Coldplay British Rock Band Coldplay

Coldplay

British rock band Coldplay has been entertaining fans worldwide since the year 2000 with their first hit single "Yellow." Since then, Coldplay has produced a consistent roster of rock anthems, all of which are atmospheric in tone and socially conscious in lyrical scope. In addition to their widespread appeal, Coldplay has received considerable critical acclaim to bolster their fan base.

Lead singer Chris Martin provides the band's signature sound, but he is backed up by a talented yet surprisingly traditional ensemble that consists of lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion. Occasional accents of piano complement Martin's octave-leaping and melodic falsetto voice. In addition to their occasionally formulaic song structures, Coldplay also incorporates unexpected instrumentation including piano melodies but also violin. Champion's drumming tends to be rather simple or sparse for most of Coldplay's songs, as does Berryman's bass playing. However, both Berryman and Champion are solid musicians, and Buckland or Martin rarely drowns their instruments out in keeping with the band's notoriously democratic social organization. Their latest album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends is a quintessential Coldplay creation, and their most recent live tour proved that the band has yet to be tapped out.

The cornerstone of Coldplay's sound is the band's production: enhanced by Brian Eno's touch on the latest album released in 2008. Without Eno's hand on the Bank Atlantic sound system, Coldplay nevertheless relied on professional tweaking that captured the production value that Eno imparted in the unlikely setting of a gigantic hockey arena. In spite of a few technical difficulties that The Miami Herald concert reviewer Michael Hamersly pointed out, the Coldplay show was deftly arranged and executed.

As a band Coldplay has an uneventful history and its members rose quickly to fame. In 1996, Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland met while freshman at University College London. Guy Berryman joined soon thereafter and the three-piece played together under the moniker Starfish until Will Champion joined in 1997. The name Coldplay followed them since. Coldplay enjoyed some minor success including Radio One airplay, before releasing successive hit singles "Shiver" and "Yellow" in 2000. Their first full-length album was the 2000 release Parachutes.

Parachutes propelled Coldplay to success. They received acclaim in mainstream music media like Rolling Stone and considerable airplay on MTV: enough to make Coldplay a household name in what is generally referred to as alternative or anthem rock. Coldplay continues to defy genre classification but the band does draw upon numerous recognizable influences ranging from U2 to Radiohead. Their second album A Rush of Blood to the Head seriously solidified Coldplay's sound. Coldplay's success culminated in their receiving several Grammy Awards. Their third album X&Y was released during the pinnacle of the band's commercial success. Chris Martin also married actor Gwyneth Paltrow and the two had a child together in 2004. Their musical productivity slowed somewhat, undoubtedly because of clashes between personal and professional responsibilities. In 2006 the band started working on Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends with celebrity producer Brian Eno.

Their concert in November of 2008 in Sunrise, Florida was a fitting part of the Viva la Vida tour. Before finishing the recording, Coldplay toured extensively in Central and South America ostensibly to drum up new sonic and thematic ideas according to the Wikipedia article on the band. Yet Viva la Vida is in no way classifiable as world music and has minimal Latin influences.

Still, the sold-out crowd swayed and chanted as if part of the same organism. The show focused on Coldplay's new material from Viva la Vida. Older familiar songs only once or twice crept into the set list. The encore was, expectedly, "Yellow." Although the only song played during the planned encore, it was a magical moment. Slow song "The Scientist" also made its way into the night's repertoire. "Scientist" was in fact a highlight of the Bank Atlantic show because Martin stepped off the stage and into the crowd, offering a moving harmonica performance to awed fans. Even when the band retained their elite position on the sound stage, they maintained rapport with the crowd. Except for the mostly immobile drummer, band members moved around and Martin especially enjoyed gyrating and using theatrics as a part of the performance. His emoting helped involve the audience into the show, especially those sitting far off. Giant screens accompanied the performance too, and allowed those in the cheapest seats at the upper rungs of the arena to enjoy the looks of angst on Martin's face as he crooned, or the sweat drenching Champion's hair. The excellent pulsing light show was another visual treat during the show.

Songs from Viva la Vida like "42" and "Strawberry Swing" did not seem incongruous with other Coldplay material. The band executed the studio recordings easily, and yet the performance on November 9 seemed remarkably fresh and full of passion and verve. What made the Bank Atlantic center really come alive, though, was the enthusiasm of the diverse crowd. Although most of the audience was 20- and 30-somethings, a smattering of both older and younger faces rounded it out. A good proportion of the crowd also seemed familiar with Coldplay's portfolio, as several audience members sang along, shouted their requests, and erupted in cheers at the start of songs they liked.

It would have been impossible not to have been moved by Coldplay's performance. The band has developed a captivating sound. Their melodies and especially the haunting vocals of Chris Martin are honed and perfected so that the tunes stick inside the head for days after. The collective energy of the crowd added potency to the already intense Coldplay energy.

Before the show began palpable excitement and anticipation filled the air. Several fans around me had apparently seen Coldplay live before, but this was my first concert with the British band. The size of the arena added to the otherworldly feel, which was also created by the stunning display of lights, the on-screen visuals, and the stage presentation. Using a loud but clear sound system, the band captured the mood on their studio album.

Many of Coldplay's songs are moody. They evoke a pensive state of mind in listeners, which is a strange sensation to feel when standing in a crowd with thousands of strangers. I would occasionally worry: about mistakes I had made, about whether my choices were the right ones. The songs opened my heart unexpectedly and the music beckoned me inward. Moments of fleeting but strong melancholy tinged my emotions. It was like weaving in and out of myself. In one moment I would be deeply introspective but then the next fully connected with not just the friends I was with and also with everyone else in the audience. I felt simultaneously small and large, dwarfed by the size of the arena but uplifted to feel like a giant. Interestingly, I realized that the dichotomous feelings I experienced during the concert echoed the meaning behind the lyrics in the tour's title song: "Viva la Vida." In the song, Martin sings about fluctuations in states of mind and social status. The narrator of the song sings about once ruling the world like a god or a king, then living like an ordinary human being.

The song "Viva la Vida" is uplifting, as was the entire performance. Lyrics about church bells ringing and choirs singing accompany violin strings. The strings impart a choral effect, and so do the guitar sounds emanating from Buckland's impressive wall of amps. The overall effect of the peak moments in each Coldplay song is like a religious experience. Most if not all of their songs contain peaks and valleys: slow, languid beats that suddenly rise up and awaken the senses. Earthy drumming gives way to ethereal angelic tones.

Optimism pervades Coldplay's lyrics. The lyrics also harmonize well with the mood of the music. For example, the droning guitar riffs in "Strawberry Swing" correspond with the line "It's such a perfect day." The line "It's such a perfect day" encourage each audience member to appreciate the moment: to be thankful for the opportunity to see a band like Coldplay perform live. Many of Coldplay's songs are similarly joyous, like poetic odes to the heights of human spirit. Throughout the concert I continued to feel filled with hope and optimism. I saw around me many smiles that proved that my feelings were mirrored in fellow fans' faces. The song "Lost!" is characterized by catchy percussive rhythms that make audience members move their bodies in unison.

However, some of Coldplay's songs are more haunting than they are uplifting. Martin's vocals contributed to the moodiness of many moments during the show. Reflecting Radiohead, the song "42" takes full advantage of Chris Martin's vocal range. I found myself swaying to "42," a song that never seemed to stick out for me on the studio album but which captured me entirely during the show. The lyrics about life and death embodied the radical emotional shifts that can take place within one Coldplay song. Mournful as it is melodic, I found myself musing about lost relationships and people that have vanished from my life. My mind strayed to personal matters several times during the show, which lasted several hours including an opening act.