[2016-06-01] Veltins-Arena, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

[Batman]

How much are the love buttons at the show?

you get them for free when you enter the arena.

[gai]

No Jonny and GUY laughed into each other's faces. Because Jonny saw Guy avoiding Chris and apparently found this funny as well :awesome:

oh poor chris! haha!

I found these at the end of the concert in the recycle packages and asked the staff workers if it was okay to take them. They said "yeah no problem!"

yeah, i guessed. but he has been loosing his mind over similar pics on twitter :)

[aprilshack]

you get them for free when you enter the arena.

 

Ooh! Free gifts!

[chlllll]

Sorry you felt that way - felt totally different for me (was my 7th concert, too btw). But then I was standing in front of the stage.

You did not have to give back the Xylobands - that was voluntary!

 

Thats what i thought! My german isnt the best but i was almost forced by those yellow jacket security people to give it back. Managed to hide one in my pocket by the way haha. I mean for 110 euros i think i can really take one home haha!

[gai]

Chris calling Will Mister Universe.. :laugh2:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U8gmYOJYS78

you can hear the piano making weird noises from like 2:04 onwards.

[aprilshack]

Thats what i thought! My german isnt the best but i was almost forced by those yellow jacket security people to give it back. Managed to hide one in my pocket by the way haha. I mean for 110 euros i think i can really take one home haha!

 

Mine will be going down my cleavage Saturday , they won't check down there i hope!

[Batman]

yeah, i guessed. but he has been loosing his mind over similar pics on twitter :)

He also posted my friend's Coldplay photos and didn't credit her :awesome:

 

Ooh! Free gifts!

hell yEH :charming:

 

Mine will be going down my cleavage Saturday , they won't check down there i hope!

LMAO now that would be rather rude place to check HHAHAHA

[atlas2000]

http://www.dimeadozen.org/torrents-details.php?id=563021 Full concert here if anyone can download?

[Arantza]

Alright so

 

I've read through all of the great previous reviews, and I'll try to not repeat too many things :awesome:

 

So what can I say, the organisation of the FOS1 left/right, FOS2 and general standing area was pretty much a big steaming pile of unfabulous poop. We were all just clustered together and in the end it didn't matter at all which site was printed on your ticket, you could walk freely thoughout the entire FOS1 area. From what I've heard the FOS2 people were pretty angry about the fact that the runway of the mainstage didn't go all the way back to the FOS2 area, which I can totally understand.

 

 

And totally unrelated to the actual concert, yesterday was a PAIN weather-wise. It was 100% humid outside, constantly raining, and we always feared for thunderstorms the entire time we stood outside. It was very un-Germany-like weather, we felt like we were standing in a tropical forest omg.

 

I attended the concert with 3 other awesome Coldplayer friends (my second family by now :wacky:) and made us all fancy thirts:

 

 

and we just chilled in front of the runway/B-stage since we've had good experience with that spot. After a while a bunch of Early-Entry-people came to us, talked our ears off and just stood a little bit too close for my comfort. Then a couple of smokers decided it was all right to basically glue themselves to my back lmao. I mean, it's alright if you just stand behind me, but if I can feel your breath on my neck and there is absolutely friggn NO ONE standing behind yOU please back of a little will ya. One time I may or may not have passionately stepped on my backside human's foot a little too heavily, and it worked wonders in terms of personal space :awesome:

 

 

During the waiting time inside the arena I walked around to look out for some merch stands.

 

 

Guys,

 

the prices, guys.

 

The prices were freaking rIDICULOUS. 35€ (39$) for a shirt, 110€ (123$)!!! for a flippin' hoodie. A HOODIE. And it just had some rainbow type on it, nOTHING ELSE. The concert ticket itself costed less than this freakin thing wtf.

 

Needless to say, I didn't buy a single thing. There were also some posters for something between 10-20€ but man, they were ugly.

 

 

AnYWAYs, the supporting acts were freaking fabulous and had the most awesome voices, holy frick. I loved Lianne La Havas, I already had her album and didn't know she was one of the supporting acts (because I didn't spoil me at all for this tour this time in terms of seltists etc) so I was very pleasantly surprised. And she also complained about the humidty in the arena lmao.

 

She was so joyful and beaming the whole time in spite of the mostly lame response she got from the concert goers lol. I mean the audience cheered, but you know Germans, they mostly just clap and whistle from time to time <__<

 

 

Okay and since I suck with remembering the order of songs or which songs were generally played I'll just try to remember which moments stuck to me the most:

 

• At the beginning of the gig when Chris came to the end of Yellow (or whas is another song? Lmao I can't remember) the entire audience suddenly sang along very loudly and Chris was like: "Wow, that was beautiful! I was told that the Germans don't really sing along at all, but WOW!“ and man, he was so right hAHAH. I was surprised as well.
  

