Coldplay @ Wembley Stadium, London
Saturday, 19 September 2009
Chris Martin of Coldplay ~ Jedz
Coldplay’s supporting lineup at Wembley Stadium was as diverse as their crowd tonight - which is populated by revellers from all over the world. Its a genre spanning bill, featuring the pop stlyings of Girl Aloud, the indie stylings of White Lies and all conquering hip hop of Jay-Z, not to mention the soft-rocking headliners themselves – this was less a gig, more a mini music festival.
White Lies got things off to a palatable start with their own brand of new wave tinged indie, and Girls aloud did their best - trying hard to win a crowd more interested in rock music than bubbly pop. However, Jay-Z was the undeniable King of these ‘supporting artists’, working the 70,000 strong crowd into a frenzy during his short set with the usual selection of older classics, as well as new songs Run This Town and Empire State of Mind from recently released The Blueprint 3.
The sudden arrival of rain did nothing to dampen spirits and the drenched crowd gave a thunderous roar as Coldplay skipped onstage and launched straight into the offbeat angst of Violet Hill'. The set list was mainly from the Viva La Vida album and 'Prospekts March' EP – two collections whose driven, upbeat songs ensured that the energy in the stadium remained at a high throughout the gig. When Jay-Z reappeared during Lost, it was the icing on the cake – he was greeted to the loud cheers of an audience he’d already won over.
Coldplay at Wembley Stadium, London ~ Jedz
The band were on form both in terms of competence and unpredictability – supplying both purist renditions of crowd pleasing classics such as The Hardest Part as well as interesting reworkings, to include a club style remix of God Put A Smile Upon Your Face. As the confetti butterflies rained down during Lovers In Japan, it was a fittingly mesmerizing closer.
The band themselves seemed happy to be home, with even the usually reserved lead guitarist Jonny Buckland rocking away all night. The four friends were all smiles and hugs at the end of their world tour’s final show and the lingering crowd collectively “Awww”-ed at the sight of their little group hug in the corner after the encore. When they ruled the world? Well – Wembley Stadium at least.
