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    London review 3: Coldplay pinnacle of capital's most spectacular of long weekends (5/5 stars)

    7159114951_f899c814df_s.jpgRevelling in dayglo and melody, Coldplay light up north London in a spectacle of sight and sound that proves the pinnacle of one of London's most remarkable long weekends, writes the London Evening Standard today, in another 5/5 review Coldplay's concerts at the Emirates Stadium in London this past weekend (1-4 June). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from the shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (1st - Friday), here (2nd - Saturday) and here (4th - Monday) now. Read on for the London Evening Standard review article and some new pictures...

     

    Beige no longer, Coldplay’s stadium stint in north London this weekend proved to be the most colourful live spectacle I have ever witnessed.

     

    While it was pure red, white and blue for the Queen down on the Mall, up here umpteen thousand wristbands flashed red, white, blue, green and pink in a bewildering sight that dazzled far beyond expectations. Everybody’s bands started flashing during the whizz-bang opener, Hurts Like Heaven, during which they were outshone by so many fireworks that the stadium was awash with smoke. Then they stayed off for just long enough to be forgotten about, until the sun went down, Charlie Brown and its line about “glowing in the dark” came on, and the space exploded into light in perfect time to the music...

    Such bold thrills are notably absent from Coldplay's quiver – just how are their more muted charms going to command the attention of a damp 60,000-strong stadium audience?

     

    The production values are lavish: five vast iris-shaped video screens, plus an armoury of rockets and roman candles, confetti cannons, beach balls painted like the globe and audience wristbands that blink multi-coloured lights to the music, transforming them into human lighting rigs. The effect is not unlike a Flaming Lips show, albeit with their psychedelic lunacy firmly dampened down...

     

    It was a sight that will not be forgotten by those who saw it, an audience that included stadium-filler-in-waiting Adele, for a very long time. An expensive gimmick, perhaps, but it united the masses in a manner that has become Coldplay’s trademark. When the fans weren’t bellowing the “woah-oh-oh”s of Viva La Vida as one, they were howling approval for the band’s return, one by one with the addition of honorary harmonica player Simon Pegg, to a small stage at the back for the first encore.

     

    The song was Us Against the World, but there was no conflict here. “I can see you at the back,” Chris Martin assured us. “The more you give the more we give.” There was no divide between crowd and band, no stars versus plebs – if anything Coldplay seem to look up to their audience. Musically they have brightened up too. Having moved beyond the need to match U2’s gravitas that drags down any young band lucky enough to start filling arenas, they now revel in Martin’s dayglo gift for melody.

     

    Rihanna appeared brandishing dangerous fingernails on the five big screens during the glorious synthpop of Princess of China. Those amazing wristbands sparked up again when they played the supremely catchy Paradise. Even quiet guitarist Jonny Buckland had a dance down the ego ramp during his solo on a pounding God Put a Smile upon Your Face.

     

    The stadium staples were ticked off – confetti blasts during In my Place, giant bouncing balloons everywhere for Lovers in Japan, yet more fireworks for the hyperactive finale, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall. For sight and sound, it was surely the pinnacle of one of London’s most spectacular long weekends.

     

    New photos of Coldplay at the Emirates Stadium, London (1-4 June):

     

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    Photos courtesy of imagesworldwide @ Flickr (click for more!)

     

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    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] [NEW!]

    4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

    5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [discussion] [NEW!]

    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] [NEW!]

    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]

    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]

    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]

    13 Melbourne, Australia @ Etihad Stadium [discussion]

    17 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

    18 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion] [NEW!]

    21 Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stadium [discussion]

     

    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]

     

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    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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