Coldplay Review
15.09.2008
O2 World Arena
The Deutsche Saga
I admit. On Banking’s Black Monday I invested all my unspent summer money in a Coldplay concert. Where? In the newly established O2 Arena in Berlin, singing in unison with 17.000 other enthusiastic people.
Worn out from walking all day, I made my choice to take a quick nap rather than go and see the opening act (which was supposed to be Albert Hammond, Jr. from The Strokes); I’m uncertain even now whether they really played that night or if my timing was good enough to arrive ten minutes before the show.
The O2 Arena came as a technological quandary after seeing the triteness and conventionality of the lonely city of Berlin, once known for its fulminating history. In unconformity with the surroundings, the Arena, which looked like a tremendous shopping mall, was flashing ads with various upcoming events, spottable from a long distance. At the press office a frisky middle-aged lady gave me the accreditation, which was no different from any other ticket. Taking into account that “Coldplay will not give interviews during this appearance” and the isolated position of my seat, I casually exchanged my accreditation for a Stehplatz(standing) ticket because… that’s where the fun really begins.
The old King in dead, long live the King
I’ll have to admit that a group who manages to shake the German audience to a point where they sing along every single lyric, deserves all the praise. With an exhaustive set list that spoke for itself, the Brits, inaugurated this venue, which, packed, didn’t seem so awkward after all. Keeping in mind that this was a promo tour for their new album, Viva la Vida, one could easily recognize old Coldplay classics sung with the same Chris Martin-je-ne sais-quoi smoothness.
We made our way through a roughly disciplined public, one I almost fell sorry for disturbing while trying to find a place with a better view, and finally we settled down.
The veils soon revealed the image in the background, Delacroix’s famous painting, La liberté guidant le peuple, while the
One thing that struck me after a Coldplay concert I saw on HBO previously was Chris’s psychedelic bouncing-piano-playing on Clocks. It was confirmed to me that he is actually pretty hard to follow, gliding from one part of the stage to the other and grooving uncontrollably to the music. If this manic Monday couldn’t slow him down, I can’t imagine how he’s like at the beginning of a tour.
After a small chatter with the German audience, during which Chris revealed his Deutsche skills, admitting that skipping German classes during high-school is now “paying off”, Coldplay was again ready to go. After transferring their enthusiasm with the Speed of Light, Coldplay switched again to a back-to the-roots hit, In My Place.
After strolling through the Cemeteries of London, we dug a hole in the Earth and ended up in Asia listening to the sweet Chinese Sleep Chant.
I’ve already spotted a few personal favorites among the Viva la Vida songs and 42 is definitely one of them. With an incredible melody that switches interestingly from retrospective nostalgia to skeptical optimism, this song will definitely go straight to your heart. Trouble needed fixing, so naturally, Fix You came as a relief for those who may have thought that they would go home without hearing their favorite tune. The minus of the show was trying to harmonize two techno versions (God Put A Smile Upon Your Face and Talk) with the piano version of The Hardest Part, which turned out to be really out of place. As the first notes of Postcards From Far Away (piano instrumental) started to play, Chris “let” us know that there were two minutes to go until the crowd would go wild. In anticipation, I was already happily playing Viva la Vida in my head, hearing “Jerusalem bells ringing” from under “pillars of salt and pillars of sand”. It’s an unmatchable feeling to sit next to thousands of people who all sing about how it was like when they were famous religious or historical figures; a little self-conscious, but incredible overall J I think Viva la Vida is a really back to the basics album, like a manual of haikus bursting out with meaning and shrewdness and is clearly the Coldplay zenith so far.
Up, up and away
“You thought you had bad tickets here, huh? Now we’re gonna sweat all aver you and at the end of the show you’ll want your money back.” joked Chris while taking out his guitar to play The Scientist (acoustic version),” an old-old song from when you guys were like 15” (Wrong, I was 9). On Death Will Never Conquer, the lead singing was taken over by Will Champion, their drummer and apparently also singer and guitarist, as Chris accompanied him on the harmonica. Who would’ve thought Coldplay had so many eclectic musicians?
Intrinsically, after the pseudo-ending with Lovers in Japan and Death and all of his Friends, Yellow was the most awaited tune and Coldplay called it a night with The Escapist. On the whole Chris managed at least to keep the public on its feet with his bad tempered demeanor, offset by a boy next door vulnerability, which proved to be charming.
I’m usually not a big fan of promo tours because I never get to hear the old songs I like, but this show would be classified among the few which seemed to satisfy everyone, musically speaking. So whether we’re talking about death, attempted escapes or the French revolution it was and always will be Viva la Vida!
Andreea Balica
