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Melbourne review: Coldplay hit the sweet spot for 60000 fans at the Etihad (13 November)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

With U2 in absentia and most other contenders either on hiatus or in retreat, Coldplay have comfortably established themselves as one of the biggest stadium acts on the planet, writes news website The Age in an excellent review of Coldplay's show at the Etihad Stadium in Melbourne, Australia this evening (13th November). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from this show at the Coldplay Live forum here onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the The Age review article below...

While outside of their vast constituency their credentials as a rock band have long been in dispute, last night at Etihad Stadium the British quartet demonstrated their huge popularity is merited with an excellent stadium pop show. More than 60,000 gathered last night as the hits came in quick succession: Yellow, Violet Hill, The Scientist, Viva La Vida and Speed of Sound were all accounted for.

Diehards were gifted one curio, the excellent album track Warning Sign. Onstage, Chris Martin retains a playful, aw-shucks persona that allows for no cynicism. His ebullience, though, is utterly infectious...

The band leaned heavily - perhaps a little too heavily - on their latest album, last year's awkwardly named Mylo Xyloto. That album's first full-length track, the peppy Hurts Like Heaven served as their opening salvo last night. The song was augmented by a blazing, shameless and, well, exciting fireworks display. Confetti cannon accompanied the next track, In My Place. Coldplay don't do subtle. Nor should they.

Upon entering last night, fans were offered a wristband that became a sparkling light effect that was activated during the show's opening. Cheesy sure, but also a stunning sight as the house lights dimmed. At their worst, Coldplay are plodding and mawkish, but last night there was little of that. Mostly they were theatrical, exuberant and rocking. Aside from confetti and fireworks, there were lasers and giant balloons, too. Mostly though, there was just good pop songs.

Almost implausibly, their terrific Rihanna collaboration Princess of China was a giant stadium singalong even though the track's guest vocalist was absent. The night ended, as most Coldplay shows do these days, with their mushy but irresistible ballad Fix You and their optimistic Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall. Most of this band's better material, was genuinely thrilling. Coldplay have always aimed to please. ''We've got the best fans in the world, I don't care what anyone says,'' Martin said, mid show.

Coldplay were once accused of trying too hard. Now they operate at a sweet spot where it appears they aren't trying at all. Which, of course, is very far from the truth. [4/5 stars].

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, Australia (13 November 2012):

Photos courtesy of The Age (click for more!)

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)

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]

Auckland review 3: Coldplay rock Mt Smart Stadium in dazzling fashion (10 November)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Coldplay may have their critics, but it cannot be denied the Brits know how to rock a stadium in the most dazzling fashion, writes news website New Zealand Herald in another positive review of Coldplay's show at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand this evening (10th November). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the NZ Herald review article below...

Their two-hour set in front of a 40,000 plus crowd at Mt Smart Stadium on Saturday night was as visually explosive and entertaining as it was musically, celebrating not just their latest album Mylo Xyloto, but hits from across their previous four records too. With the Back To The Future theme as their introductory 'walk-on' soundtrack, Chris Martin and his three merry men took the stage as huge circular screens flashed with colours like giant targets, before fireworks burst upward and they kicked off with frenetic, joyous Hurts Like Heaven.

There were cheers from the crowd as the multi-coloured arm bands they'd been given on arrival started flashing in unison with the beat, turning everyone into high-powered twinkling glow worms...

Then came the lasers, and the confetti cannons exploding with avalanches of tiny paper butterflies, hearts, and teardrops (not dissimilar to their last NZ shows at Vector Arena in 2009), adding another layer to the sensory overload during In My Place, with Martin eventually falling onto his back in bliss.

Where can a band go after that sort of wizardry and energy, usually saved for an encore? The surprises weren't over and it wasn't long before giant, mutli-coloured balloons were magically bouncing around the arena too.

The crazy carnival atmosphere provided a nice contrast for the more nostalgic mood when Martin took to the piano for The Scientist under a simple red glow, and set the scene for Yellow. There were no lights or theatrics to accompany their earliest hit single, just a simple dedication to Christchurch and the victims of Pike River, and 40,000 people with their arms in the air.

There were a few less convincing moments: the hip-hop fused beats of Princess of China sounded a little heavy on the pre-recorded elements; and they fumbled a driving, impetuous version of God Put A Smile upon Your Face, though admittedly it was much better after they started again (with Martin's apologies).

But these moments were far outweighed by the amazing energy and jubilation in Viva La Vida, Charlie Brown and Paradise. There were crowd sing-alongs aplenty as the foursome poured everything into their performances, Martin even extending Paradise pleading "I don't wanna stop, I don't wanna finish".

Of course they weren't actually finished, quickly heading to a tiny platform stage towards the back of the stadium for a first encore with mellow versions of Us Against The World, and Speed of Sound, with drummer Will Champion delighting with his turn on piano and vocal harmonies.

Then it was back to the main stage to round things off with a blockbuster trio of songs - Clocks, Fix You (which had Martin swinging his jacket around in abandon) and Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, complete with a huge fireworks display from behind the stage, and a wonderful sense of camaraderie between all four band members.

They may be unashamedly cheesy at times, but they also know how to be spectacular, they love their audience, and when Martin endearingly thanked the crowd "for giving us the best job on the planet", his genuine smile said he meant it.

New photos of Coldplay performing at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand (10 November 2012):

Photos courtesy of Zimbio (click for more!)

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)

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]

Auckland review 2: Coldplay turn home of warriors into magical playground at Mt Smart Stadium (10 November)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Coldplay might have made their way into Mt Smart Stadium to the sound of Jay Z's 99 Problems, but it seems the only issue the band has these days is what to let off first: the fireworks or the confetti canons, writes news website Stuff.co.nz in a very positive review of Coldplay's show at Mt Smart Stadium in Auckland, New Zealand this evening (10th November). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the Stuff review article below...

New Zealand has seen stadium shows before, but nothing like this. Led by Chris Martin, Coldplay turned the home of the Warriors into a magical playground for more than 47,000 fans last night.

And they did it quickly. As Mylo Xyloto/Hurts Like Heaven - the first song of an almost two-hour show - rang out so did the sound of the fireworks and confetti guns. Oh, and let's not forget the laser light show and the crowd's glowing wristbands which pulsed in time with the music. The stadium looked like some insane version of a twinkling Christmas tree and an exploding snow globe. It was breath-taking...

Over the years, Coldplay have become the band it's cool to hate: hyped, overblown and out of touch. With shows this extravagant, there's often a fear the content won't match up to the packaging. And when the packaging is this over the top, it's almost impossible to. But Martin and the band ticked all the boxes.

The crowd were stoked with the big tracks: In My Place, Warning Sign, Princess of China. Yellow was dedicated to "anyone from Pike River or Christchurch", the crowd became a choir bathed in that trademark golden light as Martin sang about the stars only just visible above the stadium lights. Men cuddled for The Scientist, and girlfriends were thrown aloft boyfriends shoulders for Fix You. There was a stomping rock version of Violet Hill, and despite having to restart God Put A Smile Upon Your Face because they "fucked up the best part of it", it was a speakers-up-to-11 version.

Of course there was the usual big show charm, Martin stroking the crowd's ego with a well-placed compliment: "it appears we had to wait 18 months of touring to experience the best crowd". There was also a nod to the realities of being a fan these days: "thank you for making it through the crowds, the ticket prices, we know some of you have even come from the South Island".

Despite all the chatter, it was Viva la Vida that tore the place apart. Not a single person was still sitting by the end of it. And it was a well-placed acoustic encore at the back of the stadium that gave the crowd a moment to gather themselves, before the last push of Every Teardrop is a Waterfall and a final blast of fireworks. Coldplay have been a band for nearly 17 years. It's easy to forget that fact. That is, until you see them do what they do best. This wasn't a whiny, pasty band, all baby-faced and poised to provide a soundtrack to heartbreak. Today, or at least last night, Coldplay were bright, colourful and fun to watch. It's hard to believe, but the hype might be justified.

New photos of Coldplay performing at Mt Smart Stadium, Auckland, New Zealand (10 November 2012):

Photos courtesy of Zimbio (click for more!)

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]

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)

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]

Live 2012 review 2: Coldplay's 90-minute spine-tingling ride leaving you craving a new tour announcement

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

If ever there was a band destined to tour the stadia of the world, it’s Coldplay. Coldplay Live 2012 is part documentary, part concert film; a fascinating look at the band taking their latest record, Mylo Xyloto, to sold-out venues across the globe, writes HeyUGuys, in another near-perfect review of Coldplay's forthcoming concert film release, Live 2012, due out later in November. Read on for the rest of the review...

HeyUGuys continues: Opening the film as the album does, with Mylo Xyloto bleeding into Hurts Like Heaven, we then switch back to an audience favourite, In My Place, before coming to our first documentary segment, spliced between a handful of the songs in the sixteen-track set list.

There are many things that separate Coldplay from the vast majority of bands making music today (or in any day), and one of those things is very much their exceptional live performances. You get the feeling that they want each and every person in the audience to feel like a part of the night, and the documentary gives an insight into that desire.

Over the years, the band and long-time friend/fifth member/former manager Phil Harvey have been making greater and greater efforts to perfect their concerts – releasing giant balloons into the crowd; shooting out millions of paper butterflies; and most recently giving every single person in the audience an LED wristband upon entering the stadium, all of which light up throughout the night. Far from being a simple gimmick, or a way of making up for something lacking on stage, they are well designed to enhance the whole night, making for an unparalleled experience, and that feeling never drops for a minute through Live 2012.

Lead singer, Chris Martin, talks about the release of the album and this subsequent tour as the throwing off of their shackles, and the resultant energy is brilliantly captured on screen.

Live 2012 goes above and beyond any ordinary concert film, which is just what you’d expect from a band that isn’t any ordinary band. They go the further mile, always looking to take things further, do things better, make the extra effort. As the band plays through the darkening night, we’re treated to the equally impressive artwork and handwritten lyrics that are a part of their live shows, appearing on the screen itself in a fantastic bleeding of creativity.

Coldplay’s live performances are a blurring of the lines between band and audience, stage and crowd. They bring the audience into the experience with an electrifying ambience. Live 2012’s director, Paul Dugdale, has said that he wants the film to make the viewer’s eyes widen and their hearts beat faster, and he has been unquestionably successful. It is a ninety-minute ride that will have your spine tingling, leaving you craving an announcement that Coldplay will be touring in a stadium near you as soon as humanly possible. [Article ends]

(4.5/5 stars)

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]

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)

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]

Live 2012 review: Digital Spy gives full marks to Coldplay's forthcoming concert film release

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

F**k the haters, f**k the critics and f**k modesty; this was the mantra of the world's biggest band when making their fifth album Mylo Xyloto, consequently their poppiest to date, writes Digital Spy, in the first online review of Live 2012, Coldplay's forthcoming concert film release, due out later in November. Read on for the rest of the review...

Digital Spy continues: One (thankfully first-class) collab with a popstar and an appearance on The X Factor later, however, and they almost f**ked their rep... Chris Martin bawling backing vocals to the Little Mix girls would have been uglier than Javier Bardem toothless in Skyfall, yet that's all it would have taken.

But, from headlining Glastonbury before their second album was out to closing London 2012 ten years later, Coldplay live have always been about losing inhibitions; for the three million who watched their latest world tour and also for Martin, more like a sweatier, jumpier Pluto the dog than ever during this concert film (which isn't fun for Rihanna when they get up close and personal to duet halfway through).

Taken from their shows in Paris's Stade de France, Montreal's Bell Centre and, fittingly, Coldplay's home-from-home of Glastonbury's Pyramid Stage, this is a special 90 minutes that emphasises just how impressive they are on the live stage and presents some insight into each band member's frame of mind. At one point, Martin himself confesses of the crowds: "This is the first time I've looked people in the eye." It's gratifying to see soft rock's most neurotic so at ease.

We also witness the ridiculous effort that goes in to each and every concert. The confetti butterflies pouring down on fans during 'Lovers in Japan', 'Fix You's honking fireworks when Will Champion's drums kick in, the pioneering 'Xylobands' that expel the need to hold a lighter up for 'The Scientist' and flash like a thousand Red Dwarfs for 'Charlie Brown'; it all sparks an awesome experience and makes every show feel as new as the last.

But how do you make a stadium intimate? Well, by caring about those in the cheap seats. For 'Us Against the World', the band race their way to the back of the venue and stumble past psyched fans to huddle on a cramped stage with an acoustic guitar and a piano (we'd love to see the Rolling Stones try this). It's artfully demonstrated through the eyes of YouTube fan clips and looks stunning, reflecting the song's warm message of unity superbly.

