UK superstars Coldplay have returned to Australia for the first time since 2012’s massive Mylo Xyloto stadium tour, this time for a short promotional run following the release of follow-up LP Ghost Stories (out now), the widely acclaimed record that has become known as lead singer Chris Martin’s break-up record. Indeed, it’s a deeply personal album, following Martin’s widely publicized “conscious uncoupling” with wife Gwyneth Paltrow.
Perhaps it comes as little surprise, given its personal nature and the unrelenting press that has surrounded the breakup, that the band haven’t done the usual interview run that accompanies the release of a record. Rather, they’re letting the music speak for itself with a series of intimate performances, including two in Australia.
The first was tonight at Sydney’s Star Event Centre to help celebrate the 50th Max Session – a series on Foxtel’s Max TV that was kicked off 11 years ago by Coldplay themselves. It only made sense to bring things full circle, and ever the more appropriate as the band return to the feels of early material, best experienced in smaller spaces.
The set, which included 11 tracks for the TV show, and an extra 3 for the fans in the room, was without host Chit Chat’s normal Q&A. These guys really don’t want to dwell on this record. In fact, though Martin referred to tracks like the emotional “True Love” as some of the work he’s most proud of, Chit Chat later alluded to the fact these promotional performances may be the only shows the band do in support of the new album (“one of seven around the world”, I think he put it). And Martin did pay mention their conscious lack of dialogue on the record, offering some insight, saying: “the album is about going through something life changing and coming out better/stronger the other side”. Well there you go.
The TV performance focused on favorites off their two latest records, with a few other gems thrown in for good measure. Even though it was for television, their production remained with hanging stars that lit up, lasers that first appeared during “Charlie Brown” and even star shaped confetti appropriately during “Sky Is Full Of Stars” (which seems to be the song they were filming in Newtown yesterday). The new songs, particularly “Ink” and the mentioned “True Love” were beautiful live and couldn’t have suited the intimate space better.
But, as they say, the best was saved for last (and off camera), and after leaving briefly after “Fix You”, the band returned to perform the beautiful “Til Kingdom Come”. The room went silent as Chris performed solo on acoustic guitar with backing vocals from Will Champion (Drummer), as Bassist Guy Berryman added in some Harmonica at the end. With the cameras off, the boys played some tracks they admitted were a bit “rusty” but as they churned through that, “The Scientist” and set closer “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall”, they could have fooled us.
After years of performing stadiums and arenas, it was truly a special treat to get to see the band back in a smaller venue. It took away all the theatrics and allowed the band to perform their new album in a space that allows it to be taken in – not lost in the rafters above 80,000 people. And as for whether or not these will indeed be the only shows the band to for this record in Australia, do note that they have no scheduled performances after their July 2nd gig at the Royal Albert Hall…
The performance will screen on Foxtel’s Max TV for their 50th Max Session on August 9th at 7:30pm. Coldplay perform one final show (their only public performance while in the country) at the Enmore Theatre tomorrow night, which is – naturally – sold out.
FULL SETLIST:
Always In My Head
Charlie Brown
Paradise
Magic
Clocks
Ink
True Love
Viva La Vida
Oceans
Sky Full Of Stars
Fix You
——
Til Kingdom Come
The Scientist
Every Teardrop is a Waterfall
