[3-July-2011] Coldplay @ Main Square Festival, Arras, France

[Juanma]

Great vid of the banner :D

Did the band look at it ?

[Lauriane]

Great vid of the banner :D

Did the band look at it ?

 

The girls said they didn't :(

[Tonsu]

soon as I find some time. :)

Took some great pics btw!

 

But I came here to post a little "Making of" video that I made, hope you like it! :nice:

 

 

Have a nice evening, I'll be back with a review + my pics soon... hopefully. :uhoh:

 

Thanks so much for that Anna, it's a lovely video :cry: :hug:

[Juanma]

:sad:

[[email protected].]

OK. Having read everyone's comments and reviews, here's my take on the event.

First of all, while everyone is obviously entitled to their opinion, you can't truly know what the atmosphere was like unless you were actually there.

I definitely don't think a live stream could have properly reflected what was happening in the throng.

Similarly, if you were lucky enough to have been there (as I was), you can only really give an opinion based on what was going on within your field of vision and hearing.

Based on my position in the crowd (front row, left side facing the stage), the atmosphere was fantastic (I have already alluded to this in another thread).

In fact, I would go as far as to say I have never experienced a better atmosphere at any Coldplay concert I've attended (with the possible exception of Wembley, because of all the T-shirts, glowsticks, mass number of Coldplayers, Jay-Z etc.).

From a purely personal point of view, I would say the atmosphere was better at Arras than at Wembley (including the queuing phase) owing to the spontaneity and unexpected 'happenings'.

I was surrounded by a group of French Coldplayers and ColdplayFrance members, and I thought they were "amazing" (if you were within earshot, you will know why I have used that word :p).

During the appallingly dirge-like sets by PJ Harvey (quite possibly my worst-ever live experience) and Portishead, they were particularly entertaining (starting Mexican waves etc. when it was needed most to keep everyone's spirits up) and I fully appreciated this, as it had already been a long day, and I was in need of a boost.

They also screamed and sang from start to finish of Coldplay's set, and were also handing out balloons and glow bracelets, as well as waving a banner and a union flag.

 

Now to the performances themselves.

 

Overall, I would say that (Coldplay and Elbow apart) the main stage line-up on the day was pretty dreadful.

It appears that Saturday's was way better, with Arcade Fire, Moby, Kaiser Chiefs, The National and White Lies all on the bill.

I now wish I could have been there for that, as I'm sure I would have appreciated all of those acts.

Bruno Mars was entertaining in a cheesy pop kinda way, and Charles Bradley's soul set was at least pleasant, but I thought the first band, Rival Sons were awful (their set even prompted me to shell out on some ear protectors for the remainder of the event), and IMO, neither PJ Harvey nor Portishead belonged on the MAIN stage as their sets were ultra-depressing, dreary to the point of annoyance.

Judging by the reaction of the crowd, this view was shared by the vast majority (I even have photos and video of their reactions if anyone's interested).

IMO, this wasn't a good advert for the festival.

 

Added to this, there were problems with the venue itself. Most people I've spoken to have told me the festival was far better when it was staged in the "main square" of Arras itself. I can totally believe this after my experiences on Sunday.

First of all, the stage ground was covered in horrible grey dust which got down everyone's throats and caused a lot of choking.

It also managed to change the colour of my trainers from black to grey during the course of the event (maybe I should post a photo before I clean them).

Also, even though I have been in front rows countless times in the past, I have never experienced a crush as bad as that. It was virtually impossible to move, let alone get out for some much-needed food or drink!

It definitely wasn't anywhere near that bad when I saw Coldplay at Wembley, Duesseldorf or Cologne.

Arras should definitely have had some kind of "inner circle" with a limit to the numbers who could enter.

 

The other problem I had was with the construction/layout of the big stage itself, which I felt was very poor.

Even in the front row itself, you felt a hundred miles away from the performers, which can't have helped the performers' interaction with the crowd, especially in Coldplay's case, as it was totally dark by the time they came on stage.

Again, even at Wembley, the performers felt like they were much closer, and the view was much better at the front.

