23 June 2008: Free Show, Madison Square Garden, NY, USA
From WikiColdplay
Setlist
- Life In Technicolor
- Violet Hill
- Clocks
- In My Place
- Viva La Vida
- Chinese Sleep Chant
- God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
- 42
- Square One
- Trouble
- Lost!
- Strawberry Swing
- Yellow
- Death Will Never Conquer
- Fix You
- Lovers In Japan
Fan Reviews
I'm so happy. I have no complaints!!! Perfect experience. Amazed and thankful I got the chance to go. Free show, had a wonderful time hearing my favorite band LIVE, and also going with a friend who'd never been to a proper concert and is also a newbie Coldplay fan. She's now hooked! Looooved it. When LIT first started, I have to admit I actually had a case of watery eyes.
Energy was through the roof. Sang my lungs out. The guys were so ON and seemed to have a great time themselves. At one point even shy Johnny-boy did a little dance with Chris coming down the ramp. Will is amazing--drummer and now singer, too hehe. When they went into the crowd for Yellow, I saw them getting closer and closer to my section (201) and couldn't believe that the ONE time I didn't bring a camera they were so close to me!!! But it's burnt into my mind forever! (Guy truly is a beautiful man )
That said, I do agree with some things people have said regarding short set list and also how the VLVODAAHF are not all played by the guys. I would love for it to feel a little more, stripped down and less produced, more a la Rush of Blood tour. I'm sure it's just for now since this was a pre-tour show, but I did like the more simple set. Makes me focus on just the guys and the playing. Though the "magic balls" are kinda cool and add some ambiance. My fave set designs were during Clocks w/ the multi colored lasers, and Lost! with the words on the diff colored balls. Oh and the confetti is pretty!
Ok, I think that's it. I think I got most of it out of my system. ..sorry I went on and on....
Ok And on some more.--I don't necessarily miss the big screens in back of stage from last tour, but I would like at least 1 to be able to see the guys faces better, trying to see on the magic balls wasn't too clear, and it's hard to see them yourself unlesss you're in 1st row floor seats. (But all this is just nitpicking, I'm sooo happy and it was such a great show, and free on top of it all...too much! Thanks Coldplay!!!!!)
[cookyMnstr]
My first Coldplay show (and a free one at that) was just simply beautiful.
In short (because I don't have time to write a coherent and otherwise non-brief review)
this show was truly amazing
and the magic balls were so cool and popped up out of nowhere.
and the lights, the crowd, the energy. there was nothing BUT energy.
it was a bit short, but it was after all free and the encore bit only made it seem shorter.
but, a beautiful show all in all.
Fix You was the highlight. I can't wait to relive that sing along through YouTube videos. Immensely beautiful.
and to the people that sat around Section 96, you got the surprise of the lifetime with Yellow. you were essentially in Section 2 for two songs. haha.
anyway.. amazing show.
[bluexylophone]
Just got home. It was awesome as everyone said, throughly enjoyed the setlist, YES it was being recorded for FUSE network (expect to see that sometime), The magic balls were awesome and I think i may have the best video ever from when they moved into the crowd to play yellow, I was 10 ft from them and recorded Yellow and the song that Will sang- very very good. How do i post it? I'll post it as long as you all PROMISE not to make fun of my screaming, singing, shaking of the camera. I nearly had a heart attack when they came right to me!!!!!!!!!
Most amazing night ever. OH and I really loved the confetti!!!!!
[swallowedinthesea22]
Same setlist as previous shows (it is pretty amazing that they don't play longer unless it's for health issues, i can see chris' voice running out pretty quickly if they extended the concert, also jonny was actually getting steroid shots for his hands bc he was playing so much and dvlpd tendinitis)
Anyway, they have enough songs to play for 3 hrs straight.
All the songs were really good/amazing. One thing i can't understand about American audiences, they get all excited for the band, but they barely dance or move, they just sit there or stand motionless watching the band gyrate and play. U might as well sit at home and listen (or stand I guess). I went to Killers concert in MSG last year, and luckily i became friends w/ a group of Englanders, and man they know how to rock out. One of the best concerts I had been to in part bc of these people jumping and rocking like mad from the get go. Anywho, it was sad to watch some get great tickets and just sit there or stand motionless.
alright enough griping...
Opening was great, they should have Jon Hopkins start off the synth with them (since he opened for them), but LiT was great, i want to hear the words.
VH - not bad, great chorus everyone could sing Clocks - the lasers are back, good Grammy winning classic, although he didn't do the speed up at the end In My Place - oldie but goodie, no run back to the end of the stadium, must be getting old j/k Viva - What an amazing song, everyone went up for it, and began clapping to the rhythm, the woah uh ohho or whatever is a great sing along (and very frequent in the newer songs) Then they were attempting to go acoustic by moving closer to the crowd,
but they played Chinese Sleep Chant, which i like a lot w/in the genre, but a lot of the concert goers have no idea who My Bloody Valentine or Shoegazing rock is. It didn't go over well with crowd, that it doesn't have discernible or a catchy hook for the masses. But still a great song and you can see the love for the music they grew up with esp. Jonny
GPASUYF - was a good pick me up after chinese sleep chant, it's amazing how many people know the song so well ( i know it was a single, but i never felt it was as catchy as some other Rush of Blood favorites, although it's a great rock out song (lot of foot thumping, thanks Will's drumming and Guy's great bassline)
Then, they transitioned back to the big stage w/ Chris staying behind playing the opening to 42, people had no idea what was going on (i'm sure many have not heard the new album or the song for that matter). But it was amazing live, i'm glad they could pull it off (it would be like seeing the Beatles play A Day in the Life live). But people did not seem to appreciate as they were puzzled by the oblique song structure and change in keys/time signatures. but regardless it is amazing and will grow in time for the masses.
