It is very well known that U2 is a huge influence on Coldplay. To the point where I believe that Coldplay strive to have a career like U2. In the sense of being around for 30+ years making relevant music, having a great fan base and putting on some of the best live shows.

 

Now Im not going to go into depth about comparing the music, U2 like any other huge rock band created a sound that cannot be defined as Rock, Alternative, Soft Rock, Arena Rock; but purely as U2. With U2 you can go from 'Boy' to 'Bomb' and hear the band grow, hear the influences and even tell what points in history were written. 'New Year's Day' was the start of the fall of the Eastern Bloc with the Polish solidarity. Right up to the entire 'Achtung Baby' album.

 

Not only do they sport one of the best back catalogue's in the bizz, but they also evolved as one of the best live acts in the world. Another thing any band that achieves longevity hopes to gain, including Coldplay.

 

Like I said, Im not comparing music, my only words on that will be this: Coldplay need to develop an identity of their own. Not to follow others with a Coldplay spin.

 

They tried that with 'Viva La Vida' only thing was they let Brian Eno lose. As much as I heralded that as good, and in a way still do. They created an album that was not for the music, why would they give two of their best songs away? Why would they leave another two off the album completely. When the album dropped we didnt know of these four songs, or what they sounded like at least. 'Lukas' and 'Fun' given to Natalie Imbrugula the first which is unchanged except vocals. Then we got 'Glass of Water' and 'Life in Technicolor ii' from Prospekts March.

 

What was the purpose of 'Viva' then? To create a live show. They tried with 'X&Y' to be an arena rock band, much like the one U2 was at the time. Simple lighting cues, and a set that could be changed on a whim. It worked, and if it wasn;t for the unfair negative reviews, would have likely sent them to super stardom 4 years earlier.

 

But with the Viva La Vida World Tour, Coldplay used a very familiar stage to one Brian Eno. Coldplay's Viva La Vida Tour was a complete utter rip off of the greatest live show in history. The one that changed music forever.

 

Coldplay ripped off U2s Zoo TV tour. The exact same stage layout, ramps and all. Coldplay had one advantage that no one else has though. Exclusive footage of the Zoo TV arena legs. Everything is almost the same. It will take a hardcore U2 fan to see it however.

 

Layout, to the B-Stage, to the Viva outfits. Even the TVs on stage, it is all a rip off. I'd say one or two items can be called a homage. Im even going to go as far to say that the stadium gigs blended Popmart and Zoo TV.

 

Im not the only one who noticed it either. Bono calling Martin a '******' shortly after Zoo T...errrm Viva La Vida went under way.

So you're saying Coldplay's ripping them off because they have a big shows and big lights and stuff. :thinking:

I disagree.

Yeah me too dude.

These don't really look alike.

 

Stage layout, outfits, set list construction.

How could Coldplay ripoff U2's setlist? :thinking::dozey:

Bored...stir the pot. Why bring this opinion to a site where Coldplay is well liked/loved?

Bored...stir the pot. Why bring this opinion to a site where Coldplay is well liked/loved?

 

Don't get me wrong I love Coldplay. Fun discussion?

What? They have the same speakers? :dozey:

Did U2 have a reign of confetti butterflies and a C stage in the middle of the crowd too?

 

i didnt realize -__________-

U2 did not have confetti fall on 5% of the audience, no. But they were the first to use a B-Stage in the audience, oddly enough used to play an acoustic set on.

...

Have you ever seen Zoo TV?

The confetti doesn't fall on 5% of the crowd. Obviously if you paid attention to the layout that there's confetti sprayers pointing from the stage and behind the crowds. And from above. :D

The confetti doesn't fall on 5% of the crowd. Obviously if you paid attention to the layout that there's confetti sprayers pointing from the stage and behind the crowds. And from above. :D

 

I know the pattern very well. I also know that most of it fell on me four rows back. My friends three sections form the stage just got one.

