[30-Dec-2012] Coldplay @ Barclays Center, New York, NY, USA

[Arg777]

Wow what an epic show, loved every second of it! It was such a pleasant surprise hearing Warning Sign and Speed of Sound, I dont know if they've been playing those during their other shows, but that just made my first Coldplay concert so much more memorable! Wish I could go again tonight. Cannot wait to see them again down the road!

[LFDianne]

A few of my photos. More to come later.

 

 

 

 

 

[LFDianne]

Oh, and the best bow I've ever taken.

 

[MartinFan]

A few of my photos. More to come later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

:cool:

[MartinFan]

Oh, and the best bow I've ever taken.

 

 

 

Just Lovely!!!!:)

[Tash]

Coldplay Delivers in the Usual Way

 

 

Near the end of its allotted time at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn on Sunday night, Coldplay offered up “Fix You,” a vow of encouragement about as earnest and ingenuous as its title suggests. The song opens like a processional hymn and stays in that realm awhile before tipping decisively toward rock grandeur: a cue for Chris Martin, the voice and face and soul of the band, to shrug off any lingering scrap of pensiveness or decorum.

 

He did so in a very Chris Martin way, swiveling from his neon-graffiti-scrawled upright piano and bounding down the catwalk that jutted onto the arena floor. A few strides in, he threw his lanky body into the air — chest forward, head back, arms splayed — and deftly crumpled as he landed, rolling back into a somersault. He called to mind a jack-in-the-box or some other spring-loaded toy, blithely singular in purpose.

 

You could say much the same for the show, an elaborate and efficient production clearly meant to provide one dopamine hit after another. There were LED wristbands that went aglow in coordinated bursts, making each concertgoer a part of the arena’s lighting design; there were blizzards of pastel confetti, cut into custom shapes; there were dozens of beach balls bouncing along the crowd. All within the first few songs. (The full-tilt laser display was yet to come.)

 

Coldplay grossed more than $170 million on tour this year — only Madonna, Bruce Springsteen and Roger Waters did better — so it’s no surprise that the operation suggests a behemoth. Still, had you spent even a little time with “Coldplay: Live 2012” (Capitol), an immersive new concert film and album, you would have known what to expect here, almost at the cellular level.

 

 

Mr. Martin did deviate from a corporate standard of consistency every now and again, mainly to assure the crowd that this show would be every bit as special as the scheduled New Year’s Eve double bill with Jay-Z. That claim might have seemed a little less preposterous, had the band not taken to the stage after its customary fanfare: recordings of Jay-Z’s “99 Problems,” followed by a healthy stretch of Alan Silvestri’s score for “Back to the Future.” Under the circumstances, it was a cruel tease.

 

But in most other respects, the band was straightforward in its service. Coldplay has never had much use for the unruly or unpredictable: sturdiness is its business. And there was never a moment in this show when Mr. Martin or his band mates — the lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, the bassist Guy Berryman, the drummer Will Champion — seemed less than fully committed. The songs did their work too, inner parts whirring in sync, with Mr. Martin drifting between piano and acoustic or electric guitars.

 

Reassurance and communion are major themes in those songs, which helps explain why so many of their best moments involve wordless lyrics: your ohhs and whoas and oohs. Whether employed as structural elements or transitional devices, they fulfill a core function in the Coldplay sound, a function often more fundamental than lyrics. (No accident that this music resonates with large crowds, in Brooklyn as in Barcelona.)

 

The set list drew generously from “Mylo Xyloto” (Capitol), Coldplay’s 2011 studio album, which came with a fanciful concept but only moderate pretensions, and a dose of electronics that managed not to engulf the band’s sound. Among the newer songs, “Paradise” was fastidious and sweeping here, and “Princess of China” fell predictably short, given that Rihanna, the song’s guest duet partner, appeared only in video footage. “Up in Flames,” played at the end of the catwalk, was spare and touching.

 

In a similar vein, the encore began with an acoustic “Us Against the World,” played from a perch in the crowd, with Mr. Martin exuding his approachable hospitality. It was a looser and less obviously plotted portion of the show, which made it refreshing — though hardly truer to the spirit of the band.