Now I know some people criticize their last album, but people let's be serious here and honest of course, that album was amazing and brilliant as well, every song on there was good if not great. So, it was a good surprise to hear Square One, what a great opener to last album's tour. Plus, many people recognized it and loved it, a lot of people got up from the chairs to rock out to it, they should play more x & y as well. Don't deny a great album and its tracks (SoS, Talk, SintheS, White Shadows, A message, what if). Anyway. moving on...
Trouble... what can I say it's one of the first songs i heard from the Coldplay catalog, and what got me hooked, classic and the audience participation was ultimate, esp. on the bridge. nuff said
What a transition into Lost, with rhythmic beat, handclaps, and Chris hopping around like he's in a tribal ritual. People really liked this song and seemed to know it (a lot of them, not including Coldplaying members, of course). it's a sure fire single and will be I'm sure, regardless if people think the lyrics are corny (big fish, small pond, etc.) these guys know how to write hit songs and catchy hooks. I liked it a lot, it really works: organ, guitar, handclaps, rhythmic (almost tribal) drum beats.
Now Strawberry Swing... amazing song, makes me want to just drive into the coutnry, or go onto a safari. people really got into it, w/ handclaps in unison, really caught the masses at MSG, i'm really glad, it could be another single in the making, but I'm sure coldplay will hold it back for the album buyers, much like for Swallowed in the Sea. A perfect song to a perfect day....
Yellow acoustic, (they moved back to the other side of the arena to play it, everyone went nuts of course), good rendition and a welcome change from the album version. they need to do an acoustic session on vh1. they're that big now of course, even after the third album.
Will sang well, not bad, underrated assist vocal for Chris that's coming to the fore, Good Goldrush song btw. If death will conquer me... or something like that
And the encore that people didn't realize was an encore,
Fix You - magical, and a great melody lines and riffs despite what the naysayers and critics say. it is their With or Without You. and will be a staple for years to come. Again X & Y is much better than people give it credit for
And the transcedent Lovers in Japan, very u2, but just love the opening chords, and the harpsichord sound. The piano/keyboard sound is perfect, and plus jonny's solo is a great topperfor the night.
And that was that. no encore, no nothing. 16 songs in 100 mins, could have been better or at least longer come one 4 albums and all u tho
Great concert, crowd could have been better as it was supposedly real band fans.. And they need to changeup the setlist, what's up w/ playing the same songs over and over again. I hope there up for their tour.
[bdevil89]
Well, I took the train in from Delaware yesterday to see the show. And oh my God, was it more than I had ever expected.
I don't care about what everyone's saying about all of these forgotten lyrics, clumsiness, shortness of the show... or anything else. Keep it to yourselves. The only complaint I had: Yes, the opening acts, for a total of an hour and a half, were a bit dull. The Blue Jackets aren't too great, and Jon Hopkins... while cool, it kinda dragged on. I also felt like I was on acid.
As for the show... pure. Brilliance. I was in simultaneous ecstasy and awe for most of the night. From the time the curtain rose on Life in Technicolor to the beautiful confetti- and video-infused closer of Lovers in Japan, it was pure brilliance by our favorite band. Admittedly, this was only my second concert - the first being the last on the American leg of the X&Y tour in Philadelphia. This topped it, by loads.
The energy was amazing. Viva la Vida is really their new anthem, and it shined when they played it, especially during the crowd-chorus. Lost! was surprisingly good, and had a ton of energy to it. Nice handclaps, definitely. 42 was really powerful, too. Johnny was awesome. As a closer, Lovers in Japan was fantastic, especially with the added video screen, confetti and lights. It was a wonderful send-off.
It was nice to hear a lot of good old stuff, too. Clocks bringing back the laser lights - made for a lot of oohs and ahs. GPASUYF is now one of my favorite songs. I had severely underestimated the power of it until now. It was also good to hear Square One and Fix You again. Great, energetic and beautiful songs, those.
And of course, lots of great surprises. First sighting of the magic balls! I loved those things - so cool, especially on Lost! The showing of the lyrics was so very cool. Then, the short set of CSC and GPASUYF in the middle of the stage was cool. Sure did confuse a lot of people. And the balcony-esque playing of Yellow was fantastic. I think I had a smile bigger than my face for the whole song. And Goldrush... loved it. Will has such a cool voice!
Plus, of course, the intangibles... Such great ad-libbing and everything! I think the thing that really sets Coldplay apart now is their ability to be so relaxed, and interact with the crowd. Always Chris was cracking jokes about the ticket price and such, made us happy. Plus, he rolled with the mistakes. When CSC's start got a bit messed up, he joked about sending us all home. "Fuck it, we'll cancel the gig." When the ending of Lost! got a little funky, he actually redid it as a singalong, which I thought was fantastic. Plus, of course, Fix You:
"When your high up above or down below/ When there's lyrics to old songs that you dont know/ When you embarass yourself at MSG/ Well it doesen't matter one bit, everyone got in for free!"
I came away with quite a few new quotes from this show, and a vivid memory of probably the best concert I've been to in a while, regardless of what anyone says about it. It was especially moving to me because I just broke up with my girlfriend, and I was in the middle of recuperating... and I found that a lot of these songs touched me in a way I didn't think possible.
Fantastic show.
[Hyperfried]
As I was entering last night, I overheard some guy say to his friend that he was getting in to the show just fine until security asked him if he had a wristband, and since he didn't have one they wouldn't let him any further. Maybe that was their form of "extra security" instead of checking every single ID?
Either way, I am never, ever taking mine off. I will wait for it to disintegrate, even if means I will get a weird tan line.
Oh man, that show was FABULOUS! Viva la Vida was the most epic thing I have ever heard in my life, and GPASUYF rocked way harder than I ever thought was possible. The people in my section were not nearly as into it as my friend and I were, and I think we shocked them a bit by being the most severely intense Coldplay fans in the area! Every time I've seen them they just are even better than the last time. Last night I kept thinking about how lucky I am that I live in a place where I have such easy access to great concerts in NYC and Long Island. Sometimes I think we take for granted that it's so easy for us to get to a famous venue like MSG. I am so lucky to have been able to see Coldplay in NYC, essentially the center of the universe, 3 times (and another time out on the island ). We are all so lucky to have been there, especially for a free show I would have gladly paid large sums of money for.
However, what we should be most grateful for is that we were all there to experience the world premiere of the MAGIC BALLS! Take that away with you, if nothing else.
[SwallowedInSea]
Media Reviews
A free concert, with benefits, compliments of Coldplay
Coldplay helps fans live the good Vida with free tickets to their Madison Square Garden show. USA TODAY has the details:
Location: Madison Square Garden, New York
The show: Before kicking off its North American Viva La Vida tour — named after new CD Viva La Vida Or Death and All His Friends — Coldplay regaled its fans with a free concert Monday night in the Big Apple. Most tickets were distributed on the band's website (coldplay.com). (Freebies were previously staged in London and Barcelona.)
The crowd: Boomers, young people and families were everywhere.
Buddy night: Richie Bauer, 50, brought pal Larry Dienenfeld, 51, when Bauer's 20-year-old daughter decided to go to a Mets game instead. "I think we're the oldest ones here," said Bauer, from Long Island.
Family affair: Jaclyn Camb, 27, and brother James, 19, from Totowa, N.J., won tickets by calling in to radio station WPLJ. "I was the 22nd caller Sunday," Jaclyn said. What does she like most about Coldplay's music? "What do I not like? They're from England. They're mind-blowing. I've been listening to their music all day." Keri Pfisterer, 23, was at the show with her 15-year-old sister, Kim, from Lindenhurst, N.Y. Both won tickets online, they said. Keri had prepped for the concert by getting the band's new album. "I actually just got it today. I've already heard Violet Hill and Viva La Vida."
Far from home: Nicky Balfour, 29, said she and James Harman, 29, from Southampton, England in the U.K., wanted to "check out" the Big Apple, so they added two extra nights to the round-trip tickets and one-night stay that he won in a contest sponsored by his cellphone provider, 3.
The merchandise: $30 T-shirts in different colors and $10 posters were on sale.
The openers: The Blue Jackets; Jon Hopkins
The set: The show lasted just over an hour, and in it, the band mixed a number of tunes from its new CD, including the already popular title track, Viva La Vida, and single Violet Hill, with older favorites such as Clocks and In My Place.
The chitchat: Frontman Chris Martin was an earthy, self-effacing showman. Taking a few moments to tune his guitar, he begged the crowd's indulgence: "This is embarrassing. Let's just go home. We come here, we steal your women …" Gwyneth Paltrow's husband later sat down at the piano for a poignant performance of Trouble, one of several numbers where the audience sang along.
The interaction: Other songs from Vida included the muscular Lost and the soaring Life in Technicolor. At one point, band members actually stepped out into the audience. "This is what we call the walk of shame," quipped Martin, who then launched into Coldplay's breakthrough hit, Yellow, to roaring approval.
Last song of the night:Lovers in Japan from Vida.
http://www.usatoday.com/life/music/news/2008-06-23-coldplay-postcard_N.htm
Viva la free concert
Madison Square Garden, New York - June 23, 2008 Live Review: Coldplay in New York By JANE STEVENSON -- Sun Media
NEW YORK - Yes, there were mistakes and technical glitches.
But about 10,000 lucky contest winners from all over the world who attended Coldplay's only free concert in North America at Madison Square Garden on Monday night, which followed similar events in London and Barcelona last week, didn't seem to mind the-less-than perfect show one little bit.
In fact, as the hour-and-10-minute concert emptied out, fans could be heard singing the rousing chorus of the title track from Coldplay's week-old new album, Viva La Vida, which has become the group's first ever No. 1 single in both England and the U.S.
This overall acceptance of the British pop-rock act's percussive-heavy new music, tweaked by producers Brian Eno and Markus Dravs, is a good sign for Coldplay who appear on the verge of becoming the next U2 in terms of worldwide popularity and big arena shows despite critical drubbing in some quarters that their oh-so-sensitive songs appeal to females more than males.
That wasn't the case on Monday night in terms of an audience that was equally male-female and included such famous faces as Chris Rock, Charlize Theron, Stuart Townsend and Molly Sims (Vegas).
Performing in North America for the first time in two years, leading up to the official Viva La Vida tour launch on July 14 and 15 with a pair of shows at L.A.'s Forum, the band presented a united front jamming closely together on either their stripped down main stage, one of two catwalks or at the very back of the Garden amongst audience members.
Often it felt they were letting the crowd witness a production rehearsal whether it was instruments that weren't cooperating, lyrics that were forgotten by Martin or songs being started over.
As Martin, who handled both piano and guitar, pointed out early in the show: "There are no refunds."
Opening with Life In Technicolor, also the first track on Viva La Vida, the band were first obscured by a black curtain which eventually lifted to reveal Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion.
Their uber hits, Clocks and In My Place, were the first to really get the audience going and Martin was a wildly animated frontman with infectious energy to burn and a tendency to skip/dance around the stage.
As they've done on their new record, Coldplay have also decided to shake things up in concert and instead of having one big video backdrop, they've opted for six hanging oversized lightbulbs onto which images and closeups of them playing were projected.
The title track from Viva La Vida was certainly the new song highlight as the four musicians gathered in a line at the front of the stage with Champion banging away on a bell when he wasn't pounding two large drums.
The lowlight was trying to perform the new song, Chinese Sleep Chant, on one of the smaller catwalks but an uncooperative guitar led Martin, who is married to American actress Gwyneth Paltrow, to joke: "Oh, this is embarrassing - let's go home. We come over here, we steal your women and we can't even play one song."
