Coldplay

 1st June 2012 - Emirates Stadium, London

This being the Jubilee weekend, it was only right that Britain's finest take to the stage in the capital for a 3 day stop in what is a show which comes close to the dramatics witnessed through jubilee flybys and fireworks. All eyes on London (one of the worlds great cities), all eyes on Coldplay (one of the worlds great bands).

To say i am Coldplay's number one fan would be a lie, yet its difficult to deny the sheer class that they bring to the industry. Chris Martin's mastery of songwriting is slowly projecting him into potential musical greatness with album after album appearing to be the masterpiece only to be outdone in a different and interesting way each time by the ensuing album. Therefore giving live shows a freshness and a certain anticipation for greatness from their millions of eagerly yearning fans. The Mylo Xyloto show takes this to a new level.

Upon entering the stadium attention is immediately pulled towards a walkabout area which is similar to stage layouts used by rock greats The Rolling Stones, allowing the band to move into the crowd and allows those further back to get and idea of what it is like to see what Chris Martin's sweat looks like without the aid of the four 50 foot screens above the stage. To get things started the more eager of the fans are treated to the experience and almost forgotten Northern Irish rockers, Ash. A band i personally used to frequently listen to in years gone by. The did however slowly fad towards the end of the last decade and have recently appeared in support of Coldplay. For this reason interest was high on my behalf to get a glimpse of Tim Wheeler's Flying V once more. I could not help but feel a subdued atmosphere killed my excitement slightly as most were desperate for the main act, more so than any gig i have ever attended. This can also be applied for the other supporting act, Marina and the Diamonds, headed by a Welsh singer-songwriter with a name that appears slightly suspect to me. Marina Lambrini Diamandis hit the scene in 2010 after reaching second in the BBC sound of 2010. I can honestly say i am less exposed to her music as i am to Ash but i couldn't help but recognise several songs, mostly from my forays into daytime Radio 1 recently in my attempts to understand what a Glee is. However, anticipation seemed to wash out the warmups and eventually is was greeted with one of the most incredible sights i have ever witnessed at a show.

The light began to diminish from the early summer sky and the wristbands which were handed out to every ticket holder (see above image) sprung into life in what was a stunning celestial display of unity between band and crowd. Blues, Greens, Purples and reds blended with the neon coloured stage set up which made the entire stadium look like something out of Close Encounters of the Third Kind. The lights pulsed with the beat and was very much the core of the visual aspect of the show. Paired with neon butterflies and birds floating about with coloured balls bouncing around the crowd, it made for quite the breathtaking display. Towards the end of the show the band disappeared for 5 minutes only returning at the back of the stalls area on a small stage giving a very intimate performance for the later arriving crowd members.

As i sit watching my wristband continue to flash spontaneously a week after the gig, it distracts me from commenting on the music however the music was exactly as expected, belting modern melodic rock anthems such as Yellow and In my place led to an energised crowd singing along with splender despite the £5 price tag attached to their pints and glasses of wine.  Nothing could disuade this crowd from their beloved crowd which included my Mother, clad in Coldplay merchandise. I also got the feeling that she was not the only parent there, the majority of fans there were your typical Coldplay fan. Middle class Mothers and Fathers from London and the Home counties. Never the less, the energy was unbelievable as the band move on to favourites such as The Scientist and Fix you, clearly moving for both the fans and the band. Moving on to the Grand Finale, fireworks, lasers, more frenzied waving of LED wristbands, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall rung out to finish up what is probably one of the best shows the tens of thousands in attendance will have ever seen. This show really was unmissable, a fan or not the sheer spectacle of the show makes it worth the £80-£100 ticket price which may have put neutrals off. Even the local Arsenal fans cannot deny that the spectacle show would rival MR Van Persie even on his finest day.

The band met expectations yet again, a fresh new show, fresh new music which will last the ages and a souvenir in the shape of a wristband that im starting to think will continue to flash until the next time Britain's finest hit the road.


Set List

Mylo Xyloto, Hurts Like Heaven, In My Place, Major Minus, Lovers In Japan, The Scientist, Yellow, Violet Hill, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Princess of China, Up in Flames, Warning Sign, Don’t Let It Break Your Heart, Viva La Vida, Charlie Brown,Paradise, Us Against The World, Speed Of Sound, Clocks, Fix You, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall