Few acts these days could sell out two shows at Vancouver’s Rogers Arena, but Coldplay, easily one of the hottest in the world, boasts cross-generational appeal - not to mention sweeping choruses that inspire loud sing-alongs – always the mark of a collective good time, writes the Globe & Mail in another 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 Globe and Mail review article...
The U.K. band has sold in the order of 55 million records and is sitting with another new hit album in Mylo Xyloto. Frontman Chris Martin promised Friday night’s crowd that they’d give “119 per cent,” and the band delivered on that rather random promise with a visually compelling and dynamic 90-minute performance.
The production was all about clever tricks and crowd-pleasing spectacles. One of the most impressive of these was the multicoloured LED light wristbands handed out to fans upon arrival. The radio-controlled lights lit up in dramatic unison once the band launched into the new album’s title track, and they were used throughout, turning the room into a giant Lite-Brite and the audience into part of the production.
Coldplay works hard, plays solidly, writes lovely, magnanimous songs with big, joyous melodies, and understands its audience, which means they are not above playing older hits, this time including In My Place, Yellow, The Scientist, Viva La Vida, Fix You, alongside invigorating, chest-walloping renditions of new tracks like Paradise and Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall, the fittingly dramatic show closer. And while Martin might not be the most natural performer, he makes the most of what he’s got.
Only a truly skilled showman can successfully play to a big room, and navel-gazing behaviour just doesn’t do. While Mick Jagger plays to the very back of the hall with the campy moves of a drag queen doing Tina Turner, Martin, who is superbly fit, opts for the utilitarian moves of a calisthenics instructor. If he’d dropped and given us 100 push-ups, it would not have been out of place.
The band – including guitarist Jonny Buckland, drummer Will Champion and bass player Guy Berryman – generously moved between the main stage and a B-stage connected by a catwalk. Martin covered all of it thoroughly, frequently praising the crowd, and stopping to catch a red bra thrown to him from a clearly diehard fan. In an effort to reach everybody, the foursome even squeezed into a row at the rear of the room during the encore for a rendition of Us Against the World.
Like its predecessor, U2, the band is not one to be accused of subtlety, which is a good thing in an arena, where the sound will never be fantastic, and the group will always be a speck to at least half the audience. And so, being literal wins out against nuance. On Clocks, Martin sang “Tides that I tried to swim against,” and made a swimming motion across the top of his piano. When a song was particularly inspirational, he’d fall to his knees, and then to the floor, in an act that at times came dangerously close to self-parody.
As the show went on, giant balls bounced among the crowd, the band’s clothes glowed with drabs of fluorescent paint and a piano rose from the B-stage on cue. We were covered with giant confetti, and dazzled by Spirographs, red lasers and overhead clouds of swirling colour. On the Rihanna duet, Princess of China, a projection of the Barbadian songstress appeared onscreen, while Martin, his T-shirt drenched, rocked the hell out of his piano seat and, voice breaking, sang his part.
By show’s end, he triumphantly collected his trademark jacket and bowed to the cheering audience, clearly pleased with their reaction. And he’d earned it. [Article ends]
New photos of Coldplay performing at the Rogers Arena, Vancouver (20-21 April 2012):
Photos courtesy of electric_soul
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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