 

Go, watch Zoo TV, and you will get what I mean. Sure Coldplay added a bit. Still the fundamental parts are oozing Zoo TV.

totally disagree.

U2 did not have confetti fall on 5% of the audience, no. But they were the first to use a B-Stage in the audience, oddly enough used to play an acoustic set on.

 

Coldplay is not the first band to use side ramps, a "B" or even a "C" stage. I've been going to concerts for over 30 years, seen well over 100 concerts, and well, there's only so much you can do. I'm trying to remember the first times I saw them, meaning various stage setups, but well, it's hard. I believe Bruce Springsteen has used a "C" stage, but I was trying to figure out which of his tours over the last 35 years it was. My memory isn't that good ;)

 

Every band tries to do something innovative for their large shows, and really, it gets harder and harder to be "the First" (although for me, Muse's tower stage was a first) to do anything, but everything is modified to suit the band.

I have to disagree. I mean, lots of artists end up doing similar things in live shows simply because there are no endless possibilities. Most bands or solo artists try to add as much as they can to it to make it interesting and original, but some way or another there's something that someone has done before and I don't consider that a "rip off" as you call it. Take for example the latest U2 tour if you want to compare, they have the stage in the middle of the arenas/stadiums. They are not the first, and will not be the last band to have that, I'm sure. However, I wouldn't say that they're trying to copy someone else. Lots of bands have fireworks and such, gosh even N'sync and all those talent show bands had that and people will still use it in the future.

 

There are balloons, confetti (which by the way don't fall over 5% of the crowd,let me tell you) and a c-stage. If someone tomorrow uses them, nobody will say it's a rip off (unless, they are yellow balloons and butterfly-shaped confetti) because it has surely been used before, by someone somewhere!

 

Using the same argument I could say that U2 360º tour stage is a rip off of Backstreet Boys' Millennium tour stage because they have the stage in the middle. They just added some things :dozey: or La Renga's show.

 

edit: what do you mean they also "rip off" the "setlist"? how? I don't understand.

When Radiohead recorded Kid A, everyone believes they did something phenomenal. They completely overhauled their own style, spinning something new and ingenious. Don’t get me wrong, Kid A was brilliant. But in my opinion, it is not the ability to entirely change direction that makes a band truly great, but the ability to expand within their own genre.

 

The same applies to Coldplay. They have done something great in that they have taken an already overused style and made it fresh again. Think about it…is it easier to make good music in a style that has hardly been explored yet, or to create fantastic music in a genre in which everything has supposedly already been done?

 

Coldplay openly admit that they have been heavily influenced by a multitude of other bands, particularly U2. Heck, Chris Martin even wrote the article for the Rolling Stone magazine that recognized U2 as one of the greatest artists of all time, at the same time publicly confessing the awe he felt for said band. STill, Coldplay have style all their own, despite what others say. If U2 were to perform an unreleased Coldplay song, I almost guarantee I would be able to identify it as Coldplay’s when performed with a lineup of unreleased U2 songs.

 

If Coldplay pulled a “Kid A” and completely changed their direction, they would probably alienate not only me, but the millions they have enchanted right from the beginning. U2 is one of the biggest reasons Coldplay started in the first place, and I don’t think its fair to expect that they simply let go of their roots and thrust themselves into territory they are not comfortable with. U2 is part of Coldplay, too much a part for them to simply give up.

 

I thank God for U2, because without them, Coldplay wouldn't exist.

 

Viva la U2. Viva la Coldplay.

 

Viva la Vida.

who cares! Coldplay is the best!!:D

 

 

ugh why would I be analyzing the setup of the stage anyway? im there for the music not to see how they set up the place lol :P

When Radiohead recorded Kid A, everyone believes they did something phenomenal. They completely overhauled their own style, spinning something new and ingenious. Don’t get me wrong, Kid A was brilliant. But in my opinion, it is not the ability to entirely change direction that makes a band truly great, but the ability to expand within their own genre.

