If Coldplay proved anything with its Rogers Arena concert on Friday, it’s that it knows what it's doing. If you're going to play a concert in a stadium, this is how you do it: make the audience go absolutely apeshit right off the bat, and keep it on your side for the next 90 minutes. writes the Straight.com in a review of two concerts at the Rogers Arena in Vancouver (20th & 21st April). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from the shows at the Coldplay Live forum here (20th) and here (21st) now. Read on for the Straight.com review article...
And if the band sometimes resorted to gimmicks to achieve that at the first of its two Vancouver shows, so be it. They were, after all, pretty spectacular gimmicks.
When the English quartet made its entrance, it did so to the flashing of thousands of multi-coloured wristbands, timed to light up right as the band launched into "Mylo Xyloto". Then came the confetti cannons, which dumped a veritable blizzard of paper shapes—hearts, crowns, teardrops—onto the audience. And then down came the balloons, which descended from the rafters and were then batted about the room by a sea of eager hands. One headed straight for me. I swung my fist at it, and when I connected, the balloon burst open and showered me with still more of those paper shapes. And that was all within the first 10 minutes. Anyone not solidly in Coldplay's corner by that point was probably a cynical old fuck. Hell, I'm a cynical old fuck and even I thought it was pretty okay...
Did all the DayGlo confetti and rainbow-hued lasers distract from the music? Sure, but in that department frontman Chris Martin promised to deliver "119 percent". Despite the mathematical implausibility of that claim, the band did give its fans a lot. At least 104 percent. Coldplay's influences aren't hard to pinpoint, but Martin and his cohorts (guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion) have avoided the excesses that have plagued its antecedents. Coldplay has never alienated large portions of its listenership by diving down the rabbit hole of experimental inclinations. (And yes, that is a dig at Radiohead.) Nor has Martin, despite fully embodying the persona of outsized rock frontman, become infuriatingly self-important. (And you know perfectly well who I'm talking about there.)
All of which may position Coldplay in the middle of the road, but there are worse places to be. Leaving aside the bells and whistles—to say nothing of the lasers and confetti cannons and video-assisted duets with Rihanna—a Coldplay concert is an event because Martin knows how to connect with an audience. Yes, he skipped up and down the catwalk clapping his hands like a ponce on Friday night, but even that was endearing, in a dorky kind of way. Also, Coldplay can rock the fuck out when it wants to. Well, okay—no, it can't. But it came close with "Yellow". And with "Viva La Vida", it showed that it can do anthemic on a scale grand enough to get a whole arena singing along. Everyone with the possible exception of one cynical old fuck, that is, and even he was tempted, for a second. [Article ends]
And also this review from The Province, entitled "Coldplay go big, but not stupid, with Rogers Arena mega-concert": When you’re one of the biggest bands in the world, you probably are expected to have one of the biggest concert productions in the world. This, Coldplay provided Friday. It wasn’t as extravagant as, say, U2’s ill-starred and expensive Pop show, which is an example of the “more money than brains” tour that often strikes popular acts. Coldplay is too sensible for that.
Nonetheless, the band filled Rogers Arena with swirling screens, lasers, balloons, showers of confetti, three stages, graffiti-inspired visuals and the piece de resistance, issuing all concert-goers with wristbands that lit up at crucial moments, presumably with the single press of a button by a lighting tech. In a second, 15,000 fans lit up and swathed the darkened arena in a blanket of multicoloured glow. No doubt Coldplay does this every night of its current North American tour, but hang the cost, the band can afford it and still not tip over the money-to-brain line. It’s an amazing sight. Almost makes the music, which is at the bottom line of all this, take a backseat. Coldplay, which is back at the arena Saturday night, put in its best Vancouver appearance by far. It helps that it is touring on the strength of its best album, Mylo Xyloto, whose selections dominated the night. Mylo purportedly is the story of a woman trying to find love in an apocalyptic world. That message might or might not be a unifying theme, but it does hint at its cohesion. If previous album Viva La Vida sprawled and, ultimately, was aimless, Mylo is tighter and more complex. The band, led by Chris Martin, is exploiting background vocals (or sing-song chants that stir up the fans); and the sound is more dense, reaching its peak, Friday, with “Paradise,” but climaxing effectively with the churchy “Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall.”
By comparison, a familiar “Clocks” from Coldplay’s A Rush Of Blood to the Head is simpler, almost transparent in its relatively clean lines. Martin has become an ingratiating frontman, suitably humble and frequently smiling, and is ably supported by Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion, who’ve all grown into showmen. Squeezed into a small space at the front of the stage, opening act The Pierces never announced itself. The quartet just showed up and then disappeared after its set. Somehow this was appropriate. Unless on a mission to make the world safe for a China Crisis revival, the band is irrelevant. [Article ends]
New fans photos of Coldplay at the Rogers Arena, Vancouver, Canada (21st April 2012)
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]
4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]
5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [discussion] [NEW!]
18 Porto, Portugal @ Dragao Stadium [discussion]
20 Madrid, Spain @ Estadio Vicente Calderón [discussion]
22 Nice, France @ Stade Charles Herman / Nikaia [discussion]
24 Turin, Italy @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]
26 Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund [discussion]
29 Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Stadium [discussion]
JUNE 2012
1 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
2 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
4 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
7 Sunderland, UK @ the Stadium of Light [discussion]
9 London, UK @ Wembley Stadium (Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2012) [discussion] [NEW!]
9 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]
10 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]
22 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]
23 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]
25 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]
26 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]
28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]
29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]
JULY 2012
2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena [discussion]
3 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena [discussion]
5 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]
6 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]
8 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]
9 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]
23 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]
24 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]
26 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]
27 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]
29 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]
30 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]
AUGUST 2012
1 Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills [discussion]
3 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]
4 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]
7 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]
8 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]
11 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]
28 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium [discussion]
30 Stockholm, Sweden @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]
SEPTEMBER 2012
2 Paris, France @ Stade de France [discussion]
4 Cologne, Germany @ Rheinenergie Stadium [discussion]
6 The Hague, Netherlands @ Malieveld [discussion]
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]
Read also: European Stadium Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the Europe tour)
Read also: North America Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the US/Canada tour)
Read also: 2012: Live Appearances - Easy Thread Finder (last updated - 12th January 2012)
Read also: 2012 tour date rumours (please post dates for ALL countries in here)
Kit yourself up for the forthcoming MX tour and get spotted with Coldplaying's new range of merchandise! [click on the items for the full shop]
The new range of Coldplaying merchanise (unofficial of course to the official shop) has hit our stores, with our biggest range of goods so far. Prices are as low as they can be for a Cafepress shop so more people will be able to afford them. We don't take any profits for the sale of the merchandise as a result. Take a browse in one of the online stores nearest to you: UK | US | Canada | Australia | European (shipping is worldwide, but you can choose what currency to pay in) - simply alter the country dropdown menu at the top of the shop page. [thanks to TracieMorgan and zzz]
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