7 August 2009: Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC, USA
From WikiColdplay
Contents |
Setlist
- Life In Technicolor
- Violet Hill
- Clocks
- In My Place
- Yellow
- Glass Of Water
- Cemeteries Of London
- 42
- Fix You
- Strawberry Swing
- God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (Partial Techno Remix)
- Talk (Partial Techno Remix)
- The Hardest Part (Chris Solo Piano)
- Postcards From Far Away (Chris Solo Piano)
- Viva La Vida
- Lost!
- Green Eyes (acoustic)
- Death Will Never Conquer (Acoustic, sung by Will)
- Billie Jean (Michael Jackson cover - Acoustic)
- Viva La Vida (Remix Interlude)
- Politik
- Lovers In Japan
- Death And All His Friends
Encore - The Scientist
- Life In Technicolor ii
- The Escapist (Outro)
Photos
Photos from this show can be found at Coldplaying.com in the Gallery thread for Charlotte. http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/1710
Videos
Videos from this show can be found in the first post of the Coldplaying forum live thread for this show at http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54396
Discussion
All post-show discussion for this show at the forum thread: http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=54396
Fan Reviews
All fan reviews have been submitted to us by the members of Coldplaying.com[1], unless stated otherwise.
By far the best show I have ever seen them do. We got front and center in the pit, and the boys were sure on fire tonight. Politik still is one of their best songs live, but boy the crowd was into it tonight. The boys sure did love us singing to fix you. And Chris and Jonny messed up Death and All of His Friends, and Chris blamed it on a good looking girl that distracted him. We were also by a bunch of Coldplaying people. I have pictures and an almost full audio recording of Billie Jean (which was great) that I will upload very very soon. Other than that what a show!
[holycatfish87]
3 words. Chris. Martin's. Towel.
he gave it to my little brother on his way to the C stage..he saw him, gave him a nod, and gave him the towel!! My brother's seats were near the c stage, and I told him to not let me down...he did not!
Before the show started, I saw Hoppy walking around & told my little brother to go talk to him & he went running after him,calling his name, but he didn't hear before he went into the back. The show was really good, Jonny messed up where he begins in Death & All His Friends, and Chris was like "wait wait wait, Jonny boy you fucked it up! don't put this on youtube!" At the beginning Chris sounded like he was sick & didn't talk too much to the crowd as he usually does. I didn't sit in the seat I was supposed to because I was in the middle & Could not see a thing when everyone stood up, so I moved to the aisle and was there the entire time, except for when I went to see the guys run to the C stage. aka Chris Martin give my brother his towel! I promise pictures & maybe a video tomorrow!!
it was kind of sad when Chris said, "we won't be back for a couple of years" then I remembered I'm seeing them again Sunday then I will be sad!
[greeneyes1207]
A FANTASTIC show to say the least! Way better than last nights show! EVerybody was into it including guy hahaha. Met some really cool people on the board. Was directly front and center with Pguild and catfish. Everything was flawless except when they messed up DAAHF, but its always funny when they mess up! Sad its the last time I will see them in awhile....but thank you Coldplay for everything and being such a good group to follow.
[gmalool]
very cool....... omg I was on the VERY FRONT row never been that close in a concert before.......... got tons of pics and cool video....... but i don't know how the sound will be....... doesn't matter much because i just wanted to see chris & jonny dancing
my ears are ringing so loud because i was 2 feet away from a speaker... and the screaming girls
[léoðwyrhta]
I'm starting thinking I saw someone from coldplaying since everyone says they were fron row dead center, there was a guy with his sister who showed us the way to the pit, is it anyone from here? Anyway, was front row on the right with a damn videocamera blocking my view to Guy and Chris' piano blocking it to Will for most of the show, but damn it was great, since I need to make a fool of myself we prepared an Italian flag with "Coldplay's missionaries in foreign fields" and all the dates I've been to and will be to written on it and Chris read it and like bowed down to us (and my friend nearly passed out)..did the same with the Crests of Waves banner, while Guy laughed at it I went crazy with the tiny little snippet of A Rush Of Blood To The Head at the end of In my place.
