3-Mar-2009: Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne, Australia - Tickets, Meetups, Reviews/Photos

[soon to be scientist]

Camera are allowed, just don't annoy the band with a flash if you're in the front row! Guy snarled at someone the other night apparently!

 

 

I hope i get there early enough to have the opportunity to NOT annoy guy, jonny or chris. will won't see with his symbol-eye-shields anyway.

 

Last tour they didn't go to NZ so we flew over to Melbourne to see them. This time they are coming to NZ, but we booked sydney before they announced that, just in case. I gotta jet set over just for the weekend due to uni. Gonna be aweeesome.

[Mimixxx]

Sorry -- someone asked this a couple of pages back; no, there was no mention of Chris' birthday, although, one side of my banner said 'Happy Birthday Chris' -- then I got told by other audience members that it was in the way... :(

 

Josh, that is just too cool! At least someone got that close! :D (I really wanna know that hotel name!) Are you from Melbourne?

 

Boooo, bad bandmates!

[crestingwaves]

Ok wow! Just got back from Melbourne to home in Adelaide. Here is my review:

 

So after a morning walk, we arrived from our hotel to the Rod Laver Arena - we were the 4th there, and guess what!? The first 10 people to arrive - all earlybirds like us, were from Adelaide! We have to make sure they hear of this!!

 

Anyways, it was sooo windy outside, and we toiled in the heat and wind with the others only to be moved to the front (away from where they initially told us to wait). It was really unfair, cos we had been waiting since 10am and we (and the others) deserved to go in first, yet where we were waiting, all these other people rocked up at 6ish and they got in before us!!!

 

However, we earlybirds stuck up for each other and after a shietload of stress we made it to the front row (actually, my group didn't - we were 2nd row, some punks made 1st row who didn't even know what the 2nd album was called :angry:)

 

Decoder Ring were interesting, nice video footage, but all instrumental and not very interactive. Mercury Rev were...more interesting - but more interaction and better music.

 

Okay! Coldplay! Mega woot when they came on to that classical piece (sorry 4got the name). From being a regular here I knew what was coming, but you could tell some people were like 'meh'. But when they came on it was ballistic! Just as good as the Twisted Logic gig - better! Some highlights were the roars from Jonny, Guy and Will air punching! Viva, Lost, Strawberry Swing, LIJ were off the rocker! Chris was on fire!

Also, we had made two banners; 1st one said: "Happy B-day Chris: Long Live the King!" The 2nd said: "Vote 1 G.B 4 P.M"

Chris pointed and winked at his and laughed a bit. Guy eventually acknowledged his, but he was shy (as per usual :))

 

Still on cloud 9, but lastly, today, we went by the hotel they were staying at, and as we walked by, Jonny walked by with his wife and child in a pram! Naww factor was off the scales. But we left them to it, I felt guilty just for being there even though they didn't see us.

 

So yay! Was an awesome time, and well worth missing out on my first week of Uni! And we saw Jonny and wife and baby!!! YYYYYYAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY

!!!!!!!

VIVA LA COLDPLAY!!!

[Cobalt]

Camera are allowed, just don't annoy the band with a flash if you're in the front row! Guy snarled at someone the other night apparently!

 

Ouch! I can see why he would with flashes snapping away when you don't even need one!

[anarayne]

Cameras?

 

I'm going to see them tomorrow night and I'm super excited :D I want to take a camera in but it says Prohibited Items: Professional Cameras. Although, I wouldn't call mine a professional camera? I would be so cut if I couldnt take it :(

[busybeeburns]

Melbourne Review 4: Coldplay Vs U2 Vs Radiohead

 

With thanks to some poorly placed words on the BBC last week, Bono generated a Coldplay vs U2 rivalry not seen since the days of Oasis vs Robbie Williams. That all begs the question. How good are Coldplay and where do they sit in a world of U2 and Radiohead?

 

The answer is they are all good. We don’t have to pick one because we have them all. Coldplay are about 100 shows into the Viva La Vida tour already so Australia got them at the well-oiled stage.

 

Everything about this show was perfection. Visually the band have paid attention to representing the music with the right mood and they do have to budget to carry that off. The yellow balloons during ‘Yellow’, the lasers through ‘Clocks’, the video backdrop during ‘Lovers In Japan’ all kept the feel of the show at a different pace.