They also wandered through the crowd to the back of the arena to do an acoustic version of their breakthrough single, Yellow, but personally I missed the sound of Buckland's great electric guitar on that tune. (Champion, who took over vocals on the next tune, Death Will Never Conquer Me, fared better.)
Otherwise, standouts in their 16-song set were oldies God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Square One and Fix You, and new songs Lost! - which saw Martin's earphones fall out just as he was gearing up for a crowd singalong - "Can we do that again? Make an old man happy?" - Strawberry Swing, and the final song, Lovers In Japan, the most U2-sounding anthem on the new album, which in a live setting included glow-in-the-dark confetti being blasted out of cannons onto the audience.
Coldplay head to Canada on July 27 with a date at the Pemberton Festival in B.C. before arriving in Montreal on July 29, Toronto on July 30-31 and Ottawa on Oct. 20.
Production delays led to the band's initial tour start to be pushed back two weeks and the disappearance of previously announced dates in western Canada including Edmonton, Calgary and Winnipeg.
Coldplay will also perform on the The Daily Show with Jon Stewart tonight (June 25), the Today show on Friday (June 27) and David Letterman on Monday (June 30).
http://jam.canoe.ca/Music/Artists/C/Coldplay/ConcertReviews/2008/06/24/5966931-sun.html
Coldplay and thousands of their friends
Free New York show provides sample of what’s to come in T.O.
Coldplay landed in New York for a free show at Madison Square Garden last night, providing a first taste of what they have planned for their full-fledged tour, which begins next month.
Backlit in blinding yellow light, they kicked off the set with “Life in Technicolor,” the first track on their new album Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. From the beginning, it was clear fans had done their homework and they sang along with the “Whoa oh oh” of an otherwise instrumental tune.
Coldplay wasted little time and launched immediately into “Violet Hill,” the first official single from the album. But it was old favourites, like “Clocks” and “In My Place” that really got the floor shaking.
Then it was on to “Viva La Vida,” the band’s current hit (and iTunes theme song). “Somehow it’s made it to No. 1 in your country,” said front man Chris Martin, always eager to downplay his rock star status. “It just goes to show that with good marketing and a handsome bass player you can achieve anything.”
What went unsaid is that the single is also No. 1 on U.K. charts this week. It’s the first time the band has earned the top slot in either country.
The New York event was the third of three free shows, after similar gigs in London and Barcelona. The band had given away 7,000 tickets through its website (although the crowd last night was much larger) and Martin repeated similar jokes he made in London, pointing out that there would be “no refunds.”
But not everyone got their tickets for free. Some fans who weren’t able to win them paid up to $800 a pair on eBay.
Despite the scale of the legendary arena, Coldplay did its best to make the venue feel at least somewhat intimate. At one point, they squeezed the whole band — drum kit and all — out onto the end of a narrow catwalk for a couple of songs.
But Martin had already promised entertainment that would rival a Broadway musical.
“We think about reinterpreting songs and how we can make the journey of a concert as exciting as possible,” he said on the band’s website. “Basically we try to make something that’s as entertaining as any other night out; we are trying to compete with Cats and Starlight Express.”
In that spirit, the band appeared onstage outfitted in tattered 19th-century military-style outfits seemingly pulled straight from the DelacroixÖ painting (Liberty Leading the People)Ö they used as cover art for the new album.
They had also done their research on lighting effects. A massive translucent globe lit from the inside with projected video hung over the centre of the arena at the beginning of the show.
By the time the band reached the middle of its set and started into “Square One,” there were six of the giant orbs encircling the stage, spinning with animations.
The whole show, perhaps with some last-minute tweaks, will make its way to Pemberton, B.C., on July 27; Montreal on July 29; and Toronto on July 30.
www.thestar.com
Bless the melodic middleweights; Coldplay kickstarts tour in New York
New York -- Rock band or pop band?
Musical democracy or stardom conceit?
The personae of Coldplay were in stark relief in a packed Madison Square Garden Monday night, to pro- and con-effect.
For those on the pro side -- and there were thousands and thousands of them, cheering among the fallen confetti even after the band's New York dress rehearsal set ended after only 70 minutes -- the show fulfilled their cherished but middle-deep passions. With rough edges showing in the staging but engaging energy throughout, singer Chris Martin led his band through their multi-million-selling catalogue and the new one, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends.
Melodies were plentiful. The new album's No. 1 status was confirmed.
However, this is clearly a band that aches to be major, to mean something beyond the soothingly melancholy ballad-anthems that are their stock in trade.
Those ambitions have drawn some dismissive comparisons to more epic bands (one blogger on an unrelated site called them "Radiohead for soccer moms").
And those ambitions were communicated in a few rocktastic staging pieces among the minor glitches of Monday's show.
Under six strange video-orbs suspended from the venue ceiling, the band followed the instrumental "Life In Technicolor" with uber-catchy "Violet Hill" and the classicist pop-rock of "Clocks." Two ramps led into the crowd from either end of the stage, the better for Martin to access his people.
He's a necessarily active frontman, with a goofily commanding swagger and abundant but sometimes flinty charm. Working an acoustic guitar while the band erected the inward yet expansive sound, he was into "In My Place" and the crowd was immediately onside. Now, this was a work in progress. "Viva La Vida" was pleasing, but downsized a little early in the set, with Will Champion manning the stage-front kettledrums.
Shortly after, your critic was briefly detained from returning to his seat after a bathroom run. Part of the hallway had been cordoned off; as it turned out, so Martin could lead his band into "something completely different" -- a run through the crowd to the seats in the far corner of the arena.
Setting up a mic, he said, "If it backfires, please forgive us" and offered an acoustic version of "Yellow" before turning the mic over to drummer Champion for an Irish pub vocal. Screams of stardom-proximity were screamed, and cellphone cameras were hoisted. A moment was rehearsed, and earned. A bravura, winning move. It almost made up for the wrong-headed gesture during the earlier mini-set when -- after rocking through "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face," with guitarist Johnny Buckland channeling Johnny Marr -- the band was dismissed back to the darkened mainstage while Martin opened the next song solo. I tried to think of a precedent for that, when the putative "band" image was so severely undercut, and failed. Yes, it only lasted a minute. But would Townshend or Richards or Page or Edge ever have allowed the singer to suck up the limelight while he soldiered off-camera?
No, there's one star here. He was the guy in the skin-tight leggings and distressed marching-band jacket, commanding attention during "Square One" and "Trouble."
"It just goes to show when you've got a handsome bass player, you can achieve anything," he'd said, and while it was meant as self-deprecation, it only served to remind that the band gives off very little whiff of rock 'n' roll camaraderie.
Whether in service of the songs or the band model, there's little room for the kind of inter-band rivalry that ignites rock alchemy, turning the lead of good into the gold of great. When enough fluorescent confetti to fill a KISS show was fired from cannons during "Lovers In Japan/ Reign of Love," the crowd basked in the moment and departed in an orderly fashion after cheerily attempting to coax an encore.
So, pop and stardom, to answer the questions above. And fair enough.
Bless the melodic middleweights, for radio needs you, until the next rock Ali appears, throwing knockout anthems with both fists.
http://www.canada.com/montrealgazett...f-d398cfc0853a
Coldplay Overcome 'Ear Trouble' To Wow At Free New York Show
Coldplay brought to an end their trio of free shows with a star-studded performance at Madison Square Garden in New York last night (June 23rd).
The concert, which followed free shows in London and Barcelona, saw the band perform songs from their number one album 'Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends'.
Despite a number of technical difficulties, which included Chris Martin stopping one song because his ear piece fell out, the band delivered a powerful set.
As with the band's previous shows, Martin was on jovial form throughout the concert, joking at one point about the bands chart success in America, where they currently hold the number one spot on the singles countdown with the album's title track.
“Somehow this made it to No. 1 in your country," Martin told the crowd.
"It just goes to show you what good marketing and a handsome bass player can do."
Coldplay's set was watched by a number of celebrities, including Molly Sims and Helana Christensen.
http://www.gigwise.com/news/44102/co...-new-york-show
Coldplay Rocks the Garden for Free
Here’s an adjective not commonly associated with the British whine-rock specialists Coldplay: bruising. Here’s another: swaggering. And finally a third: surprising.
And yet, on the best parts of their new album “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” (Capitol), these are just the things Coldplay has become. Produced by Brian Eno (responsible for much of U2’s greatest work), Markus Dravs (Arcade Fire) and Rik Simpson, the album rumbles like nothing else the band has done. There is thrust in the rhythms, obfuscation in the arrangements and abstraction in the lyrics, all where there were previously few or none.
Might Coldplay, that most staid of rock bands, be capable of growth?
In flashes, maybe, yes. But over the course of its performance Monday night at Madison Square Garden — a free show, tickets for which were distributed through a promotion on the band’s Web site — the band steadily regressed to the mean.
The night began with uncommon verve. The guitarist Jonny Buckland pierced through “Violet Hill” with forceful jabs. On “Viva La Vida,” one of the new album’s most invigorating tracks, the band, outfitted in a look that suggested 19th-century military chic, clustered intimately at the front of the stage. But the drummer Will Champion loomed large, hammering ferociously at his floor tom as if it was a particularly stubborn railroad spike. Mr. Champion shined throughout: on other, less successful numbers (“Clocks,” “42”) he was intense and brawny, giving the band an appealing, hypnotic density.
On its early records, Coldplay was exquisite verging on precious, largely because of the plain falsetto of the lead singer Chris Martin. Its songs sounded fragile, which is perhaps why the band incurred so much bilious response — even when troubled, rock stars are supposed to stomp and preen, while Coldplay only moped.
“Viva La Vida,” currently the No. 1 album in the country, still centers on doubt, but of the sort that follows a fall from hubris rather than the kind that comes before it. Still, for all the anguish of Coldplay on record, it can be self-assured on stage.
For “Yellow” — its 2000 breakthrough single, and still its most durable song — the band marched through the crowd and set up across the arena from the stage, back by Gate 60 in the mezzanine. After one false start and a bout of profanity by Mr. Martin, the band found the groove, and Mr. Martin took some impressive liberties with the song’s sturdy melody.
But even when the band was at its strongest on Monday, as on “In My Place” and “Lovers in Japan,” it was dull to watch (Not much has changed since it released a pretty, stultifying live DVD in 2003). Toward the end of the night, a decidedly U2-ish version of “Fix You” had the expectant air of an empty pub at last call: things are happening, somewhat, but the room feels stagnant.
But then Mr. Martin flubbed a line, spitting yet another curse into the microphone. As if to explain, or compensate, for the gaffe, a couple of moments later he altered the words of the song, perfectly in rhythm and in key: “Lyrics to old songs that you don’t know/And you embarrass yourself at M.S.G./But it doesn’t matter one bit, everyone got in for free.”
On first blush it was a clever save. But one couldn’t help the creeping sensation that even this seemingly spontaneous trick was little more than a neatly executed, contrived stab at humility in a show measured to the last second. And even when it was done, the band didn’t drop its veneer: the crowd stuck around and cheered well after the house lights went on, hoping for an encore, but Coldplay was long gone.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/06/25/ar....html?ref=arts
Coldplay @ Madison Square Garden, NYC 6/23/08
Confetti jets, a huge projection screen at the band's back, Chris Martin's mug projected onto massive balls dangling from the ceiling, a stage with dual runways (out to the crowd on one end and an alternate drums/amp setup on the other) -- you could almost be forgiven if you forgot it was a free show at Madison Square Garden last night. Except that Chris Martin reminded you with every other song. And hey why not, it was a nice time, and it was a certain experiment with our collective fascination for loss leading musical ventures, staged for the benefit of around 10,000 people here and similar amounts in London and Barcelona in the days before. They're not putting up Lil Wayne numbers, but Coldplay's selling, and this was their way of saying thanks (optimistic) or please put us in your headlines (cynical). Whatever your view, you should hand it to 'em: they managed both.
I've seen Coldplay a few times, once back in the Parachutes days, and then a couple times at Wembley the month Rush Of Blood... was released. This show had many (many) rough spots, but overall they're a much better band now: more sturdy, and empowered by the X&Y rut-busting of the Viva La Vida... songs, even if the post-Eno incarnation has further marginalized everyone's musical identity save Martin. But you know, it's Coldplay -- not high artists, but self-admitted appreciators and appropriators of high artists -- and it's nice to see solid reference points wading so far out into the mainstream. To make an occasion of it last night, the band played with the venue a bit. "Chinese Sleep Chant," one of their more interesting and outlying musical moments (hi, MBV), got the showcase treatment: performed on its own, not affixed to "Yes" (which wasn't played at all), with the band set up on a little stage jetty that sorta put them in the thick of the crowd.
I say "sorta" because later, for "Yellow," they were actually deep in the thick of the crowd: after warning us they were trying something new and it "might backfire," Chris led the band on a long, spotlit walk from stage, through the crowd, and up into the second level, close enough to my post-photo pit seat to grab a shot or two.
Now, if you're looking for a great (not great) way to temper people's expectations and diffuse awkwardness after numerous fuck-ups, forgotten lyrics, an untuned guitar, earpieces falling out, and/or bum piano chords, just say something like "hey, you could ask for a refund -- except this is free!" Over. And over. (Also improvise new lyrics to "Fix You" -- "when you embarrass yourself at MSG-eee / but it doesn't matter 'cause they got in for free-eee," etc. PEOPLE LOVE THAT. Side note to the youngsters: don't use this if your show isn't actually free. Or at MSG. It'll be even less charming.)
So no the night didn't go entirely smoothly, but maybe you heard, IT WAS FREE. There were some good choices, like DJing a straight shot of Kraftwerk's "Computer Love" while readjusted the stage, rather than performing the song that samples it ("Talk"). And overall the Viva stuff sounds good: "Lost!" and "Strawberry Swing" and "Lovers In Japan" brought some cute hug-your-lover moments, the former being my favorite Viva song and strong live, the latter bringing lots of confetti and ending the show sans encore, moving into the same "Eno was here" electronic music that bookends the new album (and opened the show). At an hour and change, sure it could've been longer. Chris never offered an explanation, but you know exactly what he'd have said if asked.
http://stereogum.com/archives/concer...08_010636.html
Coldplay's NYC freebie worth the glitches
Coldplay hosted a rec-room party at Madison Square Garden on Monday night and invited 16,000 of their closest friends to sing along as they worked out the kinks in the material from their new album, Viva La Vida. The high-energy gig, the third and final free warm-up show before a tour that will hit Toronto, Montreal and Pemberton, B.C., next month, was promoted as a thank you to fans for making the band one of the biggest rock acts in the world.
So what if the 16-song set was only 70 minutes long, the roadies missed cues and the band hit a few wrong notes - and even had to restart a couple of songs that got off on the wrong foot? No one was going to ask for a refund: Chris Martin, Coldplay's charismatic but prickly front man, made sure of that by frequently reminding the fans they were there on the band's dime.
Not that anyone minded. The New York gig, which followed similar shows at Brixton Academy and in Barcelona last week, was the first chance for fans here to experience the new album live, and Coldplay served up eight of the 12 songs that laid bare their multiple influences, from Pink Floyd and U2, to Radiohead and (could it be?) even Bruce Hornsby.
Stage effects were minimal but effective: lasers, frequent backlighting and a half-dozen orbs that served as floating screens for a panoply of images throughout the set. The band was dressed in punkish riffs on the 19th-century military uniforms featured in the Delacroix painting that adorns the new album's cover.
They kicked off with Life in Technicolor, the disc's opener, which went from jaunty to rousing as the crowd joined in to sing along with Martin's "whoa-oh-oh" arena hymn.
From there it was straight into Violet Hill, the album's first single, then into a pair of tunes from their second CD,A Rush of Blood to the Head, the Grammy-winning piano-and-drum-driven Clocks and the more expansive In My Place, on which the crowd was happy to take Martin's place singing the chorus.
With Viva La Vida, drummer Will Champion moved from his kit toward the front of the stage, where he hammered away on a horizontal bass drum and timpani, filling out the anthemic number with orchestral verve that nicely balanced Martin's pristine vocals.
The band then ventured out to the end of a ramp at stage left, where a mini-set replicated the intense closeness of their early shows when they were just starting out as a college band. They spun out Chinese Sleep Chant, one of the new CD's hidden tracks (echoes of early U2), and the bluesy God Put a Smile on Your Face.
Then, a strange moment: As the other three band members returned to the darkness of the main stage, Martin remained in the spotlight to play keyboards and sing the first half of the new tune 42. Only at the song's halfway mark did Martin return to his bandmates.
Maybe they're just trying some new things: Three-quarters of the way through the set, the foursome left the stage and strode through the arena to take their place at the back of the house, high in the stands, where they sang acoustic versions of the yearning Yellow and Goldrush cover Death Will Never Conquer. For the latter, Martin, suggesting that people might be getting sick of his voice, handed over the singing duties to Champion.
The closer was a rousing rendition of Lovers in Japan, a vigorous piano-led march from the new album that was accompanied by a blazing fast history of the 20th century in film clips projected on the overhead orbs: Houdini and Charlie Chaplin and Adolf Hitler and faded Kodachrome education films about Japanese culture raced on by. There was a plaintive longing in the montage, as there is in much of Coldplay's music, to embrace the whole wide world in its lovely awfulness and awful loveliness.
The goods
Hits
Powerful, stripped-down versions of Viva La Vida, Lost, Clocks and Lovers in Japan.
Misses
A flabby version of Trouble.
Crowd
Forgiving and friendly, they were just happy to be in possession of one of the season's hottest concert tickets - and to tie up the cellphone circuits around Madison Square Garden as they let their friends listen to the show.
Best Quote
Showing the band's simultaneous impulses for humility and swagger, after performing Viva La Vida, Chris Martin boasted that the song was No. 1 on the charts, "so thank you for that. It just goes to show that with good marketing and a handsome bass player, you can achieve anything."
In a word
Uneven.
SIMON HOUPT http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/RTGAM.20080625.wcoldplay25/BNStory/Entertainment
Coldplay puts 'Vida' into new songs at free MSG gig
Braininess doesn't always translate well on record for rockers, and Coldplay, who celebrated the release of their "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" album with a free concert for fans at Madison Square Garden Monday night, is no exception.
For great performers, however, brain power and star power can be powerful allies and Coldplay, especially singer Chris Martin, is no exception to this either, as the band's crafty 70-minute show not only erased some of the album's problems, but highlighted some of the album's subtler charms.
Though Coldplay rolled through eight new songs, usually the kiss of death for arena shows, they handled it effortlessly through smart moves in pacing and staging, including playing on a mini-stage in the middle of the Garden floor and heading up to the balcony to deliver a moving, stripped-down version of "Yellow."
"Viva La Vida," the band's first No. 1 single and the song that will propel the album to No. 1 as well, was transformed from delicate pop number to an arena anthem by Martin's bouncing performance and the crowd participation that unexpectedly built
"Great singing, there," said Martin, seeming a bit shaken by the moment's power.
Coldplay pulled off some surprises of its own. By separating "Chinese Sleep Chant" from its boring medley partner "Yes," it was able to soar to its mid-'80s U2-like glory.
By cutting off "Reign of Love" from the gorgeous "Lovers in Japan," Coldplay found a worthy, upbeat showstopper, complete with butterfly-shaped confetti to flutter in the lights.
And Martin was, of course, quick-thinking enough to turn his flubbing of the lyrics to "Fix You" into the night's most-memorable moment, turning the next verse into "When you embarrass yourself at MSG, but it doesn't matter 'cause you got in for free."
BLUE JACKETS
The Blue Jackets were "hand-picked" by Coldplay to open the band's free concert Monday night, giving the unsigned Long Island band a new audience for its EP "No Doubt About It." They've had high-profile help before, landing on the soundtrack to Edward Burns' "The Groomsmen" in 2006.
No reason to complain at Coldplay's free concert
NEW YORK -- If Coldplay performs at Madison Square Garden again on its current tour, think about buying a seat near Gate 60.
It wouldn't be a particularly good seat for most shows. Gate 60 is on the opposite side of the arena from the stage. But at its Monday night Garden concert, the British alt-rock quartet played two of its songs from the Gate 60 walkway -- the musicians stood virtually shoulder to shoulder, with a red "Exit" sign looming over their heads.
"We're gonna try something now that we've never tried before," frontman Chris Martin said before this segment, which featured "Yellow," plus the lilting "Death Will Not Conquer" with lead vocals by drummer Will Champion, and Martin on harmonica.
These unplugged numbers went well. But there were rough spots in other moments in this show, like when Martin forgot some words to "Fix You." He improvised on a later verse, describing the flub as a moment "when there's lyrics to old songs that you don't know/And you embarrass yourself at MSG/But it doesn't matter one bit, everyone got in for free."
That's right, free. Coldplay -- which released a new album, "Viva la Vida, or Death and All His Friends," on June 17 -- launched its Viva La Vida Tour with two free shows. The first was at the Brixton Academy in London on June 16. The second was Monday's Garden show. The upper tier of the arena as well as the sections behind the stage were closed off, making the capacity about 11,500, and tickets were distributed via a contest on the band's website.
Coldplay, which also includes guitarist Jonny Buckland and bassist Guy Berryman, played for 70 minutes -- a short length for an arena headliner, but nothing to complain about at a free show. There were also opening sets by DJ Jon Hopkins and the Long Island rock band the Blue Jackets. Subsequent concerts, including an Oct. 26 and 27 stand at the Izod Center in East Rutherford, will surely include more Coldplay music.
Since the Brixton Academy is much smaller than the Garden, the show gave Coldplay a chance to try out, for the first time, all the special effects of its Viva La Vida tour. Psychedelic images were projected onto five huge, white, sometimes-spinning balls that hung over the stage (with one more at mid-arena). Lasers lit up the arena during "Clocks." Butterfly-shaped confetti flew during the final song, "Lovers In Japan." Two catwalks allowed band members to stroll into the crowd, and the band played a mini-set, highlighted by a jittery, almost punk-like "Chinese Sleep Chant," from one of them.
Other standouts among the new songs included a buoyant "Viva La Vida," with Champion pounding on two large drums and a bell, and the fast, mostly vocal-free "Life In Technicolor," which made for a pulse-quickening show-opener. One new song that didn't work well was "Lost!," whose plodding beat killed some of the show's momentum.
Throughout the evening, Martin charmingly apologized for the minor glitches. "We come over here, we steal your women and we can't even play one song," he said, alluding to his marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow, when the start of "Chinese Sleep Chant" was delayed. In terms of his charisma, he was in mid-tour form, frequently dancing around the stage, pumping his arms to ignite the crowd, and holding out his microphone to encourage singalongs.