At Arras (from the front) it was virtually impossible to see any performers who happened to be at the back of the stage (e.g. in the case of Elbow), and during Coldplay's set, the view was further obscured by poorly positioned cameras, which partially obscured my view of Chris and Will during much of the performance.

Of course you could see them clearly on the big screens, but that defeats the object of seeing them "live" IMO.

Anyway, I'm pretty sure all these factors contributed to Coldplay's "below par" performance, as Chris's movement around the stage appeared to be somewhat hampered, certainly in comparison to the Viva tour.

I feel it is unfair to say his performance "lacked energy", as I'm sure he was trying his best, but it simply wasn't possible for him to leap and bound and truly interact with the crowd.

I therefore have to agree with all those who have stated that Coldplay's performance was somewhat disappointing on this occasion.

Nobody is suggesting they were "bad". I have never seen a "bad" Coldplay performance, and I'm confident I never will, because as someone has already pointed out, even their below-par performances are better than most bands' BEST performances.

I still enjoyed all the songs (in spite of my near zombie-like state), and am glad I got to experience the new songs live.

It's just that for me, the performance came across as rather "routine" and lacked that special something that makes one of their shows memorable (for example, Chris singing "Billie Jean" at Duesseldorf, or "Wonderful World" and the laser pyramid at Glastonbury, or coming up with some humorous banter, as he often does).

I would even go as far to say that, even at the all-seater 02 gigs in 2008, I enjoyed their performances more than at Arras, and that's saying something. At least I could see everything that was going on at the first of those gigs.

I don't think I will bother attending Main Square Festival again, even though I'm glad I went and will treasure countless happy memories of the whole trip, not least the great camaraderie.

Maybe the festival experience itself isn't for me, or maybe it was that festival in particular.

I guess I won't know unless I attend another one in the future.

 

I'll just have to wait and see.;)

thanks for your enlightening review mark! you forgot to bring a life saving banana! it could have given you the extra powers you needed in the end!;-) i never go to the front row because it is very likely that you get crushed there i think (i have never tried though).. i more like to overview the whole scene from let's say the-back-of-an-inner-circle-distance to have more space for myself to stay relaxed.. AND chris also asks the people in a 200 meters distance 'everybody okay'!!.. :cheesy: do you always go to the front row?? uhm and yes i would like to see those grey trainers! :D

[mc_squared]

thanks for your enlightening review mark! you forgot to bring a life saving banana! it could have given you the extra powers you needed in the end!;-)

 

Energy boosts were not the problem. It was more to do with severely restricted space, aching legs, feet and back, and dehydration.;)

Also, taking anything "squashable" like a banana would have been a very bad move indeed, especially as all the bags ended up under people's feet!:dozey:

 

i never go to the front row because it is very likely that you get crushed there i think (i have never tried though)..

 

As I said, I had never experienced anything like that at any concert in the past.

 

i more like to overview the whole scene from let's say the-back-of-an-inner-circle-distance to have more space for myself to stay relaxed.. AND chris also asks the people in a 200 meters distance 'everybody okay'!!.. :cheesy: do you always go to the front row??

 

More often than not, yes. It just didn't work out that well on this occasion, for the reasons stated.

 

uhm and yes i would like to see those grey trainers! :D

 

OK, I'll see if I can sort something out tomorrow!:P

[[email protected].]

, taking anything "squashable" like a banana would have been a very bad move indeed, especially as all the bags ended up under people's feet!:dozey:

hahahaha good point.. a mushy banana isn't that tasty :)

More often than not, yes. It just didn't work out that well on this occasion, for the reasons stated.

 

As I said, I had never experienced anything like that at any concert in the past.

hopefully you ll have better luck next time :shrug:

but as you said, it was a nice atmosphere at this venue and that's the most important thing in my eyes.

OK, I'll see if I can sort something out tomorrow!:P

that may be fun :nice:

[r25d01]

I actually think front row is even more save than a few rows behind. Taking festival shows in brackets, I'd say Coldplay fans are not pushing so much. Moreover, if people are pushing, they usually push in a broader are, not only the first 5 rows. And then it's much better to have the barrier right in front of you which makes you stand in a stable position. What's more is that you get carried out easier, in case you can't make it any longer.

