Coldplay tour: Brisbane lit up by stadium band’s colourful Head Full of Dreams show
THEY may cop flak for being “uncool” as one of the biggest stadium bands in the world but Coldplay are embracing it and, if last night’s show in Brisbane is anything to go by, they’ve mastered the art.
Confidential
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CHRIS Martin is under no illusion that his band are as cool as they used to be.
“Thanks for putting up with all the shit you get for liking Coldplay,” he told the audience in one of the many intimate moments of last night’s Brisbane show.
“We’re gonna try and make it worth the effort!”
Still, copping shit - and filling venues like Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium - is the price you pay for being heir apparent to U2 as the world’s foremost stadium band.
And the fans who’ve stuck with them since their days as Britpop darlings now have kids of their own, making last night’s show a family affair.
“This is show No.70 on our tour, and as far as we’re concerned that’s 69 rehearsals for Brisbane. Australia!” Martin declared to rapturous applause.
“This is gonna be the best night of our lives and we’re gonna give it all we’ve got, and all we ask is for you to do the same.”
Sure, he told Auckland exactly the same thing a couple of nights earlier - right down to the number of shows - but whatever. This was our night!
Where some see a band that’s sold out, others see one that’s grown and become more sophisticated. And Coldplay proved once again they could run the gamut, from the intimate ballads with just Martin, a guitar or piano and 50,000 of his closest friends, to the fully fledged stadium anthems that were an experience of sight, sound, heart and mind.
Opening with the title track to the album and tour Head Full of Dreams, Martin strode the walkway that dissected the field as a rainbow of confetti exploded around him.
And by the climax of the show, giant multicoloured balloons were bouncing off the crowd in slow motion.
“Come out to Brisbane, tell ya I’m sorry,” he sang to the piano intro of The Scientist.
Just a wild guess, but I reckon we're in for a good one tonight! R42#ColdplayBrisbane pic.twitter.com/KfO6k8jVsy
— Coldplay (@coldplay) December 6, 2016
A scorcher of a Brisbane summer’s day had given way to a cloudy, comfortably cool night at Suncorp, but that didn’t stop Martin from working up a sweat with his energetic performance.
All four band members gathered on a central podium for a couple of numbers, then Martin remained there on keyboard for Everglow, the most intimate you can get with an audience of that size.
And he was bouncing in his seat for the decidedly more upbeat Clocks. By the beginning of Fix You he was lying flat on his back among the confetti.
The show reached its peak with the soaring, goosebump-inducing Amazing Day, which began with the band in different corners of the stadium before Martin strode back down the walkway with an arm slung over guitarist Jonny Buckland’s shoulder.
Maybe it was because it the show was being recorded, or perhaps they’re just consummate professionals, but Coldplay insisted on repeating their encore entrance after the first attempt struck an audio glitch.
It was a minor hitch in an otherwise slick production.
“Sending this up to David and to Prince and to anyone else who’s listening,” Martin said before launching into Heroes by the late great Bowie.
A Crowd Full Of Stars. R42#ColdplayBrisbane pic.twitter.com/yHiYipGnpX
— Coldplay (@coldplay) December 6, 2016
He also dedicated a song to his parents Alison and Tony, who’d made the trip to Brisbane.
After opening with the first track from Head Full of Dreams they closed with the last, the uplifting Up&Up accompanied by surreal imagery on the big screen.
Seventy shows into their world tour, Coldplay are showing no signs of just going through the motions - in fact they’re honing their talent more with each performance.
Setlist: A Head Full of Dreams, Yellow, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, The Scientist, Birds, Paradise/Remix, Always In My Head, Magic, Everglow, Clocks/Midnight, Charlie Brown, Hymn for the Weekend, Fix You, Heroes, Viva La Vida, AOAL. Encore 1: Don’t Panic, Shiver, Til Kingdom Come. Encore 2: Amazing Day, A Sky Full of Stars, Up&Up
Coldplay play Etihad Stadium, Melbourne, Dec 9-10; Allianz Stadium, Sydney, Dec 13-14. Tickets via livenationom.au
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