COLDPLAY star Chris Martin last night made light of his brush with the law - joking about a weekend incident with a photographer with thousands of fans at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion.
Opening his heart on stage, Martin admitted he had been through a rough couple of days after his alleged confrontation with a freelance photographer in Byron Bay. But he didn't blame it on A Rush Of Blood To The Head.
But he managed to laugh about it, quipping with the crowd: "The only time I thought I'd be involved with the police was when I met Sting."
Frontman Martin thanked the crowd for coming, especially after his clash with the snapper - and the fans responded by raising the roof with cheers.
Although The Daily Telegraph spotted Martin and his Hollywood star fiance Gwyneth Paltrow driving to the concert together, she remained hidden from the crowd during the British band's performance.
The highly sought after pair have shied away from local media during the band's Australian tour but Martin allegedly hit breaking point when he confronted a photographer who took photos of him surfing.
The Coldplay singer has been ordered to appear in court on a charge of malicious damage for allegedly attacking freelancer Jon Lister's car with a rock and letting down his tyres.
"He's just made himself a bigger story than he ever was," Lister said yesterday.
Martin was reportedly angered when Lister took several photos of him in the water.
"It's just because he's Mr [Gwyneth] Paltrow, otherwise we wouldn't be interested in him," said Lister.
"He caught one wave. He isn't a bad surfer."
Lister said he spoke to the 26-year-old Englishman about his surfing after he left the water with a man and a woman - one of whom was from a prominent Australian rock band also on the Splendour in the Grass bill.
"I was very complimentary but he wasn't having a bar of it," Lister said.
He said Martin asked him to erase the images and the singer then made a grab for his digital camera.
"He said 'You're making my life a misery'," Lister said.
The photographer said he realised the alleged incident had the potential to make him look bad.
"People might say it serves me right ... this is what makes life interesting, I guess," he said.
Martin has been ordered to appear in Byron Bay Local Court on October 8.
The band, who played at a secret concert at the Sydney Opera House last week for Foxtel's MusicMax channel, have been recording a live concert DVD during the Australian leg of their tour.
Last night Martin asked fans to be extra enthusiastic when they cheered during the renditions of featured favourites such as Yellow, Don't Panic and In My Place.
Coldplay will perform their last concert at the Horden Pavilion tonight to conclude the Australian leg of their 2003 world tour before stopping in Auckland for a show with their New Zealand fans.