20 August 2005: Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Irvine, CA, USA
From WikiColdplay
Setlist
- Square One
- Politik
- Yellow
- God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
- Speed Of Sound
- Low
- A Rush Of Blood To The Head
- Everything’s Not Lost
- White Shadows
- The Scientist
- ’Til Kingdom Come
- Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash Cover)
- Don’t Panic
- Clocks
- Talk
Encore - Swallowed In The Sea
- In My Place
- Fix You
Reviews
Coldplay Verizon Wireless Amphitheater, Irvine Saturday, Aug. 20
When Coldplay stalled its show Saturday night to address tuning issues, frontman Chris Martin issued a semi-apology to the audience at Verizon Wireless Amphitheater: "You don't care if it's in tune, do you? You just came to look at us."
The line drew laughter -- not just because it reflected a lighthearted vulnerability on Martin's part but also because the crowd had, in fact, strained all night to get a good look at England's superstar band, without much luck.
For decades, rock stars have held their hands above their eyes, blocking the spotlight so they could get a good view of the people in the seats. In a bit of role reversal, Coldplay beamed so much light in the opposite direction that the band possibly saw the fans on the hillside more often than those patrons viewed Coldplay.
At numerous junctures, various forms of backlighting silhouetted the musicians or even blinded the audience. A large light screen transmitted images behind them, but those images were more often abstractions than close-up camera shots. When it did display band members, the pictures were usually given some special effect -- a blue tint or a hazy treatment -- that made the players seem not quite real.
The intent is likely to place the emphasis on the message rather than the messenger, though that was not always accomplished. The band was so often relegated to the shadows that the listener strained to make a stronger visual connection, actually distracting from the aural content.
Granted, one doesn't have to see Coldplay to recognize its sound. Martin's lonely-guy-with-a-cold resonance ranks among the most distinctive voices in pop music, and drummer Will Champion, bass player Guy Berryman and guitarist Jon Buckland back nearly every melody with some form of a throbbing, pulsating arrangement.
They varied little from that core sound, while spinning a variety of influences into the mix. Buckland employed a clanging U2 guitar sound in "Square one" and "White Shadows," channeled David Gilmour's space-age isolation in the six-string work on "A Rush of Blood to the Head," and leaned toward Big Country with the Scottish tone of "Talk."
The band used a piano-bar intro for "Everything's Not Lost," infused a classical approach to dynamics in "Politik" and took inspiration from the Beatles' "Let It Be" and "Hey Jude" in piano lines on "The Scientist" -- inspirations not evident in the recorded version. They also dedicated "Til Kingdom Come" to the late Johnny Cash and covered his classic "Ring of Fire."
All of those influences were filtered into a sonic format that eschews solos in favor of interwoven sound palettes, an impressionistic approach that paints nonspecific sonic pictures, juxtaposing conflicting emotions on the same canvas.
In some ways, the aggressive lighting enhanced those emotions, placing the band in the background while highlighting the abstractions at play in the material.
But it led to a less than satisfactory overall experience. Martin -- as he did in his you-don't-care-if-it's-in-tune remark -- projects a likable personality that helps balance some of the weightiness of the material. The obtuse lighting, unfortunately, obscured Coldplay as people and prevented the listener from fully connecting.
Source: http://www.hollywoodreporter.com
My date with Coldplay didn't start out that great.
Sitting in nightmarish traffic on a jam-packed freeway for more than an hour wasn't exactly how I envisioned starting out my Saturday evening. What made the journey to Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine worse was circling a chaotic parking lot with hundreds of other panicked drivers, looking for any space to squeeze into.
But once I found my seat, the lights dimmed and Coldplay made its way on stage, I forgot why I was so cranky. It's funny how good music can change your mood in an instant.
The band, all clad in black and sporting white sneakers, kicked things off with "Square one" from the latest album "X&Y." Frontman Chris Martin was the first to appear on stage, his lanky silhouette lit against a giant wraparound screen. His vocals were crystal clear, each word enunciated perfectly.
Will Champion pounded the heck out of his drums for "Politik" while blinding, white strobe-lights flooded the amphitheater. Martin took to the piano, rocking back and forth and providing the perfect lullaby-like balance to Champion's heart-pounding beats.
"It's been five years since we first came here, and we've never felt more welcome anywhere else on the planet," Martin said about coming to America. "Some of us liked it so much we married into it," he joked, referring to wife Gwyneth Paltrow.
He then introduced "Yellow," the group's 2000 breakthrough hit, as the "song that first brought us here." Thousands in the audience sang along as yellow balloons the size of beach balls floated over them.
"You got to burst them, seriously," Martin said as he held a falsetto note for an uncomfortably long time. "We're not going to stop until one of them bursts."
He held on for a few more seconds. Still no sign of a popped balloon.
"Oh (expletive) it," he said, laughing.
Part of Martin's charm, besides his good looks and boyish British accent, lies in his earnestness. He's not your stereotypical "rock star." He isn't flashy, he doesn't hoard the spotlight from the rest of his bandmates -- bass player Guy Berryman, guitarist Jonny Buckland and drummer Champion -- and he's not afraid to make fun of himself or the group.
"Some people call us a soft rock show, so soft it's feather rock," he confessed. "But it's not all lights and plastic surgery."
Martin joked about Coldplay's first encounter with the group's record label and how the label wanted the band to get some plastic surgery a la "Extreme Makeover."
"It didn't work so well for Jonny, Will and I," Martin said. "But Guy -- he came out like a (expletive) diamond! It's those silicone pectoral implants."
Audience interaction seems to be a big deal for the group. on several occasions, Martin checked in with fans, asking "Is everyone OK so far?" During "Low," screens flashed the instructions "Get your camera ready" then counted down to a live shot of fans taking snapshots with their cell phones.
The group's tribute to the Man in Black came during "Til Kingdom Come," the hidden track on "X&Y" dedicated to the late Johnny Cash. The foursome gathered at the center of the stage for a more intimate, stripped-down set, which included a cover of Cash's "Ring of Fire."
The quartet returned for an encore that included "Swallowed in the Sea," "Fix You" and "In My Place," the feel-good song of the evening during which Martin jumped off stage, ran through the aisles and made his way to the sound board toward the middle of the amphitheater.
"Whoa whoa," he sang as he instructed the crowd to respond. Sounds kind of corny, but it was a moving moment and one of the most memorable of the evening.
For those who missed it, there is one more chance to catch Coldplay in Southern California: The group heads to San Diego Friday night as part of its Twisted Logic Tour. Next up: Michigan, Ohio and New York.
Coldplay set list from Saturday in Irvine - "Square one" - "Politik" - "Yellow" - "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face" - "Speed of Sound" - "Low" - "A Rush of Blood to the Head" - "Everything's Not Lost" - "White Shadows" - "The Scientist" - "Til Kingdom Come" - "Ring of Fire" - "Parachutes" - "Clocks" - "Talk" Encore: - "Swallowed in the Sea" - "In My Place" - "Fix You"
Source: http://u.redlandsdailyfacts.com
