18 April 2012: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Canada

From WikiColdplay

Setlist

Photos

Photos from this show can be found at Coldplaying.com in the Gallery thread for Calgary. http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/gallery/showgallery.php/cat/1934

Videos

Videos from this show can be found in the first post of the Coldplaying forum live thread for this show at http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90961

Discussion

All post-show discussion for this show at the forum thread http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=90961

Fan Reviews

All fan reviews have been submitted to us by the members of Coldplaying.com[1], unless stated otherwise.

18 April 2012: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Canada

EPIC CONCERT!!!! Just got home from the show.. Had pretty awesome seats on the floor Row 7. Just heard about the slashing now. There were no security checks for our group. THey only looked through backpacks, but no patdowns or anything like that.. Warning sign was played, and Chris messed up the 2nd verse i think, and re-did the song.. haha Life is for living was unfortunately not played from what i remember.. but they did play lovers in Japan! [thanks glennjamin]

That. was. so. fun. It was very hit-oriented (I guess as expected, it's the MX tour anyway) but man. Could not stop singing along. Bravo. Warning sign was a nice little surprise there. I was hoping for Politik but it never came but hey. I'd go over and over again. When that live DVD comes out, I will be abusing it a lot. [thanks playyourlife]

When I think of a monumental moment in my life, I’m probably supposed to think about things like graduation, babies and wedding days. Well so far, only one of those has happened and so I become forced to consider other things to make up those moments, which quite frankly, is okay by me. So, because writing is essentially my life, many of my life’s monumental moments have been moments that I could never even picturing happening. Things that still give me chills when I think about them, even if they happened years, months or days ago. In my recent memory, one of those moments saw me standing in the middle of a bullring in Madrid, Spain, lightly falling rain fell in between thousands of paper butterflies descended upon the crowd of 25,000 people. Better yet, the music of a live Coldplay concert was penetrating my ears and I couldn’t be happier. You probably wouldn’t believe me, but at that moment I told myself, “Do not ever forget this, this is perfect.” It was a moment that I thought could never be relived, something that I might tell my hypothetical kids, years after my hypothetical wedding. Well tonight, it happened again and this time, it was in my city of Calgary. Coldplay, which of course includes Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion, rolled into town tonight, which was only the second stop on their North American Mylo Xyloto tour and the minute you walked into the Saddledome, you could tell the audience was stoked. Sure the band has their naysayers, but I’ve never been one of them and even if there were a few of them in the crowed tonight, I guarantee that the they left the stadium a converted person. Do you know what, I’m almost jealous of those who became new fans tonight, because there was probably no better concert experience for them to see the band in all their glory. Coldplay’s presence and sheer force on the stage is undeniable, but long time fans have known that for a while. Just like Every Tear Drop is a Waterfall, every minute of the concert was an experience. Starting with the specially programmed wrist bands that light up throughout the show, timed to the beat of the music or the roar of the crowd. At times, the light show it caused was so stunning, it was as if we were in a jar of really brightly coloured fireflys. For some, it was probably one of those moments that I mentioned earlier. The lights and their spectacle were really the fifth member of the band and while the show was doused in lights, it never took away from the concert for a minute. Stripped down on their quieter songs, the band is just as engaging. Their energy is addictive and caused the audience to stand on their feet for the entire concert, if you’ve never been to a Calgary concert, then you don’t know how much of a feat that is. Speaking of feet, Martin and the band put theirs to good work, crisscrossing the stage and even the stadium, no doubt to ensure that even the fans in the nosebleeds felt that they had their own up close and personal experience with Coldplay, something that many bands would never even think to do. The show itself, didn’t differ that much from a few months ago in Spain, but why would it have too? Whether you’re a new fan of Coldplay, or you’ve made out to your fair share of the band’s rock ballads, this is a must see concert. This is the concert that you will talk about when you share your favourite concert stories, this is the concert that you will compare all other concerts to and the cool thing about this show, is I think Coldplay will remember it just as much as we did. [thanks http://mikesbloggityblog.com/2012/04...n-concert.html]

