If there's a way you can be the world's biggest pop band and still be underrated, well, Coldplay have figured out how, writes Indie Wire, in another promising of Coldplay's forthcoming concert film release, Live 2012, due out later in November. Read on for the rest of the review...
Their five albums, which always manage to be solidly artistic and hugely accessible, have sold tens of millions of copies, no small feat in the crumbling age of music, and yet their detractors say that they're boring and dull, two charges that cannot be leveled against "Coldplay Live 2012." A new concert documentary that charts their tour in support of last year's Mylo Xyloto album, 'Live 2012,' like this year's other two great concert docs ("Shut Up and Play the Hits" and "Katy Perry: Part of Me") is a boundlessly energetic, utterly endearing chronicle. Hands in the air, people.
Running a brisk hour-long, this documentary combines footage from the band's performances at Paris' Stade de France, Montreal's Bell Centre, and their headlining gig on the Pyramid Stage at England's Glastonbury Music Festival. Combining these various gigs is a great idea for a number of reasons, and not only because we get these nifty, Google Maps-on-acid flashes where the camera zooms into some new location through a fog of zippy haze, but because we get to see things like Rihanna show up in Paris to perform a rousing rendition of the beautiful, brilliant "Princess of China," and watch how the band's vibe and energy subtly change as their location shifts.
You can also see the evolution of the stage show particulars, especially from the prototypical version at Glastonbury (this performance was actually captured last year, before the tour had really begun). The band's stage set-up is simply mind blowing, with a runway that extends into the middle of the crowd with a big "X," pyrotechnics, lasers, giant pulsating screens, and every inch of equipment painted in bright neon splashes (the entire concept behind the album has to do with a dystopian future disrupted by outbursts of vivid color). It's outré writ large.
In between songs, there are interviews with various band members, which aren't exactly insightful but do allow you into the creative process a little bit, and add to the aw-shucks, these-guys-are-great vibe. When lead singer and band leader Chris Martin, who's married to a woman who, in the movies, is married to Tony Stark, bashfully says, "It's exciting when you're 15 and you throw a party and people show up," well, it's hard not to crack a smile. They all seem to be genuinely thrilled to be doing what they're doing, and that positivity is palpable in the live show.
At one point, one of the band members (you always hear them, never see them), talks about the wristbands that were passed out when people arrived at the venue. It was, according to them, one of the things that closed the gap between the performers and the audience. Then we see Chris Martin, imploring the crowd to stick their arms in the air. A switch is thrown and all of the wristbands, previously blank, light up in blinking neon colors that strobe to the music. It's one of those holy shit moments that only a huge-ass band like Coldplay could elicit, an Imagineered marvel, and even the band's most hardened, cynical critics would be hard pressed to think that it was anything but totally fucking cool.
The songs themselves sound even bigger and more universally rousing than they sound on record. There's something about hearing an audience sing along to a song like "Hurts Like Heaven" that gives the it an added scope and makes you appreciate the Coldplay machine in action – when they were writing these songs in some cramped English recording studio, you can't help but think they knew, 30,000 screaming, crying, dancing fans would be singing along to it one day. These songs are massive; built for stadium-sized sing-alongs. And while, honestly, nobody needs to ever hear "Yellow" again, watching them perform it in the context of this documentary, which is nothing if not boundlessly enthusiastic, it comes to life once more. The band remains tirelessly professional, and each one of them are both skilled musicians and electric performers, embracing the shtick with real energy and commitment (nothing's worse than seeing a pop star phone it in). And yes, "Fix You" still tugs on the old heartstrings.
