http://hudba.zoznam.sk/reportaze/17-09-2012-coldplay-v-prahe-duet-s-rihannou-rozbita-gitara-aj-bozkavanie-podia/
Coldplay in Prague: duet with Rihanna, smashed guitar as well as kissing the stage
As far as the concert performance is concerned, Coldplay have been the worldwide top for ages and their shows are usually hopelessly sold out. Last night, the band left their soul on a large stage in the Prague Synot Tip Arena and proved to be in the best shape for the current Mylo Xyloto Tour. Coldplay prepared literally a colorful whirlwind for their fans.
Triple concert in style
There is no doubt Coldplay grew up. From an alternative band, they shifted more to mainstream and can easily fill up stadiums where organization ticks like a watch and every point on the list offers something interesting. Everything is thought through and to electrify the fan is the goal from the very start.
Even yesterday, the band did not leave their biggest triumphs for the last moment. Already a few minutes before starting, the wristbands on the hands of all participants, which were part of the show and were handed out at the entrance, started to blink. This way, the aforementioned colorful “whirlwind” was activated stealthily, creating a perfect support for the scenery decorated within the theme of the latest Mylo Xyloto album.
The warm-up musical round started in Synot Tip Arena already at half past six, with performance of the first support. Frank Ocean, who was supposed to do the original support was replaced by a less known, but the more talented islander, Charli XCX. She introduced her mixture of new wave and a bit dark electro-pop, however was very good to listen to. But even if, as my neighbor said, “I don’t even have to look at her and I’m enjoying her music”, it was apparent that this young lady does not fit to the large stage as yet.
However, the female masterfulness was brought to the stage by Marina and the Diamonds, who entered in her glossy pink dress and was enjoying her performance from the very start. British singer of Greek-Welsh origin has already shown on the Grape festival in Piešťany last year that she knows how to approach fans. Even in Prague, she had no problems to communicate with the audience and with her cheerful songs created the right atmosphere for the main star to arrive.
Blinking wristbands and fireworks
Shortly before quarter to nine, the London quartet was introduced by the Jay-Z song, 99 Problems. Quite a genre shift compared to 2008 when the Coldplay concert in O2 Arena started with Strauss’ Waltz, The Blue Danube, but this has done no harm to the experienced Londoners. Wristbands on the viewers’ hands were pulsing like out of their minds, a shower of firework sparks raised to the air and the band has energetically launched its almost two-hour show with the newest titles, Mylo Xyloto followed by Hurts Like Heaven.
"Dobrý večer, je to skvělé být tady," (Good evening, it’s wonderful to be here), spoke the singer, Chris Martin, in Czech language and continued to tell in his mother tongue that the band will try to perform "the best fucking concert", it has ever played. Right after that, the stage framed by five circles with eye-catching projection was misted in red color and another song from the latest studio album, Major Minus, was played. However, the effective color changes, sparky bright fireworks and flying confetti, were still not enough and the next tune, Lovers In Japan, was supported by huge colorful balloons bounced by the audience all around the stadium.
What would you expect and what not
Coldplay’s hits are their security – it is impossible to play e.g. The Scientist and not to hear even the security guy at the entrance waken up. Also the melodies of Yellow or Violet Hill are really, but really made for stadiums. To their old alternative times, the band also returned with their song God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, which was transformed into a rock blast-off, including something you might not expect, which is Chris going totally crazy smashing his guitar against the ground. Also this is one of the proofs that the Coldplay of these days, in spite of the aforementioned shift towards mainstream, is definitely not only the impious glib pop for masses.
These are exactly the uncomplimentary words used by the “die-hard” fans for the song Princess Of China. However, after the more rock-like part of the concert, one of their “most commercial” song was a pleasant refreshment. During the current tour, Coldplay also bring Rihanna with them, even if not literally. The singer appeared on projection in the snippets from the videoclip and thus the song sounded much more effectively as if Chris Martin sang the female parts on his own, as he has done a few times before.
After the short slowdown in the tempo, there were other “stadium tunes” on the list, Viva La Vida, at the end of which was the exhausted singer lying on the stage and the audience finished the song for him, Charlie Brown, when the stadium was cut by lasers and a noticeably quick goodbye after the Paradise.
Viva La Coldplay
It is sometimes very convenient to have the "oh-oh-oh" chant in a song, the resourceful fans decided to call the band back after the lights went down, and the Viva La Vida chant was heard through the whole arena. In the encore set, the quartet appeared on a small stage in the middle of the crowd, which was not so surprising anymore (they did a similar piece in Prague also four years ago) and performed the songs Us Against The World, with drummer Will Champion behind the piano and microphone, and Speed Of Sound done by the whole quartet.
Soon after that, Coldplay returned back to the main stage to fire the last three pieces of the evening – Clocks, Fix You and the final Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, during which the band used immersive fireworks, flickering lights and blinking wristbands jumping with the crowd. After the final bow, the frontman bent down and as a sign of respect kissed the stage which was the setting of a megalomaniac but probably the most colorful concert of this year in the Czech Republic. There’s no wonder - Coldplay do their job really amazingly.