And even Coldplay can rock with the best of 'em. When Martin smashes his guitar on stage after 'God Put a Smile upon Your Face', it's as defining a moment as Tim Robbins escaping through his prison tunnel in The Shawshank Redemption… ish. The all-out anthem that is 'Viva la Vida', meanwhile, gets a proper tribute by featuring its Glasto performance; the whoooooaaaaahs sound epic.

There's nothing like seeing the real thing, of course, but Live 2012 skilfully showcases just how incredible an adventure it is to observe a world-beating band at the top of their game. And those still to be converted to the Coldplay cause even after watching this? Well, they can f**k off, then. [Article ends]

Mylo Xyloto Calendar 2013 (spoilers):

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]

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)

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]

Naked Brisbane man finds Paradise at recent Coldplay concert, fined $800

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

We all know that Coldplay can have a pretty strong affect on their followers, and an Australian fan did his best to prove this point at the band’s recent visit down under for their Mylo Xyloto tour, writes Tone Deaf, Australian music magazine.

You will remember that Coldplay played a string of massive stadium shows last month, with the Tone Deaf reviewer labelling the Sydney leg a 'successful night of undying spirit and celebration [that] proved they’re worthy of the title of the biggest band in the world.'

One 34-year-old Brisbane fanatic seemed to agree, experiencing an unfortunately-timed rush of blood to the head that led to him stripping naked and assaulting a security guard at the show at Suncorp Stadium, as Stuff.co.nz reports. His excuse? "Coldplay made me do it." Well, the reviewer did label the Sydney show 'euphoric and boundless.'

Robert John Kiunisala was one of 50,000 adoring fans at the Coldplay show in Brisbane last month, and was so overcome with emotion by the performance that he felt the need to get naked. Perhaps most surprising is the fact that he was apparently not under the influence of alcohol or illegal substances at the time, but rather “the intoxicant was his extreme feeling for the group,” according to Mr Kiunisala’s lawyer, “it triggered in him some primal response.”

In an unknown point of the show (our bet is during Paradise), the fan was compelled to strip down to his underwear amongst the sprawling masses, and after spotting the warning sign of a nearby security guard, preceded to remove his undies and give the 50,000-strong crowd an obstructed view of his rear end.

It was around this point that the 34-year-old came to the shocking realisation that “I’m naked in front of thousands of people,” – in the words of his lawyer – and attempted to flee. The Coldplay devotee then discovered that the hardest part of being in your birthday suit amongst thousands of people is avoiding the security guards.

Kiunisala allegedly bit a guard who tried to restrain him for “up to a minute”, and has since appeared in front of the Brisbane Magistrates Court on the charges of unlawful assault, obstructing police, police nuisance, failure to leave a licensed premises, and obstructing a licensee. Having found himself in a lot of trouble, the man was sentenced to two years probation, with Magistrate Liz Hall labelling the behaviour “out of character” and accepting that Kiunisala’s plea that he was not drunk at the time, taking into account a letter form his girlfriend which called his behaviour “unbelievable and bizarre.”

The Magistrate also (unsurprisingly) advised him to seek help: ”Clearly you need to obtain some knowledge of why you would behave in such a fashion…where a person is seriously assaulted by you,” she said, ordering he pay the security guard $800 in compensation. The Brisbane show was the last of Coldplay’s huge Australia-wide tour, and it may well have been Chris Martin’s hints of an extended hiatus that led to the odd behaviour. Chris stated on stage that: "This is the last big show for three years or so…I don’t want to stop."

A Rush Of Blood To The Head: Robert John Kiunisala leaves Brisbane Magistrates Court

Recent photos of Coldplay performing at the Suncorp Stadium, Brisbane, Australia (21 November 2012):

Photos courtesy of Courier Mail (click for more!)

Coldplay document Mylo Xyloto tour with Live 2012 film, we document Coldplayers' thoughts on the announcement

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

We've been gauging your response to the news on Tuesday that Coldplay will release 'Live 2012', the band’s first concert film / live album for nine years. Live 2012 documents Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto world tour, which has been seen by more than three million people since it began in June 2011. The film will feature footage from Coldplay's shows at Paris's Stade de France, Montreal's Bell Centre and last year's Pyramid Stage headline performance at Glastonbury Festival.

Below are just some of the many comments we have received in the Coldplay forum (Live 2012 thread) over the past 24 hours... on the film, tracklist, artwork, bundles, lithographs and more... [thanks for all your comments so far, and thanks Romy_MX for the alternative artwork, pictured!]

Preordered DVD/CD in the big case, with poster. Shame I don't have anything to read BluRay yet. The trailer looks amazing (although a bit too much dramatic when Chris talks about "the dark side, break ups" and the black & white footage of Will appears...). The shots look incredible, especially the last one behind Chris, amazing ! [thanks Lu'kaa]

I AM WAY TOO HAPPY ABOUT THIS. THEY'RE RELEASING IT ON MY BIRTHDAY!! The trailer looks AMAZING. Loved the huddle And the Xylobands.. and just.. all of it. I can't wait! [thanks PrincessofChina]

I'm planning a date with my 3 coldplay-fan--concert-friends to watch the dvd together as soon as we have it I'm very much looking forward to it! [thanks LeonieArienne]

Great that comes a DVD, but where is warning sign, lovers in Japan and speed of sound. Dont let it break your Heart and The Scientist also only Bonus Tracks. How long is the DVD, 60 minutes? a little letdown for me and records at one place (Paris) where enough. Ok, i buy them and see then. [thanks CharlyBrown]

Well, after the announcement with the DVD i highly doubt there will be an EP or new songs in a way...i sure "the big surprise" which was promised is the DVD. The only bad thing: The amazing Warning Sign and Speed of Sound acoustiv version is missing. It will be a very short DVD i guess, which is the only thing i´m mad about... AND its a bit strange that the amazing show from the Emirates in London, in THEIR HOME COUNTRY is not included...was really confused about that. [thanks Ronnie O Sullivan]

Cant wait for this. Love the artwork. Dissapointed about Speed of Sound. Just one thing, the release of this dvd - does ithis mean the tour is over in November? [thanks SprayCanSoul]

From the trailer, you can see that the footage they used for ETIAW is from Paris! So, if they don't mix it up with other concerts, IT MEANS THAT MY EYE CONTACT WITH CHRIS WILL BE ON THE FUCKIN DVD OHMYGOD. Also I absolutely love the moment when you can see Chris driving the gulf cart and the view at the end: WOW! Just WOW! Damn, I understand why he thanks Jason every time, the view is absolutely incredible! That was something I was looking forward to see in the DVD, and I'm glad that it's a least in the trailer!Disappointed that there's no sign of the London footage. My guess is that there were some technical issues ? I really wanted to see some footage from there, but, hey, at least the concert I went to will be on DVD, so I can't really complain. I'm also a bit disappointed that, for all we know, Warning Sign and Speed of Sound don't appear. Would have loved to see them on dvd. Anyway, I pre-ordered the DVD/CD (with the poster) and I can't wait to receive it this November! [thanks Coeurli]

Too lazy to check back through the other pages so this may have been asked already: I ordered the litho/dvd combo, and I have my order number, which most of the time is bunch of jibberish numbers that mean somethingto someone, but unless you actually know it, then they look like a bunch of jibberish. But here is where I started becoming curious, because the first 5000 will have their litho hand numbered right? So does your number actually mean if you made that first 5000 cut? Is it the total number of orders they have had thus far? Or am I just over thinking this? Because my number is higher then 5000... (I'm probably over thinking this). But im super excited for this!! Can't wait till November! [thanks kjones31]

I doubt that they will leave off any songs, that setlist hasn't been confirmed by Coldplay or EMI yet so for now I'm assuming it's a full concert on the DVD and a select few songs on the CD like they did with Live 2003. Also, if I recall correctly the band were asking for fan-footage of their performances of Us Against the World and Speed of Sound to go on the film, so I expect that Speed of Sound will be on there. [thanks Cleggy]

HELLO MY BEAUTIFUL COLDPLAYERS... I got the tweet/text from Coldplay while I was sitting in my photography class at school today.. oh my I about screamed and had a big "Coldplayer" moment.. I could barely contain myself. I just got home and pre-ordered it with the lithograph, I'm so happy. I had to come see you all because I knew everybody would be all excited and talking about and the Coldplayers would be going nuts and crazy about it. I'm glad that Coldplay can make you all this happy! [thanks technicolor_birds1935]

I STARTED SCREAMING ON THE RIDE HOME TODAY. So this like weight is off the shoulder of both the boys and ours! Yayayayay! And best thing is, I'M WEARING MY ETIAW SHIRT TODAY! I hope I can get this even just for Christmas. THANK YOU COLDPLAY! WE LOVE YOU SO MUCH! [thanks coldlocked]

Preordered the blu-ray + CD + lithograph bundle. My equally Coldplay-obsessed work mate Laura sent me a text about it a few hours ago and i nearly screamed my head off!!! This is the best Coldplay news in forever!!! [thanks shesawsparks]

After asking everyone in my classes if they had a smartphone I could borrow to order it from 12:30EST to the end of the day, I finally got it ordered. Couldn't use my Itouch. The school wifi blocked the site. Still, lithograph and DVD have been ordered!!!!! [thanks ilya17isbest]

Every single one of you, MADE the show what it is. Without Fans there would be no Xylobands! Personally i want to say thank you to Coldplay and Phil Harvey, and all the crew for welcoming us all into a "Family." And for an amazing year! Hopefully another tour and album soon! Also on behalf of my dad i want to thank you so much, for EVERYTHING, all of you beautiful fans have done! The tweets, when he was down, and the congratulatory tweets. BEST YEAR EVER, What a year! Thumbs up to you all! <3 [thanks LouisRegler123 @ YouTube]

I'm sad that I don't have many friends who are Coldplayers ...I always annoy them and tell them after news like this how awesome Coldplay is, but they just don't get it. That's why there is always a big smile upon my face when I come home and see all you lovely Coldplayers freaking out (Coldplay really has the best fans in the world and I'm very proud to be one of them). I've only seen the concert in Munich, but this was definetly the best concert I've ever seen. The whole tour felt so special and awesome that I'm so happy at the moment about this news. btw. is there gonna be any notification if you are one of the lucky 5000? [thanks chrimas4]

I wonder if Chris, Guy, Jonny and Will decided about not having LIJ, SOS and WS on the dvd. I find it so strange. I have many live dvd's from artists and I believe most of them are full setlists, maybe 1 song left out.. Why dissapoint the people that are waiting for this dvd and have paid to see you in concert and expect all of the songs to be there.. I'm still looking forward to the dvd, but I would've been very very excited if they would release a dvd with the full setlist. [thanks drawingyourattention]

Awesome! Looks like there's gonna be a lot of backstage stuff which I'm really excited for as I loved the tour dairy in 2003. Interesting they cut out the half the c stage. Like will they show Chris running through the crowd after where Sos was? That's a really exciting part of the concert. You'd think they'd want to keep it all in. I'm sure they have their reasons though. Maybe they'll talk about Glastonbury in an interview/backstage part and then show clips from it. [thanks Cheese Nip 2]

First of all, it's dumb to leave off Warning Sign and Lovers in Japan since they sounded so great live and there's no live release of them yet. Second of all, really? I DONT WANT ANOTHER IDENTICAL LIVE CLOCKS VERSIONNNNNN. Thirdly, I really hope that the CD versions of MX and HLH are together as one track, because itll be annoying to have live MX come up if HLH doesnt follow. [thanks JackZ]

I have no money right now stupid school took all of it from me this semester, and I'm still not done paying. but, I think my sis is gonna pay this time, and we are definitely getting BluRay I NEED to see everything in high definition excited! hope my sis does come through and pays though! In the trailer I can see a Chicago police car, I wonder if it is from the concerts they did recently or if it was Lollapalooza. ok, i'm wishing it was Lollapalooza but most likely not. Lucky people that are in the film! [thanks anacaren08]

If the 'film' is '95 minutes' long, does that not mean that all of the setlist will be included? Why don't they just put LIJ, WS, SOS, DLIBYH and The Scientist with the rest? That make me upset. I know Anchorman replied yesterday saying DLIBYH and The Scientist will be added as extras, but what about the previously mentioned songs? Will they not be on at all? If not, what a travesty that is. Don't get me wrong, I'm still really excited about getting my hands on a copy, but if they eliminate several songs off of it then I'll be very disappointed. [thanks ColdplaySheffield]

What is the benefit to drop several songs? To avoid 2 dvd instead of 1 ? Not sure because other live concert dvd have more than 15 songs... And it's not like they broadcast only 1 time and during several songs, there were issues. Same thing for violet hille which won't be in cd? Why? [thanks coldjo]

Full concerts can easily fit onto a Blu-ray, but clearly Coldplay has decided to not release a full concert. It's probably indeed going to be more of a documentary movie that switches between live songs and interview/backstage bits. To be honest, I'd rather they just released a full concert with all the interview bits as an extra... but I guess we'll see in November. [thanks RWLover]

Live 2012: CD Audio Live Album, DVD Concert Film & Exclusive Lithograph Bundle

Live 2012: Blu-Ray Concert Film, CD Audio Live Album & Exclusive Lithograph Bundle

Live 2012: DVD Concert Film, CD Audio Live Album & Exclusive Lithograph Bundle

Live 2012: CD Audio Live Album, DVD Concert Film & Exclusive Lithograph Bundle

Live 2012: Blu-Ray Concert Film, CD Audio Live Album & Exclusive Lithograph Bundle

Live 2012: DVD Concert Film, CD Audio Live Album & Exclusive Lithograph Bundle

Exclusive, hand-numbered lithograph posters, limited to 5000 worldwide and printed on 350gsm paper. Dimensions: 594mm x 379mm.