 

link

[smallnshort247]

Hey guys,

 

Boy, was last night AWESOME! It was my 5th time seeing Coldplay live, and my first time seeing Coldplay outside of Washington D.C. My friends that I came to New York with wanted to eat before the concert, so I decided to head inside the Barclays Center by myself just to wonder around. It was amazing seeing so many people dressed up with their own Mylo Xyloto gear. Compared to the two summer MX shows I saw in D.C, it seemed like there were more "hard core" fans there last night in Brooklyn. I'm sure many of the people I saw were fellow Coldplayers too!.

 

The Barclays Center staff were incredibly nice to me! I got many nice complements on my shirt from them, and they were very helpful whenever I got lost. After wondering around for a bit, I ended up crossing paths with fellow Coldplayers Billy and John! We were all also lucky enough to get upgraded to the 2nd row!!!! The roadie who upgraded us was very kind. I'd like to think that we gave her a laugh. Basically, we had to serenade a random couple she pointed out with Coldplay music. My shirt had an equalizer on it, so we had to be as loud as we could so that the shirt would light up to it's max! Getting the chance to see your favorite band up close never gets old! Once we got in our seats, I got to meet Zoey and her family and friends too. They were some very cool people :D. I was lucky to be in such great company.

 

Moving on to the concert.. Naturally 7 was great. I wasn't sure what to expect from them, but I can't say I've seen something like that before. They were the only act to come on before Coldplay..too bad Wolf Gang didn't tag along to play a few songs ;) Once Coldplay took the stage, all my memories from earlier MX tours this year came back! Like I said before, it was my first time seeing Coldplay live outside of D.C. Something felt different about them, in a good way. I felt like the crowd on the floor was really into the concert. Everyone was singing along to all the songs! Chris acknowledged Billy's Christmas Lights poster and Jonny once again acknowledged me during the concert! I can't say he remembers me from previous concerts but its definitely an amazing feeling when a member from Coldplay notices you.

 

I couldn't imagine a better way to end the 2012 year. I also must give thanks to my friends and family. They helped me with making my shirt and making the trip possible in the first place.

 

I've checked off a lot of things on my to do list with Coldplay. The remaining things are to see Coldplay in a different country and to actually MEET THEM! Not sure when it'll happen, but hopefully one day!

 

 

 

 

 

[duran492]

A few of my photos. More to come later.

 

 

 

 

 

 

awesome pics dianne!!!!!!!!!!!!

[zoeyk]

Awesome pics Diane! Great meeting you! Glad you were on the floor!

[LFDianne]

Hey guys,

 

Boy, was last night AWESOME! It was my 5th time seeing Coldplay live, and my first time seeing Coldplay outside of Washington D.C. My friends that I came to New York with wanted to eat before the concert, so I decided to head inside the Barclays Center by myself just to wonder around. It was amazing seeing so many people dressed up with their own Mylo Xyloto gear. Compared to the two summer MX shows I saw in D.C, it seemed like there were more "hard core" fans there last night in Brooklyn. I'm sure many of the people I saw were fellow Coldplayers too!.

 

The Barclays Center staff were incredibly nice to me! I got many nice complements on my shirt from them, and they were very helpful whenever I got lost. After wondering around for a bit, I ended up crossing paths with fellow Coldplayers Billy and John! We were all also lucky enough to get upgraded to the 2nd row!!!! The roadie who upgraded us was very kind. I'd like to think that we gave her a laugh. Basically, we had to serenade a random couple she pointed out with Coldplay music. My shirt had an equalizer on it, so we had to be as loud as we could so that the shirt would light up to it's max! Getting the chance to see your favorite band up close never gets old! Once we got in our seats, I got to meet Zoey and her family and friends too. They were some very cool people :D. I was lucky to be in such great company.

 

Moving on to the concert.. Naturally 7 was great. I wasn't sure what to expect from them, but I can't say I've seen something like that before. They were the only act to come on before Coldplay..too bad Wolf Gang didn't tag along to play a few songs ;) Once Coldplay took the stage, all my memories from earlier MX tours this year came back! Like I said before, it was my first time seeing Coldplay live outside of D.C. Something felt different about them, in a good way. I felt like the crowd on the floor was really into the concert. Everyone was singing along to all the songs! Chris acknowledged Billy's Christmas Lights poster and Jonny once again acknowledged me during the concert! I can't say he remembers me from previous concerts but its definitely an amazing feeling when a member from Coldplay notices you.

 

I couldn't imagine a better way to end the 2012 year. I also must give thanks to my friends and family. They helped me with making my shirt and making the trip possible in the first place.

