15 December 2005: Earls Court, London, England
From WikiColdplay
Setlist
- Square One
- Politik
- Yellow
- Speed Of Sound
- God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
- Trouble
- X&Y
- How You See The World
- White Shadows
- The Scientist
- ’Til Kingdom Come
- Hung Up (Madonna Cover)
- Green Eyes
Encore - Clocks
- Talk
Encore - Shiver
- In My Place
- Fix You
Reviews
Coldplay and Ashcroft storm Earls Court Back in the heady post-summer aftershock of September 1997 when Be Here Now ruled the British music world, The Verve played Earls Court supporting Oasis. Chris Martin was barely a university student at the time and Ashcroft and co were yet to find the massive commercial success that the soon-to-be-released Urban Hymns would bring them.
Time does weird things in music and until his Live8 appearance performing ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ with Coldplay as his backing band this summer, Ashcroft looked out of the picture following two lacklustre solo albums, the death of Hut Records (which has seen him relocate to Parlophone) and the very worst thing that can happen to a songwriter: marriage, child birth, wealth and general happiness.
With new LP Keys To The World set for release in early January, we’re treated to the familiar canon of classic Verve tunes (‘Lucky Man’, ‘Sonnet’, ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’) along with a selection of new songs, played with his five-piece band, which includes former Verve and part-time BRMC sticksman, Pete Salisbury.
His vocals are forever improving. ‘The Drugs Don’t Work’ is delivered with such a seering and honeyed warmth that it’s almost reminiscent of when many heard it for the first time back in 1997. Despite early technical problems and a half-empty venue, by the time the song finishes Ashcroft is visibly restored at least part-way to former glories.
And whilst the classics are never just brushed off, the lack of (Verve guitarist) Nick McCabe is notable. Of course ‘Sonnet’ is still wonderful, but bereft of the trademark McCabe-isms (random dashes of delayed, ambient melody) Ashcroft’s band are dynamically rather flat and all the songs float around on the same level. Speckled cries of “Play ‘The Rolling People’!” occasionally ring out and Ashcroft looks up before embarking on new single ‘Break The Night With Colour’. Despite being a particularly bland recording, lacking colour or true personality, live, the song bleeds with remarkable honesty, lifting wonderfully for the chorus, which is soaked in Ashcroft’s trademark ‘Ooh’s and textured by his gravely Northern drawl.
Of the new songs, the only other memorable contender is ‘Sweet Brother Malcolm’, with the melody attached to the line ‘Bring your floral words/Wrapped in selophane’ being one of his finest moments. Sadly forthcoming album opener ‘Why Not Nothing?’ comes across like a poor Bob Dylan cover, while ‘Words Get In The Way’ meanders around like much of the last LP.
Ashcroft is in fine mood however, stripped of his invincibility he is gracious and humble, thanking Chris Martin for ‘sticking his neck on the line’ and the crowd for accepting his new songs. A rousing finale of ‘Bittersweet Symphony’ (“without the strings and fancy things and lawsuits”) closes his 45 minute set appropriately, but at this point there isn’t going to be much more of the same anytime soon.
Over two years after their last two date jaunt here, it’s nice to see Coldplay somewhere with a roof. Tonight’s set is meticulously picked without an ounce of filler and none of the wind-muddle acoustic warbling that bored many people at Glastonbury this year.
Chris Martin is in full Michael Stipe mode, smurfing around the stage, on his knees, in the air but without an ounce of pomposity. He truly looks like a man wholly enjoying what he does. The key to any successful stadium show is a strong ending. They come out and play ‘Square One’, ‘Politik’, ‘Yellow’ and ‘Speed Of Sound’ without pausing for breath. It is absolutely immense; four top class anthems tossed away at the start of the set without even a consideration for what to play later.
Where the Radiohead-milking 'Square One' and 'Politik' highlight Coldplay’s pounding melodic heart, shattering tightness and unearthly soundscapes, it’s the ‘made-for-stadium’ moments that ping the hairs, lump the throats and make you realise why this is the band of our generation. The kind of moments where you need each of the 22,000 strong crowd.
‘The Scientist’, like much of Martin’s puzzle-orientated, questioning muse is perfect, the ultimate nod to his heroes, Noel Gallagher and Ashcroft, being as it is a cross between ‘The Masterplan’ and ‘On Your Own’, doused with his typically middle-class charm. The enriching honesty of ‘Swallowed By The Sea’ really comes into its own tonight. Martin may often sound like a pre-teen choir boy with a clothes peg on his nose, but his falsetto is fully enriched from a year of touring 160 countries, making darting new tracks like ‘White Shadows’ incredibly joyful, though there may be a few too many nods to U2, through this and the stomping rendition of ‘Talk’.
But where Bono is the ultimate champagne socialist, Martin’s self-effacing, boyish beauty, introspective romanticism and almost adolescent insecurity make him a frontman of incredible stature. His performance is blessed with such a strong grasp of humility and of being able to engage with an audience so well, that even those in the far corners of, what is usually a blissless hanger, feel as if they’re back in the student unions of yesteryear; watching Coldplay straddle over each other on stage, cramped next to the bar by crates of empty bottles and their own ambitions.
Naturally ‘Fix You’ is their stand out live tune. Imagine ‘Angels’ being played by Robbie at Knebworth at each of his three nights there, cram all the people in and double the vibes and that’s how this Coldplay show ends. On a truly unmatchable high. When supporting Muse at the London Astoria (capacity: 2,000) in June 2001, Martin memorably quipped that ‘Trouble’ would make them ‘Bon Jovi massive’. They don’t play it tonight, but it certainly did the trick.
