without question, coldplay has been causing a stir of late, selling out big stadiums, headlining major music festivals, unleashing surprise appearances in hallowed venues... all the trappings of world class stud rockers. i mean, who's kidding whom: lead signer chris martin scored gwyneth paltrow and named his kid Apple. if that's not going down the path of legendary status, what is?
and, for the most part, the evening's performance backed up the hype. chris martin has a charismatic stage presence, adopting the role of the reluctant superstar so well that you can't not like him.
here's a clip of the action:
at its best, the band cranks out BIG, melodic anthems reminiscent of U2.
at its worst, the band slips into monotony causing one to question whether they just played the same tune.
the bottom line is that this band is young, and its legacy is still in the making. at 28, chris martin has a world of talent and and just might be capable of taking this band to the upper echelons. really depends on just how deep the bag of tricks is. more of the same and they just fade away. if just the beginning, then they're in for a fantastic voyage.
anyway, the ladies liked them.
and it was great to get back down to shoreline and take in a sold out show under a full moon.
for those scoring at home, here was the setlist:
Square One
Politik
Yellow
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
Speed Of Sound
Low
A Rush Of Blood To The Head
Everything's Not Lost
White Shadows
The Scientist
'Til Kingdom Come (acoustic)
Ring Of Fire (Johnny Cash cover - acoustic)
Don't Panic (acoustic)
Clocks
Talk
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Swallowed In The Sea
In My Place
Fix You