Live 2012 cover art

Live 2012 tracklisting (not including bonus tracks, The Scientist and Don't Let It Break Your Heart

EpixHD online poster promoting the worldwide premiere, on 17th November 2012

New Coldplay interview with Will Champion from Leipzig (plus new Prague photos from 16 Sept)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Will Champion spoke a few days ago to LVZ in Germany just prior to the Leipzig show. Here is the online article (which has been gratefully translated into English by NancyK58). In the interview Will speaks about shyness, energy, Rihanna and a Leipzig-experience almost 12 years ago... [thanks Nancyk58]

Q. Coldplay become bigger and bigger. Do you wake up sometimes and are afraid that this is all a giant bubble that could suddenly burst?

Will Champion: "Something like that. I wake up and cannot believe that this is my life. It's still strange to me, because on the other hand I live a very private life. Not many people know who I am. It is very pleasant that on one hand I experience these incredible things with Coldplay - and then come home and can live in peace with my family".

You seem actually to be rather shy, introverted types who move on the stage. Optical illusion?

"It's true, everyone is really rather shy. But when we come together and make music, something happens. Everything that we do not otherwise dare to say, comes to light via the music. To be in this band keeps us healthy. It's not the same if one is missing."

Singer Chris Martin says all the band members would be playing just for you, the drummer. Do you believe him?

"No, he likes to say things like that. It is the combination of the four of us that makes us so unique. We are all serving the group.” (“we are all servants of the group)."

Your current album is called "Mylo Xyloto", a word that did not exist before. Is this a metaphor for the desire to create something completely new?

"Definitely. It has made us free to roll out such a blank (white) canvas." What is it? ", People asked when we told them of the title. Exactly what we wanted to hear. Because that was the point. We wanted to create a completely new world of color, music, noise and energy. "

On "Mylo Xyloto" there is a duet with Rihanna. Why?

"Because we had a song that called for a female singer. We have very intensely discussed who should sing the female part in "Princess of China". In the end, we said: If we are to have a female voice on the album, it should be the best one. Rihanna is a fantastic, very popular singer. By the way, she sounds rougher, more emotional than she is otherwise known to sound. Cooperation is something you had not expected from her and from us. We have already for quite a while been on the road as a band – then it is no longer so easy to make something unexpected. We wanted to keep us on our toes. "

It is of course also refined crossover-marketing: Many who so far only knew Rihanna, now also hear/listen to Coldplay - and vice versa.

"That was not the intention, but we are pleased with the nice side effect."

Back in 2005 you have played the Arena. Is Leipzig for you just a place where you play your songs and where you are celebrated?

"Well, a long, long time ago we had performed as one of several bands at the “Rolling Stone Roadshow”. We were very young, on the road with a lot of people on the bus. We were tired, sick, we had a difficult time as a band. It was just in Leipzig where we called off our performance (it was on 7 December 2000 in Haus Auensee, editor's note) and decided to cancel the tour. I remember how at the time I thought: Man, you really have to be tough to survive in a band. This tour, this canceled show in Leipzig was a wake-up call for us: You cannot expect to get to the top straight away, you have to work hard for it. To come to Leipzig again also means finally bringing that spirit from back then back into the bottle. "

"Coldplay" is quite contrary to its literal meaning synonymous with emotion and passion. How do you manage to get in this mood when writing?

"For us it's all about honesty. We sniff out (find out) very quickly if something is not authentic or sincere. In our songs, we want to convey emotions. If something is not honest, it feels wrong, in the ears, in the body , everywhere."

As the drummer, do you have a favourite Coldplay song?

"For the time being it is "Charlie Brown" from the new album. It is straight, simple - and very satisfying and powerful. I have always liked to play "The Scientist". I can breathe well during this song and concentrate on this lovely, relaxing Groove."

They say we stand on the shoulders of giants. On what musical shoulders are Coldplay standing?

"As a band we stand on everything there was before us. All that we hear, inspires us, interests us, makes us curious: How have they produced this sound? The great bands of our generation have of course influenced us: Oasis, Blur, Nirvana. Ultimately, however, we all stand on the shoulders of the Beatles."

What about folk music?

"I grew up with it at home. In folk music as in our music it is not about flashy productions and stylish stuff, but it is about the heart of a song: The melody and the lyrics. I like dance music and hip-hop, but a good song means everything to me. "

It is probably not easy to be one of the most successful bands on the planet. How do you deal with the pressure?

"There's the pressure that we make ourselves trying to make the most of us. But we have now arrived at a point where we are very satisfied with who we are and what we do. I think pressure is created, if you are not sure of yourself, when you are not at peace with yourself. We love what we do. We feel no expectations from outside. We're like a crazy male four-way marriage -.... happy, full of energy."

It sounds as if Coldplay will continue for much longer.

"Let us first come to Leipzig!"

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Eden Arena, Prague, Czech Republic (16 September 2012):

Photos courtesy of tyden.cz

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]

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] [NEW!]

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)

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]

Paralympics Closing Ceremony review 2: Coldplay's finest hour? (9th September)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

On August 12, the Olympics closed with a celebration of British music that was, depending largely on your musical taste, a shining reflection of British pop or one step up from the wedding disco from hell. Coldplay – arguably Britain’s biggest global group – were notably absent., writes the NME blog in a review of Coldplay's performance at the Paralympic Closing Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium in London last night (9th September). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here onwards now. You can rewatch the entire Closing Ceremony again via YouTube now (Coldplay begin after about 40 minutes). Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the NME's blog review article...

Last night’s Paralympics closing ceremony – styled as a ‘festival of flame’ – exercised the principle of quality over quantity. Instead of the Olympics’s musical revue-style variety show, director Kim Gavin turned over a huge portion of the show to Coldplay, who performed a 16-track set including guest spots from singer Rihanna, joining the band for ‘Princess Of China’ and ‘Run This Town’, and Jay-Z, who guested on the latter and ‘Paradise’. The performance was wrapped around a themed, pagan-style show based on the passing of the seasons, making this a totally unique – and totally bizarre – big budget, high concept Coldplay concert with a cast of 1200. Eat your heart out, Lady Gaga...

In reviewing the performance,The Telegraph describe Coldplay as a “Marmite band” – ie, one of those acts you either love or hate. I’m not sure they’re right. Coldplay are a band it’s easy to feel totally indifferent about. They release a new record: you give it a spin, but you’re not counting down the days to release. They headline a festival: you watch a few tracks, but linger near the back so you can go and check something else out too. Their music is – to use a meek compliment – nice. Chris Martin seems nice. They’re a nice band.

Coldplay's Paralympic games appearance proved that there’s more to them than that. There are few acts that could imbue this event with the right sense of occasion, few that have the global reach necessary for an event that’s being broadcast, simultaneously, around the world, and few who could rope in the same calibre of big name mates. Who else but Coldplay have Rihanna and Jay-Z – two of the biggest names in the world – on speed dial?

What shone through in Coldplay’s performance is how utterly at ease playing to huge, arena-sized crowds they are, and with it, a sense that they’re not so aloof as to feel like they’re not delighted to be there. They played a crowd-pleasing set packed with more hits than we remember them having, and described the performance as “the biggest night of our lives”.

The Olympics and the Paralympics have given Britain much to be proud about. Coldplay can consider themselves a welcome addition to that list.

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Paralympics Closing Ceremony at the Olympic Stadium, London (9th September 2012):

Photos courtesy of the Zimbio online (click for more!)

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]

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] [NEW!]

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)

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]

Happy 10th birthday to 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' - Coldplay's second album (released 26th August, 2002)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

A Rush Of Blood To The Head, Coldplay's second studio album is 10 years old today! (Sunday). First released on 26th August, 2002 through the label Parlophone in the UK, and a day later on 27th August in the US through Capitol Records, it topped the UK Album Charts upon its first week of release, and became the eighth biggest-selling album in the 21st century in the UK. In the US, it has since been certified four times platinum by the RIAA with sales of over 4,822,000 copies as of March 2012.

A Rush Of Blood To The Head (AROBTTH) won Coldplay the 2003 Grammy for Best Alternative Album for the second time in a row, successive to their previous win in the same category for Parachutes, and the 2004 Grammy for Record of the Year for the song 'Clocks' - a song that almost didn't make the tracklisting until a late intervention by fifth member, Phil Harvey. In 2012, AROBTTH was ranked number 466 on Rolling Stone's 500 Greatest Albums of All Time. The album cover [pictured] for A Rush of Blood to the Head was designed by photographer Sølve Sundsbø, using a three-dimensional scanning machine. In 2010, the cover was among the ten chosen by the Royal Mail for a set of "Classic Album Cover" postage stamps issued.

To celebrate the 10th anniversary of AROBTTH, join us at the messageboard to look back at some of the songs that made the album so successful, and read Coldplayers' comments on what the album means to them. Also, read on below/after the jump for an interview with the band that was published shortly after the album's release...

Is it right that 'In My Place' is the oldest song on the new album?

(Chris) In My Place is the oldest pivotal song. Just when we were finishing our last record, PARACHUTES, we were in Liverpool in this little room that had been great on the last record. And the record had basically been finished so we were packing up, ready to go. And the album was coming out in about a week, so it was fine-line timing. And I was just sat at this organ that my friend had lent me, this pump organ that you have to sit and peddle which was really designed for sea shanties and drunken sailors, and I wasn't either. So I suggested we tried a sea shanty and these chords just came out. It was at a time when we were too late for the last record and we suddenly discovered things like Jimmy Cliff and even Whiter Shade Of Pale (I'm not saying that this is quite as good as that!). So that tune we've pretty well had since the end of the last record but it came too late to be included. So, it's become the lynch-pin of this new record around which everything else has been written.

The bass line on God Put A Smile Upon Your Face is worth talking about. How did it happen?

(Chris) When we came to record it in the studio, we struggled because there was something not quite right about it. I wasn't happy about where we'd left it and where we were happy to leave it. We couldn't put a finger on what it was so it was really a nice day when I was trying to record bass at the time, and me and Chris were sitting down trying to brainstorm it to find what was wrong. And so I just started to do some bass lines and between the two of us we came up with this kind of groove which stays on the same note as opposed to changing. It gave a lot of bounce to the song and made it roll along in a much more fluid way; it was a bit mechanical beforehand. And it's just interesting that something small like that can really change the whole vibe of a song. And it really nice because from then on it became one of our favourite tracks and it almost did not get on the record. It's now one of our favourite tracks.

How does the track, The Scientist, fit in?

(Chris) When me and John went up to Liverpool on the train in November, and we were listening to what we had on the record (we had eight rough done) and we had the feeling that it was alright. And then I was sitting at this battered old piano that was completely out of tune and I'd just heard All Things Must Pass by George Harrison and heard this song called Isn't It Pity with this circular chord sequence. And this is all very anal but I felt I would like a chord sequence that went around and around, and where you don't know where it begins or ends. And this chord sequence just arrived and I thought it was really lovely. And then the whole song just came out and so we recorded it then and there, and the piano and vocal was from the day it was written. That's it! And the best moment of the entire record for me was when came back three weeks later when we came back to this song, I just heard through a wall this riff and that's what he does at the end, and that's my favourite bit on the record. That was a great moment because it was brilliant.

I believe the song Clocks was the last to make it onto the album?

(Chris) We were just about to hand the record in but it was sounding rubbish but we thought we had to do it because we wanted to release it then. Some of our record company guys came in and basically everyone decided that we had to put the record back to take the pressure off and Phil, our sort of figurehead or fifth member, said 'listen, you should record that song Clocks' cos I was saying that we should save this one which was a real mistake to make because I might be shot tomorrow. And so, quite rightly, he said 'put that song on because it's good'. That song just arrived and I don't know where that came from! But I do know where the good bit came from! I was showing it to Jonny - and he picked up his guitar (a sure sign that he likes a song) and played these brilliant chords, and then Guy came in and added a bass line and then it sparked something else. It was like a chemical reaction process. That was mega and great fun. But we finished it and we thought 'that's got to go on'.

There's a very interesting sound at the start of Daylight. What's that?

(Chris) The instrument at the start of the track is a twelve-string guitar with a slide (like George Harrison) and lots of strings. What is amazing is what you can't hear; there's a kind of drone because it's very hard to play. So there's these amazing little noises on it and we still don't know why it was in there. I think we've been quite lucky that we've reocrded a lot of stuff down as soon as it's been written becaue you spend most of your life trying to recreate the first moments that you wrote. With Daylight we were all sat in a room and there was the piano track and the singing going and we were all playing over the top of it, and we just recorded all of it with Mark who does all the computer stuff with us. And then just chopped bits of it and there's quite a lot of samples or loops in it.

Is Green Eyes the most personal song on the album?

(Chris) Is that the most personal song on the album? I don't know. When Pete Waterman sent it to us we just thought what a great song, what a great track. Just add a few sleigh bells on it and we've got a Christmas number one. Jonny said no and we should do it acoustically like a Johnny Cash song. And we can pretend we wrote it about a girl that we met in America. It's got the best guitar licks on it, the only guitar licks on it!

Next track is Warning Sign. Is everybody in agreement about this song?

(Chris) Warning Sign is an old song and it's the only song I didn't want to put on the record. But everyone else did and I got out-voted. The reason I don't like the song is that it makes me feel sorry for the singer and I know it was written at a time when I was being a total knob. And that's the great joy of music in that one can present oneself as being some sort of romantic hero whereas in fact in real life that was in one of my periods of being a dickhead.

Any story behind the track A Whisper?

(Chris) The Bunneymen were a big influence on a couple of songs on there. We started to get into them and we started to see a lot of Ian in Liverpool. He said to me the reason why the song A Whisper is on there is because he asked 'Chris have you got a 3/4 song on there?' And I thought shit, we haven't! So we quickly wrote A Whisper.

Why is A Rush Of Blood To The Head the CD title track?

(Chris) I thought, I think we all thought it just seemed to fit with everything. It seemed to pull everything together. It's about impulsiveness, it's about doing things now.

Amsterdam seems a perfect closer track to the album?

(Chris) You know, certain songs when you're recording get much more attention than others. Because they're much more troublesome or they're more exciting because they're new or whatever. Amsterdam and Green Eyes just quietly have gone on the record. We didn't spend much time on them. That's pretty much live and it was just done and we did it very quickly and just left it for four months. And then came back and mixed it. That was one of the songs from the first session that made it through. And it was really quick and I think it's a nice song. It's the only song I can think of where the verse and the chorus were over a thousand miles apart. I think the end was written in Iceland. Iceland is the perfect place to write music I think.

How do you write songs?

(Guy) Chris will have a basic song structure, a melody on a piano or guitar. And then we'll sit down (either one of us or two of us or all of us) and just start playing it together writing riffs and drum beats etc. More things will get added and then we'll start to put it down. At the studio especially, you can start to layer things up quite quickly and try different sounds, and things evolve over a period of a few weeks really.

What's different technically about the latest album compared with Parachutes?

(Guy) We've had the same equipment and technology on both albums, so it hasn't changed. It's just that we've learned how to use them better and a lot of things came from sampled and synth sounds which were knocking around. And our basic recording procedure was improved so we can can the best out of our individual performances. It all helps in the end product. So nothing changed technology wise but we've got better.

What's Ken Nelson's role in the making of a Coldplay album?

(Guy) Ken's our sounding board as well as being a great engineer and has very good musical ears. He's someone we trust and depend upon to make the right decisions.

What's your favourite track on the new album?

(Guy) Every single one of them was a challenge in itself to get to a stage when we were all happy with. Sometimes it's hard to forget those bad moments during the recording. But I think we're happy with all the songs and if we thought there were any weak songs, they wouldn't be on there. There are a lot of songs that didn't go on there - maybe six or seven which we had planned originally to go on.

There seems a lot of musical diversity on the new CD. Would you agree?

(Guy) Well, there is quite a lot of diversity in the sense that there are some slow, mellow tracks and some really heavy (or heavy for us) bigger songs which we felt it was important to do. We kind of maintained this philosophy for the last album but I think the difference with this new album are more extreme. Like The Scientist which is a slow piano song and A Whisper which is a heavier soundscape. We still want to make a record that you can listen to from beginning to end without being bored and without being too long which I think we've done. We could have put on another four or five songs but I don't think that works. 18 songs, unlike Moby, I think is too much for us.

And Parr Street (in Liverpool), where most of Parachutes was recorded, must have good memories for you?

(Guy) We've got good memories of Liverpool obviously from the last record. It was kind of different with these recording sessions because we just wouldn't let ourselves get tired unlike the last album. There was much more gusto with this when every day we'd get up and get on with it and wouldn't stop until every single facet and detail was right. With this recording, weeks after finishing I still haven't accepted the fact that it's finished because it took 8 months of solid recording. The last album took 9 months but only 6 weeks recording during that time. On this album we've done almost eight times as much work.

Having finished it, how do you feel about it right now?

(Will) I dunno. I'll have about six or seven listens to it but that's about it.I think it's better than Parachutes. (Chris) This is probably not the place to say it but I can never listen to anything we do once it's finished because there's always something that isn't really finished. But it's done now. We were in the mastering studio in New York and you just flick through the tracks, one by one by one, really quickly and it sounds like another album by another band of just eleven songs. And yet to us it's weeks, months, years of work with songs written two years or two weeks ago. All the arguments, all the changing and all the songs that didn't make, and it's just another album. I'm not sure we could have done any better.

So, looks like the next year or two will be tied up with touring the album?

(Guy) It's looking like a couple of years really. But hopefully in the time we do travel we'll see more places. South America that I've always wanted to go to and I'm hoping it will take us there for a few weeks. There's going to be a lot of hard work that goes into production of the new live touring shows. But we'll just have new experiences and it's exciting for us because at the moment America is looking pretty good and we're getting a lot of support out there which hasn't happened to a British band for a while (so people keep saying). So that's something we want to grab hold of and just see for interest's sake if not for anything else just how far we can get there. In America you have to be prepared to put in the hard work becuase it's a big country with lots of places to play and so you have to do a lot of touring. It's quite hard but it's a good place and we'll be spending a lot of time there next year.

Was this album easier to write, lyrically, than Parachutes?

(Chris) No, no because lyrically I didn't feel I didn't think I was going anywhere until my uncle took me aside one day and said, "Son, you might be rich and famous but your lyrics are awful" And I said, 'what do you mean uncle, everyone loves Yellow?'. He replied "Yes, but it doesn't mean anything" And so he kicked me into shape on lyrics, like my friend Tim. And I really got into words and I got a laptop computer so when I was touring in Amercia and stuff, just flying around, I was typing inall these new songs and for the first time ever I was typing in lyrics as well. It helped me remember things which was really cool.

Looking forward to getting out and playing the new songs live?

(Chris) Yes, because there's so much scope for dance into this stuff. One of the main things for the making of this record was the Kylie video Can't Get You Out Of My Head which was released at the time we just starting recording. And the moves in that video are so great that I reckon that left something in the head about the album having a few songs that will swing. And if you look very closely at the video for In My Place there's a move that's nicked off Kylie.

via ShakenStir

Album cover for Coldplay's second album, A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)

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]

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] [NEW!]

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)

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]

St. Paul review: Coldplay Coldplay has a blast at the Xcel Energy Center (10 August)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

In the last leg of its North American tour, Coldplay delivers an invigorating show from beginning to end, with bright lights and lots of confetti, writes Star Tribune magazine in a review of Coldplay's show at the Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul, MN last night (10 August). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (10th - Friday) and here (11th - Saturday - tonight) onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the Star Tribune review article below...

The two biggest bands of the century couldn't be more disparate. Canada's Nickelback is proudly and dunderheadedly macho while England's Coldplay is strikingly and hopelessly feminine (the musical equivalent of chick flicks). Nickelback's frontman Chad Kroeger is all about drinking and getting laid. Coldplay's Chris Martin is all about emotions and caring about everything from relationships to world economic issues. In concert, Nickelback is all about pyro and explosions while Coldplay is about colors and confetti.

In fact, Coldplay couldn't wait to shower the confetti Friday at Xcel Energy Center. Most headliners save it for the end of the evening, but Coldplay fired the confetti cannons during the night's third selection, "In My Place." (By the way, the confetti was in the shape of butterflies, hearts, flowers, exclamation points, etc.) During the fifth number, giant multicolored balloons filled the arena. But the coolest special effect started on the very first song, "Mylo Xyloto," the title cut of Coldplay's current blockbuster album...

Every concertgoer was given a special wristband in a half-dozen different colors that blinked to the beat of the music (thanks to remote radio controls). The arena turned into a ginormous Lite Brite flickerathon as circles of day-glo colored lights flashed onstage, as well, along with various colors of laser lights.

The first 15 minutes of the concert were more like a finale. In fact, this was more visually exciting than the Olympics Opening Ceremony.

While the special effects certainly invigorated the 15,000 fans, they didn't completely overshadow the music. No major rock band is more eager to please than Coldplay. The quartet borrows majesty from U2, arty sonics from Radiohead and pure poppyness from the Beatles to create a bright, shiny, breathtakingly pretty sound. Then factor in the hyper exuberance of the athletic Martin and you've got the most over-the-top pop band in the universe.

Coldplay is the only band that turns love ballads into anthems. That happened Friday with "Yellow," the group's 2000 breakthrough hit, and "Paradise," a hit from the current album.

Coldplay is easily the most jovial band from across the pond. Martin, 35, and company simply sold happiness and positivity -- whether he was talking about a merger of the U.S. and U.K. water polo teams, promising to party like it's 1999 (without mentioning Prince) or standing in the bowl end among the crowd to play the first encore.

The 95-minute set may have seemed front-loaded with hits and bogged down by two consecutive ballads played on the end of the runway. But the bouncy "Viva La Vida," the elegantly lovely "Clocks" and the soaring, bracelet-blinking finale of "Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall" with its ringing U2-like guitar were highlights from the second half.

With this tour (which concludes its North American leg Saturday in St. Paul), Coldplay hasn't shaken the albatross of comparison to U2. But they've demonstrated that they, not Nickelback, deserve to be the halftime entertainment at the next Super Bowl. Or why wait? How about Sunday's closing Olympics ceremonies? [Article ends]

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Xcel Energy Center, St. Paul, MN (10 August 2012):

Photos courtesy of TwinCities.com (Pioneer)

Thumb by Rachelparker @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]

Chicago review 2: Coldplay near end of 'sensory overload' US tour (7-8 August)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Coldplay continued its North American tour in support of the platinum-selling album Mylo Xyloto with the first of a two-night stint at Chicago’s United Center on Tuesday, and the band wasted no time in letting the audience know they were in for an evening of sensory overload, writes Fender magazine in a review of Coldplay's two shows at the United Center in Chicago this week (7-8 August). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (7th - Tuesday) and here (8th - Wednesday - tonight) onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the Fender review article below...

A nearly two-hour set kicked off with “Mylo Xyloto” and “Hurts Like Heaven,” as the wristbands handed out upon entrance suddenly sprang to life, pulsating with light and illuminating the audience in iridescent colors of pinks, oranges, blues and greens.

Cannons shot off matching confetti during the next song, “In My Place,” as frontman Chris Martin spun and skipped down a middle runway. Guitarist Jonny Buckland joined him there later in the song with Martin kneeling and leaning back to the ground, and thrusting his microphone towards Buckland’s graffiti-painted Stratocaster during his solo...

The set antics weren’t quite done, though. Laser lights cut through the audience throughout the night, with dozens of over-sized beach-ball globes dropping from the ceiling during “Lovers in Japan” accompanied by even more confetti. Coldplay finally slowed things down with Martin taking a seat at the piano for hit ballad “The Scientist” off 2002’s A Rush of Blood to the Head. The crowd helped finish the song, easily drowning out a wide-eyed Martin with its volume.

Although the setlist heavily favored Mylo Xyloto, the UK rockers pulled out a few songs from Rush, including “God Put a Smile Upon Your Face.” The band gathered around drummer Will Champion for an extended drumroll that launched the energetic rocker, followed by Martin and Buckland taking to the runway to trade licks on their Tele and Strat, respectively. The Coldplay frontman punctuated the song in dramatic fashion by tossing his guitar high into the air and intentionally failing to catch it. (Note: It didn’t appear damaged.)

For the most part Martin kept the banter to a minimum, but midway through the set, three kids holding a sign for “Amsterdam” broke him out of his scheduled routine. The entire band had relocated to the end of the stage’s runway for what was to be an intimate three-song run of “Princess of China” and “Up In Flames” and 2002’s “Warning Sign.” But prior to kicking into “Warning Sign,” Martin hesitated and publically recognized the song request that was practically staring him smack in the face. Although the band hadn’t played “Amsterdam” live since 2008, Martin admitted that he "didn’t want to tick anyone off."