 

Also their B and C stage parts gave different parts of the audience a close-up view at various times. It didn’t hurt that Coldplay are coming off the back of their biggest album ever either. All bar one ‘Viva La Vida’ song is represented in the setlist. Because the album was so big, the fans knew all the songs anyway so it was like a greatest hits set.

 

With ‘Viva La Vida’ taking up have the set, the old songs had to be cherry-picked and they chose well. ‘’The Scientist’, ‘Politik’, ‘Fix You’, ‘In My Place’, ‘Yellow’ and ‘Clocks’ satisfied the hit-starved sector of the crowd. Chris Martin was witty (“we’re one of England’s premier soft rock bands”). He got his Bono jibe in (“I’ve had to put up with shit from Bono for 13 years”.

 

But what was obvious moreso than on previous tours was that Coldplay now plays as a band. Will Champion especially compliments Martin on vocals from behind the drum-kit and has a bit of a Phil Collins thing going on with the band if ever Martin decides he wants to do a Peter Gabriel.

 

Radiohead has been absent from the Australian soil for too many years. They could pull off this size event and get away with it. Muse should be able too. With a new album on the way, they may just about to hit their peak and go to this level as well. U2 are already there which is why Bono must be so nervous about the bands coming up behind him.

 

Coldplay haven’t even gone the Stadium tour yet. Let’s hope they can keep it at Arena size.

 

http://undercover.com.au

[crackers]

All I can say is WOW! :shocked2:

 

Coldplay have truly mastered the arena spectacular. So much colour, so much noise, they set the lighting so well for the moods of the songs.

 

I thought the Twisted Logic tour was good until last night!

 

Only disappointment of the night was my Digital SLR getting canned by the security because the lens was too long (17-50mm is too long WTF?). So my photos were shit, but hopefully, my memory of that amazing night will last.

 

Decoder Ring were ok, Moody instrumentals, accompanied by cool visuals, but as my friend pointed out "none of their songs were particularly complex" with the main gist of most of their songs being synth and effects laden across one, two or perhaps at the most three chords.

 

As for Mercury Rev, Roadie 42's praise of them seemed unfounded when I heard them play, with most of their songs sounding very similar. The singer's voice sounded like some hybrid of Michael Stipe, Isaac Slade, and James Blunt, and perhaps stopped me from fully enjoying the rest of the band. If anything good can be said about them, it was that they definately didn't steal Coldplay's thunder.

 

Anyway, those are my thoughts on an amazing gig!

[Ab]

Ok wow! Just got back from Melbourne to home in Adelaide. Here is my review:

 

So after a morning walk, we arrived from our hotel to the Rod Laver Arena - we were the 4th there, and guess what!? The first 10 people to arrive - all earlybirds like us, were from Adelaide! We have to make sure they hear of this!!

 

Anyways, it was sooo windy outside, and we toiled in the heat and wind with the others only to be moved to the front (away from where they initially told us to wait). It was really unfair, cos we had been waiting since 10am and we (and the others) deserved to go in first, yet where we were waiting, all these other people rocked up at 6ish and they got in before us!!!

 

However, we earlybirds stuck up for each other and after a shietload of stress we made it to the front row (actually, my group didn't - we were 2nd row, some punks made 1st row who didn't even know what the 2nd album was called :angry:)

 

Decoder Ring were interesting, nice video footage, but all instrumental and not very interactive. Mercury Rev were...more interesting - but more interaction and better music.

 

Okay! Coldplay! Mega woot when they came on to that classical piece (sorry 4got the name). From being a regular here I knew what was coming, but you could tell some people were like 'meh'. But when they came on it was ballistic! Just as good as the Twisted Logic gig - better! Some highlights were the roars from Jonny, Guy and Will air punching! Viva, Lost, Strawberry Swing, LIJ were off the rocker! Chris was on fire!

Also, we had made two banners; 1st one said: "Happy B-day Chris: Long Live the King!" The 2nd said: "Vote 1 G.B 4 P.M"

Chris pointed and winked at his and laughed a bit. Guy eventually acknowledged his, but he was shy (as per usual :))

 

Still on cloud 9, but lastly, today, we went by the hotel they were staying at, and as we walked by, Jonny walked by with his wife and child in a pram! Naww factor was off the scales. But we left them to it, I felt guilty just for being there even though they didn't see us.

