Music Blog, Live Reports, Playlists & more...: Coldplay @ Boston TD Garden (29&30/07/2012)

You may have noticed that there was no "Sunday Song" last week, it's because I was busy with Coldplay. The band is currently touring the U.S. and they stopped by Boston Sunday and Monday nights. As I'm in Boston for a few weeks, it is with pleasure that I took the opportunity to see them again.

The concerts were very similar to the one they gave last May in Nice, without fireworks . For this reason if you want more details on what happens at a concert of the Mylo Xyloto Summer Tour, I invite you to read the article in question article in question. This time I'll be less descriptive and give my impressions on both nights.

Previously, a quick word on the TD Garden. This is an indoor arena that is, since 1995, the home of Boston's basketball team, the Celtics. Also be aware that unlike Europeans concerts the public is often sitting in the pit, which explains the presence of seats on the pictures. I grant you, it's very special and I'm glad this is not the case in Europe!

Emeli Sandé, who came straight from the opening ceremony of the Olympic Games and Marina And The Diamonds, were the opening acts of these two gigs. Emeli Sandé's concerts in UK are big and soldout each time but in the U.S. she must start at the bottom of the ladder as she attests during an interview for Nylon Magazine: "The main thing is comming here without expectation. I just got off this massive UK tour and I come here and it's just the guitar and me and it's like,"let's go again from the scratch"". On the other hand Marina was, as usual radiant and sparkling energy on stage.

Dimanche 29 Juillet:

When I bought my ticket there were only seats located on the back of the stage. I thought it would be a good way to see the concert from a different angle and indeed, it was ! The concert began with Back To The Future Theme followed by Hurts Like Heaven, song on which the thousands of Xylobands lit up. The view was breathtaking! From where I was I had the same view as the band on stage and it was really impressive! Whenever when Xylobands lit up, when the audience sang, clapped and responded to comments from Chris Martin.

The concert continued in a good atmosphere, the audience was visibly delighted by all the effects: Butterflies during In My Place, balloons during Lovers In Japan and xylobands repeatedly. Also, Chris Martin was not unworthy on stage running as usual, from the right to left on stage and communicating with the audience. He included some references to Boston in some songs saying for example "Hometown of the Red Sox" once, one of the best-known U.S Baseball team.

One of the highlights of the evening was without doubt the interpretation of Warning Sign when the band is on the central cross. The song started normally and then stopped abruptly, Chris Martin then explained he has been distracted because he thought about the Olympics. After apologizing, he expressed himself: « I’m gonna stop thinking about pool vault and I’m gonna focuss on the song, so that everybody else… The Best concert in the world is happening right here, right now. Fuck the Olympics, let’s having a fucking great time in Boston ». The song was then continued exactly where it stopped and Chris Martin added « Please don’t tweet us ». How the media rushed to relay the story is pretty funny because in itself it has nothing special. This is not the first time such an incident occurs, whether for Coldplay or a different band.

The group then took a walk into the public. It was difficult to see from where I was but the screens relayed the images. It appears that Chris is always the first, announcing the song that will be played, Us Against The World, then Will, Jonny and Guy arrive in turn to sing. I must say that I have rarely seen such a welcome from the public for each member of the band. They each come under tons of applause and screams, impressive! Then they crossed the TD Garden to to regain the main stage.

The concert ended as it began, that is to say with the illumination of all Xylobands and applause and screams of the audience.

The band thanked the so warm crowd during a long time and went away. For the record, throughout the concert I waved a French flag that I had customized. At the end of the concert I could see their on their faces their effort to read what was written: "I crossed the Atlantic for you". When Chris Martin noticed it, he sent me back a kiss with his hand!

Lundi 30 Juillet:

You know the refrain, take the same and start again. The difference is, that night I was seated in the stands on the right side, near the C-Stage. Still the opportunity to have a different point of view on the show, as I'm accustomed to be in the standing area in Europe.

It was equally amazing to see the Xylobands light up at the beginning of the concert! Besides, I do not know if we can get tired of it. I think it will be difficult to do better during their next tour.

This time Chris Martin welcomed the audience by saying that the band was happy to be where the Celtics play normally, adding "Let's try to make this concert the best concert in the world" and "Twenty years from now, when we’re asked what our favorite show we ever played was, I would love to say that it was Boston on a Monday night in 2012". Judging the audience reaction, it seemed possible! I found that the crowd was even better than the day before . There was more noise and it more willingly accompanied Chris Martin on vocals. In fact the difference was clear when he left the public sing at the end of The Scientist.

Once on the cross in the center of the TD Garden, the band interpreted as the day before, Princess of China, and Up In Flames. As a change Chris Martin proposed us a poll among Warning Sign and Green Eyes! At this game, it is undoubtedly Green Eyes who won the public vote. I was not expecting at all such a choice! At most, when Chris started talking about a poll I imagined it would be between Warning Sign and Troubles that is played from time to time. Thus I was very surprised by Green Eyes. Especially since this song was not played since 2009. This finished conquering the heart of the audience.

(Excuse my enthusiasm, which can be heard at the beginning of the video)

The concert continued and the band then came into the public. Needless to say I had never been so close to the C-Stage! As Will Champion's birthday was the next day, Chris Martin took the opportunity to celebrate it with us.

The band then came back onstage to finish the concert as the day before, under a thunder of applause and screams. Chris, Jonny, Will and Guy have in turn thanked the audience and left the stage.

Both concerts have gone very quickly and show that if Coldplay seem to have quite an organized show, they still know how to show initiative to offer few surprises to their audience.

Next appointment with the group taken at the Stade de France on September 2 for me, what about you?