[29-May-2012] Coldplay @ Ricoh Arena, Coventry, UK

[fat_blerk]

The coventry tickets had a barcode on them and as far as I can remember, I thought they scanned on entrance but cant remember. Looking at a ticket for tonight on ebay that also has a barcode on it http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/coldplay-ticket-etihad-stadium-june-10-/330739543934?pt=UK_Tickets_Tickets_LE&hash=item4d019cef7e

 

I guess the only way to find out is go along but take some money to buy another ticket just in case !!

 

If you are standing and at the back, dont worry because hopefully like Tuesday at the Ricoh they will come and see you later.

[UnderStrawberrySwing]

i think the tickket ive got is ok because looking at the other emirates tickets, nonw of them have a barcode: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Coldplay-Tickets-x-2-Xylo-Moto-Tour-Saturday-2nd-June-Emirates-Stadium-/270987346932?pt=UK_Tickets_Tickets_LE&hash=item3f181ac3f4

Thanks for your help

[fat_blerk]

My apologies, the tickets for saleI posted are for Manchester. As previous poster, Emirates tickets dont have barcode, Coventry and Manchester do. You are all fine.

 

Have a fantastic time, I wish I was going again tonight.

[hannahkp10]

Does anyone actually know who the dancing granny was? :rolleyes:

[busybeeburns]

 

Coldplay - Richo Arena, Coventry - 29th May 2012 (Live Review)

 

The weather in the morning and afternoon of the 29th was incredibly dismal. Not quite raining, but not the gorgeous sun and blue skies we'd become accustomed to over the past couple of weeks of May. This does not bode well for a concert held in a venue with no roof... Anyway, trying to stay optimistic, we arrive at the Ricoh, and the weather seems to have kicked itself into gear and is now absolutely boiling. Not too bad when you're outside the Ricoh, as there's a nice breeze. Once you're inside though, that's a whole other kettle of fish. We are in a bit of a pickle as we are sat RIGHT where the sun is hottest. Brilliant.

 

Anyway, so on the way in, we're handed these bracelet wristband things. It's a small, brightly coloured, plastic square on a brightly coloured piece of thick material. The stage looks brilliant, with the backdrop decorated in the style of the new album, 'Mylo Xyloto'. The theme running through this one was a kind of neon/graffiti/scribble type thing (sounds messy, but it actually works). In front of that are what look like 5 massive speakers, but with projections on, showing messages to the audience to put on their wristbands as it's "part of the show". I, as an avid Coldplay fan, had already researched and found out about the wristbands, but with most other people they were a mysterious gift waiting to present their true role in the show. There's also what looks like a catwalk going through the middle so that the band can interact more with the audience.

 

The first of the two support acts, Rita Ora, bounced on stage with not much more warning than her face and name briefly appearing on the projector-speakers and what seemed to be a dubstep remix of the song that shot her to fame, 'Hot Right Now', featuring DJ Fresh. After the success of this song, I personally felt that her second track, 'R.I.P', fell a bit flat. For 'Hot Right Now', her voice was incredibly strong, and had a lot of depth and colour to it, whereas 'R.I.P' didn't really show off her vocal abilities. However, when performed live, the depth and flare is once again present, and I really enjoyed it. There were no other real stand out tracks to be honest, but the overall performance was very enjoyable. What was also very enjoyable was how humble she seemed; at the end of her set she looked as though she was just drinking in the experience, and looked very thankful. At only 21, she's doing very well for herself.

 

The second of the support acts was Robyn. Remember her? I only just did. I won't lie, I was simply very bemused by her whole performance. It looked as though she was trying to convey some sort of space theme, with her band dressed up in what looked like boiler suits. Robyn herself had this very stern expression on her face the whole time she was performing, which, combined with her very bizarre hair, odd outfit and crazy dancing, meant that I just could not take her very seriously at all. The two songs that I actually knew ('With Every Heartbeat', 'Dancing On My Own') were quite good, as she does actually have a good voice. However, the rest of the set I could only have enjoyed whilst being slightly inebriated at a music festival.

 

Anyway, on to the main event. About half an hour after Robyn has vacated the stage, and all the stage hands have fiddled about with everything enough, we are once again directed by the omniscient projector-speakers to adorn our wristbands. '99 Problems' by Jay-Z starts to play, presumably as a homage to Chris Martin's unlikely best mate. After this song, the theme from 'Back To The Future' is played. I have trawled the internet to find out why this is being played at the beginning of each show, and the only answer I can find anywhere is that Chris Martin "likes the film". Ah well, it does the job to get everyone massively excited for the arrival of Coldplay onto the stage.