“Ok, here’s the deal,” he finally offered. “I’ll keep going as long as I can remember but when I stop don’t give me a hard time.” Then after playing a few bars, he ribbed his bandmates, “Take a break, take a break, take a break. You get money for nothing!”

Martin played no more than a minute before throwing in the towel, but the audience was still delighted by the spontaneous effort. The singer wasn’t settling for any errors a few songs later after the band returned to the main stage and blasted the arena with the anthemic hit “Paradise” as the set closer.

“I’m sorry, fucked that up,” he said during the opening instrumentation. “Let’s go again,” he directed his band, and then attacked the keyboard with venom. The hit-single reverberated through the sold-out arena as the audience chanted the refrain, “Para-para-paradise, Oh oh oh oh oh oh-oh-oh” in one of the many memorable portions of the evening.

Coldplay wasted no time returning for an encore, although Martin did pop up unexpectedly on a miniature stage located in the middle of an audience section. “This is a song about the US and the UK combining for an Olympics sport and taking over the world,” he explained. “It’s a utopian sort of thing. This song dreams of that day. “That’s actually a load of bullshit,” he said with a laugh. “I made it all up.”

Martin started off “Us Against the World” solo on acoustic, but one-by-one the rest of the band joined him, starting with Champion on keys, then Buckland and finally bassist Guy Berryman. Staying at the small stage, Coldplay continued with “Speed of Sound” before dashing back to the main stage for the night’s grand finale.

Laser lights again accentuated the stage and the audience as the Brit quartet dazzled with mainstay “Clocks” and tear-jerker “Fix You.” As Buckland’s poignant guitar notes built up into the organ-filled crescendo, Martin took off sprinting down the runway, leap-frogging up and down every few steps with wild abandonment as if he was competing in his own Olympics. Despite all the acrobatics and the second to last stop of this summer’s North American tour, Martin and company still had enough gas after the emotional “Fix You” to finish out the night with Mylo Xyloto’s upbeat electro-pop lead single “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.”[Article ends]

New photos of Coldplay performing at the United Center, Chicago, IL (7-8 August 2012):

Photos courtesy of the Chicago Tribune

Thumb by schwegweb @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]

Chicago Coldplay review: inclusion is the big theme at the United Center (7 August)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

On Coldplay’s latest album, “Mylo Xyloto,” the British quartet traces the story of a desperate couple running from the unnamed bad guys. “From underneath the rubble,” Chris Martin intones, “sing a rebel song.” But that’s just a bunch of malarkey. There’s not a lot of rebelliousness in Martin and his affable bandmates. Exactly the opposite. Inclusion is the big theme at their concerts, and so it was Tuesday in the first of two shows at the United Center, writes the Chicago Tribune in a review of Coldplay's show at the United Center in Chicago last night (7 August). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (7th - Tuesday) and here (8th - Wednesday - tonight) onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the Chicago Tribune review article below...

Guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, drummer Will Champion and Martin didn’t save their best moves for last. Within minutes, confetti rained down, dozens of beach-ball-sized globes floated and bounced, and six multi-pronged lasers lit up the balconies. Fans who were handed wrist bands at the door found the contraptions glowed in the dark at strategic moments, essentially turning the audience into its own light show.

Martin dropped enough “Chicago” and “Chi-town” references into his songs to suggest that every song had been written with us and only us in mind. A band this aggressively ingratiating can be a bit much, but Coldplay compensates with a scrupulously scripted, fast-paced show chock full of excellent singles: “Yellow,” “Clocks,” “Fix You,” “Viva La Vida,” “Paradise.”

The band’s eagerness to please kept the preachiness and the between-songs patter to a merciful minimum. Instead the foursome turned the interjection “Whoah!” into a 10-syllable celebration, with sing-alongs the rule. The balloons and confetti camouflaged some of the slow spots or underlined the crescendos. The always eager Martin at times resembled an Olympic gymnast performing a particularly awkward floor exercise, sprinting and leap-frogging up and down a runway through the audience.

The stage moves were choreographed to look heroic from the third balcony: Martin kneeling and leaning back with microphone thrust toward Buckland as the guitarist played a solo during “In My Place,” Martin dueting with the video image of Rihanna on “Princess of China,” the band setting up in the middle of the audience to play “Us Against the World.”

It was professional arena rock executed with lots of recorded backing instrumentation and few moments of genuine spontaneity – the show has been replicated at nearly every tour stop so far. Martin tried to play “Amsterdam,” a song requested by several fans, but could only manage a few lines before breaking it off and returning to the band’s regularly scheduled programming.

“I don’t want to (tick) anyone off,” Martin said by way of apology, while essentially summarizing the band’s career ambitions. Over five albums, Coldplay has flirted with art-rock and world music, but their primary ambition is a crowd-pleasing universality. They want what Rihanna has – to rule the pop world. And they’re going to do it by playing nice. [Article ends]

New photos of Coldplay performing at the United Center, Chicago, IL (7 August 2012):

Photos courtesy of the Chicago Tribune

Thumb by deadbolt photos @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]

East Rutherford review 2: Coldplay, specialists in euphoria, rock the Meadowland (3-4 August)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

In the middle of a long catwalk, the grinning pop star lay flat on his back. Confetti had hung thick in the air during "In My Place," blasting out of cannons on the first downbeat of the choruses and catching in the hair of happy concert-goers, writes the NJ.com in another comprehensive review of Coldplay's two shows at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, NJ this weekend (3-4 August). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (3rd - Friday) and here (4th - Saturday) onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the NJ.com's article below...

It fell like a pastel blizzard on the Izod Center stage, and there Chris Martin of the British pop-rock group Coldplay was a kid, making snow angels. On a lark, he handed the microphone to his longtime bandmate Jonny Buckland and let the guitarist finish the final chorus. Then he sprang to his feet and sprinted back to the center position on the stage, arms outstretched, ready to put his magnanimity in action.

Chris Martin thanked the capacity crowd for giving him the best job in the world. Nobody could have doubted the sincerity of his gratitude or located any ambivalence there...

It would be wrong to call Martin an unlikely pop star: His talent was evident from his first single, and his ability to connect with millions made it certain that Coldplay would be a presence for years to come. But he is one of pop’s nonconformists. A vegetarian, teetotaler and yoga practitioner, he has no interest in the effrontery that usually accompanies rock performance. Aggression holds no value for him. So attracted is he to the generosity of the grand singalong chorus that his band’s songs connect hook to glittering hook, making no detours into dissonance or difficulty.

Coldplay asks nothing but that you sit back and enjoy the ride, and attempt to get your heart to brim over with love, just as Martin’s does.

Coldplay is touring behind "Mylo Xyloto," its fifth album and a modest but significant departure from expectations. Although it is allegedly a concept set about a revolutionary movement akin to Occupy Wall Street, there is not an ounce of resistance in it. Instead, it is an enthusiastic (everything Coldplay does is enthusiastic) embrace of radio pop and Eurodance music. Many of the songs have machine beats and thick disco synthesizers; Rihanna, who appeared pre-recorded at the concert via video screen, features on one of them.

Gone are the attempts to imitate the solemn grandeur of U2 and Radiohead. (They aren’t missed.) Instead, Martin and his bandmates have freed themselves to chase the pure, unfettered euphoria associated with arena electronica.

Often, the Friday night concert — the first of two that Coldplay presented at the arena — sounded like rock but looked like a rave. Coldplay distributed blinking remote-controlled bracelets to all concert-goers, and — politely, of course — requested that fans put them on ("they are part of the show," explained the message flashed on the video screens before the concert started). Once the lights went down, the arena came alive with thousands of firefly flashes of illumination.

This was immersive, but the effect was not particularly novel: It resembled the forest of glowsticks at dance-inspired pop shows. Coldplay also swept the crowd with the low, broad laser lights characteristic of deejay sets, and backed these up with psychedelic projections.

These visual nods to club culture only accompanied the songs from "Mylo Xyloto." When Coldplay turned to older material — mostly traditional arena power ballads in the style of Oasis, Travis and the Verve — the wristbands and the lasers switched off. If this production decision threatened to darken the dividing line between the new songs and the rest of the band’s catalog, Coldplay compensated by storming through the "Mylo" material with a ferocity absent from the album. For a group of nice guys, Coldplay rocks pretty hard.

This includes Martin, whose soulful piano playing on "Paradise" suggested he’s learned something from his collaborations with Jay-Z and Kanye West. But most of the credit goes to drummer and polymath Will Champion, who matched Martin’s enthusiasm for the songs, and who remains an undersung driver of Coldplay’s mass appeal. Champion mashed the accelerator on "Charlie Brown," pounded the tympani on "Viva La Vida," picked up an acoustic guitar for "Up in Flames" and added angelic vocal harmonies whenever he was allowed. Relegated to electronic pads on the synthpop "Mylo" song "Princess of China," Champion made the best of it, but looked as if he desperately wanted to get back behind the kit and bash stuff as hard as he could.

The only thing the show lacked was the tension that has always made pop-rock indispensable. Instead, Coldplay flutters straight to the release and hovers there, frustrating those who expect something a little more dangerous from a pop-rock group. This is a band that gives and gives; they’re a heaping slice of apple pie with vanilla ice cream for dessert. It is probably not in Martin’s nature to be anything but, so it is pointless to hope that he acquires an edge. Instead, it’s best to celebrate his band for what it is: a ruthlessly effective generator of cost-free ecstasy. [Article ends]

Download this show! Multimedia update: 2012-08-03 Coldplay @ Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ [AUDIO FLAC, Mediafire ~578Mb]

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Izod Center, East Rutherford, NJ (3-4 August 2012):

Photos courtesy of the Brooklyn Vegan (click for more!)

Thumb by deadbolt photos @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]

Detroit review 2: 'Man-date' to Coldplay at the Palace (1 August)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

When a Palace of Auburn Hills employee handed me Wednesday night a pink wristband that had the words "Made in China" on it, I started to get doubts, writes the MLive in another media review of Coldplay's show at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI on Wednesday night (1 August). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the MLive review article below...

This was, after all, a trip to go see Coldplay - with another man. And it already seemed a little strange. This is a concert you take a woman to. But since neither one of us have girlfriends, we scheduled a man-date. The good news about this event: Royal Oak resident Brian Wilson, my best fried since sixth grade, was a lock to have a good time because he’s a longtime Coldplay fan. Plus, he also got a pink wristband. I needed way more convincing that I was in the right place...

And surprisingly, I got it from these four British dudes who know how to make females swoon with their emotive lyrics. The night started with a lovely $10 meal (went went Dutch) at a Royal Oak Olga’s, and ended with me eagerly awaiting the next time this seven-time Grammy Award winning group returns to the D. It only took 14 years, but I know now why these guys are so popular. They are no longer considered by me the torturers of my soul, ones who made me depressed every time I heard them on the radio.

Eric LacyColdplay played The Palace at Auburn Hills on Aug. 1, 2012. They got some swag, an ability to show off some metal and a eclectic U2-like feel that boosts their international appeal. Plus, their innovative touch with those light up wristbands, including some in manly blue, turned The Palace into an eye-popping, fan-driven display of arena-rock electric hype in tones from all colors of the rainbow. Hell of a display. And those who saw it all, including myself, appeared to be drawn into the words and notes of Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin and his three mates: Johnny Buckland (lead guitar), Will Champion (drums) and Guy Berryman (bass). “Detroit!,’ Martin screamed before he addressed his bandmates. “It’s going to be a good one, boys.”

The more than 90-minute performance certainly was, and showed some Detroit-style grit from representatives of the United Kingdom who shockingly weren’t afraid to show force. “In return for being the best audience,” Martin yelled, “we’re going to play the best (bleeping) concert of your life!”

Martin certainly didn’t lack drive. He ended up wearing four different T-shirts throughout the night, likely because of perspiration from his often hyperactive stage presence. And it was the kind of approach that made fans scream for more, especially during Martin’s sweat-soaked version of “Yellow,” a signature track on the band’s first album, “Parachutes.”

As perspiration dripped from Martin’s chin and the side of his face, he bobbed his torso and legs back and forth at a piano. Then he quickly jumped to the guitar for what seemed like a harder than expected version of “Violet Hill.” At one point, during “Got Put A Smile Upon Your Face,” Martin threw one of his guitars about 30 feet in the air and caught it after admiring Buckland’s hypnotic heavy metal-style riffs.