Must say it's abolsutely great not to start queuing up early in the morning to get front row as it always happen here in Italy, and also not having people pushing from everywhere, I'm really having a great time in these US shows
[iriden]
Holy cow. I mean... holy cow. I want to do this all over again tomorrow. My goodness, was this EVER worth the six-month wait. An absolute blast. I won't bother posting my few pictures/videos since you guys in the pit got incredible stuff, but I will say that I was pleased with where I was (for not being in the pit, I had pretty decent seats)... minus the annoying event staff constantly telling us to stay close to our seats. No problem, though... me and my friend still went insane like we wanted to. And I ended up getting a buttload of butterfly confetti like I wanted... it's sitting in a plastic bag right now, safely packaged to avoid harm. This was just so freaking awesome... I love this band! What a night... what a night.
[heelsrule1988]
Hey guys -
Well, tonight was the first time I have seen Coldplay live, and I must admit that I was blown away!! Great show!!! Damn!!! The crowd was large and loud, and it was amazing seeing Coldplay from 10 feet away!
I had a great time with you guys down in the pit - gmalool, pguild, holycatfish87, lostinreverie. I think we had a block of about 9-10 people and did a pretty good job of controlling that area and raising hell in there!!! It is so much more enjoyable when the crowd is into the concert and everyone is so enthusiastic!!! I would love to do it again with you guys the next time Coldplay tours!!
To the two chicks from Winston-Salem who were behind me - I'm glad you got to see "Clocks" from up front and thanks for the big hug!!
[jthunder]
Hey everyone. I thought last night's show was AMAZING. One of the best I've seen them do. My brother and I have been following them for the past year going to 4 different shows, including last night and Raleigh.
I wondered if anyone could tell me who or what someone in the band said about brothers either right before or right after green eyes. I wasn't paying attention apparently, or just couldnt hear it with everyone screaming around me at the C-Stage.
So ya, if someone was there and remembers what he said about some brothers I'd really apreciate it. (or if you have an audio recording that'd be even better)
[whcopel2012]
Yeah, The Scientist is my favorite song and I've heard him play it every which way live and he definitely hit a few notes wrong at the beginning. Awesome concert, was just stunned when they walked up to about ten yards away from me. By far and away the best concert I've ever been too.
[daNASCAT]
Hey Coldplayers
Through a late development I ended up being at this show, and wanted to make it a Coldplay weekend, since I was already headed to Tampa tomorrow night, and it was great. Even out in the lawn the crowd was absolutely amazing. Even with the intense, humid heat it was amazing! No one sat down, and the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater went in a frenzy during 'Billie Jean.' The audience even sang along to the Michael Jackson "woo!" from the song! One highlight of being in the lawn is being in the cell phone wave, and being able to see it from a different standpoint gave me goosebumps. It's still friggin' adorable.
Chris repeatedly thanked everyone for coming out on a Friday night, since on that night, he said, there's endless possibilities when it comes to stuff to do. He was quieter than usual, but Charlotte got lots of love. At one point he busted out with "A Rush of Blood To The Head," during the end of one of the songs at the top of the set. The band also shouted out their friend Murray back in the UK, whose birthday it was, and asked the crowd to sing the ending to "Yellow" for him. Amazing.
And yes, he did lose his focus during 'Death and All His Friends,' and told Jonny to stop! He messed up and just blurted out "Oh, fuck...I was looking at the girl in the audience. Err, don't put this on YouTube" and got right back on track at "just be patient and don't worry." He also lost focus a bit at the beginning of "Death Will Never Conquer," and blurted out another f-bomb. Damn, it sounds adorable when he says it! Does that make any sense?
Technically, this was the last show of the tour and it was amazing. It was my fifth time, and again I realized that Coldplay live is addicting. You can't get the experience out of your mind, and it reels in there until you just want go for more.
And I'm super sad that the Sunday show is not happening. I got my notice from LiveNation while I was in the car, I gotta say, my mind then flashed back to the night before...
...After the show, I sat in my car for about hour waiting for the traffic to die down. At one point, there was a lit up ambulance that drove up between the staff parking lot and of the back gate areas of the venue. So when I read the "medical notice" on the website today, my mind immediately went to that ambulance. I don't know why it was there, and if it was there for someone in the band, or someone in the audience, or someone in the staff. But I really hope no one is seriously hurt or ill. That would be horrible.
[JustSpies84]
We all desire to experience something greater than ourselves. I think that’s why we go to concerts.
Last Friday, I took a trip down to Charlotte with my friend Jill Nance, to see what ended up being the last stop of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida tour in the U.S. The concert was amazing. Coldplay delivered an incredible experience, both musically and visually. But there was a little surprise that made the night all that more special. And it happened like this… When we first found our seats we were a little disappointed. We were off to the side and far from the stage. Not the seats we thought we had.
And there was this huge box right in front of us.
I made a comment about the box blocking our view, and the lady sitting next to us leaned over and said, “Don’t complain. You won’t be disappointed.” She spoke like someone who knew something we didn’t. She had this subdued excitement, but she wasn’t subduing it very well. Then I noticed there was a foot switch on the box. Rumors spread. Anticipation grew. There was chatter. Interrogations. Tweets. Then suddenly, life was in Technicolor…
Halfway into the show, while we were all tweeting and losing ourselves in the Strawberry Swing, I stopped for a moment to contemplate the similarities between rock concerts and religion. Something about the way the guy next to me with the Bud Light was lifting his hands.
Then there was commotion by the box. Some roadies next to us began to lift tarps, revealing a piano and guitars. The crowd around us started to stir, and suddenly the box in front of us lit up, and two roadies lifted the piano onto it. Coldplay finished playing Strawberry Swing, stepped off the main stage, and walked all the way over to our little box. The entire band performed two songs five feet in front of us! I don’t even remember what the first song was. The second was a piano-solo rendition of The Hardest Part. Standing next to a professional photographer, who at this point was finding it unbearable that all she could bring into the show was a cheap point and shoot, I tried my best to capture the moment via cell phone.
It’s an interesting thing to me that Chris actually looked bigger on that little stage. It was the way the energy of the crowd surrounded him. In that moment, he was larger than life. I kept having to tell myself he’s just a guy. More talented and harder working is all. But the music has a way of tricking you. I am convinced that the music and spectacle we create are reflections of something greater, something we can’t quite put our finger on. It’s beyond any one person. We are drawn to it. That’s why, among other things, we go to concerts. I use to think those girls at The Beatles shows – the sobbing, screaming fans that maul each other for a closer look – were ridiculous. And they are. But in the same way we all are. We are all drawn to something greater than ourselves. I will not judge them again.
http://www.justinsnyder.net/2009/08/14/coldplay-concert-in-charlotte/
Media Reviews
So it's been two, almost three, days since Coldplay rocked the Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre this past Friday, and I'm finally writing about. Why now? Well I've been trying to come up with the right words to explain just how amazing this show was. When I attended the show on Friday I expected nothing less than a stellar performance, and what I experienced was completely indescribable. Not only did the band sound phenomenal, but the lighting was fantastic and Coldplay, and more specifically lead singer Chris Martin, have this insane amount of energy. It was one of those instances where you know you are witnessing something great because you get goosebumps. I don't get goosebumps very often in the dead of summer, at an outdoor venue, but I got goosebumps several times on Friday night., which I personally think speaks volumes about my concert experience.
We arrived to the show "late", which was perfect because we managed to avoid most of the ridiculous Verizon traffic (Side note: Managment or traffic control, DESPERATELY needs to fix that, not only is it horrible within the arena vacinity, but Tryon and surrounding side roads are ALWAYS jammed). Coldplay had literally just started playing their first song as we walked into the venue. Once we stepped inside the actual arena, I couldn't believe how many people were crammed in there. I've been to a few concerts at Verizon, most of which have been full, but this place was packed! It wasn't surprising since it was Coldplay playing, but I was just surprised that many people could actually fit in there. So, we managed to squeeze through the crowd and into our seats just in time for their second song. And, once we got settled the out-of-body, can't believe I'm here experience began.
It's definitely obvious people that attend their shows are SERIOUS fans. The cat next to me was belting out songs so loudly I almost couldn't distinguish between him and Chris Martin. However, I didn't care, mostly because I found it comical that this dude was jamming out to Coldplay, but again I was simply mesmerized by the performers on stage. They sang the obvious classics like my personal favorite "Yellow" and "Fix You." Then they did something I've never seen at Verizon. They had a side stage setup, up towards the front so fans could get a closer look, where they played one song. Pretty cool. Then they setup a stage towards the lawn, which I was maybe twenty feet away from, where they sang several songs including a tribute to MJ by singing a cover of "Billie Jean." I really can't do the show justice it's one of those "you had to be there" moments, but it was absolutely phenomenal.
Charlotte preview: No magic recipe for Coldplay
There's a lot of gloomy, end-of-times talk in the record business these days about the death of the industry. Fewer and fewer new acts break through every year, and the ones that do never seem to have any staying power.
But that paradigm doesn't apply to Coldplay, which plays Charlotte's Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre on Friday. At a time when “gold is the new platinum,” this British quartet still moves tonnage that recalls the industry's glory days. Last year's “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends” (Capitol Records), Coldplay's fourth album, has sold more than 8 million copies worldwide – easily the top-selling album of 2008.
Somehow, Coldplay has emerged as The Last Big Band, combining mainstream popularity with industry respect and widespread (though not unanimous) critical acclaim. Similar to Fleetwood Mac in the '70s, U2 in the '80s or R.E.M. in the '90s, Coldplay has become one of those omnipresent consensus bands whose lyrics get scribbled in yearbooks.
As to why that is, Coldplay's members are just as puzzled as anyone else. “I know what you mean, there just aren't many bands that tour at our level these days,” says bassist Guy Berryman, calling from a tour stop in Houston. “I don't think we're the last one, but who knows when the next will be? The key to us is that we just work really, really hard. We've constantly written and recorded and toured, visiting places over and over and over. We've just stuck at it and never really stopped the last 10 years. That's it.”
Coldplay's perch is so lofty nowadays that potshots are inevitable. One of the less-welcome salvos to come the band's way was a plagiarism lawsuit filed last December, in which guitarist Joe Satriani claimed that Coldplay stole the riff of the “Viva La Vida” title track from his 2004 composition “If I Could Fly.” The case is still pending. “Yes, that's something we could do without,” Berryman says of the lawsuit. “But I guess it happens. We just have to deal with it in whatever way it needs to be dealt with. But it's very distressing to us. It was very surprising when it happened.”
Of course, some of Coldplay's detractors might say that charges of plagiarism are only comeuppance. For all the pleasantness of Coldplay's music, it's hardly ground-breaking. It does, however, fit right between two of Britain's leading contemporary bands as a synthesis of Radiohead and U2 – more accessible than the former, a bit less than the latter – creating a perfect commercial micro-niche in the field of anthemic, majestic arena-rock. Throw in a charismatic frontman in singer/keyboardist Chris Martin (husband of Oscar-winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow) and the group's well-intentioned political activism, and it's small wonder that Coldplay has prospered.
To his credit, Martin has said of Radiohead, “We owe them a career, really.” And the band certainly tried to stretch a bit on “Viva La Vida” by enlisting producer Brian Eno, one of the primary architects of U2's cathedral-like sonics. While it's not a huge departure, “Viva La Vida” does sound more atmospheric than Coldplay's previous three albums.
“Every producer is slightly different,” Berryman says. “Some are more geared up to the engineering side, with microphone settings and equipment, while others are more into ideas and concepts. That's what Brian is about. He's less interested in fine-tuning sounds than the concept, the songs and rhythms and arrangements and how they all fit together. He was instrumental in making this album sound different from anything else we've done before. ”
Another change on “Viva La Vida” is that Martin sings most of the songs in a lower register than his signature falsetto croon. And even though Coldplay has never been the cheeriest bunch, this album might be the group's bleakest yet. Multiple songs make references to death (“Bury me in honor/When I'm dead and hit the ground”), or falling short of a heavenly afterlife (“You didn't get to heaven but you made it close”).
But when asked whether or not Martin's lyrics indicate a growing melancholia, Berryman politely demurs. “The lyrics are all Chris,” Berryman says. “The rest of us might flag something that doesn't seem quite right. But he's a great lyricist, so we usually just let him get on with it. And we don't analyze things, really. The best lyrics come out naturally without you having to think about them at all, and we'd rather leave interpretations open to others. So we don't get into heavy discussions about what they mean. There's a feeling from the lyrics, and we leave it to everyone else to decide what they might mean.”
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/
Intense, polished show from Coldplay
On the eve of the final performance of its current US Tour (which ends tomorrow in Tampa), Grammy winning Brits Coldplay gave an intense polished show at Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Friday.
The Chris Martin-led band chose its opening acts well, using its headlining status to introduce fans to countrymen that they might not hear otherwise. Dressed in fabulous `50s style dresses, coiffed hair and suits, the young retro throwback Kitty, Daisy & Lewis (ages 17 to 22) touched on traditional ska, swing, and Hawaiian styles with the occasional help of terrific trumpeter Tan Tan Thornton. It was refreshing to watch the Londoners trade instruments and groove through a breathless extended harmonica solo and reworked versions of Bill Monroe’s “Blue Moon of Kentucky” and Canned Heat’s “Going Up the Country.”
The second act, Elbow, seemed at home on the large stage. The group mixed electronic instruments, horns, strings and a charming emotive vocalist who faithfully followed fellow Manchester bands like the Smiths and Stone Roses as well as Peter Gabriel. It’s no surprise that Elbow plays similar size venues at home.
The headliners took the stage around nine beginning with “Life in Technicolor,” which opens its latest album “Viva La Vida,” followed by “Viva’s” “Violet Hill.” Although it dipped into its back catalog, it played almost every song from that recent album. The foursome hammered out hits one after the other early in the set with the bouncy piano of 2002’s “Clocks” and the sing along anthem “In My Place” followed by its earliest hit “Yellow.”
At first it looked as if Coldplay might take the economic route using sparklers instead of pyro, an upright custom painted piano instead of a baby grand, and a level stage instead of a tiered version. But the playful theatrics began to unfold during “Yellow” as huge confetti filled balloons dropped on the crowd. Projections spun and flashed on fives globes suspended above the stage putting a new spin (literally) on the practice of standard projection at concerts.
Coldplay may be best known for heart tugging ballads and mid-tempo pop, but their live show transformed softer moments into booming rock songs that are more intense than on record. “Cemeteries of London” played like a modern version of a traditional folk story that swelled to a rhythmic conclusion. “Fix You” created a church-like atmosphere that built to a climax during which Martin twirled like a ragdoll and shuttered as if shot with bullets. And as on the “Viva La Vida” album, “42” morphs from delicate piano intro into a spastic rhythmic romp.
The band members weren’t static either. At the end of “Strawberry Swing” they boarded a platform in the walkway between the pavilion’s front and back seats for “God Put a Smile on My Face.” Martin sat alone in the middle of the amphitheater for “Hardest Part” as drummer Will Champion echoed his vocals from the stage. Champion proved an indispensable sideman (the Richards to Martin’s Jagger) hitting his kit like a determined wind-up toy and singing along throughout the night. He pounded the tympani and bass drum as Martin sprinted back to join in on “Viva La Vida” and “Lost!” They abandoned the stage again for the edge of the lawn where mandolin, resonator guitar, and harmonica set the pace for an acoustic break that included Champion on vocals and guitar and a sincere cover of “Billie Jean.”
The group took the stage again flashing stark white light on its audience for “Politik” and firing cannons of multi-colored butterfly confetti into the crowd. “Death and All His Friends,” which closes “Viva La Vida,” fittingly finished the set. Yet the massive hit “The Scientist” was saved for an encore. The triple bill made for an incredibly consistent show capped with Coldplay’s tireless headlining set.
http://www.charlotteobserver.com/
Twitter Updates
- duluca Magnificent opens Coldplay!
- imanimarie Playing jay-z at the coldplay concert. Nice
- klghhh http://twitpic.com/d447j - Chris martin's towel FOR FUCKING REAL!!
- nickflora Coldplay was epic. All the drunk ppl in the world couldn't have stopped that. (And believe me, many drunk ppl were there and trying.)
- timbaier Maybe one of the best concerts I've seen in a long while. Fun to watch people who genuinely love what they do. #coldplay