• Chris fucked up the beginning of Everglow. Funnily enough though, from where I stood nothing sounded wrong. I haven't seen any of the videos about this song yet and if you could tell that the piano was busted, but to me it sounded perfectly fine. Whatever though, the band just lol'd and Chris tried to save the moment with a joke that he told us about 5 years ago already.
   
   
  
• As some of you have already mentioned, the visuals were super cool. Really underlined the feelings of the songs that were played. Especially Birds was epic with a big scenery playing in the background with birds flying around. Since the A-stage in front of the huge background screen is tilted, Chris ran up there right in front of the middle so that he was placed exactly in the center of the screen, and at times it looked like all the psychedelic elements and colour explosions on the video screen actually came bursting out of him! The fx/visuals crew had some fancy ideas, I tell you! :charming:
   
   
  
• My friend scribbled a sweet message for Chris onto a piece of paper "Thank you for being my happy place", and during one of the earlier songs where he came running down to the very front of the b-stage, he stared at the poster, read it, smiled, and then blew a kiss at her. I guess I don't have to tell you that my right ear is now eternally deaf from her fangirl squeal. Fun thing was though, when Chris stood there staring, I felt the entire group of people surrounding me kind of freezing and just staring at him HAHAH. The Chris Martin effect was strong, it was STRONG INDEED :dead:
   
   
  
• I mentioned Buckin, didn't I? :charming: So, when Everglow began, Chris started with his usually pompous descriptions of his bandmates. And I don't know the exact words, but I think „handsome“ and „nice green pants“ or something like that was mentioned when he introduced Jonny lmao. And of course Jonny went all :cheesy: at that and everybody cheered because of reasons ~ :dazzled:
   
   
  
• Buckin² happened at the start of the „Heros“ cover. As the setlist that posted above me states so nicely, a single spotlight was on Jonny, and of course Chris came into view after a few seconds and just glued himself to Jonny's side, alternately arm slung over his shoulder and around his side, and just singing into his ear basically. I apologize to my fellow Coldplayers for the unhumanly sounds that left me during these moments :laugh3:
   
   
  
• There was a moment during one song (can't remember which one it was) where the band was on the B-stage, when Chris was walking all around the bandmembers and Guy was seemingly annoyed by that and just NOPEd away from him, right in front Jonny, and they both laughed their butts of at that. That was super random but I'm here for random facts!
   
   
  
• After AOAL the band all the way down the catwalk, to the b-stage right in front of us, and then steps down eVEN CLOSER TO OUR GRABBY HANDS :cheesy: and then past us all the very back to the arena to the C-stage. Of course I tried to touch them haha. I managed to touch Jonny's fingertip for like, 0,00000001 second, yeah :awesome:
   
   
  
• When they came back from their set on the c-stage, they came past us again. First came Jonny or Guy, I can't remember. Anyways, they just stared ahead of themselves like "If I don't look the fans into the eyes they might not touch me“ and of course that didn't work! :lol: Grabby hands everywhereee. I believe Jonny got the most hands into his face and back, omg that poor man lmao. Guy was like „jeSUs CHRIst“ and just fabulously avoided most of the fans buy rushing up the stairs. Then Will came and OMG he just, was SO DONE :laugh3: he didn't even go through the clearing the roadies made for him (you know the area between the barriers and the stage), but clambered right over tables and boxes standing right next to the stage, so that he was as far away as possible from the fans. One moment he was on all fours and the determination on his face to NOT get touched by us, I just, I can't :lol:
   
  Chris took his time to get back and he was so covered in sweat, man. It was kinda nasty hahahaha. He also avoided most of the hands and basically flew up the stage, that disgustingly fit human.
   
   
  
• I noticed the wristbands had some audio things in them? I have no idea what's up with those. And because of SCIENCE I took them apart for you people to look at, maybe you understand the mechanics.
  
   
   
   
   
  
• The confetti variation was vast this time. Lots of different forms and shapes. The Mylo birds were back, but also tiny little paper squares that stuck the very SOUL of yours, gosh I had them in my freaking eye for like 5 minutes. Also plastic pearly shimmering stars and generally rainbow coloured confetti craziness. And balloons! I caught one and brought it all the way back home because OF REASONS :dazzled:
  

yeah that's what stuck with me so far. Maybe I'll remember other this later today but I hope this was somewhat interesting for you to read :wacky:

 

Thank you for your review full of random facts (I live for these kind of reviews) :cheesy:

 

Wow what an interesting semi-acoustic version of LIJ! The way the drums abruptly stop in the middle of the song was a bit weird though (in the album version it keeps on going). Also for anyone wondering, there's no backing track here - Will is playing an electronic kick drum using his foot. Here's a video I found:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQPotEKFSX8

Mobile Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DQPotEKFSX8

It's definitely and interesting take on LIJ, I still need to give it a few listens to make up my mind because I'm not sure about it.