 

When this album came out, Coldplay said that they wrote the album meaning for it to be listened to in one go, as a whole. So there are a couple of tracks on the album that lead into other songs; for example, the title track, 'Mylo Xyloto', is the first track on the album, and is just a very happy and joyous sound. It then leads straight into the second track on the album, 'Hurts Like Heaven'. This is what happened at the concert. Throughout the playing of 'Mylo Xyloto', the bracelets all suddenly lit up simultaneously in this brilliant moment (similar to the one captured below), fireworks went off. It was a truly amazing moment.

 

'Hurts Like Heaven' was explosive, with the wristbands and audience going crazy, and lasers flying around everywhere. It was amazing! After this song, they went almost straight into the next, and there was a big communal sigh of appreciation as the opening riff of 'In My Place' is played. Martin does not sing a single line by himself. At the big "Yeah" moment in the chorus that everyone screams, confetti canons start blasting out tissue in the shape of butterflies, hearts, M's and X's, and again, it's one of those moments of absolute euphoria, where you know that 20,000 other people are feeling exactly the way that you are feeling at that time.

 

Something to be said for Coldplay, and Chris Martin in particular, is their absolute commitment and pure enthusiasm about their music. If you look at their faces while they're performing, you'll see that they are totally into it, completely in the zone. Obviously, with Martin this is a lot more obvious, as he throws himself around the stage with the excitement that you often see in young children. How anyone can say that a concert of theirs would be boring and not worth seeing is utterly beyond me.

 

Coldplay then heat things up with arguably the "rockiest" track on the album, 'Major Minus'. The screech of the guitars sound immense in this massive stadium, and the crowd in the standing area are jumping up and down, throwing themselves into the music, and even though we are slightly restricted for space in the seating area, we are still going for it, even the people who are obviously 60+. That's something else nice about this; there are people of all ages in attendance, and we are all unified in our love for Coldplay.

 

There is a brief pause, and then the oriental chimes of 'Lovers In Japan' ring through the stadium. Again, the confetti canons shoot tissue shapes at us, and they rain down through the crowds, everyone grasping frantically at the air to try and grab some as a souvenir. Another brief pause, and then another sigh of appreciation lovingly enters the space as Martin sits down at the piano and begins 'The Scientist'. It's always nice when your favourite bands play your favourite oldies that you think they've forgotten about. Everyone is singing along, each person having a different personal connection to this song as we sing of the loss of love.

 

We then have time to collect our breath. Whilst we do so, a blast of smoke appears, accompanied by a a yellow light. A familiar set of chords are played by Martin on the piano, instantly recognisable as my personal favourite, 'Yellow'. A beautiful version, as it begins solely with Chris and the piano. After the first chorus, he picks up his guitar and counts the rest of the band in and they complete the song in it's original style. At the end of the song, the yellow lights turn to a purpley-blue, a clear indication to the hardcore fans as to what song is next. 'Violet Hill' is another slightly heavy song for people to dance and stamp their feet to. As the song draws to a close, Chris sings the last few notes at tempo rubato (slowing down as he goes, slightly lulling, no longer a strict rhythm). It slips gracefully into the next song, and they start it off slowly again. 'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face' is absolutely buzzing with energy, and again the screech of the guitars in the breakdown is sensational.

 

They then move to the end of the strip and go into 'Princess Of China'. The synths begin and everyone's hands shoot into the air. The driving drums and bass that run through the song are ever present and are so effective as it bounces off the stadium walls. There's a small part of me that hopes that Rita Ora will make a small reappearance and sing Rihanna's part as I really think she'd do it justice, but it doesn't happen. Instead, they play a video of Rihanna singing her part, dressed in and oriental-style costume. It has been said that this will be part of the music video, due to make an appearance on music channels any day now. This was a stand out track for me on the album, so to hear it live was brilliant. It was definitely a stand out track of the show as well.

 

'Up In Flames' was next, and I must admit it was the only song I sat down for. 'If Princess Of China' was a stand out track on the album, this was one I skipped every time. It makes Chris' voice sound whiney, and it doesn't really do anything for me. However, straight after this was a glorious surprise. This next song was used on the soundtrack for 'The Last Kiss', a film starring Zach Braff that came out in 2006. This song is absolutely beautiful, speaking of mistakes made and regrets in love, and ends in a plea for forgiveness. 'Warning Sign' was on the album 'A Rush Of Blood To TheHead', which helped Coldplay really make their mark on the music industry. It was simply amazing, and myself and everyone else just stood in awe; a definite highlight of the concert.

