Coldplay @ Madison Square Garden

I reckon I could just about write nothing in this story and let the headline speak for itself – with many thanks to Craig for getting us the tickets (we were in Boston the weekend they went on sale).

Seeing Coldplay perform last night at possibly the most famous venue in the world was simply amazing. Things didn’t start on a high note though – we got to the show about 15 minutes before the warm-up band were supposed to start – and walked in to a practically empty arena. Note for next time – turn up at least 1/2 an hour after the show is scheduled to begin. Kristy and I weren’t super impressed with them either, and the fact that the speakers were up too loud (think: lots of distortion) didn’t help their cause. We weren’t disappointed when they announced their final song and left.

The arena quickly filled up after that though, and finally Coldplay took the stage. Seats quickly became obselete as the entire crowd stood for most of the show. The stage setup was just breathtaking with a giant flat panel projection screen, similar to the one you may have seen in the filmclip for their current single – Speed of Sound. During the concert, the screen flicked between various graphics/random effects, to live footage of the band. Simply – awesome.

And, the performance itself was just about perfect. Kristy’s favourite moment came during “Yellow”, when a whole bunch of giant yellow balloons were thrown from the roof, which showered the crowd with yellow confetti when they burst. My favourite part was when frontman Chris Martin ran along the edge of the crowd during “In My Place”, stopping right near the back to stand on a platform and wave to everyone.

With crowd pleasing antics, a giant TV screen, and massive balls full of confetti, the concert was just about on par with the Muse concert we enjoyed last year. And, hearing the deafening screams of the giant Madison Square Garden crowd is something I’m sure I’ll never forget. gerrod.com rating: 10/10.