Contains convert and setlist spoilers

 

 

This concert was awesome!  You never really know how beautiful Xylobands are until you see them in person.  As for the show, what can I say that hasn't already been said.  I'll start with Wolf Gang.  They were amazing.  Like, "I'm gonna go buy their album today" amazing.  A real kind of 80sish sound, right between U2 and Coldplay.  After their set they said we could meet them, so down we went.  Now I was way up in the 400s, so by the time I got there the line literally stretched 200, 300 people back.  We waited for a while but it was clear if we kept waiting we'd miss the beginning of Coldplay, that's how long the line was! (these guys are destined for greatness).  So while we were waiting Robyn had started playing and perhaps because of that the halls were very crowded.  Now I don't mean to offend and everyone was really nice, but there were a lotnwho couldn't sit through her whole set.  It's not her fault, it was just a different crowd.  Still everyone clapped when she was done and it was all very civil.  It was strange she covered Coldplay at a Coldplay show though.  I can't say I approve of that personally.  Now, I think 2 opening acts is a bit much, but soon we were all doing a wave, and the most successful one I've ever seen at that (it went at least 3 times around the whole stadium.  The crowd was ready!  And may I add the crowd was all over the place.  Mostly college age youths, but plenty of kids, adults, and old folk.  My mom's friend was even there!  Then the lights dropped back to the futures came on and you know what happens from there....

 

As MX begins all the Xylobands start to glow (I was a green xylobryte myself...).  Like I said above, you can not truly comprehend their beauty until you see them in person.  They're like 20,000 Christmas lights that glow from the heart of every person in attendance.  The lasers?  Awesome.  This was like Glastonbury inside.  It was so crazy, I've never seen anything like it.  But all that is just fun extras, the real thing we're here for is the music.  They played a lot of stuff I didn't think they would (though for you who've been keeping up with setlists, you may have expected these songs.  Chris added lots of references to DC like, "I took my love down to Capitol Hill".  It was awesome.  He was running around the whole time.  That man has insane amounts of energy.  The stage with the ramp is essentially a playground build for him so he can do his thing.  Jonny was on fire from the start, and all of them managed to rock it out while still balancing that with beautiful, quite moments.  When "A Warning Sign" began I literally tilted my head back and said (out loud may I add) "Yesssss....".  I was so glad they played it.  During Charlie Brown I really felt like I was a part of some bigger community. The whole place moved to Coldplay and I felt like the whole stadium was like a family. It sounds weird and cheesey but it's true. All those lights backhatch that killer tube... I also noticed the running man made a switch to Charlie Brown, and now he's coming in all shapes and sizes....

 

Another key moment?  The C stage.  Now I didn't know they were doing this this time around, and they came right under me.  We watched until people got in out way, and then went down to get a better look.  We watched for a while then a lady told us to leave, but it was worth it.  They were so close!  Then, much to my delight, they played Speed of Sound, a personal favorite of mine.  After this Chris ran into the crowd and they finished with an encore.  They all bow in unison and everything about them is class.  Live on video does not compare to live in person.  It was a magical experience, and I'm not joking.  Absolutely brilliant!  Still, I'm looking forward to see what #ColdplayFilm is....

 

Still, I'm looking forward to see what #ColdplayFilm is....

 

I agree....I am super stocked for the Film to come out....it would be a great memory to be able to look back and see everything being put together from this tour.

Panorama: Verizon Center, Washington DC

9 July 2012 5:58 pm

Here's #42's pre-show photo from the first night in DC

 

Good evening. Here is Roadie #42's lastest pre-show panorama photo, this time from Washington DC (who score at least 8 out of 10 for their noticing/waving skills). Click the photo to see the hi-res version. And click here to upload your photos from the show (and see others').

 

 

Click here for more summer 2012 crowd panoramas.

 

Anchorman

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

link

Fix You (it felt like such a slow, mellow intro,slower than usual, I think)

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mpz0O7beLig]Fix You - YouTube[/ame]

 

Charlie Brown

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iQSelOU17UY&feature=channel&list=UL]Charlie Brown - YouTube[/ame]

 

Clocks

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W2TGBkc74CQ&feature=channel&list=UL]Clocks - YouTube[/ame]

Gallery updated: http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/1964

 

WikiColdplay updated: http://www.wikicoldplay.com/8_July_2012:_Verizon_Center,_Washington,_DC,_USA

 

(if you don't want your photos at these places here just get in touch :))

I was there last night! :awesome: I'll write up my full review (along w/ pictures) later, but I will say this now: If you have seats next to the runway, you will have a great view. :wacky:

 

(I have a bag full of confetti sitting on my desk now..and pieces of the balloons as well. Security was herding people out of the venue after the concert, so no setlist, but oh well)

 

Can anyone remind me when the balloons came on? Yellow or Lovers in Japan?

