19 December 2005: MEN Arena, Manchester, England
From WikiColdplay
Setlist
- Square One
- Politik
- Yellow
- Speed Of Sound
- God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
- X&Y
- White Shadows
- How You See The World
- The Scientist
- ’Til Kingdom Come
- Don’t Panic (Acoustic)
- Talk
- Clocks
Encore - Swallowed In The Sea
- In My Place
- Fix You
Reviews
It’s the second UK tour of the year for the four affable Southern boys, yet all the touring they’ve been doing doesn’t seem to have deterred them from delivering a paramount performance. Coldplay are a band that never leave the public sphere. While some dislike them, others constantly tell you that their albums are amazing and brooding while their gigs are explosive. Well, after tonight we can definitely vouch for that. As well as hammering out tunes a-plenty from the most recent of the trilogy of their catalogue ‘X&Y’, the band also threw in a few old favourites from the ‘Parachute’s era. They also played a smattering of favourites from ‘A Rush Of Blood To The Head’, such as the piano-pounding ‘Politik’, and the ever-popular anthem ‘In My Place’. Every song was one to sing along to, ‘Yellow’ being the consistently well received tune of the bunch, even more so, because this time it was adorned with massive yellow balloons filled with gold confetti.
‘White Shadows’ wavers between the calm and the energetic, and so at first, Chris was crouching on the floor, practically making eye contact with those a mere breath away, to only then get up, and start prancing, spinning and punching the air as the song progressed. It seems as though he becomes filled with so much excitement and joy from what he is doing that it all becomes too much for him to just carry on singing and get on with the show. Cue strange (yet highly entertaining) behaviour. Martin puts on a show in his own right. He’s quite a fidgety lad, what with clambering over speakers and taking himself and fellow band mate Johnny to lie down on the floor, for what can only be described as a ‘brief rest’ during a guitar solo. Yet what was most striking moment of all was when Chris ran to the very back of the arena to greet, sing to and shake hands with those seated in what can only be classed as the worst seats in the house. Who’s laughing now eh?
Later, when Johnny took to centre stage and Chris walked to the far right, the minor re-arrangement of the familiar stage positions spelled a clear indication of a new song moment. Bassist Guy was left of the stage, handheld cymbals included, and Chris on acoustic guitar. This was a moody and mysterious song, with a low prowling bass line played on guitar, with reasonably dark lyrics to accompany, “Is nobody listening, are you running in circles, how can you be too careful” This song isn’t in the same vain as any other Coldplay song, so perhaps a new sound direction to watch out for.
But ‘Talk’ was easily the standout songs of the night; as it was performed so brilliantly. It instilled such an energy that made you suddenly want to jump up and down and all around. Whilst singing his way through the first verse, Chris took the phone of a front row fanatic and proceeded to sing into it at some unknowing family member or friend, whilst others around glared in awe and pulled out their cameras in astonishment at just how close he was to them. Finishing things with ‘Fix You’, it was almost a joint effort between the band and the audience, whilst Chris sat with a massive grin on his face, tinkling the ivory keys on his DIY Make Trade Fair piano.
There’s no mistaking that to see this band is to then have a memory you will treasure for a long time to come. Their performance was as strong as ever, stronger than most other bands you’ll ever see. And to turn around those words Chris so kindly spoke about the audience onto Coldplay themselves, we fucking love you too.
Source: http://www.gigwise.com
Remember if you can a time, just a few short years ago, when Coldplay weren't the world's biggest megastars. A time when being a fan of Coldplay was a pretty smug affair. Private knowledge that you were listening to some of the most perfect songs every written.
And to think, just like so many great things before, it all began in Manchester. "Thanks for having us back in the city where we were discovered," said lead singer Chris Martin at the start of a stunning concert at the M.E.N. Arena last night.
"It's taken us three years to come back to Manchester but finally we've made it. It's a place we signed six years ago so I hope if there are any A&R men here tonight we're still good enough to give a record deal to."
And so Coldplay unbelievably became something of a homecoming gig. It certainly felt uplifting. On the band's three albums they might sometimes sound a little downbeat but sung live it was almost like a kids party. It's hard to describe the childlike joy when a dozen huge yellow balloons fell from the sky at the rousing conclusion to the anthem Yellow. Even bouncing Martin couldn't resist popping the odd balloon to disperse gold glittering tic-a-tape.
The Manchester gig was the penultimate in a mammoth 80-odd date world tour that took in two nights at Bolton's Reebok Stadium in July. But Chris and the lads don't show a drop of waning enthusiasm.
A spectacular encore sees Chris sprinting through the crowds to the "cheap seats" to sing In My Place just to show what an all-encompassing guy he is.
Just about every cross section of Manchester society is here - from crop top wearing teeny boppers to shaggy haired Indie kids. But then capturing hearts and minds is what world domination is all about.
This night was another sort of homecoming for Coldplay's support Wigan rock god Richard Ashcroft. You know it's not your average concert when the warm-up act has the audience playing along and clapping loud enough to warrant an encore.
But then Ashcroft is no average performer. The ex-Verve front man put on a virtuoso performance belting out new solo material with soaring vocals before dedicating Verve classics Lucky Man and Bittersweet Symphony to his hero George Best.
Source: http://www.manchesteronline.co.uk
Supported by their Live 8 companion and former Verve singer, Richard Ashcroft, Coldplay came to the city where six years previous they were first signed as an up-and-coming band.
Playing at the MEN Arena - with a capacity of 19,000 - it is fair to say that they have enjoyed some success since then.
Ashcroft impressed with new tracks taken from forthcoming release; The Keys to the World, but it was the 'stone cold classics'; The Drugs Don't Work, Lucky Man and Bittersweet Symphony which really got the crowd going. Nonetheless, a little more energy and enthusiasm wouldn't have gone amiss.
After a surely Chris Martin-inspired Make Poverty History video, the futuristic sounds of Square One announced Coldplay's arrival. Martin crooned, energetically jumped, skipped, and hurtled about the stage, arms a-spinning and face a-grinning.
Harsh lighting and beating drums bullied him into singing his part of Politik, before both settled down soothingly to smoothly sail into the blissful tones of Yellow, as balloons filled with gold glitter descended softly from the roof of the arena.
Mid-point during the show, Martin assured the people sitting at the back that they were not missing much visually, as according to the lead singer the band are the "107th best looking in the world".
The audience got to decide for themselves when he appeared faster than the Speed of Sound to the furthest section of the crowd, shouting "You didn't think we'd let you pay all that money for a ticket and not come back there?".
The beautifully melancholy The Scientist was a highlight, as was the powerfully sublime brutal ringing of Clocks; its infectious rhythm forcing uncontrollable pulsating movement through those confined by seats, including Martin himself at his piano.
Current single, Talk - emphatically delivered - ended the initial set, and the band left the stage to a standing ovation.
But after returning to perform the poignant Swallowed in the Sea, the telltale organ introduction signified what most had been undoubtedly waiting for; Fix You.
Softly sung declarations of love and comfort soon gave way to abundant crescendo solos from Berryman and Buckland; culminating in the symbolic swinging of the light and the mighty crash of Champion's dominant drums, roaring riffs, tears, standing, jumping; utter euphoria from all.
And then quiet.
They bowed, they waved, they bowed again and then they swiftly departed. All aside from Martin; who larked about some more with a cameraman.
The brilliant Shiver was sorely missed, as was Trouble; and there were no cover versions to enjoy such as Madonna's Hung Up, performed at Earl's Court three nights before.
A good show indeed, helped along with fantastic lighting and special effects, but perhaps next time the boys could find more than eighty minutes in which to entertain us, or failing that, compile a better set-list.