They say that music has the magical ability to make you travel and I feel like Coldplay achieved that tonight. I have loved this band for more than 7 years now. They never seem to disappoint with their music and today was the first time that I saw them at live. There is no words to describe how i felt during and after the concert. “Wow” is not enough, “spectacular” doesn’t quite grasp it, while “amazing” seems to undermine it. I think I fell in love with them all over again! From the moment when they opened the show till the moment when they ended their last song, I didn’t feel like I was in Calgary anymore. I don’t even think there is a place that can describe it. The colorful flashing bracelets, the beach balls, the confetti, even the mistakes, and especially the energy level made this the night to remember. It felt personal, it wasn’t as if you were at a concert with thousands of people but at a gathering while listening to one of your friends singing. Coldplay managed to make it special! It wasn’t as if we were a stop on a world tour but as we were the only destination that they were playing for. In a really stressful week with lots of overnight studying, Coldplay made me forget all about that. School didn’t matter, nothing did. All I cared about was enjoying the music and that I did, without a doubt. I loved the way they played some old hits. It reminded me of what I originally felt when I first heard Coldplay on the radio. They sound amazing live! I am serious Chris Martin has sooooo much energy, that watching him jump up and down made me feel tired but I loved every single part of it! He feels the music and that shows. They do not disappoint! If you have to go to at least one concert on your life, make sure it is a Coldplay concert! Trust me you will not be disappointed whatsoever. Goodnight people and dream of paradise (see what I did there?) I know that was cheesy…. [thanks http://whitneyzrules.wordpress.com/2...ay-in-calgary/]

OK, so I have a few mins to post about the VIP "experience". First, yeah... it was around C$400 each. So LiveNation sent an email last week about going to their merch store, entering a code and then they will send us each a shirt and poster. OK. Only problem: no details on which shirt or poster. Ugh. Then late last week, we got the instruction email from them that Tiffany would be the VIP host, and directions on parking and ticket pickup. So it's now Wednesday and we are supposed to be there between 4:30 and 5. Get to the Dome and the parking is close and free (it would probably be around $20 for being that close). We go into the ticket pickup area and there are around 75 people waiting. By my count afterwards there were around 50 VIP ticket people total. We pickup the VIP lanyard, special souvenir ticket, TM ticket (which is scanned for entry), bracelet and green VIP bracelet. Wait for 5PM. They open up and after the briefest of purse/bag checks and no other security checks, we go to the Avison club (it is suite level for Hockey games so really swanky), lead presumably by Tiffany and a security guy. We can hear them sound-checking. But that's it. We get to the club area, and there's a mural setup for photos, and 2 buffet food lines. We pick a table and with the 4 free drink coupons order drinks. So all this time, no one has told us anything. At all. We eventually ask the waitress, and she says to help ourselves to the food (lasagna, penne, Caesar salad... it was good). OK, no problem. We finish eating, and have desert. Eventually Tiffany, I guess(?) comes around. We are told at 6 PM the general public can enter, but we can stay in the Avison area until 7PM. That's it. We go to buy some merch, trying to guess what they might have shipped-us, so we stick to 1 tee each. At around 6:30, we then decide to go to our seats on the floor. We get another wristband for floor access. We head to Row 4. Hmm, no one is in the first 3 rows. OK, weird. Some people start excitedly entering the first 3 rows. We hear from the ticket escort security guy that they are all transplants. From the boonies like 210, 208, etc. Someone was walking around and trading tickets. No idea who, or if this is done constantly, but they are mostly younger high-school aged kids/girls, so they were stoked. Insert amazing concert recap here. Hopefully this wasn't too boring to read. One last thing... the live effect of being 3 feet from the walkway and 10 feet from the stage all night is indescribable. The pictures however are mostly horrible. Why? The floor lighting. Every picture of CM has a white overexposed face unless the lights were low/off. I didn't even know what the stage floor looked until viewing the videos here, because we were below it. So would I do the VIP thing again? Sure, I think we got our money's worth, but only if they give more info up front next time. [thanks chaingunsofdoom]

Media Reviews

18 April 2012: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Canada

Coldplay paradise at Dome

The proof is on the stage. The measure of any great band is — and always should be — judged by its live show. Sure, over the past 15 years, Coldplay has become one of the biggest and most consistent recording bands in music — all well and good. But in front of a sellout crowd of nearly 15,000 fans at the Scotiabank Saddledome Wednesday night (Day 2 of the group’s North American leg of the Mylo Xyloto tour), Chris Martin and his mates made a statement as one of the best live acts in recent rock and roll memory.

Despite selling more than 55-million records, the easy knocks of being a “chick band” (a term likely buoyed by the group’s tendency towards syrupy pop balladry), pop-rock “lightweights” or, worst of all, a “poor man’s U2,” become unfounded and/or irrelevant when the band walks onto a concert stage. If the snippy criticisms carry any weight whatsoever, it was important for the disbelievers to forget what they thought they knew. Cynics be damned! As a frontman extraordinaire, Martin possesses the kind of presence and star power that projects to the last row of the third deck — no small feat in these heady times of the American Idol-ization of commercial pop and rock music.

In front of a snappy and colourful black light, graffitied backdrop, several round video screens and bathed in lights of red, blue and yellow, Martin commanded the stage as very few can through set opener Hurts Like Heaven, which followed the intro music of the Back To The Future theme and the title cut from Mylo Xyloto. The effect was enhanced by the 15,000 glowing wristbands that were handed out to fans entering the arena.

The dizzying effect, as well as the first of many arena rock gags: Confetti cannons which covered the main floor with a mass of paper flurries, only added to the excitement through Lost! Guitarist Jonny Buckland and the rhythm section of bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion brilliantly backstopped the colourful onstage assault on the senses. Clearly, the crack players give Martin the freedom and gravity to work the room into a frenzy — prancing, preening, spinning and even sitting still long enough play piano here and there. Is anybody out there, Calgary?” he asked to thunderous applause. “Thank you for giving us the best job in the world!”

After a storm of multicoloured beach balls dropped from overhead, the crowd erupted as Martin led a crowd sing-along during The Scientist, which only got twice as loud through the band’s first major North American hit, Yellow, from the 2000 album Parachutes. The pace was picked up with God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, followed by the duet Princess Of China, which featured Rihanna’s portion on screen. It was slightly … well, tacky, but still effective as the group seemed to be gaining momentum. On a night where believers knew what they were getting, non-believers became the converted. With Calgary’s concert schedule growing every week, Coldplay will go down as one of the year’s best. Opening the evening was the curious contradiction of the atmospheric electric folk sister duo, The Pierces, followed by British electronic dance outfit, Metronomy.

Despite playing to a sparse crowd, many of whom were still entering the venue, Catherine Pierce channelled her inner Stevie Nicks to her sister Allison’s Christine McVie during a number of thrilling lead vocal swappings, coupled with numerous outstanding harmonies. Standouts such as Drag You Down, Kissing You Goodbye, Love You More and You’ll Be Mine make these Alabama-born, New York-based sisters worth further investigation. Although Radiohead has nothing to worry about, Metronomy had its moments through bouncy funk-laden busts such as Heartbreaker, Radio Ladio and Holiday. You may have liked them better when they were called the Pet Shop Boys.

http://www.calgarysun.com/2012/04/19...radise-at-dome

18 April 2012: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Canada

Review: Night of fun and joy with Coldplay

CALGARY — You know how I know I’m gay? OK. Obvious, sure. But it’s important to remember that the music of Coldplay was once tagged, for an entire Judd Apatow generation, with a disparaging definition of the word. They were considered by some an effeminate act whose songs could be enjoyed by women and only men of non-hetero orientation. Well, that was the 40 Year Old inference, anyway. And, slur aside, it was a stigma the band, in recorded form, anyway, was stuck with for the first half decade of its career, with a catalogue that was as precious as it was often moribund — navel-gazing music for sensitive souls.

Remarkable, then, that over the course of the last two albums, beginning with Viva La Vida etc. and fully realized on the current release, Mylo Xyloto, that the U.K. quartet has embraced the word — or rather reclaimed the original context of the word. Happy. As in happy music for happy people. And Wednesday night at the Saddledome in front of a sold-out crowd, Chris Martin and Co. put on an unabashed celebration of happy, an uncontested display of fun that the sadsack Saddledome hasn’t seen in some time. It was a night of joy, bliss, lightness and, above all else, fun, with a soundtrack and a stage show that had only those things as their focus. That tone was set immediately, the second you walked through the doors and were handed a free, high-tech wristband, which would later light up as the band took the stage and launched into an exuberant version of Hurts Like Heaven, and then intermittently throughout the show. Visually, it was a stunning moment that lifted the spirits of everyone in the room, paving the way for further eye candy by way of laser lights, a fluorescent graffiti wall, circular screens and beach ball balloons. But while the party favours fed into the ebullience of the evening, it was the music, its energy and its delivery that truly made it one of the better stadium shows.

True, the band still dipped into the drippy and dramatic piano balladry that many chose to define them by — The Scientist was an early offering and a pretty great one, at that — but it was merely one flavour, one colour in a palette that is far more complex than many are willing to give them credit for. They laid that out masterfully throughout the next 90 minutes or so, changing the tempo, but never that upbeat mood, with a selection of songs that ranged from the classic track Yellow to the wonderful Rihanna collaboration Princess of China — diva appearing on video screen — to spectacular versions of Violet Hill, God Put A Smile, Viva La Vida, Paradise and Fix You. Musically, they’re as tight and powerful an arena act as any other — they really did sound fantastic, bringing the muscle out when necessary, pulling back when need be, and generally filling the room with their melodies and lush instrumentation. They physically did the same, making great use of the main stage, the catwalk — where Martin exercised often and which they planted themselves in the middle of for a few tracks — and even the audience, where the band popped up in the middle of for the first encore. And as hosts, no, they’re not the chattiest of cats, the frontman offering the minimum of banter, making an exception when they screwed up a song — second show of the tour, we’ll give them a free pass — and an audience member urged them to start again.

“Even when you’re the seventh biggest soft rock band from England, you still need encouragement,” the vocalist said to great applause and to even greater delight. Which was the evening in a nutshell. It really was gay old time — in all of it’s fabulous, fantastic and flamboyant connotations. It certainly got off to a simmering, simply wonderful start with sister act The Pierces. Around for more than a decade, but new to more than a few, the Alabama-bred sibs — Catherine and Allison Pierce — and their exceptional backup band delivered a steady 30-minute cool breeze of sweet, West Coast new classic rock to a surprisingly strong early audience. From the California Dreaming sound of Kissing You Goodbye to the suitably titled closer Glorious, they gave an impressive showcase of songs from their latest album, You & I, one which appeals with its fresh-faced take on the Fleetwood Mac feel. Fair-haired Catherine certainly invited the comparisons, with her gorgeous, witchy voice and a summery dress with Nicksian sleeves. But it never seemed as if it was affected, merely a natural musical, textural and physical display of sand, sal****er, surf and sunshine. As for synthy, British pop act Metronomy, it was a little less successful, but still in keeping with the overall theme of the evening.