^If memory serves me correctly it was Lovers In Japan:)

Yes, it was Lovers in Japan. I have good video of it, just haven't been able to share it yet - technical glitches.

I'd love to see them.. :D

Here we go:

Lovers in Japan

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6lxZ-GUcFxs&feature=plcp]Coldplay - Lovers in Japan - Washington, DC - July 8, 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

 

The Scientist

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gh31TKb3xwQ&feature=plcp]Coldplay - The Scientist - Washington, DC - July 8, 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

 

Major Minus

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4XuHXJXezi0&feature=plcp]Coldplay - Major Minus (part 1) - Washington, DC - July 8, 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D3-30al8jWQ&feature=plcp]Coldplay - Major Minus (part 2) - Washington, DC - July 8, 2012 - YouTube[/ame]

 

It's really bad audio quality. But video is OK.

^^ Thanks, guys. :nice: I thought that the balloons were out during LiJ; I just couldn't remember.

(LiJ was the first Coldplay song that I heard that wasn't Clocks or VLV, so I have quite a bit of love for it :wacky:)

#coldplaywashington[/url]‬ PH .

5:33 PM

__Still in AWE IN PHILLY!!! Wish I could follow you guys to every concert. Being a mom of a 5 yo does not lend itself to that lifestyle. :) ;);)

__Still in AWE IN PHILLY!!! Wish I could follow you guys to every concert. Being a mom of a 5 yo does not lend itself to that lifestyle. :) ;);)

Not really related to this, but Shelli....you live in the same city that I do. :stunned:

I'm always so happy when people get to meet Chris, or whomever they want to meet, but I have to admit I was ABSOLUTELY GUTTED that he came by AFTER I left last night! We hung around for as long as we could before the last train left the station at midnight, and if I didn't have others with me that I was responsible for, I would have stayed and called myself a cab, no matter the cost. So glad anyone that met him got the chance; I hope my chance comes around again!

I know this is sort of a strange request, but can anyone help me figure out Wolf Gang and Robyn's setlists from two nights ago?

Tonight, Sally and I attended the Coldplay concert at the Verizion Center in Washington, DC. It was an amazing concert and we truly lucked out with regards to where our seats were located. Where we were had a view that allowed us to have a full view of the stage and at a height which allowed you to have a great perspective of everything with out having to really look down from high above. But before I get carried away writing about Coldplay’s performance, they had two great opening acts. Sally and I caught the tail end of Wolf Gang, which was a young group, that had a great sound. Wolf Gang was followed by Robyn, an artist who had first appeared on the scene back in the 90′s with two songs, “Do You Know (what it takes)” and “Show me love”. Robyn hasn’t been active in the U.S. charts much, but she has continued to put out albums. Robyn released her latest album, “Body Talk” in late 2010 and performed a number of songs from the album. She was great at getting the crowd ready and put on a great show. Coldplay really put on quite a performance and for anyone who has seen their Austin City Limits performance that aired back on New Years Eve in 2011, their performance at the Verizion rose above what the delivered on PBS. They added a bit technology to the performance, at the entrance, everyone was given a coloured bracelet with a battery pack/radio receiver. During the performance, the bracelet was wirelessly activated and it would turn on a set of embedded lights sown within in the bracelet.

[ thanks Alex Rushton]

http://www.rushtonphotography.com/2012/07/08/coldplay-concert-july-8-2012/

I just got home from the Coldplay concert, and I'm hyped. It was an awesome show! I think this is the fifth time I've seen them, and they don't disappoint. They really are strong musicians; It's fun just to hear them rock out during a show. What I loved about this concert was the the use of light and stage. We each got a bi-colored wristband upon entering the arena. (Mine was pink and blue chosen by yours truly.) During the show, these bracelets lit up in various colors, creating an awesome effect. At one point, our bracelets were lit, confetti was rapidly falling from the ceiling and massive balloons were being tossed about. It was magical. As to the stage, they performed on your usual stage, and then also played on an X that extended via a runway from the main stage. They performed part of their encore out in the audience on a make-shift platform created on a few seats within a section. It was fantastic to see them all around this massive arena (DC's Verizon Center). With the shouts of thousands, they performed their hearts out. Rock on Coldplay. [thanks Lauren] http://laurenincapitolhill.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/coldplay.html