If you ask me right now I'd say Ink works better in that spot. (Yes, *gasp*, blasphemy!, Given how much I love LIJ :shame:)

 

It's also fun watching the poor roadies sorting out the piano thing :lol:

[flockofbirds222]

 

Guys,

 

the prices, guys.

 

The prices were freaking rIDICULOUS. 35€ (39$) for a shirt, 110€ (123$)!!! for a flippin' hoodie. A HOODIE. And it just had some rainbow type on it, nOTHING ELSE. The concert ticket itself costed less than this freakin thing wtf.

 

Needless to say, I didn't buy a single thing. There were also some posters for something between 10-20€ but man, they were ugly.

 

 

i know, it's ridiculous, but I still couldn't resist buying me some merch...

I paid 60€ for one shirt and a tea cup!!

Looking back I don't know if it was really worth it...

[Lukestar1991]

This show was the 7th time i saw then live, and i was really disappointed..

 

After hours in the pouring rain we couldn't get any closer than the tip of the b stage, because of the bloody golden circle. Wtf coldplay?!

 

I don't think they considered it was a closed roof arena, so after all the pyro during AHFOD, the whole arena was filled with smoke. Couldn't even see the screen any more

 

I was really surprised by LIJ, but it didnt have the same magical feeling as during their VLV tour.

 

Birds was totally off, johnny couldnt keep the rythm, great song, but not for an arena.

 

I don't know. The boys seemed a little bit off an tired. Instrument malfunctions, chris messing up and forgetting his lines. Not once or twice as usual, but multiple times. It was all so predictable, what moves chris was going to do or what he was going to say during the chatty parts.

 

I really loved don't panic and see you soon. Probably my favorites of the night. But they really need to work on the setlist in my opinion. I mean, come on, fix you in a mix?! VLV, ETIAW, ASFOS and AOAL together in one show is way to much jumpy happy sing along for one night.

 

Oh. And afterwards i had to return the xylobands, and the speakers didnt work.

 

I know i sound really negative about the show, it was a great night and was so happy to see them once again, but last night they weren't the boys on stage that i know so well. I just know they can do so much better..

 

You don't sound particularly negative, just very honest and blunt, which is your right ofc. I think your take on the state of the current tour is really interesting, if a bit disappointing.

 

As far as arrangements go, I think it's obvious that Birds should be played on the B-stage to make room for another song we all desperately want to hear, either that or move a fan favourite into its opening quarter slot. I'm not seeing them until Wembley, but I think you're dead right about the hits overload in the latter half of the set. They should either spread them out (moving CB to the beginning like they did on the last tour would be good imho) or just drop some of them altogether, in my view.

 

Overall it sounds to me as though you have legit complaints / reservations, for sure. In short, I agree. We're used to seeing a lot more experimentation at this stage, which is sadly missing. They need to stop resting on their laurels and get their act together.

[Lukestar1991]

He also posted my friend's Coldplay photos and didn't credit her :awesome:

 

hell yEH :charming:

 

LMAO now that would be rather rude place to check HHAHAHA

 

Some of us aren't

Mine will be going down my cleavage Saturday , they won't check down there i hope!

 

Some of us aren't so lucky ;)

[aprilshack]

Some of us aren't

 

 

Some of us aren't so lucky ;)

 

If I could share it out I would!

[Lukestar1991]

If I could share it out I would!

 

Almost sounds like you're offering , there :hat:

[Vinze]

Amsterdam sold out, so Gelsenkirchen it was!

 

I went with my dad, this was our 4th time that we saw Coldplay live, Maybe some of you seen me, i had a long lenght tshirt with black prints on it, and a white sweater. We had Innehraum tickets, we don't care where we stand, on the back its less crowded and more space, and we can see enough on the screens. We were standing at the area around the toilets on the right side of the arena, the side where u could buy merchendise.

 

The concert was amazing, charlie brown was the highlight, its a shame that they did not play Voilet hill, and Major Minus, or even POC. It was mostly Hit songs, we got overloaded with hits and that was a downside, the concert felt a bit like they wanted to do the concert fast, and move on imo. But maybe thats just me. In my place the requested song, i was a bit dissapointed when they did it acoustic, i wanted to dance to it, but without drums its hard.

