Coldplay Across The Causeway

Singaporeans seem to have all the luck. This year has seen the arrival of Oasis, the Kings of Convenience and Franz Ferdinand.

Now two major acts, Coldplay and Mogwai, have confirmed visits to the island republic. Coldplay requires little or no introduction. One of the world’s biggest bands, if not the biggest, Coldplay is three albums into a career of making heartfelt, painfully earnest melodic rock. Its last album X&Y may have been more of a self-important set of canoodlings rather than the masterpiece it aimed for, but the album has still got a solid first half where a lustrous simplicity manages to come through the slightly bloated arrangements.

Thankfully, a Coldplay gig means that stuff will be played from the earlier and far better albums, Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To The Head.The Twisted Logic world tour takes the band to the Singapore Indoor Stadium on July 10, with tickets ranging from S$68 (RM156) to a hefty S$168 (RM385). Tickets will be available for booking today on www.sistic.com.sg.

On Aug 1, the Esplanade will play host to Scottish post-rock quintet Mogwai. Formed in 1996 with the aim of producing “serious guitar music” — with nary a lyric, verse or chorus across its five-album career, it has certainly achieved that and more. Mogwai is widely acknowledged to be making some of today’s most exciting music, soaring, hard-edged instrumental tracks that inspire, stir and terrify in equal measure.

Mogwai’s music is more a collection of aural monoliths, but this doesn’t prevent it from being one of the world’s most highly-regarded “live” acts too. With close to a decade of experience and a new album, Mr. Beast, that’s been a hit with the critics, its live show is likely to be scintillating stuff.

Tickets are priced at S$78 and S$98, with an early bird S$10 discount for anyone who books before June 19, and a limited concession rate of S$48 for students. Tickets go on sale from June 6, and details are available at www.esplanade.com.

Source: nst.com.my