Last night at the Verizon Center in D.C., I finally got to see a live Coldplay concert (their Mylo Xyloto Tour). I love the band, devour all of their music, and have watched many of their concert DVDs--so I had a feeling it would be a good show. . . and I was right! (Even today's Washington Post rained praise on the show). It was such a good show. There is a huge different between listening to their music on the radio and hearing them play it live. First, they are all incredibly muscians. I love love love Chris Martin on the piano. But a lot of their music comes off as pretty mellow when you listen to it on CD. Live, however, it is so powerful. The concert was a super, mega-show. Lots of lights, lasers, raining confetti, fun. As the Post article describes, "Plainly, Coldplay’s current tour takes arena rock production to new levels. As Martin et al kicked into the set-opener “Hurts Like Heaven,” the LEDs on the thousands of wristbands, called Xylobands, that were being given away at the entrances were activated simultaneously by remote control, instantly transforming the huge sports arena into a psychedelicatessen of moving multicolored lights. (The UK press reported a few months ago that Coldplay is an owner of the company that manufactures the accessories.) Lasers shot from the stage to the roof and back. The next tune, “In My Place,” featured not one, but two, massive confetti blizzards, with day-glo-colored paper cutouts of animals and stars filling the room. Shortly thereafter came “Lovers in Japan,” during which fans got treated to a balloon-drop worthy of a political convention and yet another confetti blizzard." It was super fun. Then! Toward the end of the show, the band left the main stage and popped up on a little side stage in the middle of the arena--and just 30 ft from us! It was so awesome. They had an intimiate little mini concert in the back of the arena (nothing like the lasers/lights/mega-show that was the rest of the night). [thanks multitudes] http://ebmultitudes.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/coldplay.html

More photos, these from niles38 @ Flickr

 

[ame=http://www.flickr.com/photos/niles38/sets/72157630506195398/show/]Coldplay Concert 7/8/2012[/ame]

and rushtonphotography @ Flickr

 

[ame=http://www.flickr.com/photos/rushtonphotography/sets/72157630504536098/show/]Coldplay - Images from 8 July 2012[/ame]

http://s1152.photobucket.com/albums/p496/warriorsluver34/

 

^ My shaky pictures.

I'm always so happy when people get to meet Chris, or whomever they want to meet, but I have to admit I was ABSOLUTELY GUTTED that he came by AFTER I left last night! We hung around for as long as we could before the last train left the station at midnight, and if I didn't have others with me that I was responsible for, I would have stayed and called myself a cab, no matter the cost. So glad anyone that met him got the chance; I hope my chance comes around again!

 

I know me too :( I regret the last 2 hours of that night. That was the night my friend and I were upgraded to front row so my mind was already blown away. I knew that if I didn't wait to meet them on the 8th, that I'd still be attending the 9th show assuming that they'd come outside both times. On top of that, it was storming pretty bad at times that night so I assumed they wouldn't come out. I did however wait on the 9th and since Coldplay had a 2 week break after our shows in D.C, everyone said they left the Verizon Center asap. On the plus side we did get to meet Wolf Gang! I'm considering going to either the NJ or Boston shows to test my chances of meeting them after the concert there.

Roadie #42 - Blog #175

15 July 2012 8:36 pm

#42, the DC close shave and the return of Oldplay

 

Good grief - here we are at the last show of the leg and I’ve got a bag full of untold stories and observations from along the way.

 

I must apologise for the radio silence of late. I won’t make excuses - hows about I tell you about right now and then when I get home I’ll start picking through some stuff I missed out along the way?

 

We’re in Washington DC right now - although for a little while, it did feel as though maybe we wouldn’t be.

 

We were all set for the trip down to DC from the day off in NYC. We get as far as the fasten seatbelts sign before the pilot comes over the bing-bong to tell us that there are storms in DC and the airport has temporarily stopped all air traffic. Shouldn’t be a problem, but for a half hour, we’ll be going nowhere. Get comfy.

 

 

Half an hour turns into slightly longer. The clock ticks onwards from “early afternoon on gig day” to “worryingly closer to showtime” - quite literally with every second. Tour Manager Marguerite swings into “this cannot fuck up” mode. There’s talk of trains, there’s talk of Baltimore - there’s probably talk of a lot else besides, but I decide to keep my head down and stay out of the way. Too many cooks and all that.