 

The same applies to Coldplay. They have done something great in that they have taken an already overused style and made it fresh again. Think about it…is it easier to make good music in a style that has hardly been explored yet, or to create fantastic music in a genre in which everything has supposedly already been done?

 

Coldplay openly admit that they have been heavily influenced by a multitude of other bands, particularly U2. Heck, Chris Martin even wrote the article for the Rolling Stone magazine that recognized U2 as one of the greatest artists of all time, at the same time publicly confessing the awe he felt for said band. STill, Coldplay have style all their own, despite what others say. If U2 were to perform an unreleased Coldplay song, I almost guarantee I would be able to identify it as Coldplay’s when performed with a lineup of unreleased U2 songs.

 

If Coldplay pulled a “Kid A” and completely changed their direction, they would probably alienate not only me, but the millions they have enchanted right from the beginning. U2 is one of the biggest reasons Coldplay started in the first place, and I don’t think its fair to expect that they simply let go of their roots and thrust themselves into territory they are not comfortable with. U2 is part of Coldplay, too much a part for them to simply give up.

 

I thank God for U2, because without them, Coldplay wouldn't exist.

 

Viva la U2. Viva la Coldplay.

 

Viva la Vida.

 

+ ∞

I'm pretty sure the layouts will have to be kept to some crazy health and safety standards so yeah maybe they will be similar. no artist today is 'Unique' because everyone grows up listening to different kinds of music taking influences from other musicians, then by creating their own style. The important part of a concert I would have thought is the actual live music you go to hear.

When Radiohead recorded Kid A, everyone believes they did something phenomenal. They completely overhauled their own style, spinning something new and ingenious. Don’t get me wrong, Kid A was brilliant. But in my opinion, it is not the ability to entirely change direction that makes a band truly great, but the ability to expand within their own genre.

 

The same applies to Coldplay. They have done something great in that they have taken an already overused style and made it fresh again. Think about it…is it easier to make good music in a style that has hardly been explored yet, or to create fantastic music in a genre in which everything has supposedly already been done?

 

Coldplay openly admit that they have been heavily influenced by a multitude of other bands, particularly U2. Heck, Chris Martin even wrote the article for the Rolling Stone magazine that recognized U2 as one of the greatest artists of all time, at the same time publicly confessing the awe he felt for said band. STill, Coldplay have style all their own, despite what others say. If U2 were to perform an unreleased Coldplay song, I almost guarantee I would be able to identify it as Coldplay’s when performed with a lineup of unreleased U2 songs.

 

If Coldplay pulled a “Kid A” and completely changed their direction, they would probably alienate not only me, but the millions they have enchanted right from the beginning. U2 is one of the biggest reasons Coldplay started in the first place, and I don’t think its fair to expect that they simply let go of their roots and thrust themselves into territory they are not comfortable with. U2 is part of Coldplay, too much a part for them to simply give up.

 

I thank God for U2, because without them, Coldplay wouldn't exist.

 

Viva la U2. Viva la Coldplay.

 

Viva la Vida.

 

I like what you've written and I agree with most of it except for the last line "I thank God for U2, because without them, Coldplay wouldn't exist." Im pretty sure coldplay would still exist but yeh, their music would be slightly different. U2 are not even coldplay's biggest influence. Chris is in inspired mostly by Bob Dylan. Plus a whole host of other bands as im sure you know (Flaming Lips, Aha, Echo & the bunnymen etc...).

I totally disagree. Because which band has not used several stage, big screens and stuuf for their live shows?? Response: almost every band! It's not proper to U2.

Second: the Zoo TV Tour was heavily charged on political issues, Bono using his 'The Fly' character to phone leader of the world and arise political issues. Have you ever seen Chris on the Viva Tour:

-creating a character like The Fly on stage?

-Use a show as "political tool"?

response for both: NO!

 

The Viva Tour was a magical show but its 'intend' was completely different than the Zoo TV Tour. And I never seen Chris using a remote control on stage XDD

 

The comparison you made are pointless since its applied to 90 % of the live shows out there!