COLDPLAY 2012 Live – Review!
As Jay Z‘s 99 Problems played out across North London’s Emirates Stadium, one of the biggest bands in the world waited to greet their adoring crowd!
Coldplay formed in the late 90’s whilst attending University College London. The release of their single Yellow in 2000, followed by their debut album released in the same year, Parachutes, took the uni band into the big league, and neither they nor their fans have looked back since.
On a glorious evening on an otherwise damp Jubilee weekend (w/e 2nd-3rd June, 2012), Coldplay mixed their back catalogue with new material to a laser light shower, confetti mash-up. And it worked superbly. The fans were given the chance to add to the visual spectacle. Each given a wristband which flashed either red, white, blue, green or pink and though this may have seemed gimmicky to some, the balance was right for this occasion.
Martin bounced around the stage feeding off the crowd’s energy, calling to the fans “the more you give us the more we give you”. The bargain seemed to work as Coldplay kept the crowd buzzing right to the very end. Whether this was Martin’s request or the flashing wristbands or just everybody’s desire to have a good ol’ fashion sing along – whilst chanting along to the melodic Yellow or jumping around to Viva la Vida, you definitely felt like you were experiencing a moment to be remembered.
The crowd didn’t drown out Martin’s soaring and haunting vocals. There was certainly no sense of drab or drippy tones that Coldplay may have been accused of (by some) in the past; on Monday (4th June, 2012) his vocals set the stadium alight – they didn’t need the fireworks, though they did add to the spectacle.
Spectacle, show, occasion, moment – words that describe this concert which give testimony to how impressive the production of the gig was – it really made you feel part of something special. The energy that each band member gave was essential to this and the crowd got to thank them in turn as they individually took to the stage for the encore. As an extra trick to the show – as if it needed anymore – the crowd were treated to a 5th member of the band for one song only – Simon Pegg. Pegg didn’t disappoint busting out some surprisingly impressive harmonica playing.
Leaving the stadium, spirits were high as impromptu choruses of Paradise echoed through the crowd. Looking around and noticing the complete diversity in the people drawn to a Coldplay gig: young, old, friends families, you can’t help but think what nice boys those musicians from that uni band are. Coldplay have general mass appeal – what’s wrong with that?
Excuse the pun but after a jubilant performance, Coldplay put a smile upon a lot of faces the royal bank holiday weekend.
Review by: James Greenwood
