librahi Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 First off, let me say that I'm a giant fan and am very happy to have stumbled across this board. Unfortunately, I didn't really find Coldplay until a year ago and I don't know how I survived without them. I have backtracked and purchased all the albums and am just amazed at the talent and creativity in their music. Anyway, on to my point. I have been a huge live music fan for 15 years (since I was old enough to go to concerts). I went to Dave Matthews Band shows 5 times a summer. I even went to three nights in a row of Dave and Tim as they went from city to city near where I live. I've seen the Counting Crows, Howie Day, John Mayer, Ben Harper, Indigo Girls, and many others. One thing that was so great about them is that you never knew what to expect during a live show. Three nights in a row in different venues with DMB and all three setlists were almost entirely different. When I first saw Coldplay in Atlanta in November, I had looked at their setlists from previous shows, including the one in Atlanta just the week before. As it started I thought, this has to be mixed up a little, they just played here. Well, I was wrong. Other than Green Eyes, I picked the setlist before it was ever played. Maybe I'll just not look at setlists when I go to Charlotte this year and try to be surprised. Again, not complaining about the greatest band in the world, but does anyone know why it's the same over and over and over. I used to collect live shows as well and have tried Coldplay shows, but one from each tour is about the only thing you need or it's the same show. Thanks for your responses, would like to hear other's opinions. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
busybeeburns Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 they sacrificed major changes in setlists to ensure excellent visual features :) December 17, 2008 - submitted by Tyler, United States of America Q. Why doesn't Coldplay switch up the setlist more often? They've been playing the same songs for a while now, excluding the inclusion of Life in Technicolor II...do they not realize that they have more than 25 songs in their catalog? The Oracle replies: Well they do mix it up a little but when you've put as much time and effort into the incredible lights and visuals it would take a lot more time to get that sorted for a new set list, which they're short on. That said, it's only people who go more than once (but not consecutive nights) who will notice the small changes that have taken place over the past seven months. Green Eyes is in, Trouble is out, Yellow has not only moved but started as an acoustic song on Stage C, Stage B had The Hardest Part added, Yes did make an appearance and so on. Most bands do stick to the same set list on tour it's only your Bruce Springsteen, Radiohead et al who make the main feature of the shows a change of songs. Coldplay's huge production lends itself to being less flexible but is so worth it! http://www.coldplay.com/oracle.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Black Dog Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I'm not surprised you're disappointed if you're used to seeing Dave Matthews. They're known as truly groundbreaking live performers! Not to mention their concerts are basically marijuana pits :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimorris Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 I'm really bummed they aren't playing Everything's Not Lost on this tour Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
soulsalsa7 Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 Everyone has their own preference, so that is understandable. I've seen John Mayer, Prince, Kanye West, Beck, etc. before...And from experience I've noticed that for more elaborate sets, a tighter setlist and show cues are needed to make it work without glitches. So when any one of these artists including Coldplay have simple staging, I seem to notice more freedom and variety of songs choices. So with that said, I also noticed that many venues they didn't choose on the last tour they chose this time around would not accommodate such elaborate stage settings, so maybe you're in for a change this time. :) For me, if they're playing the same songs over and over, it's still doesn't faze me as the passion & energy are still there, that's what matters most to me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librahi Posted February 13, 2009 Author Share Posted February 13, 2009 guys, these are the responses i was looking for. thank you! a lot of people would say, "if you don't like it, don't go" or crap like that. i understand more now. i do totally agree that their energy is what the live show is about. but, when i'm downloading live shows for my iPod, what's the need for more than one? they all SOUND the same without being there. plus, i really feel you need to be right up front to truly get the experience of their shows. the one aired on directv from toronto 2006 just gives me chills, i still have it on my dvr and watch it weekly. so, when i went to atlanta and was on the floor, but 40 rows back, having to peer in between people to see the stage (and i'm 6'1"), it wasn't my best experience. i tried very hard to get front row this time around and damnit, i'm getting them. $1000 a ticket is worth it to me and (well, maybe not) i want to be there right up front! :) i like the stadium seating in the outdoor venues though, easier to see. anyway, thanks again and i see now. i will not be looking at any setlists within 3 months of the charlotte show, as much as it will kill me. i just hope it's not exactly the same as the tour in 08. plus, if they could bring back swallowed in the sea, oh my. that song is truly brilliant, maybe i'm a minority, but if i had to choose one song to see live, it would be that (talk is a close second). i'm a big x&y fan by the way, i've seen a lot of coldplay fans who disagree. i think it was their best album. just a personal preference though. later! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ABerkman Posted February 13, 2009 Share Posted February 13, 2009 i know this might b my first post on coldplaying...but, i totally agree with you. their setlists are so similar from night to night but i never took the lighting cues into account and the energy of actually being at the show. ill make a pact with you not to look at setlists until our shows...then we can revisit this threat and hopefully tell ourselves that "it doesnt make a difference what they played, it was the best damn concert ever" ill be at the mansfield, ma show in august. i can't stop thinking about it even though it's over 5 months away as a little side note, i saw dave matthews and jack johnson last summer in camden, nj. and the tickets for coldplay were easier to get than those guys. i couldnt believe it...i was the 3rd to last row of reserved at dave and now im much closer for this one. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aimorris Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 well if Parachutes is your favorite Coldplay album like it is mine.... you will probably be disappointed with the setlist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librahi Posted February 14, 2009 Author Share Posted February 14, 2009 well if Parachutes is your favorite Coldplay album like it is mine.... you will probably be disappointed with the setlist x&y actually, but love them all. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
emmbeedee Posted February 14, 2009 Share Posted February 14, 2009 I'm going to the Maryland Heights, MO show in July. It will be my first Coldpay concert!! Right now, I'm kinda glad the setlist is the same, I'll know what to expect. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
svenner885 Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 Yeah it's true, I sometimes find myself complaining about the setlist but I understand that it's bound to happen when I've seen them the last four times they've come around! I sympathize with the people who haven't been fortunate enough to get through ticketmaster 10 seconds after 10 (so those who have never got to see Yellow or In My Place or whatev). I notice that this tour seems to have a lot more amphitheatre stops. Maybe (just maybe) it might open up a bit more flexibility than they'd have in a stadium where the production would probably be higher? I'll hold out hope! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakfak Posted February 16, 2009 Share Posted February 16, 2009 I think it has to do mostly with the type of audience they have. Coldplay, being one of the most commercially big acts in he world, attract great numbers of casual fans who go to their shows expecting to hear the radio hits and are not really all that interested in B-sides, deep cuts, covers etc. If you look closely at bands who are known for changing the setlist a great deal, most of them are either: A. Acts who achieve most of their success outside the "mainstream channels" the music industry (Radiohead, Pearl Jam) B. Veteran acts whose audience is so solidified they can play whatever they want (The Stones, etc.) C. Jam bands whose whole appeal is based around that type of show. (DMB etc.) At the same time acts more firmly grounded in "pop music" sensibilities (and for better or worse, Coldplay is firmly in this group), do tend to play the same type of repetative shows Coldplay does. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
gojulas895 Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 As a fellow Dave fan, and don't get me wrong I love Coldplay, I think it's fair to say that if you set the standard at DMB you will be disappointed with a lot of bands. What fakfak said is pretty much the truth. With DMB, you go to as many concerts as possible to hear as many songs as possible. Unfortunately I get a feeling with Coldplay revenues would tank if they got TOO creative. Pack each show with as many hits/singles as possible is an effective strategy. I would love to hear some more B-Sides or Parachutes material personally... On the plus side you can go to one or two concerts in a tour and have heard all they are going to play. Considering that this is the case I wish they would release an album for each tour, or adopt DMB's taping policy :) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fakfak Posted February 17, 2009 Share Posted February 17, 2009 In regards to the Parachutes tracks I think the band doesn't play these much anymore because: A. Most of the songson that album are too "quiet" to really work that well in the bigger venues they play now. (when they toured smaller venues in South America in '07 they did work more Parachutes songs into the set.) and B. They seem to feel that they've grown beyond that music. Many musicians have periods of they're work they feel similar about. U2 for example, went almost the entire 90's without playing hardly any of their early work, despite strong fan demand for same... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librahi Posted March 22, 2009 Author Share Posted March 22, 2009 bringing this back up to the top to see what everyone thinks will happen in the us tour and if they will finally switch something up.