 

We are then played 'A Hopeful Transmission', another of the album "breaks" like 'Mylo Xyloto', and the band head back up the strip to the main stage. It joins straight onto 'Don't Let It Break Your Heart', a song in a similar bracket to 'Lovers In Japan', just a happy, joyous song that provides a lot of energy after the slow-moving 'Warning Sign'. 'Viva La Vida' then explodes out, moving from one high energy song to another, and all the while I still cannot fathom how Will Champion has the energy not only to hit that drum consistently and in time throughout the song, but also hit the bell at the same time in the chorus, and then sing harmonies on top of that: literally astounding. The audience are always left singing the "woooah"s long after the song has finished.

 

'Charlie Brown' was another one on the album that stood out for me. It had everyone jumping and dancing around. It's a very bouncy and happy track, and it was live as well. It starts off slowly and builds up, until it begins properly. After 'Charlie Brown' comes my personal favourite on the album, 'Paradise'. I was massively looking forward to seeing this song performed live, and I was so not disappointed. The bass again was brilliant in this song, really pulled you in. After this, the lights went down, as if to signify the end. But the audience weren't done yet, and slowly but surely the "wooah"s from 'Viva La Vida' emerged around the stadium until the sound was almost deafening. Chris Martin reappears on a little stage towards the back, armed with his trusty acoustic guitar. He begins to talk about how humbled he is by us all, and how this next song was going to be performed by the members of the band slowly joining in. He tells us how the press can twist things, but they'll always have each other. 'Us Against The World' is a lovely song, and anyone can relate to the message that is conveyed throughout. Chris sings the first verse and chorus by himself, then Will Champion appears on the piano and harmonising (is there nothing this man can't do?) Jonny Buckland appears on the rhythm guitar in the second chorus, and Guy Berryman comes in just after this. It is incredibly intimate and lovely.

 

It then rolls straight into 'Speed Of Sound', and I'd forgotten how brilliant this song is, with the lasers filling the stadium. The band then head back up to the main stage, reassuring us that they'll be back. The arpeggic motif of 'Clocks' plays, and everyone is belting out the words along with the band. This song is always brilliant. It then comes to the point of the concert where everyone throws their arms around their family members/friends/complete strangers, sing their hearts out and bawl like babies. 'Fix You' is always an anthem to enjoy. They close the show with an absolute belter, 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall', the first single released from the album. I will admit, I did not enjoy it the first time I heard it, but I loved it after about the third playing. It is a brilliant way to end the show.

 

As the wristbands flash for the last time, and the realisation that they will never flash again sinks in, there is a small sense of grief. We all feel as though we are drifting out of a dream and fading back into reality, the mind-blowing past 105 minutes a mere memory, and normal life will resume once again in the morning.

 

http://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/172950/9

[נєѕυѕσηα¢нσρρєя]

 

Coldplay - Richo Arena, Coventry - 29th May 2012 (Live Review)

 

The weather in the morning and afternoon of the 29th was incredibly dismal. Not quite raining, but not the gorgeous sun and blue skies we'd become accustomed to over the past couple of weeks of May. This does not bode well for a concert held in a venue with no roof... Anyway, trying to stay optimistic, we arrive at the Ricoh, and the weather seems to have kicked itself into gear and is now absolutely boiling. Not too bad when you're outside the Ricoh, as there's a nice breeze. Once you're inside though, that's a whole other kettle of fish. We are in a bit of a pickle as we are sat RIGHT where the sun is hottest. Brilliant.

 

Anyway, so on the way in, we're handed these bracelet wristband things. It's a small, brightly coloured, plastic square on a brightly coloured piece of thick material. The stage looks brilliant, with the backdrop decorated in the style of the new album, 'Mylo Xyloto'. The theme running through this one was a kind of neon/graffiti/scribble type thing (sounds messy, but it actually works). In front of that are what look like 5 massive speakers, but with projections on, showing messages to the audience to put on their wristbands as it's "part of the show". I, as an avid Coldplay fan, had already researched and found out about the wristbands, but with most other people they were a mysterious gift waiting to present their true role in the show. There's also what looks like a catwalk going through the middle so that the band can interact more with the audience.

