Following in the footsteps of their heroes U2, Coldplay created a stadium spectacular in the sold out Etihad stadium. On what would have otherwise been a quiet Tuesday night in Melbourne, Coldplay’s massive hits along with a bang of fireworks echoed throughout the Docklands. The band connected with their fans through light up wrist bands which turned the stadium into a sea of twinkling colours at various points in their performance. The beginning of the concert was marked with fireworks, a massive light show on stage as well as lasers shooting across the stadium and bouncing off the seating banks. This was, of course, followed by a flood of confetti as Chris Martin’s sweet voice filled the stadium with the familiar lyrics of In My Place. The band stroked the egos of their rampant fans by labelling them “the best in the world”.
Their set list to catered for all Coldplay fans, from the most recent to the old school with early track Warning Sign included. It was a pleasant change to see the band’s front man really soaking up the unbridled enthusiasm from the massive 62,500 person crowd when in the past he might have recoiled from the band’s massive impact. Their latest album Mylo Xyloto was well received and Princess of China featured an Asian inspired video of Rihanna. And of course Paradise, their first single to hit number one in the Australian charts.
Martin was already dripping with sweat and ready to change into his second T-shirt as he sat down at the paint covered piano to sing The Scientist, a crowd favourite that had the whole stadium singing or in tears…. or both. The effect of all of the lights, fireworks and confetti at the beginning of the concert made for a visceral overload that left the crowd salivating for more. They blended seamlessly between tracks from various albums that seemed worlds apart. Coloured balloons went across the moshpit as the insanely vivacious Lovers In Japan was played, followed by giant light up inflatables popping up around the stadium in the theme of their latest Mylo Xyloto album.
Martin thanked the crowd for paying the high ticket prices and coming out on a Tuesday night to see their concert with the humility of a guy from a band just playing in their garage. Overall, they promised an amazing show and they delivered with their final songs Fix You, Clocks and Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall absolutely bringing the house down. The concert was nothing short of breathtaking with the onslaught of audio and visual effects that stirred up the senses and created a truly electric atmosphere. Every single person who left the stadium did so with a massive smile etched on their face from the bands infectious joy and genuine love for their fans.
Credit must also be given to their supporting Australian band The Temper Trap who unleashed their incredibly different sound over an enthusiastic pre-show audience. With massive hits such as Sweet Disposition, Trembling Hands and Love Was Lost, it’s no wonder Coldplay chose them to build up the crowd in anticipation for what would surely be one of the greatest concert experiences to date.
BY EMILY MACFARLANE
Photo credit: Charles Newbury
LOVED: How sweaty Chris Martin got.
HATED: The “singing” from the woman beside me (more like a cat being strangled).
DRANK: A coconut water in respect to Chris Martin’s yoga instructing hobby.
