Have you ever wondered how your favourite musician arrives for a stadium show? If, like me, you imaged they’d arrive by limo, or at the very least a minivan driving into the depths of the stadium, I can confirm that Chris Martin walked to Marvel Stadium.
I decided that we would go to the stadium a day early to get some merch, mainly so that we wouldn’t have to bother on the day of the show. Walking back to our accommodation, right next to the train station with hundreds of other Coldplay fans making their way to the stadium (about 500 metres away from the venue), I was following my children and out of the corner of my eye I saw a familiar face walking with purpose in the other direction towards the show.
Oh my god, that’s Chris Martin.
I knew I had only seconds to act. The exact recollection of events differ, depending on who you ask, but my children say that I took off like a scalded cat and ran towards him. He had a female body guard (I think this is relevant – it wasn’t what I would have expected and meant that he didn’t draw attention to himself) walking about 2 metres behind him. I ran up to him. She intervened and said “you shouldn’t run towards anyone”. To which I apologised (I immediately backed away) which I think diffused the situation. I think she clocked me as a “harmless fanboy” (true). She stepped back. I then shook his hand. More reliable witnesses than me (i.e.my children) say that I don’t meet old friends like I said hello to him. I was much more effusive. My right hand was shaking his hand and my left was on his shoulder. I think I was holding onto him like I couldn’t believe that he was real. I introduced myself and said that I was really looking forward to tomorrow’s show. He said “nice to meet you brother” and then he was on his way. Powering towards the stadium. Clearly, he couldn’t stop – the hundreds of other fans around would have swarmed him. I can’t believe that no one else recognised him.
The interaction lasted mere seconds. But I doubt I’ll ever forget it.
It was just as well I had a day to bring myself back down to earth before we attended the show.
The concert itself was a thrilling spectacle, but also a very human experience. Coldplay started the gig like most bands play their encore. Five big hits (Adventure of a Lifetime, Paradise, the Scientist, Viva La Vida among them), with streamers, confetti, light up wrist bands, beach balls. They threw everything at the crowd and it was fantastic. You can only do that if you’ve got enough songs left in the tank for the end of the set that are equally as good. Coldplay have that.
The show didn’t let up and they embraced songs from their whole career. It’s hard to articulate what was so special about it, and I think you need to be a believer, but there was a balance between being slick and also allowing themselves to make mistakes. It was a huge show, but also intimate. There were a couple of mistakes. Chris Martin fell through an opening in the stage. That definitely wasn’t planned. He fortunately wasn’t injured and continued with the show.
Throwing in old favourites like Clocks, and the perennial Yellow mid set is brave. Other bands would have saved them for the end of the show, but they were certainly well received. The encore started with Fix You, not before Chris Martin flubbed the opening line of the song. But that was endearing. He got the band to start again by saying “let’s play Fix You … by Coldplay”. Maybe you needed to be there. But it was great. It was human. They played a couple of upbeat new songs to finish and, yes there were more streamers, and confetti, and fireworks and it was spectacular.
You might not like that the band have fully embraced pop, rather than rock. Or that their lyrics are a bit twee. Or that they are desperately uncool. It’s telling that the support acts came from Zimbabwe, Australia (via Iraq) and Nigeria. In Coldplay’s world, they want everyone to feel welcome and don’t want to be limited in what they can express. I think they achieved that.
While I can confirm that Chris Martin walks to the stadium, the gig itself was anything other than pedestrian.