 

The first of the two support acts, Rita Ora, bounced on stage with not much more warning than her face and name briefly appearing on the projector-speakers and what seemed to be a dubstep remix of the song that shot her to fame, 'Hot Right Now', featuring DJ Fresh. After the success of this song, I personally felt that her second track, 'R.I.P', fell a bit flat. For 'Hot Right Now', her voice was incredibly strong, and had a lot of depth and colour to it, whereas 'R.I.P' didn't really show off her vocal abilities. However, when performed live, the depth and flare is once again present, and I really enjoyed it. There were no other real stand out tracks to be honest, but the overall performance was very enjoyable. What was also very enjoyable was how humble she seemed; at the end of her set she looked as though she was just drinking in the experience, and looked very thankful. At only 21, she's doing very well for herself.

 

The second of the support acts was Robyn. Remember her? I only just did. I won't lie, I was simply very bemused by her whole performance. It looked as though she was trying to convey some sort of space theme, with her band dressed up in what looked like boiler suits. Robyn herself had this very stern expression on her face the whole time she was performing, which, combined with her very bizarre hair, odd outfit and crazy dancing, meant that I just could not take her very seriously at all. The two songs that I actually knew ('With Every Heartbeat', 'Dancing On My Own') were quite good, as she does actually have a good voice. However, the rest of the set I could only have enjoyed whilst being slightly inebriated at a music festival.

 

Anyway, on to the main event. About half an hour after Robyn has vacated the stage, and all the stage hands have fiddled about with everything enough, we are once again directed by the omniscient projector-speakers to adorn our wristbands. '99 Problems' by Jay-Z starts to play, presumably as a homage to Chris Martin's unlikely best mate. After this song, the theme from 'Back To The Future' is played. I have trawled the internet to find out why this is being played at the beginning of each show, and the only answer I can find anywhere is that Chris Martin "likes the film". Ah well, it does the job to get everyone massively excited for the arrival of Coldplay onto the stage.

 

When this album came out, Coldplay said that they wrote the album meaning for it to be listened to in one go, as a whole. So there are a couple of tracks on the album that lead into other songs; for example, the title track, 'Mylo Xyloto', is the first track on the album, and is just a very happy and joyous sound. It then leads straight into the second track on the album, 'Hurts Like Heaven'. This is what happened at the concert. Throughout the playing of 'Mylo Xyloto', the bracelets all suddenly lit up simultaneously in this brilliant moment (similar to the one captured below), fireworks went off. It was a truly amazing moment.

 

'Hurts Like Heaven' was explosive, with the wristbands and audience going crazy, and lasers flying around everywhere. It was amazing! After this song, they went almost straight into the next, and there was a big communal sigh of appreciation as the opening riff of 'In My Place' is played. Martin does not sing a single line by himself. At the big "Yeah" moment in the chorus that everyone screams, confetti canons start blasting out tissue in the shape of butterflies, hearts, M's and X's, and again, it's one of those moments of absolute euphoria, where you know that 20,000 other people are feeling exactly the way that you are feeling at that time.

 

Something to be said for Coldplay, and Chris Martin in particular, is their absolute commitment and pure enthusiasm about their music. If you look at their faces while they're performing, you'll see that they are totally into it, completely in the zone. Obviously, with Martin this is a lot more obvious, as he throws himself around the stage with the excitement that you often see in young children. How anyone can say that a concert of theirs would be boring and not worth seeing is utterly beyond me.

 

Coldplay then heat things up with arguably the "rockiest" track on the album, 'Major Minus'. The screech of the guitars sound immense in this massive stadium, and the crowd in the standing area are jumping up and down, throwing themselves into the music, and even though we are slightly restricted for space in the seating area, we are still going for it, even the people who are obviously 60+. That's something else nice about this; there are people of all ages in attendance, and we are all unified in our love for Coldplay.

 

There is a brief pause, and then the oriental chimes of 'Lovers In Japan' ring through the stadium. Again, the confetti canons shoot tissue shapes at us, and they rain down through the crowds, everyone grasping frantically at the air to try and grab some as a souvenir. Another brief pause, and then another sigh of appreciation lovingly enters the space as Martin sits down at the piano and begins 'The Scientist'. It's always nice when your favourite bands play your favourite oldies that you think they've forgotten about. Everyone is singing along, each person having a different personal connection to this song as we sing of the loss of love.