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Zeya Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 well in one of the interviews chris did he mentioned that he will play songs like yellow even if they are tired of playing them because most of the people who come to their concerts wanted to listen to songs like yellow..he mentioned that these people have paid a great deal amount of money to listen to those songs..so they will keep on playing those kind of songs.. i agree that we need more varieties in their song selection, but we cant be selfish..everyone paid the same amount of money so everyone deserves to enjoy the concerts. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Joker Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 I think some of the things coldplay does live is great. But I really want them to make it more "emotional". U2 puts it the best when they say at the end of a concert, they want audience to feel like they have gone through something emotionally. Coldplay sometimes seem like they just want to get through the setlist as soon as they can sometimes. They should really try to make there concerts more epic. Anyone get what I'm saying? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librahi Posted March 23, 2009 Author Share Posted March 23, 2009 I think some of the things coldplay does live is great. But I really want them to make it more "emotional". U2 puts it the best when they say at the end of a concert, they want audience to feel like they have gone through something emotionally. Coldplay sometimes seem like they just want to get through the setlist as soon as they can sometimes. They should really try to make there concerts more epic. Anyone get what I'm saying? i do see what you're saying but don't agree 100%. however, a little banter here and there, i like that. dave matthews and john mayer do a good job of this. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tnspieler1012 Posted March 23, 2009 Share Posted March 23, 2009 Hey, I was at the same show as you, librahi! It was my first coldplay gig! I have to say it was slightly disconcerting how predictable things like the setlist were (although that could be slightly my fault since I took measures to memorize it :P), as effective as it was. I remember telling my friend what song they song they would play next right after they finished the last one. Green eyes was a very pleasant surprise, but it was strangely funny how rehearsed some of his lines were. For example he started the song saying "It's not the best coldplay song..."and then made that Bill O'reilly.com joke. But I had seen the exact same banter word-for-word in you-tube videos of their other gigs, so it was a strange sense of de javu seeing it played out in front of me. On the other hand, you can't blame him for having a gameplan for what he's going to say in front of thousands of people so he doesn't have to improvise and say the same thing in an uncomfortable, less eloquent way. And again, most people haven't spent an arduous amount of time analyzing their shows before going to see them. So I probably shouldn't expect him to write fresh material between shows when it's already fresh to most of the audience. When we left, I remember a lot of people complaining that the show was too short, but I think the set was already 20+ songs long, so I think people's dissapointment was a reflection of the quality of the show, and that they didn't want it to end. Since it probably will be a longtime before or if I ever see them again, I spent most of the show trying to soak it all in. All aspects of the show were tremendously and professionally done I thought. A more radiohead-esque flexibility would be nice, but this tour was the concert equivalent of a well-oiled machine. Every several week's they'll move a couple songs around, but I think they're afraid of making an drastic changes to something thats been so effective. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airieslady Posted March 24, 2009 Share Posted March 24, 2009 Even though, it's just my opinion.... Coldplay has to put in some open spots within their electronic show where they can play from a selection of older songs that would not interfere with their electronic sequencing. They could play something different in a couple open spots. This is what RH does, they have a huge electronic lights sequence, but keeps about 5 or 6 open spots for surprise songs. This is what makes people go to many show b/c of the different songs played. Their excuse may be they don't remember how to play the song.... well, I guess this is what separates the men from the boys. Practicing a bunch of your old songs and relearning them before you rush into a tour. RH practiced a catalogue of 50 songs or more before touring. Remember CP started out this tour and cancelling the first month's shows b/c it wasn't ready. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the shows...I'm traveling to London for Pete's sake! And spent the most money ever on this band... three shows this year, but you know what's coming... just like listening to the same album over and over, you know the song before it starts playing. And changing one or two songs for a whole leg of tour isn't doing it. They have been playing the same songs for over two years so they could play these in their sleep...robotically almost! The band should have more confidence in themselves to change it up.... "Confidence in you is confidence in me" Who said that? :P Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librahi Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Hey, I was at the same show as you, librahi! It was my first coldplay gig! I have to say it was slightly disconcerting how predictable things like the setlist were (although that could be slightly my fault since I took measures to memorize it :P), as effective as it was. I remember telling my friend what song they song they would play next right after they finished the last one. Green eyes was a very pleasant surprise, but it was strangely funny how rehearsed some of his lines were. For example he started the song saying "It's not the best coldplay song..."and then made that Bill O'reilly.com joke. But I had seen the exact same banter word-for-word in you-tube videos of their other gigs, so it was a strange sense of de javu seeing it played out in front of me. On the other hand, you can't blame him for having a gameplan for what he's going to say in front of thousands of people so he doesn't have to improvise and say the same thing in an uncomfortable, less eloquent way. And again, most people haven't spent an arduous amount of time analyzing their shows before going to see them. So I probably shouldn't expect him to write fresh material between shows when it's already fresh to most of the audience. When we left, I remember a lot of people complaining that the show was too short, but I think the set was already 20+ songs long, so I think people's dissapointment was a reflection of the quality of the show, and that they didn't want it to end. Since it probably will be a longtime before or if I ever see them again, I spent most of the show trying to soak it all in. All aspects of the show were tremendously and professionally done I thought. A more radiohead-esque flexibility would be nice, but this tour was the concert equivalent of a well-oiled machine. Every several week's they'll move a couple songs around, but I think they're afraid of making an drastic changes to something thats been so effective. don't have anything else i can add, well said. are you going to the one in may? i'll be there in the pit with my wife and her sister and i'll be in charlotte too in august. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librahi Posted March 24, 2009 Author Share Posted March 24, 2009 Even though, it's just my opinion.... Coldplay has to put in some open spots within their electronic show where they can play from a selection of older songs that would not interfere with their electronic sequencing. They could play something different in a couple open spots. This is what RH does, they have a huge electronic lights sequence, but keeps about 5 or 6 open spots for surprise songs. This is what makes people go to many show b/c of the different songs played. Their excuse may be they don't remember how to play the song.... well, I guess this is what separates the men from the boys. Practicing a bunch of your old songs and relearning them before you rush into a tour. RH practiced a catalogue of 50 songs or more before touring. Remember CP started out this tour and cancelling the first month's shows b/c it wasn't ready. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy the shows...I'm traveling to London for Pete's sake! And spent the most money ever on this band... three shows this year, but you know what's coming... just like listening to the same album over and over, you know the song before it starts playing. And changing one or two songs for a whole leg of tour isn't doing it. They have been playing the same songs for over two years so they could play these in their sleep...robotically almost! The band should have more confidence in themselves to change it up.... "Confidence in you is confidence in me" Who said that? :P agree 1 million cagillion percent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
twiqz Posted March 25, 2009 Share Posted March 25, 2009 I just found out out that they dont have a violinist on stage but have it the voilin playing off a cd in the backround for their Viva songs. Im going to say that thats already my biggest disappointment with Coldplay live and i havent seen them yet since the X&Y tour. Anyone who has anything positive to say about a violin playing off a tape in the backround of Chris Martins voice is a...excuse me for my choice of words.....Freakin idiot. As i said in another post...what is next them taping Wills drums or Guys bass? ...First to name the damn violinst to that plays in 75% of Vivas ablum gets a pat on the back because no1 seems to even know who he/she is. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
librahi Posted March 26, 2009 Author Share Posted March 26, 2009 I just found out out that they dont have a violinist on stage but have it the voilin playing off a cd in the backround for their Viva songs. Im going to say that thats already my biggest disappointment with Coldplay live and i havent seen them yet since the X&Y tour. Anyone who has anything positive to say about a violin playing off a tape in the backround of Chris Martins voice is a...excuse me for my choice of words.....Freakin idiot. As i said in another post...what is next them taping Wills drums or Guys bass? ...First to name the damn violinst to that plays in 75% of Vivas ablum gets a pat on the back because no1 seems to even know who he/she is. news to me, but interesting. wow. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
airieslady Posted March 26, 2009 Share Posted March 26, 2009 "All strings by Davide Rossi" as quoted on the album Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
-overlay.thumb.png.655b81ee5d7c1b7ed4cccb4ebc64b6cf.png)
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now