My Coldplay.com - A Coldplay Blog

Coldplay performed a 2nd triumphant night at the Air Canada Centre in Toronto. Everyone sang Happy Birthday to Will Champion [awww]. Pictures are here. Reviews/Video below…

Chris debuts cool afro-style ‘do as Coldplay thrill Canadian crowds

Normally close-cropped Chris Martin was showing off a fuller head of hair than usual this week. The Coldplay frontman had allowed his ‘do to grow into a funky afro-inspired style to play a sell-out gig in Toronto.

The musician, who’s on the North American leg of his tour with bandmates Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion, debuted the look as he thrilled fans with songs off new album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends. The electrifying set was also interspersed with renditions of older hits such as Yellow and The Scientist.

And, so loud were the audience’s cheers as the gig finished on a high with The Escapist, Chris and co were enticed back on stage for a second, unrehearsed encore.

http://www.hellomagazine.com

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Setlist:

Life In Technicolor
Violet Hill
Clocks
In My Place
Viva La Vida
Yes
42
Fix You
Strawberry Swing
Chinese Sleep Chant (B stage)
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (B stage)
Speed Of Sound
The Hardest Part (Part)
Yellow
Lost!
The Scientist (Acoustic)
Death Will Never Conquer (Will on vocals)
—–
Politik
The Hardest Part (Piano Version)
Lovers In Japan
Happy Birthday (to Will Champion)
Death And All His Friends

And Chris played “The Hardest Part” twice…one somewhere near the beginning but stopped after having messed up…and then continued the second half later on in the show. This was done on purpose I assume?

Great show tonight, but why so stingy? No encore! I’ve never in my life been to a concert where there was no encore. We all waited a good 10 minutes after Death and All of His Friends, screaming and chanting for them to come back out. I wonder what happened? Just before the last song, Chris announced it was Will’s birthday so he made us all sing Happy Birthday and brought out a small cake. But all that didn’t take more then 3 minutes or so….

[thanks sunshyne0]

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Coldplay @ The ACC July 31, 2008
Chris Martin heads out to a satellite stage and sings to the appreciative crowd.

Once again snuck in my nifty 50 since it so damn small. However I saw people shooting from the crowd with zooms… hrmmm…. next time :)…

rvasqueza.blogspot.com

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Coldplay Viva Toronto Night II: Pushing us on our Strawberry Swings

Two years and 5 months after Coldplay last rolled into the Toronto, I once again found myself back in the rigidly designed bucket-seats of the Air Canada Centre for their second of a two night stop along the Viva La Vida Tour. One of the great things about a Coldplay concert is the people. We all know on one level or another that Coldplay fans love good music. It was with little shock that the fan seated next to me was into such sonically pleasing artists as Radiohead, Sigur Ros and U2. It was funny to me when an thought struck my mind, going to a Coldplay concert is a little like attending church, except the people are friendlier. It was also a great night because my father was with me and he loves the band (what a cool dad eh?).

The opener, Santogold, left little to be desired. She sounded somewhat like a banshee in heat, and it seemed as though she couldn’t figure out whether she wanted to be Duffy or Beyonce. At any rate it was probably a little ridiculous to have an R & Besque (if that’s a word) artist at a Coldplay concert - it’s akin to having Carrie Underwood…well open for anyone. But I digress.

Before I begin the review, let me get the negatives out of the way. It was apparent that Chris Martin was struggling a little (he had reportedly been ill) especially with the lower-registered songs like ‘Yes’. but he quickly got over it. Lastly, I’m pretty sure I was more relaxed then I should have been, there was definitely someone smoking a crap load of pot. The cops were called in by security after they find a woman in my section completely stoned. Anyways, on with the good stuff.

From the sprawling landscape of the show opener, ‘Life in Technicolour’ to the victorious melancholic closing chant of ‘Death and all of His Friends’, Coldplay held strong. But what really showed their maturity and niche as artists was the techno-laden rendition of ‘God Put a Smile Upon Your Face’ and the always elusively haunting ‘Chinese Sleep Chant’. It was during these songs, and their corresponding stage-setups, that gave me a glimpse of what living in U2’s Pop-era might have been like. However the pinnacle of the night would have to have been when the quintet sojourned through the crowd to a little a area inside the crowd on the lower bowl. It was there that we were blessed by a thoughtful acoustic rendition of ‘The Scientist’ and a Will Champion-sung ‘Death Will Never Conquer’. All in all, the second night of the Viva La Vida Tour stop in Toronto was much like it’s studio counterpart, short but sweet.

http://davidkentie.wordpress.com

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One more show north of the border.

