Viva La Coldplay or Coldplay And All Their Friends

Sat 14 Mar – Coldplay, Mercury Rev, Decoder Ring
(originally posted on my last.fm as usual!)

In rough chronological order.

* Leave Wollongong at 9:45am. Beef pho noodles lunch at Flemington. Line up at 12:45pm.

*Read Neil Gaiman's Coraline. Meet fellow Coldplay aficionados. Sit for 6 hours.

*Stand for 15 minutes. Sit for another 45.

*See two support bands who are good, but not Coldplay.

*Breakdancing crewman with a broom. Blue Danube Waltz.

* Sparklers behind a black curtain.

* Life in technicolor. Massive singalong [see title].

* Clocks and lasers. Hyperactive frontman with a more-than-infectious energy.

* Giant screen projection balls.

* Confetti-filled yellow balloons. More singalong.

* John Farnham crowd chorus.

* Unexpected dance remix medley side of stage.

* Swinging on strawberries ("such a perfect day" indeed)

* Beautiful rendition of Hardest Part on piano with Postcards From Far Away coda. Hyperactive frontman stuffs up and apologises.

* Hyperactive frontman hits himself in the head with drumstick and cuts his brow (Lost).

* Snatching paper butterflies from the air (Japan).

* Shane Warne. Green Eyes.

* POLITIK.

* Death closer...more massive singalong.

* Scientist encore. Life In Technicolor 2 massive finish.

* Big big smile.


In short, the Coldplay show made me want to actually better myself as a person. 7 hours of waiting was well more than worth our spot up the front. I forgot how much I really can love this band. Recently I have been too caught up in the hardcore dancing of the scene kids, that I forgot that I can just stand and listen to the music- feel and absorb the pure energy of a crowd hooked on every lyric and note.

For that, I thank you Coldplay! Viva La Vida is taking on a life of its own. And rightly so.

It's really hard to do concert photography with a
compact digital camera ok? More photos on fb to come!