The “Countdown To Coldplay” is almost over, and with just ten days until the first Australian concert date, performing to 17,000 fans at Perth’s Burswood Dome, Coldplay have today announced that at their request, American rock band Mercury Rev will be joining the ‘Viva La Vida’ tour of Australia.
Mercury Rev, veterans of the American rock scene, formed in Buffalo, New York in the late 1980’s and have surprised and enlightened listeners for over a decade and a half with their maverick musical explorations. With their early records, Mercury Rev offered experimental, psychedelic rock, which gradually shifted to a melodic, ornate sound.
Over the years, Mercury Rev have seen numerous line up and directional changes. Most notable was the departure of original vocalist David Baker to make way for lead guitarist Jonathon Donahue to take the reigns.
NME (UK) Magazine named ‘Deserter’s Songs’, the first release under the new line-up, their 1998 Album of the Year. The writer stated that Donahue’s earnest, high-pitched vocals and concentration on relatively concise, melodic songs gave the band’s material an entirely new feel and much increased popularity. The band now remains the triangular core of Jonathan Donahue, Grasshopper and Jeff Mercel.
Mercury Rev have not performed in Australia for over three years. This tour with Coldplay will come off the back of their latest acclaimed studio release “Snowflake Midnight” and there is no doubt that their extensive repertoire; an eclectic mix of psychedelic rock and dream pop will add a unique sound to Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” tour.
Coldplay will now be supported by both Sydney outfit Decoder Ring and Mercury Rev on their eleven massive Arena shows across Australia, making this one of the biggest rock concerts the country will see in 2009. The tour kicks off in Perth on Friday 27 February and concludes at Sydney’s Acer Arena on Sunday 15 March.
With less than ten days until Coldplay touch down in the country, the anticipation felt by over 150,000 ticket holders is palpable. Only limited tickets are available for all shows, so if you haven’t secured your tickets yet, get in quick.
Coldplay recently brought the number of Australian shows to their itinery for 2009 to eleven, with the addition of a fourth Sydney show. The full list is:
Friday 27th February - Perth, Burswood Dome [discussion]
Saturday 28th February - Perth, Burswood Dome [discussion]
Tuesday 3rd March - Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena [discussion]
Wednesday 4th March - Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena [discussion]
Thursday 5th March – Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena [discussion]
Sunday 8th March - Brisbane, Entertainment Centre [discussion]
Monday 9th March - Brisbane, Entertainment Centre [discussion]
Wednesday 11th March - Sydney, Acer Arena [discussion]
Thursday 12th March - Sydney, Acer Arena [discussion]
Saturday 14th March - Sydney, Acer Arena [discussion]
Sunday 15th March – Sydney, Acer Arena [discussion]
New Zealand:
Wednesday 18th March - Auckland, Vector Arena [discussion]
Thursday 19th March - Auckland, Vector Arena [discussion]
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