 

So yay! Was an awesome time, and well worth missing out on my first week of Uni! And we saw Jonny and wife and baby!!! YYYYYYAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYY

!!!!!!!

VIVA LA COLDPLAY!!!

Wow, great review, thanx! :D

Umm, dumb question: What does Guy's banner mean?!!! :dunce:

All I can say is WOW! :shocked2:

 

Coldplay have truly mastered the arena spectacular. So much colour, so much noise, they set the lighting so well for the moods of the songs.

 

I thought the Twisted Logic tour was good until last night!

 

Only disappointment of the night was my Digital SLR getting canned by the security because the lens was too long (17-50mm is too long WTF?). So my photos were shit, but hopefully, my memory of that amazing night will last.

 

Decoder Ring were ok, Moody instrumentals, accompanied by cool visuals, but as my friend pointed out "none of their songs were particularly complex" with the main gist of most of their songs being synth and effects laden across one, two or perhaps at the most three chords.

 

As for Mercury Rev, Roadie 42's praise of them seemed unfounded when I heard them play, with most of their songs sounding very similar. The singer's voice sounded like some hybrid of Michael Stipe, Isaac Slade, and James Blunt, and perhaps stopped me from fully enjoying the rest of the band. If anything good can be said about them, it was that they definately didn't steal Coldplay's thunder.

 

Anyway, those are my thoughts on an amazing gig!

Awesome review, thanx! :D

Sorry about your camera. :(

[scusi]

Brilliant reviews, thanks. Cobalt is right, I found out last week from a friend that you get better gig photos without the flash on! Guy likes it better too ;)

[Jayzo]

Great reviews, thanks Guys!!! :D :D Sounds like an awesome gig!!!

 

And the flash thing was annoying, I accidentally took a few photos OF GUY :lol: with the flash on when I was in the front row but that was like 2 out of 250 :lol:, so I hope it wasn't me :laugh4:.

 

People around me were as well and I can't remember he being pissed at me so :P.

[crestingwaves]

Jizo, we were in front of Guy, did you see people holding the banners every now and again infront of him? That was us.

 

Loud Meditation: G.B 4 P.M = Guy Berryman for Prime Minister

[crestingwaves]

O btw, none of the crowd knew much. We totally started the encore "ooowaaaoooo ooowaaooo". It was funny to hear it grow and grow and grow. Then at the end, some guy turned to us and said "That was all you guys!" We just laughed.

[Jayzo]

Jizo, we were in front of Guy, did you see people holding the banners every now and again infront of him? That was us.

 

I meant to say at the Perth concert, which is the one I went to :lol:.

[crestingwaves]

Crackers. I saw some guy behind me get yelled out by the security guard on GA about a camera. Was that you? About 8m from the front?

[Jayzo]

Crackers. I saw some guy behind me get yelled out by the security guard on GA about a camera. Was that you? About 8m from the front?

 

Dude I am totally confused, did you go to the Perth gig on the 28th?!

I was just commenting about my camera coz it was on topic in here :lol:.

 

And no, I was right at the front of the barrier, in front of Chris.

 

If you went to the same gig, did you see who Guy snarled at, etc?? Was it those people Josh Simo talked to who were right in front of him?

[crestingwaves]

Dude I am totally confused, did you go to the Perth gig on the 28th?!

I was just commenting about my camera coz it was on topic in here :lol:.

 

And no, I was right at the front of the barrier, in front of Chris.

 

If you went to the same gig, did you see who Guy snarled at, etc?? Was it those people Josh Simo talked to who were right in front of him?

 

Lol, no Jizo, I'm talking to "Crackers"..he said something bout a camera lol.

Alls good. I don't think Guy was snarling too much, there were some roudy bunch next to us who mighta been doing that. I can't see how Simo knew about that seeing as he was on the other side near Jonny? Guy seemed happish, just his normal, conservative, shy, AWESOME self.

[Ab]

Loud Meditation: G.B 4 P.M = Guy Berryman for Prime Minister

Oh, I see! :D

Good one!!!! :lol:

[Jayzo]

Lol, no Jizo, I'm talking to "Crackers"..he said something bout a camera lol.

 

Lol I thought it was super cool new hip greeting I didn't know about :lol: :P.