What really reeled me in was the fact Coldplay enjoyed playing hard, with most of the slower, more melodramatic songs after the event’s first heart-bounding 40 minutes. But a lot of the same mellow tunes that often irked me when heard on the radio, didn’t seem too annoying Wednesday night since the intro was so fierce. Whether it was electric guitar, acoustic guitar, piano or straight up singing, Martin and Co. clearly put in an honest night’s work. It was the type of performance that could’ve been considered live album material, at least from this concert reviewer novice’s perspective. And when Martin yelled, “If you see it then you’d understand,” during the band’s hit “Speed of Sound,” I couldn’t help but find a meaning to the phrase that suits me. At that moment, I finally fessed up to myself: “Ok Eric, Coldplay is actually good - really good.”

Yeah, these guys might have a feminine side to their choices of lyrics and brand - with all that gushy love and heartbreak stuff - but they can also let it rip, too. So I left The Palace with a new point of view, a new man. I finally get Coldplay; this ironically coming from the guy currently on page 144 of E.J. James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey.”

Call it maturity, I guess, or the fact I finally know what good music sounds like. No matter what kind of phenomenon took over me the other night, I’ll never forget it. Paradise, indeed Mr. Martin. Glad I finally became a witness. [Article ends]

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI (1st August 2012):

Photos courtesy of Detroit News

Thumb by rmcrpj @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]

Detroit review: Coldplay dazzles with interactive show at Palace of Auburn Hills (1 August)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Fans entering Coldplay's concert Wednesday at the Palace of Auburn Hills were given wristbands and were told to put them on, as they would be a part of the show... were they ever, writes the Detroit News in a review of Coldplay's show at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI, last night (1 August). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the Detroit News review article below...

After the arena went dark and the band hit the stage -- to the theme from "Back to the Future," no less -- the wristbands switched on and lit up the arena in a sea of blues, greens, yellows, reds and whites, blinking in sync and turning the audience of 17,000 into a gorgeous electric rainbow.

Coldplay, for all the knocks against the band, has always been a dynamic arena act, pushing the boundaries of production to create a top-notch live show. The wristband trick is the group's greatest feat yet, and feels like a game-changer for live music. It is one of the largest steps ever taken to personalize the arena experience, literally making fans a part of the show...

But Coldplay wasn't done playing with the crowd, not by a long shot. During the second song, the live staple "In My Place," the band played amid a blizzard of confetti, a concert gag that is usually saved for the final song of the evening. They did it less than 10 minutes into the show, just because they can.

Then during "Lovers in Japan," which came four songs into the band's 20-song, 95-minute set, oversized balloons dropped from the ceiling onto the crowd, who batted them around like beach balls.

What was next, free cars for everyone in attendance? Hardly. With those stunts out of their system, the four-piece spent the bulk of the show settled into a comfortable groove, working through its sizable catalog of hits like a working band. "Yellow," the band's first hit, was given new life by drummer Will Champion's pounding rhythm, and "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face" felt revitalized as well, the band lending it a new energy thanks to frontman Chris Martin's passionate delivery.

Martin is the key to so much of Coldplay's success because he's an excellent, energetic frontman, but he never comes across as a superhero or bigger than life. Moreso, he just seems like a guy who really likes his job and is really good at it, and he makes you believe in the band's music. Coldplay has plenty of heart, and he is the heart of Coldplay.

The band played a mini-set of three songs at the end of the stage's large catwalk, and later ventured into the crowd for a two-song set in one of the lower-level suites. By the time closer "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall" came around, the wristbands were blinking again -- they were used in a total of five songs during the show -- and Martin was kicking his feet through the layer of confetti that still covered the stage.

At the end of the show, Martin fell to his knees and kissed the stage after the band took a bow for the audience. It was a small moment in a concert filled with big, breathtaking moments, but it was a memorable one just the same.

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI (1st August 2012):

Photos courtesy of Detroit News

Thumb by jorgefg @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]

Boston review: Coldplay dazzle a sold-out TD Garden (29-30 July)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

The line "with great power comes great responsibility" may be overused, but it’s apparent when it comes to Coldplay - without a doubt one of the biggest bands in the world, which means they’re a major draw for fans, but also for criticism, writes the Boston Music Spotlight in a review of Coldplay's two shows at TD Garden in Boston, MA (29-30 July). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (29th - Sunday) and here (30th - Monday) onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of Boston Music Spotlight's review article below...

Energy and creativity fuel Coldplay’s current show. The energy started with frontman Chris Martin, who performed like a man who’s been trapped behind a piano for years, dying to get out. The singer explored every bit of the band’s extensive stage and catwalk, by running, jumping, rolling, and dancing his way through show. The creativity came in the form of the ingenious idea to make fans part of the visual dynamic of the show by issuing every attendee a colored wristband that lit up in unison at certain points of the performance...

The result was a dazzling display that charged songs like “Hurts Like Heaven”, “Paradise”, and “Charlie Brown”. Their set was heavy on new material, such as the aforementioned trio, all of which both looked and sounded like they were built for arenas thanks to the stunningly colorful imagery and big, sing-along choruses.

They’ve certainly added some new tricks, but Coldplay also stayed true to their old ways with confetti cannons, huge balloons, and several stages, as they relocated to the end of the catwalk to take the tempo down a bit. Included was the ballad “Warning Sign”, which Martin amusingly screwed up then jokingly claimed that thoughts of the Olympics had distracted him. The band also relocated, one by one, to a side stage in the loge section of the Garden for one of the few X & Y tunes in “Speed of Sound”, before returning to the main stage for the encore.

The night ended in spectacular fashion as a laser show accompanied the usual piano bench-rocking of “Clocks” before Martin seemed to give everything he had left to his leaps in “Fix You”, only to go at it once more as he ran about the entire stage for closer “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall”.

Coldplay have had the power of one of music’s biggest acts for years and with this show so well-catered to an arena audience, they’ve shown that they’ve not only accepted, but are enjoying the responsibility.

Rising star Marina and the Diamonds opened the show with a charming set that drew many fans in early with bouncy synthpop numbers like “I Am Not a Robot” and “Primadonna” serving as warm-ups before finally getting fans out of their seats with “Radioactive”. [Article ends]

New photos of Coldplay performing at TD Garden, Boston, MA (29-30 July 2012):

Photos courtesy of TD Garden @ Facebook (click for more!)

Thumb by mlauz @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]

Montreal review: Coldplay creates intimate, playful show in cavernous Bell Centre (26 July)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

You can’t even trust artists to avoid dropping spoilers these days. Walking through the Bell Centre doors on Thursday, you were given a nifty Coldplay bracelet. Walking into the belly of the arena, you were requested via a host of screens to wear the device, because “it will light up automatically in the show.” Then you were given a pictorial lesson in how to apply a bracelet to a wrist, just in case you had already spent your paycheque at the beer concession, writes the Montreal Gazette in a review of the first of Coldplay's two shows at the Bell Centre, Montreal, QC (26-27 July). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (26th - Thursday) and here (27th - Friday) onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the Montreal Gazette's review article below...

Maybe this was pedantry, but it was also insurance. Because when Coldplay took the stage and segued from the scene-setting Mylo Xyloto to the sprightly Hurts Like Heaven, and thousands upon thousands of flashing wristbands turned the packed Bell Centre into a neon wonderland, it was one of those rare moments that will be seared in the memory of even veteran concertgoers...

It wasn’t the only time Coldplay transcended the spectator-sport nature of arena rock during the first of two shows at the venue. When fans weren’t a living part of the set design, they were fully engaged by tireless and eternally jovial singer Chris Martin – a man who can take cheerleading clichés like “let me see those beautiful hands” and make them sound like revolutions in crowd participation. He wasted no time in praising the audience for enduring “the traffic and the ticket prices and all the other s— you have to go through for a concert” – all the (bleep) most artists never acknowledge – promising in return that “we’re going to try to play the greatest f—ing show we’ve ever played in our lives.” He probably meant it, and if he makes the same vow to Friday’s full house, he’ll probably mean it again then.

Because Martin was singing – make that performing; this is an entertainer above all else – as if this was the last concert Coldplay would ever give. During In My Place, he had travelled around the circumference of the graffiti-scrawled main stage, acknowledging the obstructed-view seats along the way, before guitarist Jonny Buckland was even done with the intro. When Martin cued the confetti cannons to fire – all those bracelets still twinkling – it felt like an encore less than 10 minutes into the show. Even more astonishing, the atmosphere was so ecstatic that it felt like Coldplay had already earned an encore.

Lovers in Japan was ushered in with chiming guitar and psychedelic balloons (filled with more confetti), pointing to two pillars of influence: U2 for panoramic scale and the Flaming Lips for amusement-park elation. Great influences to have, especially if one can get beneath the surface and mine the Lips’ genuine joy and U2’s genuine spiritual salvation. Coldplay brought forth all of the former and a healthy dose of the latter.

The eruption of raw enthusiasm that met The Scientist was as magic as that spine-melting, soul-healing piano melody. Yellow was dedicated to Aurora, Colo., starting as a churchly and heartfelt eulogy before the familiar full-tilt arrangement kicked in with the house lights blazing. Another premature but justified encore. The first half of the show was so dynamic, so inspirational that Coldplay risked delivering a top-heavy set. But the momentum didn’t flag, aside from the electro-pop identity crisis Princess of China – the first of several songs played on a secondary stage, with Rihanna’s piped-in duet vocal setting up an awkward situation where Coldplay became its own backing band. It was a rare lapse in taste, quickly redeemed by the sweet Up in Flames and Warning Sign, whose feather touch could be felt in the corners of the room.

Indeed, Coldplay have become masters at the art of filling a vast space, and not just musically. Along with those wristbands (which flickered back to life sporadically throughout the show), there were the circular screens hanging from the rafters, the glowing inflatable ciphers that surreptitiously appeared at the exits before a relentless Don’t Let It Break Your Heart, Martin’s frequent trips down the catwalk, and especially the encore played on a platform set up in the far reaches of the red seats. Few bands have taken such advantage of the physical possibilities presented by a cavernous venue, and fewer still have made the Bell Centre feel so intimate.

The common criticisms levelled at Coldplay – lightweight, thematically vague, more in tune with the signifiers of anthemic drama than with drama itself – were irrelevant on Thursday. If the show’s visual element had a frivolous side, it was also magical. There was no missing the overriding theme of connecting with the masses. And in an atypically stern God Put a Smile Upon Your Face, a plaintive Fix You and more than a few other moments, the drama was very real. As a whole, the evening was a revelation – in terms of what arena shows can be and, for detractors, in terms of what Coldplay can be. Only the band members know if it was the greatest show they ever played, but it may well have been the greatest show the Bell Centre has seen so far in 2012. [Article ends]

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Bell Centre, Montreal, QC, Canada (26th July 2012):

Photos courtesy of Musik Universe (click for more!)

Thumb by DanChammas @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]

Toronto review 2: Coldplay and their cult of believers (Air Canada Center, 23-24 July)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

“We want Coldplay!” someone shouted during a break in Marina and the Diamonds’ opening set – to a smattering of applause – at the first of Coldplay’s two Toronto shows at the Air Canada Centre Monday night, and it’s easy to see why, writes the Globe and Mail in the second featured review of Coldplay's two shows at the Air Canada Center, Toronto, ON (23-24 July). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from the two Toronto shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (23rd - Monday) and here (24th - Tuesday) onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments for both shows! Read on for the rest of the Globe and Mail's review article below...

It’s not just because the tinsel-clad Marina emptily twirled her way through a starchy set in front of a crowd that filled up exactly when she left. It’s also because Coldplay has managed to quietly become one of the defining bands of the aughts, an achievement even more impressive because it happened on the strength of just a handful of tracks. Odds are, most of the generation it predominantly defines has likely never heard an entire Coldplay record; their popularity far outstrips the perception of their talent.

The band’s greatest gift is their effortless wide appeal, but they’re also impossible to develop strong feelings about – and they’re well aware. Their latest album is an excellent expression of this; frontman Chris Martin gets away with propagating a contrived thesis that Mylo Xyloto is a complex concept inspired by World War II and old-school graffiti despite it sounding, largely, like any other Coldplay record...

But when Coldplay got onstage, it wasn’t even fair. Their stage show’s preparatory smoke puffs got more whoops than the two openers combined (despite Emeli Sandé’s lovely voice). When, in an exuberant burst of confetti the band rattled off five straight classics, Martin had the crowd eating out of his hand.

This is the evolution of Coldplay: They’ve amassed a deep enough repertoire of hits that they can start shows in a way that would be premature for a lesser band. So when Martin says at the show’s start, “We talked earlier and decided this would be the best concert we’d play in our lives,” you want to believe him, you really do. “But isn’t this Coldplay,” your mind nags, “the world’s blandest best band?”

Indeed, Coldplay has spent so long being perfectly vanilla, serving up flawlessly anesthetized anthems, that when Martin muffed a cue on Speed of Sound and joked, “Don’t put this on YouTube,” it’s hard to shake the thought it might have been put-on imperfection. But you want to believe him, you really do.

