Exclusive: COLDPLAY
- Live In Melbourne
By
Sean Lynch
All Photos Courtesy: Sean Lynch & Jacqui Machuca
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Coldplay were
once the wonder children of the independent music industry. They didn't
have the arrogance that made bands like Oasis
or Radiohead
self-implode, they were shy English boys
and most importantly
- they possessed a musical potential not seen since The
Beatles.
However,
the fickle fortune of fame has recently turned the perception of
Coldplay from 'The Second Coming' into a 'Girly Waste of Time'.
But anyone who attended any of
their three Melbourne
concerts (July 1, 2 & 3) for their Twisted
Logic Tour will no doubt put all those arguments to rest. As
at the moment, Coldplay are - put simply - the best band in the world.
Exploding onto stage just
after 9:20pm
on a rather chilly Sunday evening (following a rather dull performance
from Aussie support act, Youth Group) - the 20,000
strong crowd erupted. A
giant video screen placed at the back of the stage created a silhouette
of lead singer Chris Martin as giant digital numbers began the
countdown to their blistering opening tune "Square One" from the
fastest ever selling album, X & Y.
From
there, it was without doubt one of the most amazing live shows I've
been to yet. From the explosive "Politik" to the silent beauty
of
"The Scientist", Coldplay
proved that they have created an astounding
back catalouge of hits.
Most importantly, and to
their credit,
the band somehow managed to create a concert that appealed on two
vastly different levels. The first, a musical plethora - stunning
tracks from the three of their stunning LP's and associated
B-Sides.
The second, one of the most
visually impressive
stage performances yet seen. Unlike the brash 'The Bigger The
Better' stage tours of the likes of U2 or Robbie
Williams, Coldplay
manage to create an aura and visual symmetry which was just stunning.
From the lazer light show which showered the eager audience during
"Clocks", to one of the most beautiful moments of the concert - when a
sea of giant yellow balloons filled with glitter ascended from the back
of the stadium and passed around the crowd, eventually ending up on
stage
with Martin and his cohorts during a stunning rendition of their break
out hit "Yellow".
There were so many surprises
throughout the
show. The first encore performance, a cover of Kylie Minouge's "Can't
Get You Out Of My Head" was a definite crowd favourite. Martin
proclaiming "As kids, we barely knew of anything outside of our town of
Durum. That was until we heard of a little place called Ramsay Street
in Melbourne, Australia".
The
musical tributes didn't stop
there, as the the band including Chris Martin, Jonnie Buckland, Will
Champion and Guy Berrymen walked to the front of the stage for a short
acoustic set in memory of legendary country folk singer Johnny Cash
with a glorious rendition - sung with full force by the crowd - of
"Ring of Fire".
Personally,
this was one of the concerts more special moments. Standing front row
centre on the fence, with less than a metre between myself and the band
- whose ability to work a crowd was second to none - made the task of
lining up almost 3 hours before showtime completely worth the effort.
It was nothing short of astonishing.
The
band really hit their stride in the last leg of the show, pumping out
some of their biggest hits one after the other. "Clocks",
"Talk" and the anthem of 2006 "Fix You" left the crowd on their feet
and cheering for more. Martin, making an indelible impression running
out into the crowd, up the stairs to the very top back of Rod Laver
Areana yelling "We didn't travel 17,000 miles to not see the people in
the shit seats".
Easily one of the best concerts of
2006, if not, for the last ten years. Robbie, Kylie
and U2
may have the biggest stages in the world, but Coldplay certainly know
how to let their music shine through the lights - let's hope they
return to our shores soon!
Set-List: 4 out
of 5
So
many hits, barely enough time to get them all out there. Martin seemed
a little off key early on in the piece, but hit full pace by half way.
Lighting & Visual: 5 out of 5
From the get-go, the single most impressive visual display since U2's
Pop-Mart Tour. A fantastic mixture
of artistic
colouring and stunning mood lighting. A feast for the eyes.
Overall: 95%
Coldplay
is currently touring Australia, their latest Album 'X & Y' is
in stores now.
Download Album
Purchase CD
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Photos: Sean
Lynch & J. Machuca
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