 

I've checked off a lot of things on my to do list with Coldplay. The remaining things are to see Coldplay in a different country and to actually MEET THEM! Not sure when it'll happen, but hopefully one day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I'm so so glad you were upgraded and that I got to meet you :) Such a great show, and so many wonderful memories of the people I met there, a sweet girl from Italy, Zoey, you, Billy, and John. I suppose the guys in the matching white suits didn't get upgraded :( So many hardcore fans, too. We were next to a couple from Kansas City, who had a sign that said Play Politik on one side and Is Everybody Ok Out There on the other - Chris saw, and acknowledged them. He also saw my shirt and pointed. I wish we could have gone tonight, but last night was truly special, so I'm ok with it.

 

Happy New Year everyone. I took some videos and am working on getting them uploaded to youtube - it takes forever to process...

[Tash]

Uncasville & Brooklyn panoramas

1 January 2013 6:27 pm

Roadie #42's crowd shots from the shows on 29 and 30 December

 

Good evening - and happy new year! Here are Roadie #42's crowd panorama shots from Coldplay's shows in Uncasville on 29 December and Brooklyn on 30 December. Click the photos to see the high-res versions.

 

 

 

Stage access was a little tricky for the New Year's Eve show, so we didn't manage to get a panorama for that show (apologies).

 

Anchorman

[LFDianne]

So here is a more detailed review of the show.

 

My husband and I flew to New York on Saturday, and spent Saturday night and Sunday in Manhattan, walking around, doing the touristy sightseeing. It was so cold Saturday night - snowing, but we really wanted to see the 9/11 Memorial, so we braved the cold. Very moving site.

 

We took the subway from Grand Central to the venue Sunday night. Could not have been any easier for us non-public transit people. Public transit is pretty non-existant in Los Angeles/Orange County. It took us right to the Barclays Center. We waited outside until the doors opened at 6pm and made our way in. I got a blue x-band and my husband got white. We had made tshirts, just for fun. We did not need to be upgraded because our seats were amazing. We spent a long time just walking around the venue, and got lots of compliments on our shirts. LOL We saw several other people who had made shirts, hoping to run into the Upgrade Roadies. Some did, which was great for them. We also shared a standing table with a sweet girl from Italy, who had been to several shows in Europe. I love meeting people from around the world at shows! I was actually interviewed by the Barclays Center tv people for a short video review they will do of both shows. The interviewer was so sweet and asked a lot of questions about why I like Coldplay, the shows I've seen and why do I think Coldplay appeals to so many people. Well, duh. Haha. They will edit it and I think it will be up on the Barclays Center website soon.

 

We ran into several Coldplayers, and that's always fun. Finally we made our way down to our seats. Floor 3 (Jonny's side), Row 6, right in the middle of the row. We stayed there for Naturally 7, an incredible a cappella group. I'm a huge fan of a cappella and my son actually sings in his college group, and was in the movie Pitch Perfect as one of the Treblemakers, so we love a capella singing, and the amazing sounds that can be made by humans.

 

When they finished, Coldplay's roadies made the final preparations to the stage. At one of the super small shows I was at, I spent some time talking with Matt McGinn, and wished I'd had his book with me to sign. I'd brought it to NY, and when he came off the stage, was able to get his attention, and he was so nice to sign the book jacket. The night was well off to an amazing start.

 

While I was walking back to my seat, I saw a few Coldplayers in the first 2 rows who recognized me, and who I've recognized from the boards so they were lucky enough to be upgraded. We chatted for a few minutes :)

 

Making my way back to my row, along the ramp, my husband and I started talking to a couple from Kansas City at the end of our row who had brought a sign, and the 2 seats behind them on the aisle were vacant, so we just stayed there and talked with them for a while. We thought we'd just wait there until the fans came to sit there, but they never did! So we were at the end of the aisle at the ramp barrier the whole night! Venue security was very friendly, and didn't care that we were in the aisles, and leaning on the barrier. Their job seemed mostly to be to send people back who didn't have tickets in that section. Then 99 Problems started, and you always know the die-hard fans because of the screams and standing up and dancing and singing along. There were a LOT of those so that was great to see!

 

Then the lights dimmed, and BTTF started, and my blue x-band started flashing. Here we goooooo.... I love the opening strains of MX, the xylophone and I was off in my Coldplay-zone. Could NOT stop smiling.