 

Eventually, the storm clears (both literally and metaphorically) and we’re taxiing towards a non-cancelled show. Near-misses it seems, don’t only occur in the air…

 

Arriving late means that the first DC show day is a complete blur for me. Wolf Gang are well underway by the time we get in, meaning we’re straight into show-prep and done before you know it.

 

Two shows in one city always means the chance for a bit of mischief after the first show. For the band party, there is no runner as we’re staying in the city. For the crew party, there is no load-out after the show and even better, no load-in the following morning. All of this makes it seem rude not to get together and write off the following morning. And so it is in DC. Mags has organised an end of tour-leg party for all. I’m not a big one for hanging out in noisy rooms after noisy pop concerts, but this is a gathering of the tour family and as such pretty much unmissable.

 

This is probably the happiest and warmest touring family I can ever remember being part of, so the opportunity to all hang out in a room together with our hair let well down is truly wonderful. I’m starting to realise how much I’m going to miss this tour (or more importantly my friends on it) when it’s over, so I’m trying to force myself from hotel-room hermitage and out to enjoy as much of it as I can while we’re still out here.

 

As is the nature of these things, my memories are somewhat blurry of the evening - and it’s probably best for all concerned that photographic evidence is minimal. I do remember the 3am champagne toast, complete with squalls of feedback from the karaoke mic (prompting inevitable screams for the audio department to get a grip). I remember Robyn and her folks turning up moments after the DJ had played her track Dancing On My Own and her proceeding to commandeer the decks for a DJ set of her own.

 

 

(And I may be mistaken, but I swear I remember the same song of hers being put on later by the resident DJ, prompting the wonderfully bizarre sight of her dancing on the bar while the video version of herself sang the tune on the screens behind her.)

 

Unsurprisingly, the following morning doesn’t start until the following afternoon. Most conversations in the venue begin with “what time did you leave?”.

 

I’m in the midst of one of these conversations in catering when through the walls comes an explosion of punk rock mayhem. This can mean only one thing.

 

Oldlay.

 

For many years, there has been a “crew band” comprised mainly of the backline department, but filled out by anyone who fancies getting involved. Robyn’s tour manager it seems, is none other than Ali McMordie, from seminal punk heroes Stiff Little Fingers. He’s taken the bass spot on the stage and I arrive on the arena floor just as they finish a rousing cover of Anarchy In The UK (complete with Nicole from production and Tiff from wardrobe dancing up a storm).

 

It’s too good for just one tune and they plough through another as I reach for the camera. No better way to blow away the morning after cobwebs!

 

Like a Halley’s Comet sighting, it came from nowhere and disappears every bit as fast. When they’ll grace the Coldplay stage again, I have no idea, but in the meantime, I give you the July 2012 incarnation of Oldlay. Contact Steve Strange at X-Ray for booking details…

 

 

On the subject of folks getting up and doing their own thing, I should mention how many great outfits folks have been wearing to the shows on this tour. The whole graffiti theme of the record screams of self-expression and creativity, so seeing folks arriving in their own Mylo outfits is a superb strengthening of all of that.

 

Trainer Dan pointed this guy out to me before one of the recent shows - apparently this fella has been to a bunch of Coldplay shows and even kept the butterflies from a Viva show he saw a couple years ago to make the hat he wore this time around - good work!

 

 

Another Trainer Dan spot was these two young ladies who created their own entire outfits for the show they came to

 

 

All this talk of unusual attire would of course be incomplete without this crew contribution from that most happy-go-lucky of lampies, Phil Sharpe.

 

 

I *think* this may have had something to do with Oxfam, but as ever, it feels more fun not knowing.

 

So that’s the crew and the fans - what of the band? Well, it’s been a family-tastic tour, with the band enjoying a lot of time with loved ones, whilst in some of the more lovely parts of the USA. This always results in huge smiling faces and fully enthused shows.

 

 

 

They’re hugely on form and they’re enjoying every minute of it, it would seem. Perhaps they too realise how wonderful what’s going on here is. Whatever the reason, the shows have been belters.

 

 

 

I’ve been on the road for over twenty years and I can recall plenty of that time that’s been a struggle. What’s going on here though is very special and supremely enjoyable. These are friendships that will endure until all of this is just a “do you remember when?”.

 

 

I’ll remember this for the rest of my life - and for that, I feel very fortunate.

 

R42

 

I’ll remember this for the rest of my life - and for that, I feel very fortunate.

 

R42

 

Ditto. :nod:

This is officially my favorite R42 entry EVER.:D