Live Review: Coldplay, Sheffield Arena. 29/11/08

Q Magazine recently named Coldplay “Best Band In The World” today. The amount of bands I could name who deserve that award more than Chris Martin & Co didn’t affect how much I was been looking forward to this gig. Latest album Viva La Vida/Death And All His Friends was a fantastic return to form after 2005’s disappointing X&Y.

Admittedly, Sheffield Arena is not my first choice for a gig. It’s too big, and the sound system is nowhere near big enough. Still, if the band can sell it out in less than 10 minutes, who can blame them for playing it. With the amount of huge sing-along hits Coldplay have, entertaining this many people wasn’t ever going to be a problem.

The band open, as the latest album does, with Life In Techinicolour. Disappointingly, they only played the instrumental album version, not the version with lyrics that opens the recently released Prospekt’s March EP. Throughout the opener, the band are blocked from view by a set of black curtains, which are lifted as soon as the track finishes, rendering them a bit pointless really. The short opener is quickly followed by a host of singles, including first single off the new album Violet Hill, the classic Clocks and the epic In My Place, all accompanied in full voice by crowd.

The rest of the set comprised nearly all the new album, highlighted by the classic singles. New songs 42 and Cemeteries Of London sound most impressive, as does a beautiful solo rendition of Trouble by Chris (apparently he originally planned to play The Hardest Part) and the mandatory Fix You sing-along. “Holy shit that was good” Chris whispers as the crowd finish the job for him.

The bands first number one single Viva La Vida is arguably the highlight of the night, the strings (played on a keyboard) and thundering drums easily fill the venue, as they fade the spot light falls on Chris Martin who is left holding the microphone to the crowd as they sing the backing vocal part (“whoa-whooaa-whoa-ooh”). New single Lost! follows this, and seems to be lacking somewhat after the grandness of the previous track. For the final two tracks of the set, the band move to a balcony towards the back of the venue and produces an perfect rendition of The Scientist, followed by new track “If Death Will Ever Conquer Me”, sung by drummer Will Champion, before the band disappear back stage.

The stage is kept pitch black before the encore starts, a remix of Viva La Vida is blasted out over the speakers until Coldplay crash back into life with Politik, accompanied by a assault of strobe lights and lasers. The encore is one of the highlights of the evening with album track Lovers In Japan involving a shower of coloured paper as Chris Martin dancing around. The show ends, as the new album does, with the crashing finale to Death And All His Friends. A perfect ending to an epic performance. However, theres one treat left as the band return for one last mass sing-along to the timeless Yellow. £46 for poor seats? Who cares?


Coldplay played:

Life In Technicolour
Violet Hill
Clocks
In My Place
Speed Of Sound
Cemeteries Of London
Chinese Sleep Chant
42
Fix You
Strawberry Swing
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face/Talk
Trouble
Viva La Vida
Lost!
The Scientist (Acoustic)
If Death Will Ever Conquer Me

Politik
Lovers In Japan
Death And All His Friends

Yellow