Sometimes, at heavier conerts with hard moshing etc, I go a little more to the front because there you are crushed but you also stand in a more stable position. Plus, front row, more to the side usually is quite relaxed. It gets worse when you're right in the middle.

[[email protected].]

I actually think front row is even more save than a few rows behind. Taking festival shows in brackets, I'd say Coldplay fans are not pushing so much. Moreover, if people are pushing, they usually push in a broader are, not only the first 5 rows. And then it's much better to have the barrier right in front of you which makes you stand in a stable position. What's more is that you get carried out easier, in case you can't make it any longer.

Sometimes, at heavier conerts with hard moshing etc, I go a little more to the front because there you are crushed but you also stand in a more stable position. Plus, front row, more to the side usually is quite relaxed. It gets worse when you're right in the middle.

 

yes, right in the middle is worse. (depends on where the middle is for you though:rolleyes:). for me the best place is at the back of the inner circle (if there exists one of course...i know in arras there havent been one). there you also have barriers you can lean on +you have space around you and you are still near the stage and you can also get carried out easier and so on...

[r25d01]

I see. At Rock am Ring that's the place where I often stand, maybe a little more to the front. There you can always go to a more calm area (or your friends can).

[vivalafrida]

Hi everyone!

I'm so so tired... worked 13hrs today, thought I wouldn't survive this day.

As I have to be back at work early tomorrow morning again I can't post a review. :bigcry:

But I promise I'll write one as soon as I find some time. :)

Took some great pics btw!

 

But I came here to post a little "Making of" video that I made, hope you like it! :nice:

 

 

Have a nice evening, I'll be back with a review + my pics soon... hopefully. :uhoh:

 

That's beautiful!! :kiss:

[mc_squared]

but as you said, it was a nice atmosphere at this venue and that's the most important thing in my eyes.

 

 

I totally agree. Concerts for me nowadays are far more than just the performance itself.

It's everything that goes on before, during and (sometimes) afterwards.

The people around you make all the difference IMO, and from that point of view, Arras was fab.;)

[Malaika]

How ADORABLE!!!! :)

 

I hope you were able to recuperate from your long day at work, poor Angel.

Your video made my Heart smile to the ears, it was so adorable and the banner was so adorable too.

God bless your Heart.

 

One Love, Giant teddy bear hugs.

 

Gaël.

 

 

Hi everyone!

I'm so so tired... worked 13hrs today, thought I wouldn't survive this day.

As I have to be back at work early tomorrow morning again I can't post a review. :bigcry:

But I promise I'll write one as soon as I find some time. :)

Took some great pics btw!

 

But I came here to post a little "Making of" video that I made, hope you like it! :nice:

 

 

Have a nice evening, I'll be back with a review + my pics soon... hopefully. :uhoh:

[*Perrine*]

Hi everyone!

I'm so so tired... worked 13hrs today, thought I wouldn't survive this day.

As I have to be back at work early tomorrow morning again I can't post a review. :bigcry:

But I promise I'll write one as soon as I find some time. :)

Took some great pics btw!

 

But I came here to post a little "Making of" video that I made, hope you like it! :nice:

 

 

Have a nice evening, I'll be back with a review + my pics soon... hopefully. :uhoh:

Such a lovely vid Anna!

Worked 11hours last night, so you win :tongue:

Will post my pic asap!

[Noémie]

Haha, Perrine & Anna, such amazing warriors!!!!!!!! :thumbsup:

 

:D

 

Don't know how you did it....... :clap:

 

I stayed home yesterday...I was too exhausted. And even with that I'm now stuck in bed with a nasty cold....... :\

I guess the conditions we were in on Sunday were a little bit too extreme for me!!! to say the least.... ;)

 

Thanks everyone for your reviews and pictures! :)

 

Thanks Mark for your review which enlightened me and which I completely agree with!

[Tash]

I just posted my photos on Facebook :nice:

[mc_squared]

 

Thanks Mark for your review which enlightened me and which I completely agree with!

