It’s a distant memory now when Coldplay first played Australia. In fact most of you probably didn’t even notice it happening. Riddled with nerves, Chris Martin stepped onto the Big Day Out Main Stage in 2001 to a crowd who had no idea who they were. They had barely released “Parachutes” at this point, after all. And probably being sandwiched in between Queens of the Stone Age and P.J. Harvey had something to do with it too.
Who could have even imagined, seeing that young British lad with his head down over the piano, looking more like Linus from Charlie Brown than a rock star that they would soon be able to command crowds of tens, even hundreds of thousands, with confidence and inarguably impressive prowess. As sure as I am that Chris Martin and co. were blown away by the speed at which Parachute’s success took them to the main stage of Big Day Out in Australia, they too could never have anticipated the band they are today. A band, as this week’s concerts in Sydney and around the country have shown, that are worth every cent of the admission ticket.
Regretfully missing the enigmatic Decoder Ring, I arrived just in time to see Mercury Rev, the melodic rock experience from New York who scored a last minute surprise support spot for the national tour. While many around me seemed rather perplexed at their musical stylings – a vague cross between The Polyphonic Spree and The Flaming Lips – I couldn’t have enjoyed it more. Well, perhaps if those around me could have kept their comments to themselves anyway. But then again, I’m quite into that sort of music, and I can certainly understand why some people would be put off by it. Still, lead singer David Baker lead the band through a superb sounding set, much of which was off their recent “Snowflake Midnight”. Would love to see them in a smaller venue one day. Naturally, the more experimental music is, relative to the size of a venue, the more muddled it all comes out. Just ask TV on the Radio!
During the interlude between bands, the music on the speakers (which humorously included a U2 track – Bono has been notably outspoken against Chris Martin of late) grew louder and louder, until a “cleaner” jumped onto one of the catwalks (one was suspended into the crowd on either side of the stage) and started break dancing, which was then followed by a lovely ballet recital! I have to say, this was a perfectly fitting way to get everyone in their seats and in the mood for a few hours of Coldplay. By the time the band appeared on stage, in shadows behind a curtain to “Life in Technicolor” it was surprising one could hear the band at all – the screams were deafening, and the energy from the band was just as strong.
What followed was one of the best live shows I’ve ever seen – showing once again that with each and every tour the band not only develops musically, but aesthetically as well – with their stage presence becoming more and more powerful, and the stage and light show every the more impressive. Chris, while still possessing the Linus-esque piano mannerisms that remind me of his Big Day Out performance, is now a completely different being.
Running around the stage time and time again, waving around umbrellas as neon butterflies fall from the sky, or as yellow balloons crowd surf the excited crowd. The rest of the band moved as well – with several songs being played on one of the catwalks to give some parts of the audience a better view. But nothing beat them running up towards the back of the arena, setting up shop at the top of the stairs, and playing acoustically to a group of stunned crowd members. Included in this set was a cover “I’m a Believer” which provided the best sing-along of the night, enducing a few nice goosebumps along the way. Even drummer Will Champion got in on the act, performing vocals “Death Will Never Conquer”, Chris Martin calling him the better singer of the two… he just drew the short straw and had to deal with all the press… and girls…. and fun…. Just some of the humorous banter Chris Martin engaged in with the crowd.
Indeed, he knows how to put on a show, and it was fantastic to see a production brought along from overseas. Too often the Australian crowds are snubbed on that respect – with bands opting for “el cheapo” versions of their shows to save money. One of the best shows I’ve ever been to, and with 2 encores and a whole barrage of material played from all their albums (including my favourite: “The Scientist” and material from “Viva La Vida” which sounded nothing sort of incredible live), I don’t think anyone would have left Acer Arena thinking much different.