 

We then have time to collect our breath. Whilst we do so, a blast of smoke appears, accompanied by a a yellow light. A familiar set of chords are played by Martin on the piano, instantly recognisable as my personal favourite, 'Yellow'. A beautiful version, as it begins solely with Chris and the piano. After the first chorus, he picks up his guitar and counts the rest of the band in and they complete the song in it's original style. At the end of the song, the yellow lights turn to a purpley-blue, a clear indication to the hardcore fans as to what song is next. 'Violet Hill' is another slightly heavy song for people to dance and stamp their feet to. As the song draws to a close, Chris sings the last few notes at tempo rubato (slowing down as he goes, slightly lulling, no longer a strict rhythm). It slips gracefully into the next song, and they start it off slowly again. 'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face' is absolutely buzzing with energy, and again the screech of the guitars in the breakdown is sensational.

 

They then move to the end of the strip and go into 'Princess Of China'. The synths begin and everyone's hands shoot into the air. The driving drums and bass that run through the song are ever present and are so effective as it bounces off the stadium walls. There's a small part of me that hopes that Rita Ora will make a small reappearance and sing Rihanna's part as I really think she'd do it justice, but it doesn't happen. Instead, they play a video of Rihanna singing her part, dressed in and oriental-style costume. It has been said that this will be part of the music video, due to make an appearance on music channels any day now. This was a stand out track for me on the album, so to hear it live was brilliant. It was definitely a stand out track of the show as well.

 

'Up In Flames' was next, and I must admit it was the only song I sat down for. 'If Princess Of China' was a stand out track on the album, this was one I skipped every time. It makes Chris' voice sound whiney, and it doesn't really do anything for me. However, straight after this was a glorious surprise. This next song was used on the soundtrack for 'The Last Kiss', a film starring Zach Braff that came out in 2006. This song is absolutely beautiful, speaking of mistakes made and regrets in love, and ends in a plea for forgiveness. 'Warning Sign' was on the album 'A Rush Of Blood To TheHead', which helped Coldplay really make their mark on the music industry. It was simply amazing, and myself and everyone else just stood in awe; a definite highlight of the concert.

 

We are then played 'A Hopeful Transmission', another of the album "breaks" like 'Mylo Xyloto', and the band head back up the strip to the main stage. It joins straight onto 'Don't Let It Break Your Heart', a song in a similar bracket to 'Lovers In Japan', just a happy, joyous song that provides a lot of energy after the slow-moving 'Warning Sign'. 'Viva La Vida' then explodes out, moving from one high energy song to another, and all the while I still cannot fathom how Will Champion has the energy not only to hit that drum consistently and in time throughout the song, but also hit the bell at the same time in the chorus, and then sing harmonies on top of that: literally astounding. The audience are always left singing the "woooah"s long after the song has finished.

 

'Charlie Brown' was another one on the album that stood out for me. It had everyone jumping and dancing around. It's a very bouncy and happy track, and it was live as well. It starts off slowly and builds up, until it begins properly. After 'Charlie Brown' comes my personal favourite on the album, 'Paradise'. I was massively looking forward to seeing this song performed live, and I was so not disappointed. The bass again was brilliant in this song, really pulled you in. After this, the lights went down, as if to signify the end. But the audience weren't done yet, and slowly but surely the "wooah"s from 'Viva La Vida' emerged around the stadium until the sound was almost deafening. Chris Martin reappears on a little stage towards the back, armed with his trusty acoustic guitar. He begins to talk about how humbled he is by us all, and how this next song was going to be performed by the members of the band slowly joining in. He tells us how the press can twist things, but they'll always have each other. 'Us Against The World' is a lovely song, and anyone can relate to the message that is conveyed throughout. Chris sings the first verse and chorus by himself, then Will Champion appears on the piano and harmonising (is there nothing this man can't do?) Jonny Buckland appears on the rhythm guitar in the second chorus, and Guy Berryman comes in just after this. It is incredibly intimate and lovely.

 

It then rolls straight into 'Speed Of Sound', and I'd forgotten how brilliant this song is, with the lasers filling the stadium. The band then head back up to the main stage, reassuring us that they'll be back. The arpeggic motif of 'Clocks' plays, and everyone is belting out the words along with the band. This song is always brilliant. It then comes to the point of the concert where everyone throws their arms around their family members/friends/complete strangers, sing their hearts out and bawl like babies. 'Fix You' is always an anthem to enjoy. They close the show with an absolute belter, 'Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall', the first single released from the album. I will admit, I did not enjoy it the first time I heard it, but I loved it after about the third playing. It is a brilliant way to end the show.