 

The Crowd (from what ive seen) was a bit dead, i didnt see many people going all out, but my dad and me was going all out, dancing, jumping etc etc, we had to make it fun from ourselves, and it worked out.

 

It was a great concert, i had a great time. Tho Pinkpop 2011 was the best concert of Coldplay i ever been to.

But you did it again Coldplay thank you.

 

8/10

 

Vinnie

[aprilshack]

Almost sounds like you're offering , there :hat:

 

Lol!

[timyyy]

Audio recording available here ;)

[Guest diogo_sg]

Awesome reviews, everyone! I'm really enjoying reading about all your different experiences [emoji4]

[nancyk58]

Thank you for the reviews. Always good and interesting reading.

[guy42]

Then Will came and OMG he just, was SO DONE :laugh3: he didn't even go through the clearing the roadies made for him (you know the area between the barriers and the stage), but clambered right over tables and boxes standing right next to the stage, so that he was as far away as possible from the fans. One moment he was on all fours and the determination on his face to NOT get touched by us, I just, I can't :lol:

Will was on all fours?! OMG i need to see this. Gorgeous review btw

[Batman]

Will was on all fours?! OMG i need to see this. Gorgeous review btw

Yeah he was like grabbing some kind of platform in front of him to avoided getting in the path of the fangirl hands, and he sort of bent over and briefly clambered over with his hands on the platform and his feet so that he had a good grip. It all took place in maybe 2 seconds and perhaps seems longer because I'm describing it in full detail :sweatdrop:

 

 

and tHANK YOU :wacky:

[JM-42]

So nice seeing reviews again on the forums. Feels like Viva or MX era.

[angelfish23]

I thought it was a great show.

Maybe that was only, because i actually was in the golden circle... heck even in 1st row?

i´am just kidding - i enjoyed the show from a to z. Beginning with the early entrance - standing in the tunnel and actually seeing/hearing CP doing the soundcheck. That was already great. But i am sure i would have enjoyed the show just as much on any other spot in the arena.

 

I didnt know a thing about the show except for the xylobands of course. I havent read anthing about any of the previous shows, so whatever happend - was a great surprise. Sure - some of the show elements have become "classics" like the big balloons and all the confetti - but thats what i love most about coldplay shows. They not only create fantastic music -but they also blow your mind with big blasts of colour and light! Kudos to the stage designers and whoever else came up with those techniques!

 

I had hoped for a performance of "O" - just because i love it so much - but then again - it might be hard to fit that song into the show. I get it. The requested song IMP? cha - oohkeeey.... thats what CP chose to play.

would have hoped for something else as well. Anyway. I got LoJ. :) (That performance was planned all along. the pic of the setlist + what chris said proofs that)

 

I was able to take a couple of decent pics - i´ll up them later on.

 

thank you for the link to mega, i used to have an acc on dimeadozen - but since i havent used it in so long it got deleted... and back when i got it, it was really tough getting an acc there in the first place - did that chance now? and a bit thank you to ONE8UNG - that was really quick!

[timyyy]

I'm finally recovered a bit after the gig since i only could slept three hours.

It was definitely a really good night!

I'm not gonna repeat to much but these are the things that i'm thinking about.

 

* When i arrived around 7.30pm, it was like a tropical storm outside, my clothes and shoes weren't even dry when i leaved the show.

 

* The highlight for me was Charlie Brown. I like it even more without the intro they used to in the MX tour.

 

* After the piano was broken, Chris kept his cool and told the European championship joke like he did in 2005 i think, but the crowd liked it anyway.

 

* I didn't expected to hear LIJ but i really liked the semi acoustic version!

 

* By the end of the gig, Chris said that they were coming to Germany for 16 years now, and that this night was the best night he ever had in Germany. I can't confirm that, but it was definitely better then Cologne 2012 for me.

 

* First time i heard Up & Up live and it was wonderful! For me it is the best closer since Life in Technicolor II.

 

I can't wait till the 23rd when i see them back in Amsterdam, where the dutch crowd is always very energetic.

 

Here are some pics i took.

 

 

 

 

And from my Snapchat... [emoji5]

 

 

Sent from my ONE E1003 using Coldplaying mobile app

[Freddyos]

Hi guys,

 

I have some nice pictures for you :) (made with Canon Powershot G7X). I have a lot of more pictures. Maybe I upload it all.

 

I'll be in "Auf Schalke" (Veltins Arena) tommorow again :D But for football.