[Ab]

I thought it was an Aussie interjection! :lol:

[crestingwaves]

Well yer. I do say it to be honest. Sometimes, if something is crazy or cool, you say "wow, thats crackers!"

So I can see how you got confused. Way for that crackers guy to have his name as crackers....its crackers..

[caity...]

I thought it was an Aussie interjection! :lol:

 

hmm... not quite!

 

crestingwaves and i are cooler than cool cos we had signs of awesomeness :)

 

fin

[joshtimo]

I can't see how Simo knew about that seeing as he was on the other side near Jonny?

Ha so you remember seeing me!! That's funny! Anyway, as for Guy, the girls I was with were at the Perth gig also and THEY mentioned that Guy snarled at them, but IN PERTH!! Not in Melbourne; also Guy mentioned to me he was happy with the crowd on the 3rd, so good work everyone!

[Plug_in_coldplaying]

Do you mean,you were talking with Guy?

[busybeeburns]

Heraldsun have beefed up their article from yesterday and posted some ace pictures :D

 

READ EXTENDED REVIEW OF LAST NIGHT'S CONCERT BELOW.

 

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It's easy to see why Coldplay have become the world's biggest band in less than a decade.

 

Quite simply they've got brilliant songs and plenty of them - a knack for timeless melodies first displayed on Yellow which stretches to triumphant anthem Viva la Vida - THE soundtrack to pop music in 2008.

 

It's harder to see why Chris Martin has such a problem with his own band; his constant self-criticism is instantly negated by the euphoric and emotional reaction that greeted Coldplay at last night's Rod Laver Arena show.

 

The show is simply brilliant – the best tour they’ve ever done and a remarkably user-friendly stadium concert.

 

Despite all this Martin seemingly finds it harder to embrace his music than the fans do – he introduced his band as ''we are Coldplay and we’re one of England's premier soft rock bands'' last night.

 

His British self-deprecation has it’s charm in small doses, but Martin has now earned the right to have a healthy dose of rock star ego.

 

He’s a fascinating rock star – weird and wired with a wonderful voice.

 

He’s also smart – busting his trademark yoga-meets-Bono floor squats in front of the assembled photographers just seconds before they were due to exit the arena.

 

It’s a suitably clever tour. Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends pulled off a rare trick - experimental but accessible and also last year's highest-selling album worldwide.

 

After boring themselves with the bloated autopilot stadium rock of previous release X&Y, accordingly their latest tour is a deliberately intimate show in a not-so-intimate venue.

 

And tellingly, aside from Fix You the songs from X&Y have either been dumped or stripped back – Speed of Sound and The Hardest Part (introduced as “a song rejected from Shane Warne the Musical”) were acoustic while Talk is remixed on the spot with Will Champion on stand-up synth drums as the band move to their 'B’ stage among delighted fans on the right catwalk.

 

Indeed their two huge catwalks knock out plenty of floorspace - a bad move financially but a priceless way for diehard fans to get closer to their heroes.

 

Then a tiny stage at the rear of the venue lets those in the nosebleed section get up close and personal with the band – the hail of cameras suggest the moment will already be captured on You Tube. And their use of cameras and screens is ingenious – from a tiny TV on stage to globes hanging from the roof they’re projected onto.

 

Like their music, the staging techniques aren't original, but Coldplay are masters at recycling in style and injecting their own charm.

 

Pleasingly heavy on songs from Viva la Vida, their stunning live show saw envelope-pushing album tracks like 42 and Chinese Sleep Chant alongside tried-and-true world-beaters like Clocks, The Scientist and Fix You.

 

However more than just a parade of tunes, Coldplay deal in moments. Like the spine-tingling moment when they swing into Viva la Vida and the crowd turn the song’s vocal chant into a football anthem that continues long after the band have stopped playing. Or the sea of paper leaves that swamp the audience during the gorgeous Lovers in Japan. Or the way Life in Technicolour II is the musical equivalent of getting a firm hug or a warm smile.

 

Yes, forget what Chris Martin says, Coldplay are something very special.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25136716-5006024,00.html

[Pris]

Or the way Life in Technicolour II is the musical equivalent of getting a firm hug or a warm smile.

So true :nice:

 

Thanx for posting it Ian, those pics are great :D