 

As the wristbands flash for the last time, and the realisation that they will never flash again sinks in, there is a small sense of grief. We all feel as though we are drifting out of a dream and fading back into reality, the mind-blowing past 105 minutes a mere memory, and normal life will resume once again in the morning.

 

http://www.stereoboard.com/content/view/172950/9

Thanks for sharing that, it's a brilliant review and I really got the feel for the show (closest I'll get lol)

[jeremyy]

How can anyone not like a specific type of confetti? Not being rude, just curious,lol.

 

hahah :D It's too shiny :D but of course i'd love to get some!!

[iSwin]

Not a lot of videos for this show!

 

Too many people enjoying it!! Was a great night

[TraceOddity]

hahah :D It's too shiny :D but of course i'd love to get some!!

 

I'm adult ADD, so there's no such thing as 'too shiny' in my world,lol.:laugh3:

 

^There are probably lots of vids from the show, but Tash seems to be away and she's the only one who posts what she finds,lol. This forum is lost without her!:lol:

[TraceOddity]

In No particular order:

 

Charlie Brown

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h5GLDDKf4B0]Lights On ! Charlie Brown - Coldplay live at Coventry Ricoh Arena 29th May 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

 

In My Place

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0_9Gyyw3WlU]In my place - Coldplay live at Ricoh Arena, Coventry - YouTube[/ame]

 

Fix You (part)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vm1D7YiCqT0](HD) Coldplay - Fix You [Live] Ricoh Arena Coventry 29th May Lights On! - YouTube[/ame]

 

The Scientist

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QWuTxb5vttY]coldplay coventry may 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

 

MX/Hurts Like Heaven

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WLawoPy-YMM]Coldplay - Coventry - Ricoh Arena - 29th May 2012 - Opening - YouTube[/ame]

 

Haha, so THAT's 'Dancing Granny'!:lol:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDv_QKgl3o8]coldplay coventry dancing granny - YouTube[/ame]

[busybeeburns]

 

Coldplay – review (Ricoh Arena, Coventry)

 

When a major, unsinkable act such as Coldplay embarks on a stadium tour, you expect fireworks in the encore. If you can't smell cordite in your hair you probably haven't had a good time. But Coldplay's pyrotechnics come not just at the end of their opening night set at the Ricoh Arena but at the very start.

 

Hurts Like Heaven, from Coldplay's latest album, Mylo Xyloto, is punctuated by celebratory bangs and flashes. The colours in the sky are reflected in the glow of brightly coloured LED wristbands distributed to the crowd. Radio-controlled, they flash along with the music, looking increasingly like groovy bioluminescent plankton as the evening grows darker. (Singer Chris Martin recently fretted to the Sun that the xylobands are bankrupting the tour; certainly no one in Coventry returns theirs to the bins provided.)

 

Coldplay have long laboured under a bushy-tailed sincerity, often accompanied by a tinge of dourness. Ever since the more rakish revolutionary poses of 2008's Viva La Vida, however, more and more pigment has leached into the band. They are now palpably less cold and more playful. The stands behind the main runway are clothed in lurid graffitied fabric, like the Berlin Wall rendered by Fisher-Price; the band, meanwhile, pair paint-spattered black trousers with primary coloured T-shirts. Increasingly, too, this bright bent has crept into their music, now more pop than rock.

 

Absent Bajan superstar Rihanna appears as a video for Princess of China, Mylo Xyloto's token R&B number, an arrangement which doesn't quite work as well as you'd like. Tonight's support acts are recent No 1 Rita Ora, who I don't see, and Swedish electronic dance-pop siren Robyn, who is a revelation. After an unappreciated start, she and her white-boiler-suited band win the crowd over with a penetrating set whose bass frequencies make the hair on your arms dance.

 

There is pop, there are bangs and there are flutters. Like fireworks, confetti cannons normally come at the end, for the wow factor, and to stop people prat-falling on the paper. The Cold-cannons, though, are fired up three tracks in, a laidback and evolved version of In My Place. Yet more confetti and giant beach-ball-style balloons come on song five, which lends vibrancy to the so-so Lovers in Japan. It's the only time Coldplay hide a lacklustre song in this bath of colour.

 

Having deployed all the gew-gaws in the stadium handbook in the first 20 minutes, it's hard to tell where Coldplay can go from here. Remarkably they keep on in the same vein for an hour and three quarters.

 

Over the years, Coldplay have transformed from needy performers into joyous ones – compulsively magnetic without ever resorting to rock's latent sexual aggression. Were singer Chris Martin fitted with a pedometer, it would probably melt. He's been doing plenty of pre-season yoga, too, executing kneeling backbends at times of euphoric tension. During a reliably phenomenal Clocks, Martin curls over in a perfect Quaver shape off his piano bench, probably giving himself an almighty rush of blood to the head. After a run in which The Scientist – still one of their finest songs – is followed by the breakthrough hit of 2000, Yellow, then backed up by the more recent Violet Hill, Martin is moved to announce, "We haven't even got to the good songs yet." A relatively recent innovation is the redeployment of drummer Will Champion, who deputises on piano and even gets to sing a little bit.

 

Should nothing overtly dazzling happen for a couple of songs, the technicians will set the wristbands to stun. Charlie Brown feels like the night's narrative denouement, with plankton all aglow. The trouble is, the more Coldplay turn their attention to big electronic numbers, the less impressive these sound next to Martin's rueful love songs. So Charlie Brown might get laser treatment, but Up in Flames – Martin on piano, accompanied by simple percussion and a falsetto chorus, is indisputably the better new song. The exception to this rule is Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, with rousing house piano and an almost ridiculous bagpipe guitar, which has provided Coldplay a new anthem with which to close their gigs.

 

After all the sturm, drang, son and lumière, the most memorable passage comes during the encore. One by one, Coldplay assemble on a tiny stage at the back of the arena, playing Us Against the World, which Martin reveals to be about the band. Immediately, fans rush to surround the podium, their arms raised, wielding cameraphones, like iron filings arranging themselves around a magnet. It's what passes for intimacy in a sold-out 40,000 capacity crowd, but it works.

 

http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2012/jun/03/coldplay-robyn-ricoh-coventry-review?newsfeed=true

[Jenjie]

Living in Cornwall you are at a disadvantage when it comes to a lot of things: there is not a good selection of shops, the chances of getting a good job down here are rare and no big bands play here. So when it was announced that Colplay were going on a tour i didn’t batter an eyelid at the thought of having to travel 5 hours to watch one of my favourite bands.

It feels like a lifetime ago that i was up at the crack of dawn in a phone que waiting for tickets with the expectation of them all being sold out so i was chuffed when i managed to get tickets for their gig at the Coventry Ricoh Area for the 29th of May.

After traveling for what felt like forever in my tin can of a car the minute Colplay embraced the stage i knew that it had all been worth it. They were flash and fabulous; starting their performance with a firework display they managed to keep up the race throughout the show. With breathtaking versions of their old classics such as ‘Yellow’ mixed in with the songs from their latest album, Mylo Xyloto, they played a real variation which kept the crowd on their feet.

On arrival to the venue everyone was given a wristband, all different colours, which would then light up and become part of the show which i can only describe as being truly beautiful. Overall the trek up to Coventry from Cornwall as definitely worth it and if i could I would do it again tomorrow.

[thanks http://beccaistelling.wordpress.com/2012/06/01/coldplay-live-in-coventry/]

 

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It’s the first time I’ve seen Coldplay live and I was not disappointed, what a night to see the band kick-off their UK tour in Coventry. The band’s passion was clear from the start. Coldplay gave a non-stop, action-fuelled, energy-driven polished performance throughout each track. It was one of the most highly energetic performances I’ve seen. Opening to the sound of Back to the Future, the show gave a mass of visual artistic moments alongside a mix of their title tracks. Both supporting acts shared the same passion as the band themselves; in short, Coldplay put together an awesome show. Awesome in that it allowed you to feel part of it: The atmosphere in the venue was relaxed and festival-like, properly helped along by summer-like sun at the end of the day. Then you have THOSE wristbands that lit up in beat to the songs. These elements meant the crowd were ready for the banter from the band and got louder with each song. There was also surprise moment which I won’t spoil by mentioning it here but as a tip, if you’re going it’s worth encouraging an encore. I felt tired just watching them and couldn’t stop dancing throughout.