And really, all the things that make Coldplay so ambivalence-inciting make them superior live, where it’s near impossible to sound airless and edgeless. Recorded, Coldplay’s synths swoop under Martin’s slurry drawl just so, and the best songs are anthems for anthems’ sake; live, Martin is dynamic, and the audience swells with every crooned “ohh,” and rides the parabola of every lingering “ahh.” Drums crashed and guitars wailed on typically understated tracks; the show only lulled during Martin’s slower, overlong balladry. It works because it sounds like Coldplay set free; it’s what a great live show sounds like.

Of course, this brand of soaring arena rock was U2’s shtick first; this has long been Coldplay’s unfair, inescapable bane. But that can’t change the fact the sold-out crowd pumped their fists through Violet Hill as if it was Cypress Hill on stage. Or that, despite the encore’s inevitability, the crowd spontaneously burst into the melody of Viva La Vida to lure the band out. Or that after the show, strangers took to the “Play Me I’m Yours” piano outside on York Street and sang The Scientist. Or that on the organ’s dying strains on Fix You, the stadium became a cathedral and everyone stretched their hands skyward, shouting the hymn’s every word.

Monday’s performance – not their best, but deeply entertaining nonetheless – showed that being a Coldplay fan is less about the facts and more about belief. And that night, the crowd let itself believe, it really did – because even an atheist would be hard-pressed to say that a church is not a beautiful place to be, once in a while. [Article ends]

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Air Canada Center, Toronto, ON (23rd July 2012):

Photos courtesy of The Star (click for more!)

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]

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]

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)

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]

Toronto review: Coldplay brings high-energy show to Air Canada Center (23 July)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Colour me impressed - Coldplay touched down for the first show of two night stand at the Air Canada Centre on Monday night and treated a sold-out crowd to an intense yet artful music extravangaza, writes the Toronto Sun in the first review of the first of Coldplay's two shows at the Air Canada Center, Toronto, ON (23-24 July). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from the two Toronto shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (23rd - Monday) and here (24th - Tuesday) onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the Toronto Sun's review article below...

The wow factor included twinkling, glow-in-the-dark multi-coloured wristbands worn by audience members, multi-coloured confetti - that blasted out several times during the second song and set highlight, In My Place, and multi-coloured balloons that dropped down during the fourth song, Lovers In Japan.

It was like one gigantic street art project with a lot of financial backing emphasized by Coldplay’s own enormous stage decorated by glow-in-the-dark, multi-coloured neon graffiti and a long catwalk that looked like a landing strip with a red ‘X’ at the end - a location where the group ventured early and often...

After treating hundreds of contest winners to an hour-long live televised show in the MuchMusic parking lot last September in the lead up to the October release of their fifth studio album, Mylo Xyloto - the weakest album in their discography in my opinion - Coldplay returned with their A game in a live setting. Singer-pianist Chris Martin, a charming, lively Mexican jumping bean as usual on stage, made a bold pronouncement at the beginning of the show: “The four of us have decided to make this the best concert of our lives.”

And while it didn’t quite hit that mark it certainly had its moments. Among the standouts, the crowd singing along to The Scientist - “We’ve got the best fans in the world and everybody knows it,” said Martin and the dedication of Yellow, which started soft before it went into high gear with guitarist’s Jonny Buckland’s well known hook, to the victims of the movie screening massacre last week. “This song goes out to everybody in Colorado,” said Martin.

Also good was the muscular drumming of Will Champion during God Put a Smile Upon Your Face, with Martin, Buckland and bassist Guy Berryman all standing in line in front of his kit in a sign of respect, and Viva La Vida. Another crowd pleaser was when the group emerged on a small stage in the back left corner of the audience to sing Us Against the World and Speed Of Sound, with Martin screwing up the beginning of the latter song and starting over again. “Oh sorry, I f---ed that up. I was looking at someone. Please don’t put us on YouTube,” Martin joked.

When the foursome returned to the main stage for two more highlights - the piano-driven Clocks and Fix You - with Martin performing some Olympics worthy jumps on the catwalk as the latter song geared up in its second half - the only thing left to perform was Mylo Xyloto’s first single, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, which closed the show after a fast-paced hour and 45 minutes.

Opening were two of the UK’s more promising female newcomers. First up was Scottish-raised, British based singer-songwriter Emeli Sande whose powerful voice was on full display as she sang material from her debut, Our Version of Events. Sande was followed by the kookier if still talented Marina and the Diamonds from Wales, with the singer’s outfit of silver tinsel top, pink furry shoes, and a sash that read Miss Shellfish Beach, helping to represent her off the wall pop sound, along with her little stuffed animal - a pink dog named Marilyn.

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Air Canada Center, Toronto, ON (23rd July 2012):

Photos courtesy of Toronto Sun (click for more!)

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]

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]

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)

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]

Coldplay inch closer to U2 in achieving authentic arena rock spectacle (Inteference)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

As we take a short break in the Mylo Xylotour proceedings (next show is Toronto on 23 July - already on 31 pages of discussion!), we focus on a nicely written article from the guys over at Inteference (a U2 blog) who have blogged an article this month entitled "Coldplay Inch Closer to U2 in Achieving Authentic Arena Rock Spectacle," which, as the title suggests, Coldplay are getting ever nearer to achieving parity, in a 'live concert production' sense, with their Irish counterparts. Read on for the article, and also enjoy some more great photos of Coldplay's last concerts in Washington, which go some way to substantiating Interference's assertion...

In the same space where one week earlier the Miami Heat were crowned basketball champions, the jubilant city of Miami welcomed Grammy-winning superstars Coldplay to the American Airlines Arena.

Imagine over 20,000 multi-colored lights flashing all together in a single space. Add to the equation 20,000 voices singing along to worldwide hits. Multiply all this by 100 minutes, and we see why Coldplay is becoming a live band to rival any in terms of stage presence, including their inspiration and ours in Irish rockers U2...

The only British band to be equally successful in Europe and the United States, Coldplay are currently touring to support their latest release Mylo Xyloto across the globe throughout the year. The stage design is all based on their graffiti theme, with five huge circular digital screens. Special wristbands were given on entry, with the screens telling the crowd to wear them because they were actually part of the show.

The evening began with the Back to the Future theme followed by a huge laser spectacle as Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion entered the stage and started playing “Hurts Like Heaven.” All the wristbands suddenly started flashing in rhythm with the music—wow. The audience was already warmed up thanks to the brilliant opening performances of Wolf Gang and Robyn. However, next on the list was “In My Place” which made every single person stand up once and for all for the remainder of the show.

New songs from Mylo Xyloto prevailed, mixed with selections from A Rush of Cold Blood to the Head, Viva la Vida, X&Y, and only one from their debut Parachutes. But it was that single song “Yellow” that took the concert to a higher level. The show was cleverly planned and well-balanced: a ballad followed every three uptempo songs, part of the setlist was played on an X-shaped stage in the middle of the crowd, and closer to the end a little stage at the very back of the stadium hosted the performance of two songs (“Us Against the World” and “Speed of Sound”).

The highlight of the concert took place as the darkness fell: that was when Viva la Vida and Charlie Brown were played. Their 2008 number one hit was fantastic in terms of response and sense of belonging (like when U2 plays “Where The Streets Have No Name”) but “Charlie Brown” was simply a visually spectacular Miami party. Watch to believe at

link. Then followed a never-ending sequence of top-charting songs: “Paradise,” “Clocks,” “Fix You,” and the grand finale of their energetic “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.”

Chris Martin was certainly born to be a performer, running and jumping across the whole stage from the beginning to the very last moment. A talented singer, he also found rest from his antics as he turned to his piano. Some people may think Coldplay as a rock band are a little too poppy, but the show they put on clearly proves the rock roots of their repertoire, inching them closer to U2 in comparable live show extravaganza.

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Verizon Center, Washington, DC (8-9 July 2012):

Photos by SBrooks540, thumb by peterhutchins

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]

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]

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)

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]

Washington review: Coldplay performance at Verizon Center 'anything but boring' (Washington Post, 8 July)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Coldplay is sort of a Nickelback for cool kids (!) - over the last decade the chart-friendly UK quartet has inspired ridicule at about the same rate it has record sales, writes Washington Post in a rather blunt but appreciative review of the first of Coldplay's two shows at the Verizon Center in Washington, DC (8-9 July). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from the two Washington shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (8th - Sunday) and here (9th - Monday) onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the Washington Post's review article below...

The Web site Yahoo Answers, an Encyclopedia Britannica in our social media age, even has an entry titled: “Why do people hate Coldplay so much?” Yahoo’s “voters’ choice” for “best answer”: “Its [sic] boring.” Another possible and similarly syntaxed explanation for all the Coldplay animus could be “Because Ive never seen it.” In any case, nobody who saw Coldplay on Sunday at the sold-out Verizon Center came away bored.

Plainly, Coldplay’s current tour takes arena rock production to new levels. As Martin et al kicked into the set-opener “Hurts Like Heaven,” the LEDs on the thousands of wristbands, called Xylobands, that were being given away at the entrances were activated simultaneously by remote control, instantly transforming the huge sports arena into a psychedelicatessen of moving multicolored lights. (The UK press reported a few months ago that Coldplay is an owner of the company that manufactures the accessories.) Lasers shot from the stage to the roof and back...

The next tune, “In My Place,” featured not one, but two, massive confetti blizzards, with day-glo-colored paper cutouts of animals and stars filling the room. Shortly thereafter came “Lovers in Japan,” during which fans got treated to a balloon-drop worthy of a political convention and yet another confetti blizzard. The first 15 minutes of the performance were bombastic and breathless enough to leave an underprepped Coldplay concertgoer wondering: Have I died and gone to a U2 show? Yet the band kept up the pace for nearly two hours.

The show did have moments where the Nickelbackish backlash that Coldplay has suffered through made sense. Martin called a timeout in the middle of “Yellow,” the song that got the whole Coldplay juggernaut going back in 2000, and told the band to start over, saying he’d messed up a line; recent reviews show he just used the same see-this-show-isn’t-scripted! shtick during a Glastonbury performance. But of course it’s all scripted! During “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall,” Martin fell to his knees to sing the line “I’m on my knees!” He smashed his guitar to end “God Put a Smile Upon Your Face,” and within seconds the screens throughout the arena showed a replay of the poor instrument hitting the stage, providing evidence that the smashing was premeditated. (Then again, Jimi Hendrix had matches and a can of lighter fluid at the ready at the Monterey Pop Festival, so the most famous guitar combustion in rock history wasn’t exactly spontaneous, either.)

The music occasionally seemed no match for the theatricality. But how many tunes by anybody can compete with a rainbow-lit confetti blizzard amid balloon droppings? And, besides: Oh, what a wonderful time everybody had. On the soccer-anthemesque pop song “Viva La Vida,” the crowd provided utterly glorious “whoa-oh-ohhh-oh-oh”s over which Martin sang his pop smash about a guy who ruled the world. The wristbands lit up again for “Charlie Brown,” and some couples danced and sweated in the aisles while the rest of the crowd just pogoed to the beat. Then it seemed like the show couldn’t get huger, Martin jumped into the recent superdupersmash, “Paradise,” and, well, it got huger. Sure, “Paradise” sounds a lot like other people’s pop — Beyonce’s “Halo,” particularly. But any melody that can get 20,000 people screaming together in key, and this one did just that on this night, is worth borrowing. “Speed of Sound” and the incredibly U2-esque “Clocks” kept up the gigantitude during the encore.

The band was loving it, too. Martin spent some of his last moments on stage performing some sort of free-form dance, kicking up leftover confetti and twirling his arms toward the upper decks of an arena filled yet again with all those blinking lights. Should Martin ever actually get to rule the world like the guy he sang about earlier in the set, there’s no way that’ll be as much fun as ruling a band as big as his is right now. Coldplay performs again Monday at the Verizon Center.

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Verizon Center, Washington, DC (8-9 July 2012):

Photos courtesy of Washington Post (click for more!)

Thumb by cathleen @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]

Philadelphia review: Coldplay wows Wells Fargo Center in a big way (5-6 July)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

It was tough to tell whether you were at a theme park or a pop concert at the Wells Fargo Center on Thursday, where Coldplay were playing the first of back to back nights at the South Philadelphia sports arena, writes Inquirer section of philly.com - in their review of Coldplay's two shows at the Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA (5-6 July). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from the Philly shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (5th - Thursday) and here (6th - Friday) onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of the Inquirer's review article below...

The Chris Martin-led British quartet were up on stage – and in the crowd - playing music focused on their candy-colored fifth album, Mylo Xyloto (2011), mixed in with ingratiating hits from throughout their dozen year career.