The British band, too, is a decade-plus veteran, but the Coldplay slot was presumably an introduction for most of those in attendance, and the group seemed invigorated by the challenge and opportunity, bouncing around and making the most of the room afforded at the centre of the stage. Sonically, though, there was a little dark, broodiness in their nu wave set, some of that foreboding that the ’80s and its cold war environment bred, but still, there was an underlying peppiness thanks to the bleeps, blorps, beats and cowbell action in the discordantly catchy songs.

http://www.calgaryherald.com/enterta...812/story.html

Calgary chills out with Coldplay

Most bands leave the confetti to their finales. Not Coldplay. The best-selling British band blew their load, so to speak, two songs into their 90-minute set at the Saddledome Wednesday night. As a blizzard of brightly coloured confetti fell around him, Coldplay frontman Chris Martin sang In My Place from 2002’s A Rush of Blood to the Head, darting back and forth across the stage and down the catwalk into the middle of the adoring crowd. For any other act, it would have been a sensational closing number. But Coldplay was just getting going.

How does a band follow up dumping two tonnes of cropped paper material on their fans’ heads, you ask? Well, releasing a dozen or so globe beach balls the next song wasn’t a bad start. And smacking them upside the head with hit after mighty hit proved fairly successful as well. From recent singles such as Every Teardrop is a Waterfall and Princess of China from their latest release, Xylo Myloto to mid-career favourites Violet Hill and The Scientist to their first chart hit, Yellow, Coldplay wowed the 15,000-strong audience and delivered exactly what they wanted and, frankly, expected. The quartet made great use out of the space, making sure even those in the upper sections felt as if they had the best seats in the house.

Five large, round screens, which projected both the band and the crowd, were placed around the venue and the backdrop featured an interesting array of graffiti. But it was the dazzling light show that really made an impression. Fans were given wristbands, which lit up at certain times, making for a brilliant effect. The audience was literally part of the lighting design. Martin’s heartbreakingly beautiful falsetto was in fine form during slower numbers, but when he bounced around during more upbeat songs he tended to become breathy. It’s small criticism, however. Martin’s energy was infectious and the crowd hung onto his every note. Although Martin is the most recognizable of the group – rounded out by guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion – he never hogged the spotlight. Coldplay make sure they play music as a whole. It’s been a few years since Coldplay last played Calgary and on Wednesday night they showed us why we’ve missed them.

http://metronews.ca/news/calgary/110583/calgary-chills-out-with-coldplay-review-and-photo-gallery/

Coldplay’s comfort rock

First of all, how the hell could anyone have been violently slashed at the Coldplay concert? From where I was sitting, it was the most cleancut show I’ve ever attended. The men could only be described as “people who noticed when Randy River and Bootlegger went out of business,” while the women, a vast majority of whom could be described as “cool moms,” were dressed more business casual than any administrative employee I ever saw in my years as a temp. A lot of sleeveless blouses for the women and weirdly cut black leather jackets for the men.

While the Saddledome normally smells like hot dogs, beer, weed and farts at these giant events, the Coldplay concert smelled very upper middle class. The room’s collective cologne wafted together, colliding with the strong smell of clean laundry to create something that can only be described as suffocatingly pleasant.

The only reason I noticed all these things was that I didn’t really want to be there. I was sulking in my seat, thinking about how much I disliked the band’s sappy light rock and how their overly earnest, heart-on-sleeve schtick was not for me.

Then the set started, and holy crap do these guys know how to beat the shit out of your heartstrings. First of all, everyone who bought tickets was given a wristband that lit up along with the music. It was seriously magical, and brought me on board as soon as they started. The live gimmicks peaked early as they followed up the wristband trick with confetti canons, giant beach balls, lasers and, halfway through the set, weird inflatable objects.

Then there was the music. Here’s the problem: to say you hate Coldplay is to pretend that you’ve never heard them before. When they’re not doing a better U2 impression than U2 themselves, the band plays some seriously enchanted music. I tried to be a hater, but I can’t help having a heart. You would have done the same thing. Coldplay is a fucking lite rock hit factory. I don’t care how many Eddy Current Suppression Ring LPs you own, you would have been singing along to “Fix You” too.