The set was brilliant, simple but effective with 4 scenes each displaying different images in time with the music, in a couple of the tracks two screens had an image of the night’s moon projected onto it. There was a mix of Technicolor, black and white jazz-style images giving excellent profile shots of the band members. There was even over-exposed images of Rihanna beamed across the stage and fireworks – lots of fireworks. As you can probably tell, I was particularly impressed with how many photo opportunities that were produced throughout the show. I thought that the camera shots were awesome and they made you feel that they were part of the show and not just there for the people at the back.

The supports acts created a brilliant stating base for atmosphere and energy, both in their unique way. It was the first time I’d seen Rita Ora sing live and she sounded great and bounced around the stage taking full advantage of it and us as a crowd. Rita Ora looked genuine in her enjoyment in performing for Coldplay and us. Following Rita Ora was Robyn who just made me smile from the second she got on the stage. She danced along with her back-to-back tracks showing us the range she had in her voice and finishing with her haunting track “With Every Heartbeat“.

By the time Coldplay made the stage I was buzzing both with the songs, heat and the odd bit of cider.

 

Fav song of the show: Yellow

Best moment in the show: Far too many to say for certain but when the band sang Viva La Vida – the crowd joined together in unison and it felt good to be a part of…but then of course you have those flashing bands…

 

[thanks http://somewritingspace.wordpress.com/2012/05/30/coldplaylivecoventry/]

[Beximus]

It was a fantastic gig, well up there in my list.

 

I was back by the second stage there so had a cracking view for those couple of songs. I've got some pictures up here if you want to have a look.

 

Also, has anyone else's Xylobands just turned back on? Our Coventry bands have, but not our Emirates ones.

[Tash]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RDv_QKgl3o8]coldplay coventry dancing granny - YouTube[/ame]

 

Coldplay Ricoh concert dancing granny becomes YouTube sensation

 

DANCING granny Dorian Cowen has become a YouTube sensation after entertaining thousands of fans at Coldplay’s Ricoh concert. The 81-year-old, who has worked as a waitress at the Ricoh Arena since it opened, caught the attention of the 40,000 crowd as she danced in the stands during the support acts.

 

Pictures of Dorian, who says she has dancing in her bones, made it on to the big screen at the Ricoh concert. She attracted bigger cheers from the crowds than support act Robyn.

 

A video of Dorian strutting her stuff was later posted on Youtube and had more than 2,500 hits in just a few days. Hundreds of people were talking about her on Twitter on the night of last week’s concert.

 

The grandmother-of-seven, of Glentworth Avenue, Whitmore Park, Coventry, said: “I loved every minute of it. I never have a break and we usually keep going but that day all the girls in my box were out dancing so I joined them and danced in between working. Everyone kept turning round to me so I started waving and everyone waved back. The whole crowd was waving so I started blowing them kisses. It was fantastic. I’m surprised so many people are even watching the video on Youtube. I don’t understand it. The clip doesn’t even show my good dancing. I had better moves than that.’’

 

link

 

[נєѕυѕσηα¢нσρρєя]

annnnaaaa ‏@AnnaAdriano

middle of the night like a week later and mine lights up erm OK http://pic.twitter.com/IxVDFKCU

 

 

 

 

^^ On Twitter last night about 12.30am, anyone else have the same thing?

 

[UnderStrawberrySwing]

yeah my xyloband lit up through the night

[Alexshep]

Hahahahahaa, I was there!! She was such a legend, can't believe this went viral!! Maybe it will be featured on =3!! (raywilliamjohnson)

[JonnyBooth87]

I was in the Ricoh Arena that night aswel. What a true entertainer that waitress,totally over shadowed Robyn

[Alexshep]

I think Robyn was a bit upset that no one was paying attention to her, but granny was awesome!! They should have put her on the stage instead!!

[Beximus]

yeah my xyloband lit up through the night

Mine lit up and then the battery went. It was a sad time.

[robsmith7]

4,000 views on YouTube...hardly an 'internet sensation'! Not exactly what I'd call a 'viral'!

 

To me it seems like the Coventry Telegraph are trying to create the video as a viral when it's clearly not.

 

Plus she's not even dancing to Coldplay...

[JackColdplay]

4,000 views on YouTube...hardly an 'internet sensation'! Not exactly what I'd call a 'viral'!

 

To me it seems like the Coventry Telegraph are trying to create the video as a viral when it's clearly not.

 

Plus she's not even dancing to Coldplay...

 

agreed

[Tash]

[Blue Nails]

^NME almost praising Coldplay? What is happening?

[Liam]

Where was the C stage for this?

 

is this it by the big speaker thingy lol