 

Setlist was the same, but to be right at the ramp was the best. Chris is up and down the ramp constantly. The boys seemed really happy to be there, based on their "looks" among themselves. Lots of smiles. Chris made a speech about how he feels sorry for December 30 because it's not Christmas, it's not New Years, and it just gets lost in the middle, so from now on Dec 30 is going to be a special date, and they were going to make it memorable and one for us to remember.

 

I took lots of photos, and a few videos, but I wanted to remember the show, and enjoy, so I tried really hard not to take photos of a few songs and just focus on them and the feelings of being at a show. I still managed to take a few hundred photos. :shocked2:

 

Chris made a lot of eye contact along the ramp, and pointed and smiled at the couple's sign. One side said Play Politik and the other said "Is everybody ok out there?" He mouthed "thank you" to them, so they were super happy. He gave a shout out to some people, and then during Viva, was hugging Guy, and worked in the name Kesha, so it must be serious between Guy and Kesha :heart: I know he's done it before.

 

A funny thing happened on C-stage. They made it through UATW with no interruption, but Chris stopped midway through SoS, and I thought, here we go again, but he pointed to a girl in front of him who was wearing a fuzzy bear hat, and made some funny comment about it being the ugliest hat he's seen, so she passed the hat to him and he wore it for the rest of the song, and handed it back to her. I bet she was dying.

 

I know some people complain about the never changing setlist, but personally, I love this current set, and am happy they play the songs they do. After the show, I was speaking to the security guy in front of me, who wasn't really a fan before, but now he is :) Always good to convert new followers.

 

After the show, we walked to the back of the floor and spoke with a few of their tech sound/video crew. My husband is hugely interested in the whole production aspect, so he spoke with one of the video guys for a while, who said that NYE was the last show of MX, and it will be 2 years before they tour again because they're going back to the studio. I also spoke with Jason, who said they gave out 2.5 million xylobands at a cost of $5 each. Wow!

 

It was an incredible way to end my year, and my whole Mylo Xylotour. I saw them 16 times in 4 states over the last 16 months. And they keep making me want to come back for more.

 

A funny thing happened on our flight back to Los Angeles yesterday. I'd uploaded the pictures to my ipad and was going through, deleting and editing some of them, and the boy sitting next to my husband asked if we'd seen Coldplay in NY. He'd been at the Connecticut show, but was flying back home to New Zealand. He'd been in the US for 6 weeks visiting his girlfriend in Conn, and she is a huge fan. He'd also seen them in NZ. You never know where you'll meet a Coldplay fan!

 

So here are a few more of my photos. And I just noticed that R42 has posted the panorama, and for the first time, I'm in one :)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

You can see Chris wearing the bear hat!

 

 

More photos in the next couple of posts.

[LFDianne]

More photos

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[LFDianne]

And last group of photos.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Safy]

^ Awesome review & great photos Dianne :) Thank you

 

lol at Chris wearing the bear hat :laugh3:

[erynf_1996]

After the show, we walked to the back of the floor and spoke with a few of their tech sound/video crew. My husband is hugely interested in the whole production aspect, so he spoke with one of the video guys for a while, who said that NYE was the last show of MX, and it will be 2 years before they tour again because they're going back to the studio. I also spoke with Jason, who said they gave out 2.5 million xylobands at a cost of $5 each. Wow!

 

Thanks for the great review Dianne! So, do you guys think this means no Latin America? Or maybe just the last MX show for the US?

[Nik Jam]

Could also mean that they'll do some one off gigs every once in a while (does 8 gigs in LA count as one off?) but only do a full tour in 2015.

[AyannaD]

Fantastic review and amazing photos Dianne. Thanks for sharing.

[zoeyk]

OK let me start with AMAZING. I had so much fun. So me and my family got to the venue around 5:30 from Manhattan and stood in the freezing ass cold till they opened the doors.

 

I was numb by the time we got in but was so pumped up I don't even realize how cold I was until I went to the restroom to straighten my self up lol. Ok so we got to our seats up in the nosebleeds right behind the stage which werent bad at all. We all had home made shirts from the Saint Paul show and I made a banner for Guy which I am not sure how he would see but made it anyway. Me and my sister went to get some drinks when we saw a roadie, one I had not seen before. He was already talking to a group of girls. Then I over heard him saying "O they know whats going, dont worry I am not paying them any attention".