Santogold just warmed up in a huddle to my left. Black hats, white shirts, balck ’pants’, white ’sneakers’ and sunglasses. The lights are bright out there you know.. They just took the stage, with a roar rippling through the excited crowd. Sirens ring around. There goes the beat. There’s the bass.

Backstage always sounds like a glamorous place.. all couches, plants.. etc. This is just where we work. I’m sat by a concrete wall. Surrounded by road cases. Roadies and crew are perched on cases with laptops, catching up with the world. Radios are being charged. It’s true though that some unusual things happen. Earlier on, two huge bundles of helium balloons went past me.. I think it must be someone’s birthday… Should make for a good show tonight.

1346 people signed Oxfam’s FOR ALL petition last night. Coldplay have invited us here to talk to their supporters about how they can also support the amazing work of Oxfam around the world. The movement created during Make Trade Fair was incredible. I still see the symbol on t-shirts, hands, shoulders, even foreheads.. I was reading earlier, about the real and positive changes that have been made possible, by that campaign. People’s lives have been changed. Farmers in Ghana are able to control their own destiny. They can sell their crops at a fair price. With their improved income, they can pay for their children to go to school. Change is possible. The FOR ALL campaign calls for children to have access to good education, for everyone to have safe health care, water and sanitation. It’s basic stuff. It’s important though.

I’m so pleased we’re here. Part of this tour. Sitting amongst the road cases, blogging backstage. Or talking to people on the concourse, before they take their seats. Coldplay may well be stopping by in a town near you on this tour. It’s a show worth waiting for. There’s no reason to wait to get involved with Oxfam’s work. Just click on the right of this page. Show your support for Oxfam and Coldplay.

There goes the drum tech with the sticks for tonight. I wonder how many Will breaks during ‘Politik’?! There goes Santogold. Still bouncing to the tune of their last song. I’m going to see if the setlist is ready.

http://www.oxfamblogs.org/

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Farewell Canada.. (for now).

It’s the end of the road in Toronto. We will soon cross the border back into the United States of America.

I’m in the production office, post-shower. I’ve packed the Oxfam road case. I’ve seen off the awesome Oxfam Canada volunteering team. Another 1615 signatures for the FOR ALL campaign. Signed. Sealed. Delivered.. (or something like that).

I took my shower in the dressing room (after the band had left). Paper butterflies still littered the floor. There are not many better feelings than a hot shower after a long day at the ‘office’. The Toronto crowd were treated to an unscheduled version of ‘The Hardest Part’ tonight. It sounded like a great show. One of the highlights so far. Oxfam and Coldplay have had an incredible time in Canada.

I will be glad to hit the pillow in my bunk tonight.

http://www.oxfamblogs.org

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VIDEOS

LIFE IN TECHNICOLOR/VIOLET HILL [thanks open6l]

CLOCKS [thanks Robby32]

IN MY PLACE [thanks Robby32]

Another version [thanks angeltam43]

VIVA LA VIDA [thank fayez778]

YES [thanks janegoodallandchimp]

Another version [thanks Robby322]

42 [thanks Robby322]

FIX YOU - oh Gawd - that video screen is just…. [thanks janegoodallandchimp]


STRAWBERRY SWING [thanks 1PearlJam]

CHINESE SLEEP CHANT/GOT PUT A SMILE UPON YOUR FACE [thanks open6l]

SPEED OF SOUND [thanks open6l]

Another version [thanks angeltam43]

Here’s a lovely segway from Politik to The Hardest part [Chris Martin plays some classical music, possibly Chopin - thanks Robby322]

THE HARDEST PART [Chris messes up - thanks js69ca]

YELLOW [Chris talks about his mum loving Canada - thanks WhippetGreat]

Another version [thanksfayez778]

LOST! [thanks open6l]

THE SCIENTIST - WOW! So many to choose from…
Thanks malta73

jorgezavaleta was really close! [Poor sound though... :(]

DEATH WILL NEVER CONQUER [thanks angeltam43]

Thanks lhenns06

Thanks Jane!

POLITIK [thanks janegoodallandchimp]

Another version with good sound [thanks Robby322]

THE HARDEST PART - Chris screws up the lyrics LOL! [thanks ROCKSTRZ]

LOVERS IN JAPAN [thanks dane099]

HAPPY BIRTHDAY WILL CHAMPION!! [thanks Yelloww]

Another version - thanks minnmess

DEATH AND ALL HIS FRIENDS/THE ESCAPIST [thanks open6l]