Director Paul Dugdale gets into the spirit of the Mylo Xyloto Tour by occasionally "drawing" squiggles of bright paint on the screen, which adds to the outrageous, overstuffed nature of the experience. But he also knows when to tone it down and let the on-stage visuals speak for themselves. When "Paradise" starts subtly, with a darkened stage that's eventually brightened by glow-in-the-dark graffiti, it's striking enough without any additional flourishes. If anything, the documentary should be longer, should capture more of the live experience, to better replicate the experience of watching the band onstage. But that's a minor quibble. At the end of "Coldplay Live 2012," even a cursory understanding of the experience of watching Coldplay live is better than nothing at all. Wristbands not included. B+
New Live 2012 screenshots (via EpixHD):
Don't forget to check out your tour discussion thread if you are getting Coldplay tickets or just getting excited for the European & North American 2012 shows and other forthcoming appearances:
FEBRUARY 2012
8 Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia (iHeartRadio) [discussion]
9 Los Angeles, CA @ Jimmy Kimmel Live [discussion]
10 Los Angeles, CA @ GRAMMY Week MusiCares Person of the Year tribute [discussion]
12 Los Angeles, CA @ 54th Grammy Awards, Staples Center [discussion]
16 Sydney, Australia @ 2DayFM, Mobile Live Set (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]
17 Sydney, Australia @ Sunrise (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]
21 London @ Brit Awards 2012, O2 Arena [discussion]
MARCH 2012
2 New York, NY @ Good Morning America [discussion]
4 New York, NY @ The Secret Policeman's Ball, Radio City Music Hall (Amnesty International) [discussion]
APRIL 2012
17 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place [discussion]
18 Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome [discussion]
20 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]
21 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]
24 Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena [discussion]
25 Seattle, WA @ KeyArena [discussion]
27 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]
28 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]
MAY 2012
1 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]
2 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]
3 Los Angeles, CA @ American Idol show [discussion]
4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]
5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [discussion]
18 Porto, Portugal @ Dragao Stadium [discussion]
20 Madrid, Spain @ Estadio Vicente Calderón [discussion]
22 Nice, France @ Stade Charles Herman / Nikaia [discussion]
24 Turin, Italy @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]
26 Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund [discussion]
29 Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Stadium [discussion]
JUNE 2012
1 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
2 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
4 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
7 Sunderland, UK @ the Stadium of Light [discussion]
9 London, UK @ Wembley Stadium (Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2012) [discussion]
9 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]
10 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]
22 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]
23 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]
25 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]
26 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]
28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]
29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]
JULY 2012
2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena [discussion]
3 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena [discussion]
5 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]
6 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]
8 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]
9 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]
23 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]
24 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]
26 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]
27 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]
29 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]
30 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]
AUGUST 2012
1 Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills [discussion]
3 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]
4 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]
7 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]
8 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]
10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]
11 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]
28 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium [discussion]
30 Stockholm, Sweden @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]
SEPTEMBER 2012
2 Paris, France @ Stade de France [discussion]
4 Cologne, Germany @ Rheinenergie Stadium [discussion]
6 The Hague, Netherlands @ Malieveld [discussion]
7 Los Angeles, US @ Shrine Auditorium (Stand Up To Cancer) [discussion]
9 London, UK @ Paralympics Closing Ceremony [discussion]
12 Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion [discussion]
14 Leipzig, Germany @ Red Bull Stadium [discussion]
16 Prague, Czech Republic @ Slavia Eden Stadium [discussion]
19 Warsaw, Poland @ National Stadium [discussion]
22 Hannover, Germany @ AWD Arena [discussion]
NOVEMBER 2012
10 Auckland, New Zealand @ Mt Smart Stadium [discussion]
12 Sydney, Australia @ MAX TV intimate show [discussion] [NEW!]
13 Melbourne, Australia @ Etihad Stadium [discussion]
17 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]
18 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]
21 Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stadium [discussion]
DECEMBER 2012:
29 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena [discussion] [NEW!]
30 New York, NY @ Barclays Center [discussion] [NEW!]
31 New York, NY @ Barclays Center (with Jay-Z) [discussion] [NEW!]
Read also: European Stadium Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the Europe tour)
Read also: North America Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the US/Canada tour)
Read also: 2012: Live Appearances - Easy Thread Finder (last updated - 12th January 2012)
Read also: 2012 tour date rumours (please post dates for ALL countries in here)
Kit yourself up for the forthcoming MX tour and get spotted with Coldplaying's new range of merchandise! [click on the items for the full shop]
The new range of Coldplaying merchanise (unofficial of course to the official shop) has hit our stores, with our biggest range of goods so far. Prices are as low as they can be for a Cafepress shop so more people will be able to afford them. We don't take any profits for the sale of the merchandise as a result. Take a browse in one of the online stores nearest to you: UK | US | Canada | Australia | European (shipping is worldwide, but you can choose what currency to pay in) - simply alter the country dropdown menu at the top of the shop page. [thanks to TracieMorgan and zzz]
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