But the show was as much about the exploding bursts of color filling up the room as it was the soaring melodic soft-rock being brought to life by pianist-guitarist-singer Martin and his bandmates Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion. The hardest, most startling moment of the evening came before the concert began – Jay-Z’s “99 Problems” banging out of the sound system in marked contrast to the far more soothing sounds that would follow. The band took the stage to a recording of the “Back To The Future” theme, then began with the Mylo title track and the cheerfully bummed candy-colored “Hurts Like Heaven,” in which Martin sang: “You use your heart as a weapon / And it hurts like heaven.”

By that time, confetti in the shape of birds, hearts and butterflies was already being shot up in the sky and raining down on the sold out crowd. For the next song, “In My Place,” one of four songs from their time tested 2002 A Rush Of Blood To The Head, scores of beach balls descended from the rafters. And all of this visual entertainment was on top of an ongoing laser and light show that utilized five round video screens with one placed behind the band on stage and four more hung through the arena. Not to mention the woven recyclable “Xylobands” given to concertgoers as they entered. The wirelessly controlled wristbands lit up in a rainbow of colors timed to the music in intervals throughout the evening. (Presumably, the bracelets were handed out as visual aids in a forthcoming concert movie, as they were emblazoned with the Twitter hashtag #Coldplayfilm.) No need to hold up a cellphone or a lighter: Coldplay’s got your covered!

Oh, and how about the music? It was pleasant, and perky, and at times, like Martin’s biceps, surprisingly muscular. Coldplay proudly cops to the “soft-rock” designation, and the Brit-band never measures up to, say U2’s epic grandeur or Radiohead’s epic artiness. But the Bian Eno produced band's steady stream of hits from “The Scientist” to “Viva La Vida” to Mylo’s kaleidoscopic “Paradise” do pack enough sinew to fill up an enormodome without ever sounding sonically thin. Not thin, but often slight. It seems silly to hate or even strongly dislike Coldplay, but it’s perfectly rational to be disappointed in them. A lot of that has to do with the lyrics, which often don’t stand up to scrutiny, even as you find yourself singing along to insipid moon-June-spoon lines like “Lights will guide you home / And ignite your bones” and thousands did, a cappella, on the evening’s penultimate piano ballad, “Fix You.”

But while Coldplay fail to be great, or threatening, or all that challenging, they do succeed in being entertaining. And like it or not, likable. They played a three song stripped down segment at the front of a runway that extended into the middle of the floor, with one of those tune being “Princess of China,” a duet with a version of Rihanna on a video screen whose tribal chant hook was distressingly reminiscent of Atlanta Braves’ fans doing the Tomahawk chop. And to top that, the first two songs of the foursome’s encore were performed on a makeshift stage in the midst of the crowd in the back of the hall. One of them was Mylo’s acoustic Coldplay fight song “Us Against The World,” which Martin, then wearing a pink shirt introduced by drolly quipping: “That’s the kind of band we are. The kind of band that wears a pink shirt and sings a song at the back of the room.”

There were two opening acts, Wolf Gang and Swedish dance pop star Robyn, who was scheduled to later do a DJ set at Voyeur in Center City later in the evening. Robyn came on stage wearing a giant blue kimono – or was it a raincoat – which she then took off to reveal a shiny silver and blue skin tight outfit that made her look like a refugee from a ‘70s superhero comic book. Backed by two drummers and two keyboard players, she served up 40 minutes of dance floor directed alt-pop. Marred by a muddled vocal mix, songs like “Dancing On My Own” and “Don’t F------- Tell Me What To Do,” were nonetheless robotically aerobic enough to get even the most prone to be immobile bodies moving while delivering a personal statement while she’s at it. And her presence on the bill demonstrated another nice thing about Coldplay: They’ve got good taste.

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Wells Fargo Center, Philadelphia, PA (5-6 July 2012):

Photos courtesy of radio1045.com (click for more!)

Thumb by xyandzoe @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]

Charlotte review: Coldplay bring magical Mylo Xylotour to Time Warner Cable Arena (3 July)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Coldplay did its fans a big favor by holding Tuesday’s concert indoors at Time Warner Cable Arena during the hottest week in recent memory. That decision was probably dictated more by the glow-in-the-dark nature of the production than the temperature, writes Sound Bites - a music scene blog affiliated to the Charlotte Observer, in their review of last night's Coldplay show at the TIme Warner Cable Arena in Charlotte, NC (3 July). Catch up on more on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from the shows at the Coldplay Live forum now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of Sound Bites' review article...

Ticket holders were each given a fabric wrist band with a small hard plastic box attached to it upon entry. When Coldplay hit the stage with the upbeat title track to its latest album “Mylo Xyloto” following sets by London-based rock band, Wolf Gang and Swedish dance pop star Robyn, those bracelets lit up the arena with over 17,000 tiny colored lights. It was one of many ways Coldplay pulled its audience into the festivities and made the crowd feel less like spectators and more a part of the show. Lasers danced through the air and circular screens, including a large LED screen that hung over the stage, displayed dancing lights and stage footage...

Coldplay looked like it just came from a paintball fight. By the number of glow-in-the-dark paint blobs on their loose fitting pants and casual t-shirts, it looked like Martin lost and bassist Guy Berryman won. Will Champion’s resounding beat signaled “Mylo’s” next track “Hurts Like Heaven.” Confetti burst from cannons as the song’s chorus kicked in.

Coldplay’s use of electronic touches on “Mylo Xyloto” has been both criticized and embraced, but other current influences were on display during those newer tracks as guitarist Jonny Buckland’s intricate finger work echoed lesser known modern bands like instrumental act Explosions in the Sky. “Heaven” ended with Martin in a backbend on the stage, already glistening with sweat. He thanked the crowd and promised the best concert of their lives. While that is a tall order, Coldplay proved again that it’s a phenomenal live band.

The mood escalated as it reached back to 2002’s “In My Place.” That song with its familiar guitar intro was another example of Coldplay making beautiful often subdued albums that play well on radio, but in a live setting those songs become more dynamic and grander. “Major Minus,” “Lovers in Japan” and “The Scientist” followed as the group approached another peak with its earliest hit “Yellow.” Martin began the song quietly on his graffiti-covered piano tinkling against the hum of Buckland’s guitar. Martin switched to his acoustic as the anthem kicked in and yellow light cast over the crowd.

The band gathered at the end of the catwalk for three songs including the Rihanna-aided “Princess of China” (her vocals were piped in as she appeared on screen). It was probably the most electronic feeling segment with Champion clicking time on an electronic drum pad.

The group was off to the finish beginning with the familiar strains of “Viva La Vida.” Champion pummeled kettle drums and thrashed a big Liberty-style bell. That gave way to the Cure-like guitar work of “Charlie Brown” and the anthemic “Paradise,” which closed the set with a giant sing along.

The band appeared in the audience toward the back of the arena where it began its encore with “Us Against the World” and a partly acoustic version of “Speed of Sound” before running back to the stage. There they ended with the one-two-three punch of “Clocks,” the moving fan favorite “Fix You” (probably one of the most well written love songs in recent memory) and ended with the danceable single “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.”

While glowing bracelets would’ve betrayed anyone attempting an early exit, few dared. Coldplay gave little reason to scoot out early. As with its 2009 concert at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Coldplay embraced its audience and wouldn’t let it go. “Thank you for the best job in the world,” Martin said before exiting the stage following “Paradise.” It is easy to imagine that his is just that.

As for its reputation for booking stellar opening acts, Coldplay didn’t disappoint. Wolf Gang struggled through sound issues rarely seen on a tour of this size, but despite an unresponsive piano the quintet’s bouncy Euro rock and catchy single “The King and All His Men” (currently in rotation on Sirius/XM alternative stations) served it well as an opener.

With her daring fashion (she began her set in a ballooning silver skirt and “Thunderdome”-like vest), futuristic sound and original dance moves, Robyn can be a polarizing performer. She turned in a set that at times felt more club than arena. The robotic vocals of minimalist tracks like “We Dance to the Beat” and “Fembot” (which are probably the coldest songs on her fantastic electro-R&B 2010 dance album “Body Talk”) may have seemed an unusual introduction to those who weren’t familiar with her. She did deliver more popular singles such as 2005’s “Cobrastyle,” and the more current “Dancing on My Own,” “Indestructible” and “Girlfriend” which had girls in our row copping her dance moves and singing the lyrics long after she’d left the stage.

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Time Warner Cable Arena, Charlotte, NC (3 July 2012):

Photos courtesy of Charlotte Observer (click for more!)

Thumb by Chasing Squirrelz @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]

Atlanta review: Coldplay scorches with polished blowout at the Philips Arena (2 July)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Coldplay just might be the hardest-working live band of the past decade – at least of the arena variety. They want you to have fun, to sink into their often-elegant pop-rock and feel the emotion seeping out of Chris Martin’s furrowed brow, writes Access Atlanta today, in their review of last night's Coldplay show at the Philips Arena in Atlanta, GA (2 July). Catch up on more on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from the shows at the Coldplay Live forum now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the rest of Access Atlanta's review article...

They want you to cheer with delight at the showers of confetti whooshed in the air and nod approvingly at their neon-graffiti stage backdrop, thinking, “Huh, that actually looks really awesome.”

They hope you walk out of the venue thinking they’re fine musicians, but also casually cool guys, the type you’d want to have a drink with to discuss politics or movies or baby names. And guess what? They succeed at every attempt. It hasn’t been quite a year since Coldplay last played Atlanta, headlining the return of Music Midtown in Piedmont Park last fall and performing for about 40,000 people. But Monday’s gig at Philips Arena was a SRO sellout, so clearly there is demand for the music of Martin, Jonny Buckland (guitar), Will Champion (drummer-plus-piano-plus-guitar) and Guy Berryman (bass).

This tour behind “Mylo Xyloto” launched last fall overseas, played a few U.S. dates in April, then returned here about two weeks ago. Some of the two-hour show was precise and choreographed, such as the parts with the inventive light-up bracelets handed out to fans as they entered the arena. But even the scripted parts felt natural. Most bands wait until the end of a show to wow the audience with interactive effects, but not Coldplay.

As soon as the quartet kicked off the concert with “Hurts Like Heaven,” the multi-colored bracelets flickered like stained-glass windows come to life, creating an awe-inspiring glow. Immediately after “Heaven,” Martin folded his lanky frame over the keyboard of his upright piano for “In My Place” and within seconds, giant blowers sent thousands of pieces of confetti in the font of the letters from “Mylo Xyloto” into the air. Martin, in all his springy goofiness, pogo-ed down the catwalk extending from the stage, grinning like a schoolboy on summer break under the falling paper.

The band might have brought an arsenal of toys, but the music never felt secondary to the visual distractions. Coldplay is a band like U2 is a band. Take away one member and the magic is gone. But there is also a de facto leader and Martin, while not as dynamic as Bono, handles the role with quiet charm and grace. "Thank you for going through all of the crap you have to go through to come to a concert,” he told the crowd early in the show. Their reward was watching him spar with Buckland like a matador and bull on the rougher-edged “Major Minus” and hear Martin’s lovely swoop of a voice hit all the right notes in “The Scientist.” Coldplay’s best songs fit the “memorable” category because they’re so melodic, they ache (talking about you, “Lovers in Japan”).

A few times during the show, the band stripped to those essentials, gathering at the end of the catwalk for a four-song set including “Princess of China” (Rihanna appeared via video) and “Warning Signs.” Later in the show, Martin and his guitar crammed into a tiny loge section in the back of the arena to croon “Us Against the World,” during which he was joined, one by one, by his mates, with Champion providing some honeyed harmonies. When the singer was handed a cowboy hat, he plopped it on his head, grinned and said with his usual self-deprecation, “Is this a Jon Bon Jovi hat? I can’t pull it off.”

Those quiet times will be highlights for some, but it’s hard to discount the swell of joy in the venue as the crowd heartily sang the “whoa-oh-oh”’s of the majestic “Viva La Vida”; the riveting swirls of red lights that perfectly accompanied Champion’s throbbing backbeat and the tense piano that frame “Clocks”; and the gorgeous, church-like “Fix You,” which Martin intro’d with a few lines of “Georgia on My Mind.” What’s most impressive about Coldplay is that the band doesn’t make presenting an entertaining, captivating live show look easy, because it isn’t. Martin’s shirt was soaked with sweat after the first 15 minutes and his mock exhaustion collapse at the end of “Viva” probably contained a hint of reality. Over the years, their live shows have escalated from standard stand-on-stage-and-sing presentations to this, a polished, yet authentic, blowout. When will the stadium dates be booked?

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Philips Arena, Atlanta, GA (2 July 2012):

Photos courtesy of Access Atlanta (click for more!)

Thumb by ccarrizosa @ Flickr

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]

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]

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)

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]