 

I was fuming at this point, I was not going to go up to him esp when he is talking to other people. I walked away but my brother in law overheard them talking and he said they got 5 questions totally wrong out of how many he asked them. Then I saw him escorting them to their floor seats. Whatever- so it was coming towards the end of the opening act and no roadies to be seen. I finally spotted the one who came out of nowhere and tapped me on the shoulder in Saint Paul.

 

He was standing in the corner very tired just scoping out the place. Me and my sis went up to him and introduced ourselves and asked if he remembered us. He told us he was very tired and cannot remember anything these days. I told him the story of Saint Paul and how I knew who he was. He got intrigued and started asking us questions- then he started joking that I was hasseling him and being very cheeky! He told my sis to go get our other two guests whilst holding the tixs.

 

I talked to him for awhile and even told him about that other roadie he made a face and seemed really confused lol. He then asked me in detail all these questions-where various music videos were shot and what the themes where. When my sis finally came back- before handing me the tics he said I am not sure if these are the ones your wanted but I hope you all have a very good time and disappeared just like Saint Paul. I was so shocked and stunned- my sister was like well where Are the seats- They were front fucking row J's side. I think I almost had an out of body experience. We got to our seats which mine was #5 and the rest left down from me.

 

The two girls to the left of me weren't dressed but very nice and said a roadie just asked them if they were fans and gave them tickets- no questions! anyways met some lovely coldplayers and it was awesome! I apologize to anyone sitting behind me because I was screaming, jumping off the ground and flailing around! I think I annoyed the lady to the right of me but it was amazing. J looked at me several times and started laughing because I was screaming straight at him. Then during one song Chris was playing guitar and staring right at me and I stared right back. I had a pic but it blurred-must invest in a better camera!

 

I also got Guy to look my way because I was screaming his name as well. At the end the boys walked our way since I had a banner and got a point and nod from both Guy and Chris! The banner said: Texas loves Guy and the Guys of Colplay on hot pink fabric. I saw the back of Gwyneth and Apple walking back stage. Something happened and the security didnt let her through before the last song bc they didnt know who she was and she was waiting to get back there.

 

It was the most most amazing time ever! Nothing in life is better than those hours in that venue with these boys! Thanks to all the coldplayers and real fans that made the atmosphere so much more amazing! until next time!

[Heavensbee]

LFDianne, zoeyk, and smallnshort247 summed up everything I was gonna say because they were all sitting right next to me!! A couple of things I want to point out though. The entire Barclays Center staff was very friendly and made the venue a welcoming place. Also, please try the massive slices of cheesecake on the main concourse if you're ever at Barclays again, because they are AMAZING.

 

Just a few of my best pictures:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[zoeyk]

AHHH my back is turned in the panoramic pic. Thanks Billy, your pics are amazing! I need to get your camera! I loved my banner lol

[StaceyEternity]

All I gotta say is the footage from both shows is awesome on YouTube. Some really great vids!! I really enjoyed watching this kid in the front row of the stage in a green shirt and was really tall, he really enjoyed himself and was jammin out like a rockstar. Good for him!! I think he was at the 30th show. Whoever he is, I thank him for making me laugh so hard. I wonder what Chris and the boys thought. It was hard not to see him.

[Romy_MX]

Chris @ Brooklyn Edit

HAPPY NEW YEAR

[kspillers2]

Just Lovely!!!!:)

 

Dianne, your pics are great, LOVE the bow!!

[loversinjapanosakasun]

I'm so so glad you were upgraded and that I got to meet you :) Such a great show, and so many wonderful memories of the people I met there, a sweet girl from Italy, Zoey, you, Billy, and John. I suppose the guys in the matching white suits didn't get upgraded :( So many hardcore fans, too. We were next to a couple from Kansas City, who had a sign that said Play Politik on one side and Is Everybody Ok Out There on the other - Chris saw, and acknowledged them. He also saw my shirt and pointed. I wish we could have gone tonight, but last night was truly special, so I'm ok with it.

 

Happy New Year everyone. I took some videos and am working on getting them uploaded to youtube - it takes forever to process...

 

 

I saw you guys!! We were upgraded but I think on the other side of the stage, we were dressed as the band it was an amazing show i still can't believe it even happened!! I have only ever seen them in Philly so seeing them at a different stadium was pretty cool! And of course they are so amazing live! A roadie came over to us and gave us some signed autographs which was pretty cool and chris stuck his foot up at us after realizing that we were dressed like him :)