Coldplay
(with Black Mountain)
Coldplay
(with Black Mountain)
The Verizon Wireless Amphitheater,
Irvine, California
August 20, 2005
Mention the name Coldplay five years ago, and more often than not you’d
be met with blank stares. Not so today. The British quartet appears to have
reached their goal of becoming one of the world’s biggest rock bands.
Their latest album, X&Y, entered Billboard charts at #1 in June,
broke all records for digital album sales, and Coldplay’s shows are selling
out the world’s largest stadiums and arenas faster than you can say cash
cow.
But can these mild-mannered English
blokes continue in the tradition of outstanding stadium rockers such as U2 and
Radiohead? If their show at the Verizon Wireless Amphitheater in Irvine, California
on August 20 was any indication, the answer is a resounding “we’ll
see.”
Opening with “Square One,”
the first track off of X&Y, the band appeared completely at ease
in front of the massive crowd, and singer Chris Martin reveled in his role as
leader of one of the world’s biggest bands. Never missing an opportunity
to promote a worthy cause, Martin adorned both his piano and his hand with the
dual-rectangle Fair Trade logo, driving home the message that several Oxfam
volunteers gave concert-goers before the show: “Help Coldplay make trade
fair.”
A giant digital clock display counted
down on the screen behind the band, and occasionally split into quadrants featuring
MTV-style digital images of each band member, giving those in the nosebleed
section a closer look.
Next up was “Politik,”
one of the strongest tracks from Coldplay’s outstanding second album A
Rush of Blood to the Head. Before launching into the early hit “Yellow,”
Martin addressed the crowd, saying the band has always been made to feel “most
welcome here—and some of us liked it so much we even married into it”—an
obvious reference to Martin’s wife, American actress Gwyneth Paltrow.
Throughout the evening, Coldplay
delivered a satisfying sampling of songs from all three of their albums. Will
Champion’s drumming was spot-on, and Martin seemed right at home on the
piano, though he struggled a bit with the guitar. At one point he exhibited
his traditionally English self-deprecating sense of humor, saying he was one
of the worst guitarists in the world. Truth be told, he’s far from it.
Quiet acoustic moments sounded as polished as they do on the albums, and although
Martin had to retune before a couple of songs, he always wound up getting it
right in the end.
Many of Coldplay’s songs start
out quiet and build, a technique well-suited to large arenas as it creates intimate
moments that lead to large, goosebump-inducing climaxes.
“Speed of Sound”—one
of the highlights (and the first single) off the new album—showcased Martin’s
penchant for beautiful piano melodies, set against a more traditional rock backdrop
of Guy Berryman’s cool bass riff and Jon Buckland’s soaring guitar.
Toward the end of the balmy August
evening, Martin dedicated “‘Til Kingdom Come” (X&Y’s
hidden track) to the late, great Johnny Cash, whom he called an American hero
“better than sliced bread”. From there the band segued into a rendition
of Cash’s “Ring of Fire” while the audience clapped along;
Martin unexpectedly threw in lyrics from a Depeche Mode song at the end.
Speaking of unexpected, Coldplay’s choice of an opening band was far from what most would expect. Black Mountain hail from Canada and cite Black Sabbath, The Rolling Stones and Led Zeppelin as influences—boasting a sound that’s a far cry from Coldplay’s. Their guitar-driven, straight-ahead brand of rock may have been what caught Coldplay’s ears. The no-frills approach also won over the crowd, who paid close attention, with someone shouting “You’re awesome!” between songs.
Coldplay ended the evening with a brief encore that included the Kraftwerk-inspired
“Talk,” and “Swallowed in the Sea,” both off of X&Y.
Before saying goodnight, Martin ran along an empty pathway into the middle of
the amphitheater where he sang for a few minutes, to the great delight of the
audience.
Although their latest album revisits familiar Coldplay themes of love and insecurity and doesn’t break terribly new ground, the band’s earnestness translates into an honest, crowd-pleasing, rewarding show. With a little more chutzpah injected into their next album, they may earn the title of one of the world’s best rock bands, not just biggest.
By Laura Ferreiro
8/2005