Coldplay in Paris...

As a bit of a welcome treat to Paris, I bought myself a ticket to Coldplay's concert in the north of the city. Griselda, who I'd met in Marnay, was in Paris for a few extra days so she joined me. This was the third time I'd seen Coldplay and I was once again blown away by the live show. Here's my review (especially for the Aussie fans who are hanging out for their concerts downunder)...

Coldplay delivers once again

Australians are gearing up for Coldplay’s return in November, where they will play a string of stadium shows in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne. If their concert in Paris was anything to go by, then Aussie fans won’t be disappointed.

Playing to a crowd of 80,000 at Stade de France (home to many a European football championship), the British lads rallied their fans into a frenzy, starting off with Mylo Xyloto, Hurts Like Heaven, In My Place and Major Minus.

The band is often credited as being ‘innovators’ when it comes to transforming the regular concert experience into an audiovisual extravaganza. What makes the Mylo Xyloto tour even more impressive is the free wristbands distributed to fans upon arrival. But these aren’t just any wristbands. On the command of frontman Chris Martin, they pulse colourful bursts of light across the stadium, uniting everyone from those sitting in the high seats at the back of the stadium to those standing up front on the grass. Anyone who has seen the video clip of Charlie Brown will understand – just multiply it by tens of thousands of arms waving in the night sky. Pure magic!

Much to the crowd’s delight, superstar Rihanna made two special appearances on stage singing the duet Princess of China and later a stripped back version of Umbrella, with Martin accompanying on piano. (Pop culture afficionados might remember Martin’s wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, putting her own spin on the tune last year when she appeared on the TV show Glee.) Rihanna’s appearance was most likely due to the fact the band was filming a DVD of the Paris gig, but if she doesn’t turn up in Australia, fans shouldn’t be disappointed as there is still much on offer during the two-hour show. Amazing stage design, neon glow-in-the-dark graffiti art, huge screens, inflatable butterflies, Mylo Xyloto shaped confetti, fireworks, strobe lights, anthemic sing-a-longs and a separate off-stage acoustic set rounded out the night.

Fans – both old and new – were well catered for in the setlist. From the oldies but goodies (God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Clocks, The Scientist, Yellow, Fix You and Speed Of Sound), to the popular Viva la Vida, Violet Hill and Lovers in Japan, and the latest offerings of Charlie Brown, Paradise, Us Against The World and Up In Flames. Ending with Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall seemed like a fitting way to close the night on a spectacular high.

For those wondering if any of the band’s oomph is dissolved in the huge, open-air stadium setting, rest assured. The sound quality and reach is impeccable and fans will undoubtedly head home afterwards with a spring in their step.

With more than 10 years of hits, Coldplay has grown to become one of the biggest bands on the planet and it’s easy to see why. The technical wordplay of Martin combined with the musical talents of Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion will always have fans gravitating towards their work. But it’s also their creativity in theming and staging concerts which proves they’re smarter than the average band and it’s humbling to see they hold their fans in such high regard.

Australia, you’re in for a real treat!