 

Thanks. I'll also post some photos and maybe a video some time in the next few days.

Sorry I didn't get the chance to meet you. It all got a bit manic in the end!

[r25d01]

It's so bitter to see Shiver in the setlist again... I remember when they played Green Eyes from December '08 on and just threw it out in Düsseldorf (or Warning Sign '05)...

[loudefix]

3 days with a big cold and an almost sunburn on my face but it was worth it. A bit desapointed by the Coldplay show like some of you, but I still had a good time.

It was nice meeting some of you even if I feel a bit stupid for being shy and not having speak more with you.

 

Violet Hill (a bit shaken and blurry but the sound is Ok) :

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NC3PwekNQmY]YouTube - ‪Coldplay - Violet Hill @ Main Square Festival 2011‬‏[/ame]

 

And my only "good" pic of the show

[svenky]

http://www.flickr.com/photos/dpc/page3/

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Coldplayeuse]

Hi everyone !

 

Some sweet pics here ;) :

http://www.parsenlive.fr/coldplay-main-square-festival-arras-03-07-2011-10153

[LFDianne]

Hi everyone !

 

Some sweet pics here ;) :

http://www.parsenlive.fr/coldplay-main-square-festival-arras-03-07-2011-10153

 

Thanks for that link - Great pics of Chris, with a few token Jonny and Guy thrown in...but based on those photos, Coldplay doesn't have a drummer . :\ Poor Will - always in the back and forgotten about by those who don't know him. :(

[mc_squared]

Thanks for that link - Great pics of Chris, with a few token Jonny and Guy thrown in...but based on those photos, Coldplay doesn't have a drummer . :\ Poor Will - always in the back and forgotten about by those who don't know him. :(

 

Wasn't helped by the design and layout of the stage (which sucked) and poorly-positioned cameramen. My view of Will and Chris was partially obscured for virtually the entire performance.:dozey:

[LFDianne]

Wasn't helped by the design and layout of the stage (which sucked) and poorly-positioned cameramen. My view of Will and Chris was partially obscured for virtually the entire performance.:dozey:

 

I'm really hoping to be front row, because I really really *need* to have a good view of that drummer guy, but I haven't been to a festival in, oh...um...well...since the 80s. And back then, I didn't care where I was. I'm a little scared, lol...I look at the crowds in the festival pictures and think, holy crap, that's a lot of people, and I want to be in the front. Hell, i'm flying from California to Texas, I better be in the front...I have 2 1/2 months to stress out about it, though. Oh, and to convince my husband, that yes, I AM crazy and I'm going to stand there all day and wait...

[mc_squared]

I'm really hoping to be front row, because I really really *need* to have a good view of that drummer guy, but I haven't been to a festival in, oh...um...well...since the 80s. And back then, I didn't care where I was. I'm a little scared, lol...I look at the crowds in the festival pictures and think, holy crap, that's a lot of people, and I want to be in the front. Hell, i'm flying from California to Texas, I better be in the front...I have 2 1/2 months to stress out about it, though. Oh, and to convince my husband, that yes, I AM crazy and I'm going to stand there all day and wait...

 

This was my first outdoor festival, and either I won't bother with festivals again, or I won't bother trying to get front row, as it was way too much hassle overall. Firstly I queued for about five hours, then there was a long sprint of at least 300m, then we were on our feet for about 12 hours by the time Coldplay's set finished.

Add to that some truly awful, depressing live acts we had to endure before Coldplay came on, and the fact it was virtually impossible to leave our places for food, drinks etc., or to meet up with other Coldplayers who were further back, or who had arrived later, and I think you'll get the picture.

Then to cap it all, the terrible stage set-up meant that, even from front row, the performers (and most importantly, Coldplay) seemed a million miles away, and in Will and Chris's case, partially obscured by badly-positioned cameramen.

 

The only saving grace for us "left-siders" was that we didn't have to endure the heat of the sun, which was blocked out by the stage itself.

Must have been hell for those over to the right, who were being constantly "hosed down" by security.

 

It was only really the amazing atmosphere around me that saved the day. The French Coldplayers were fantastic.:cool: