Coldplay @ the X
Posted on November 15th, 2008 – 2:20 AMBy Jon Bream
Square, unimaginative, uninspired, bland, cold. All seem to fit Coldplay’s performance Friday at the X, which started slowly and finished somewhat convincingly.
Chris Martin seemed more comfortable and confident as a frontman, but the light show was less creative than the 2005 tour and the pacing was once again weak. His patter between songs was canned; where were the self-deprecating humor, the spontaneous wit and political jabs that he has shown in the past?
Why open with an instrumental while standing behind a gauzy black curtain? How bout opening with a bang by doing “Viva La Vida”? Why was that song in the middle of the set?
The answers are because Coldplay has no sense of daring. And maybe that’s the way the fans like it, those fans who cuddle or hold hands during all those medium tempo tunes that made the first 45 minutes so stiflingly similar.
And as long as I’m complaining, the opening act Sleepercar was OK but the ensuing DJ, John Hopkins doing industrial-lite, was montonous and unnecessary. Better to skip him and have Coldplay play a full two hours instead of just 95 minutes.
Btw, the band trimmed four songs that appeared on its prepared set list. Here is what Coldplay played:
1. Life in Technicolor 2. Violet Hill 3. Clocks 4. In My Place 5. Speed of Sound 6. Cemetaries of London 7. Chinese Sleep Chant 8. 42 9. Fix You 10. Strawberry Swing 11. God Put a Smile Upon Your Face (techno version) 12. The Hardest Part (Chris solo at piano) 13. Viva La Vida 14. Lost! 15. The Scientist (acoustic in the stands) 16. Death Will Never Conquer (Will sings) ENCORE 17. Politik 18. Lovers in Japan 19. Death and All His Friends ENCORE 20. Yellow
What did you think of the concert? Please post your comment here:
11 Responses to "Coldplay @ the X"
Loved the concert…couldn’t disagree more with Mr. Breams discription of the atmosphere. Of course I never agree with his reviews. I’m still wondering what concert he was at last night?
One of the best concerts I have seen…ever! Ny ears are still ringing from the music and the energized crowd.
What were the songs that were trimmed from the setlist? I agree with your description. Their performance in 2003 at the Target Center (sadly at Target Center) is still the best. One could only wonder what that First Ave. Show must have been like.
Coldplay understands its fans, and their fans love Coldplay - that much was very clear last night at the sold-out Excel.
Coldplay does play alot of midtempo songs but that is what their fans expect - that is why the intensity of the crowd never waivered during their set. For the whole show the crowd stood, danced and sang - main floor, sides, balcony. Not once did the crowd sit - that doesn’t happen even at a Rolling Stones concert.
Coldplay listens to its fans, and that is something ever “major band”, especially American, could learn a few lessons from. The last time the American band REM was here they could not even sell out a half-shell auditorium, how embarrasing was that!
The back prop of the huge picture of “Liberty Leading the People” by Eugene Delacroix (from the French revolution)at the beginning of the show was very classy.
I’m no music critic, but I know what I like. It was a great concert! It was exactly what I hoped it would be. My husband and I both totally enjoyed ourselves, and my 17 year old daughter (who was in a suite just above their little acoustic jam — lucky girl!) said it was the best concert she had even been to. I can actually say “I am a big Coldplay fan” now. I love Chris Martin’s sweet, spastic, joyous dancing — it’s infectious. The only critical comment would be to keep the stage a bit brighter so we could see them better. It was too dark.
Coldplay = music for soccer moms or folks who have lost touch of what good/new music truly is.
If you don’t mind a 90’s U2 clone, fine, i’ll admit Coldplay write some decent songs, but a great band they are not. they’re a great tribute band at best.
I,too, am no music critic but my husband, myself and three teenage children (all who also say the 2005 concert) thoroughly enjoyed this show. Coldplay knows how to involve an audience playing in the “center of it all” was wonderful. They truly put a “smile on my face” especially with the techno version.
Excellent review. I did not go to the show but you described everything that I would of expected from Coldplay had I gone. I did see them in 2003 at Target Center and that was a good show but their music continues to define blandness with each album they make.
Mr. Bream,
As a respector and fan of yours, I have to disagree with you respectively. Here’s why you’re wrong.
1) Coldplay is not a hard-rock or exciting band. They know mid-tempo jams, and they play them well. They are well-known for their slower songs, and rarely haev any fast paced ones. To say the show was only slow tempo songs is unfair because that’s what they sing.
2)You can’t put your big hit song in the beginning of the concert. They made a good choice sticking with some of their other htis to start off the show. In fact, I think they should’ve kept Viva until the 1st encore.
3. You seem to have missed the point in the show where the wonderfully charming Martin apologized for cancelling the show and calling the band “s—”. He can’t stop after every song and gloat about how good the band is. That’s just cocky, and after awhile, it gets old.
Clearly you and I were not at the same concert on friday.
When Mom and Dad are starting to go to Coldplay shows, you know they’ve jumped the shark. I remember the days of Coldplay playing small venues like First Ave…bring those days back.
Mr. Bream must not be a fan of Coldplay, because the paying customers (fans) stood up for the entire concert, singing and cheering continually. I believe that the fans were very satisfied with the performance. However, most major bands play for more than 2 hours, for which Coldplay came up short (1.5 hours).
The music if you can call it that “elevator dirge” was more like it,they’re sound is so repetitious they should open up for Cheryl Crow I would’nt see them if they were across the street !