The show ended awkwardly. After the Gate 60 numbers, the band returned to the main stage for the soulful "Fix You" and the celebratory "Lovers In Japan." But then they left, and the house lights came on.
For several minutes, people remained at their seats, cheering, thinking the band might return. It wasn't clear, after all, if the Gate 60 segment and/or the final two songs constituted encores. Plus it was a short show, so some folks just assumed more was coming. Even when the road crew started taking away equipment, many optimists remained in place, hoping for more.
Jay Lustig
http://www.nj.com/entertainment/ledger/index.ssf?/base/entertainment-2/1214368629122650.xml&coll=1
Coldplay crash the crowd at Madison Square Garden
Coldplay performed the last of their three free shows at Madison Square Garden in New York City last night (June 24), after two similar events in London and Barcelona recently.
Opening with 'Life In Technicolor', the band made their way through a 16-song set in front of the capacity crowd who scored free tickets, battling several technical difficulties along the way.
Fresh from the news that they have scored both the Number One album and single spot on the Billboard charts, singer Chris Martin modestly commented that the almost-title track from new album 'Viva La Vida Or Death And All ' "somehow made it to Number One in your country".
Martin several times made jokes about the free show, telling the crowd "There are no refunds."
In front of crowd dotted with many familiar faces including Kirsten Dunst, Albert Hammond, Jr., Helena Christensen and Charlize Theron, the band performed a number of songs from 'Viva La Vida..', as well as older favourites including 'In My Place', 'Clocks' and 'Trouble'.
From messed-up lyrics to problematic equipment, the band’s difficulties added to the stripped-down feeling of raw authenticity that saw them perform on catwalks extending both sides of the enormous stage.
Attempting to perform new track 'Chinese Sleep Chant', an issue with Jonny Buckland's guitar promoted a frustrated Martin to say: "Fuck it, let's cancel the gig. This is embarrassing. Let's go home. We come over here, we steal your women and we can't even play one song."
Later, accompanied by several security personnel, the band literally walked off stage into the 10,000 strong crowd to the back of the arena, where they performed two acoustic songs - 'Yellow' and 'Death Will Never Conquer', on which drummer Will Champion took on vocal duties.
Returning to the stage for 'Fix You' and final track 'Lovers In Japan', the band opted out of an encore, with the show clocking in at just 70 minutes.
http://www.nme.com/news/coldplay/37598
On June 23, 2008, my life ended as I knew it. I had seen Coldplay. It was always the band at the top of my list to see live, but I knew I was joking. I mean, tickets were probably ridiculously expensive, and by the time I could afford them, they might be old geezers no longer playing. So when I found out that they were playing for free at Madison Square Garden, and the tickets would be raffled off… Well, let’s just say, it was a nervous couple months for me. June 3rd was a normal day for me. I came back home, checked my email, and there is was, looking innocently back at me. “You’re a Coldplay Concert Ticket Winner!” I think I squeaked.
The concert was incredible. They were opened by The Blue Jackets and Jon Hopkins. I wasn’t all that impressed with The Blue Jackets, but I’m definitely going to look up Jon Hopkins when I have the time. Apparently, he also helped produce and do some keyboard instrumentation for some of the songs in Viva La Vida. But when Coldplay came on, everyone rose screaming to their feet, and I almost cried from the massive realization that my dream to see them live was coming true. This is the song list they played.
Yellow happened to be played a few YARDS from where we were sitting. They were apparently trying something new, walked “the walk of shame” up into the audience, and stopped ridiculously close to us. Once people realized what they were doing, there was a massive scramble in our section to get as close to them as possible. Mike had said at the beginning of the show that he was hoping they would play Yellow. Well, they did, with the added treat of having it played extremely close to us. Let’s just say, it was incredible. The only downside was that they asked for no cameras to be brought, which meant, of course, I didn’t bring mine, but everyone else did. So I lost out on a ridiculously good photo opportunity. But *sigh* things could’ve been worse right?
After reluctantly saying goodbye to Madison Square Garden, we walked to Hanbat for great Korean food! Although their pa jun was made by fully frying, it was still good. I think it’s just that I’m more used to only a light frying. The bibimbap was good too. This place is practically open 24/7, and I’m definitely going back at some point. I miss Korean food… :( I’m getting hungry. *sigh*
http://serendipity.colorofeureka.com
For 70 minutes (no encore) one of the biggest bands in the world played one of the biggest venues for an intense and epic show. Coldplay treated New York City to a free concert last night in promotion for their latest Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. Dressed as characters that just stepped out of Victor Hugo's Les Miserables, Chris Martin and Co, played their first show in North America in more than two years.
The last time they did a free stunt like this was back in 2005 at the Beacon Theater in promotion for X&Y. I was also at the Beacon concert and was blown away, however, the band felt it was the worst performance they had ever put on. Martin had even mentioned that intimate show at last nights much larger and wilder experience by saying "we hope you get your monies worth tonight, because the last time we did something like this, if you were at that performance we are sorry, hope tonight makes up for it."
Combining their classics's and latest songs off their #1 selling Brian Eno produced record, Coldplay made it up to themselves and delivered a taste of what is to come of this band with this tour. Coldplay have always been known for their live concerts, they are second-to-none and this being the fourth time I have seen them they only get bigger and better. If you think the new songs sound great on disc, just wait till you hear them live, like most Brian Eno produced bands (U2, The Killers), they are songs that are ment to be played live and create an huge swell of sound to encompass the audiences emotions and attention.
The highlight of the night was certainly when the band jumped into the crowd and ran across MSG to play an acoustic set of "Yellow," and "Death Will Never Conquer," that featured drummer Will Champion on lead vocals. Last night was historic for both the fans and the band and will certainly be something all involved will truly treasure.
http://salvatorebono.blogspot.com
