busybeeburns
27-01-2003, 04:58 PM
From charlotte.com:
Coldplay soars with the bombast of U2, but its live show reveals a band still discovering itself.
England-based Coldplay turned somber songs about insecurity and relationships into a full rock concert, but lead singer Chris Martin carried all the weight Saturday at a sold-out Grady Cole Center.
His furious eruption of energy on piano and guitar filled the stage, making the other band members nearly invisible in a sea of swirling lights and noise.
Martin sang about introspection, failed relationships and fear, as he bounced on his piano stool like a Pogo stick. His aggressive style made the piano look cool.
On "Shiver" and "Spies," Martin slung his guitar as he danced around the stage. He seamlessly switched between piano, acoustic and electric guitars between songs. Every so often, he mumbled to the audience -- kids with their parents, young adults and middle-age Coldplay fans.
About an hour into the set, four giant video screens showed each band member. Finally, it felt like a Coldplay concert, not the Chris Martin Show.
Turning the group's ballads into an energetic concert was a welcome surprise, but some songs, such as "Politik," need to simmer. Instead, Coldplay sprinted through material from "Parachutes" and "A Rush of Blood to the Head."
Coldplay is good, but it's going to get even better. Fans could see the potential when Martin yielded the spotlight so guitarist Jonny Buckland could play a harmonica solo on "Everything's Not Lost."
I think they meant 'Don't Panic' at the end :)
Coldplay soars with the bombast of U2, but its live show reveals a band still discovering itself.
England-based Coldplay turned somber songs about insecurity and relationships into a full rock concert, but lead singer Chris Martin carried all the weight Saturday at a sold-out Grady Cole Center.
His furious eruption of energy on piano and guitar filled the stage, making the other band members nearly invisible in a sea of swirling lights and noise.
Martin sang about introspection, failed relationships and fear, as he bounced on his piano stool like a Pogo stick. His aggressive style made the piano look cool.
On "Shiver" and "Spies," Martin slung his guitar as he danced around the stage. He seamlessly switched between piano, acoustic and electric guitars between songs. Every so often, he mumbled to the audience -- kids with their parents, young adults and middle-age Coldplay fans.
About an hour into the set, four giant video screens showed each band member. Finally, it felt like a Coldplay concert, not the Chris Martin Show.
Turning the group's ballads into an energetic concert was a welcome surprise, but some songs, such as "Politik," need to simmer. Instead, Coldplay sprinted through material from "Parachutes" and "A Rush of Blood to the Head."
Coldplay is good, but it's going to get even better. Fans could see the potential when Martin yielded the spotlight so guitarist Jonny Buckland could play a harmonica solo on "Everything's Not Lost."
I think they meant 'Don't Panic' at the end :)