Coldplay

Suncorp 21.12.12

From the opening strains of ‘Mylo Xyloto’ Coldplay fans knew they were in for something special. Not since the opening scene of the mini-series Lost, where the writers crashed a jumbo jet on the beach in the opening shot, has a piece of popular culture begun with such a bang. Here, fifty thousand Brisbanites, all sporting day-glo wristbands, are brought together as one swirling mass of technicolour performance art. The wristbands, handed out on entry and coded to go ‘off’ at various intervals, create, almost immediately, that rare piece of magic that somehow made a stadium feel intimate.

A little over a decade ago the foursome played Festival Hall. In 2012 Coldplay’s knack for a melody and a sing-a-long chorus is still intact: it’s just that the rooms kept getting bigger. Fireworks, confetti, giant balloons and front man Chris Martin’s consummate chops kept things on a high as the band rattled through ‘Hurts Like Heaven’, In My Place’ and ‘The Scientist’.

Another curveball came when the band dropped ‘Yellow’ on the audience a third of the way through the set. Martin seems to have found a new way inside a tune he’s sung a million times before. Tonight, it was stunning.

Moving to a second stage the band rattled through ‘Princess Of China’, ‘Up In Flames’ and ‘Warning Sign’.

The band has built this show for stadiums. The props were a knock out, and the staging, on this scale, was the best we’ve seen out doors since U2’s PopMart Tour in 1998. The event was like catching a giant wave: with what felt like half of Brisbane riding it.

Back to the main stage ‘Viva La Vida’ was standout. Always on the move, the band retreated to the back of the arena as Martin began the rather apt ‘Us Against The World’, followed by ‘Speed Of Sound’. [Take a bow Will Champion for your harmonies].

Despite clocking in at nearly two hours, the set flew by. Coldplay delivered something bigger than just a gig. There was a buzz in the air, a gathering of the tribe, as the crowd shared in something ethereal and visually stunning. This will go down in the annals as one of those once a decade ‘stadium’ gigs that provide a touchstone for the city: The Stones at Milton Tennis Court, Springsteen at ANZ… there aren’t too many.

By this stage the pyrotechnics were in overdrive: but it’s the final furlong of that proved what is so special about these four Brits. Lured back for the encore, it was time for ‘Clocks’, ‘Fix You’ and ‘Every Teardrop A Waterfall’. Wit that slam-dunk; there’s nowhere to go. It’s game over. Wow.

Mylo Xyloto is currently out through EMI, as is the live set Coldplay Live 2012 on CD, Blu-ray and DVD. For a limited time fans can also grab the four CD box set which comprises Parachutes, X&Y, A Rush Of Blood To The Head and Viva La Vida.

Sean Sennett