As people, too, they’re charming as shit. Chris Martin looks like a Quentin Blake illustration from a Roald Dahl book, and he’s so funny. He won me over with the line “Gwyneth’s making drumsticks” on Extras, and he was even more awesome onstage. He interrupted one of the band’s quieter songs, saying, “Oh fuck, we messed it up.” Then he referred to his own band as “the world’s seventh biggest soft rock band from England.” Dammit! Even Coldplay makes fun of Coldplay!

That’s not to say the whole night was a warm musical hug. There were some awkward moments, particularly when Coldplay tried to “rock out.” Loud Coldplay is some sort of weird, shitty twang rock that doesn’t sound very good. But it does get the moms shuffling their feet in a sensible manner.

Then there was the weird duet that Chris Martin did with a video of Rihanna performing. While the more up-tempo songs have the sort of agreeable beat that’s ideal for rich women to tap their frail, diamond-encrusted fingers on the steering wheel of a Range Rover, it was less exciting in person.

In my section, the ultimate momgasm occurred during the band’s debut hit “Yellow,” as a legion of middle-aged ladies gently swayed back and forth as they sang along and recorded some guaranteed-to-be-unwatchable iPhone videos.

Before ending the show with a one-two punch of their most recent singles (which further proved their invincibility when it comes to writing waiting room hits), Chris Martin took the mic to thank the audience for coming. “Thanks for putting up with parking and all the other hassles that involve coming to a concert.” If that’s not proof that this is upper middle class rock, I don’t know what is. Aside from finding a good accountant and booking the right all-inclusive holiday, these people’s biggest inconvenience is finding a decent parking spot for their night out. And their biggest pop stars are the world’s seventh biggest soft rock band from England.

http://www.ffwdweekly.com/calgary-bl...ort-rock-1029/

Twitter Updates

@debswild: Coldplay on tour: are you ready Calgary? #coldplay

@ABelage: Flying from Kingston to Calgary just to see @coldplay, looking forwards for tonights show !!!

@ThePiercesMusic: The @coldplay tour continues tonight at Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, AB - who's there? bit.ly/JHeVUf @mrbell_23

@SylSten: I can't wait to see what @Coldplay has planned for #Calgary tonight! #countingdownthehours

@VirginRadioYYC: #coldplay landed in Calgary...they're on the way to the Dome in black SUV's!

@Paranoidgirl: Ready for @coldplay in Calgary. Bring it!!!

@Jayreg1969: nearly showtime Calgary !!!

@Crockatteer: COLDPLAY takes the stage!!!!!!!!! YYC twitpic.com/9bgphy

@mrbell_23: Wow. Where do we go from here? @coldplay already the most fun the Dome has had in ages. #yyc

@jillbelland: Spot Chris Martin in a storm of confetti @coldplay #yyc #calgary lockerz.com/s/202404082

@mrbell_23: What's a party without balloons? #coldplay #yyc

@jawa31: God put a smile on my face was EPIC!! #Coldplay #Calgary

@misscarlyloo: #coldplayfilm AMAZING concert but even better when lead singer is clearly having a good time.

@oxfamontour: And for those who aren't here. Here's a picture of the action pic.twitter.com/5bAofKZs

@racheltpark: Dear @coldplay, thank you for putting on another unbelievably show AND playing Warning Sign!!!!!! You have made my year!!!! #Calgary

Emma Russell: Thanks @coldplay for the from row seats to the Calgary Concert!!!!! We went from section 222 at the top to ROW 1 ON THE FLOOR! WWWWOOOOO!!!!

@shelley_booker: Loved loved loved @coldplay tonight. We'll start glowing in the dark... #coldplay #yyc pic.twitter.com/759JQ1m8

Lauren Hall: Coldplay just rocked Calgary SO hard! thank you so much for the amazing show! @coldplay #myloxyloto

@Jayreg1969: CALGARY WAS STUNNING !!!! what a great gig !!! great crowd !!!

18 April 2012: Scotiabank Saddledome, Calgary, Canada

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