdrop for Martin's pained laments. Instead, the nine new songs the band performed were lush, bombastic and sprawling like the giant backdrop of Delacroix's painting "Liberty Leading the People," which adorns its newest album cover.

 

Dressed in rag tag military garb, like characters off Delacroix's canvas, the band filled every crevasse of the arena with its new, highly charged sound.

 

Even more startling was Martin's voice, which added an unexpected menace and depth to the new album's "Yes."

 

Meanwhile, he also preened and dashed around the unadorned stage like a twitchy Mick Jagger after dance lessons with Twyla Tharp, leading fans in choreographed singalongs to old and new songs.

 

"OK everybody," shouted Martin, extending his microphone out into the crowd and urging them to sing "Viva la Vida." The faithful responded with a mighty roar, providing a loud and enthusiastic counterpoint to the new song's final two verses.

 

The reaction to "Viva" was nothing compared with when Martin dusted off "Yellow," the single that turned Coldplay into a household name. Drenched in an appropriate golden light, Martin's image projected on one of five globes hung over the stage, making him look like a human Christmas ornament on this winsome song of devotion and longing.

 

Coldplay ended the show with its other semi-title song "Death and All His Friends," pelting the crowd with colored paper butterflies, much like Mariah Carey during her Emancipation of Mimi tour. The similarity had to be unintentional, but if Friday's night show is any indication, this is a band edging closer to its own break from its storied past.

 

With any luck, Martin will figure out who he is.

 

http://www.mercurynews.com/peninsula/ci_9939778?nclick_check=1

[SFfella]

The crowd was just great and then some ...

 

Folks:

 

I have lurked and watched this thread enough. Simply put, I can no longer sit and read all these bellyaching comments about the crowd in San Jose. The crowd was great. Did you all not take your happy pills today?

 

For perspective, I was in the 14th row just left of center on the main floor. From my vantage point it looked the crowd on the floor was on its feet all night long.

 

Let's face it, there are always going to be morons and idiots that attend shows. My suggestion is to deal with it or skip the show entirely. But did someone who had trouble taking a picture with their camera really ruin the entire show for some of you? C'mon ... is this all we really have to write and talk about?

 

Keep in mind too everyone that the age range attending this show in my row alone ranged from 56 on the high end to 10 years old. Are really going to ridicule a 56 year old who needs to take a seat for a few songs? Again, give me a break. If they want to take a seat, let 'em I say. And, just ignore them if they ask you to sit down. Were the people in front of your seated???? I for one did not take a seat all night long and I am pushing 40.

 

My take away message for the masses is that I hope you enjoy your own personal time at the shows. The tickets are too expensive and the show is too short to allow anyone to adversely impact your time seeing one of the great bands or perhaps even the greatest band on the road today.

 

And, if you are concerned about the reaction of the crowd in San Jose, check the YouTube postings. I think the video shows a rather animated crowd that is truly in a lather that the band fed off of throughout the night. Why else would they alter their setlist to throw in some tracks we have not heard in some time.

 

Just my 2 cents for everyone's consideration,

 

Tom

[busybeeburns]

well said tom :thumbsup:

[Mimixxx]

a person needs to work hard when they're in the best band in the world.

 

it doesn't mean that any band if they got enough it doesn't mean that its enough what ever they do.

 

They need to work hard not stop everything they do because its enough.

 

infact nothing is enough in this world.I go to my office as today my boss said that i did well doesn't mean that i got enough and i've to stop working hard.

 

if they play so well then only the people who hate them will have chances to see them even more liking them.

 

And yeah if Coldplay listens to people's opinions like you and me they'll never top the charts.Because people always have different opinions.

 

if they do what ever they like to do then only then can do better.

 

I didn't say he should stop trying his hardest, I said he needs to take a few breaks in the set that's all. It wasn't a criticism, we were just saying he's going to end up making himself ill if he doesn't slow down a little. ;)

 

Oh and here's a great video of Strawberry Swing, some great singing from Mister Martin:

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hXor8jGHL40