There aren’t many bands that could sell out one night at Wembley Stadium, a venue that can fit around 90,000 people either standing or seated for a concert. Yet Coldplay didn’t just sell out one night, they sold out six – and probably could have kept going for the rest of the summer, if only schedules allowed.
My all-time favourite band (and fellow UCL alumni!); I had been dreaming of seeing Coldplay live for years and could hardly believe I was finally seeing them on Tuesday 16 August, the third of their six nights at Wembley. Sat in block 114 Row 5, I was at the back of the stadium looking towards the stage – it was great to have a full view of all the action, but i5 did feel a fair distance away as the stadium is simply so huge! However, by alternating between the main stage and also playing on a ‘B Stage’ – a smaller section further down the stadium, at the end of the runway – and a ‘C Stage’ – a small platform at the far end of the stadium, not a million miles away from where I was sat – every member of the crowd has a moment where they feel closer to the band.
Perhaps it is unsurprising for such a big venue that their audience was very varied – young fans mixed old. Their setlist suited all, cleverly made up of their bouncy pop hits balanced by slower ballads. From their biggest hits recognisable to those who were dragged along just because they’d recently liked Higher Power on the radio, or remembered liking Yellow once upon a time, to true fan moments such as early album tracks Sparks and In My Place.
Seeing some of my all-time favourite songs live, such as Viva La Vida and Clocks, were of course highlights of the night. However, one of my favourite moments throughout the entire set was unexpected. Politik – the opening track of their second album A Rush Of Blood To The Head, blew me away live – it’s a real headbanger with an incredible guitar riff. Those impactful moments were accompanied by black and white flashing lights that reflected the monochromatic aesthetic of its album’s artwork. Every detail, from lighting to imagery, were thought out in colours and designs that matched that song’s mood and its album’s era.
Being the Music Of The Spheres tour, there were of course plenty of new songs – the set opened with recent single Higher Power, and closed with album track Biutyful, which I still can’t quite wrap my head around as a final song, especially after the impact of Fix You. People Of The Pride and Humankind both perfectly suited live performance and were great choices from the recent album to perform. However, as we didn’t get a tour for Everyday Life, their previous album, I would have liked to have seen at least a song or two from there (pop anthem Orphans at the very least!). It feels forgotten and overlooked, which is a shame for an album with some real standout and unique songs.
Sitting at the back of the stadium, of course my ultimate highlight was towards the end of the show when they moved down to their C Stage, a small circular platform positioned at the back of the standing section. By relocating further down the stadium, they gave the fans at the back like me a chance to have a great view. I could finally get photos where you can see their faces! With the stadium lights up for most of this section, it felt more intimate and personal. They performed Sparks from debut album Parachutes before bringing on two very special guests – Grammy winning Jacob Collier on piano, and Natalie Imbruglia. Each night at Wembley they bring on a different guest for this section and Tuesday definitely received a real treat – they performed Natalie’s hit Torn before a tribute to Olivia Newton-John, Summer Nights. I certainly didn’t expect to hear a musical theatre song performed at a Coldplay concert and so was delighted, and the crowd loved singing along.
Coldplay’s concerts are known for the light-up wristbands worn by the crowd and I was very excited to see these in action. Not only do they look very effective – I’m still trying to work out how they lined up to make hearts across the seated tiers of the stadium – they also give the audience a feeling of unity, especially in moments like Yellow where the entire crowd shined (you guessed it) bright yellow.
Setlist:
Higher Power
Adventure Of A Lifetime
Paradise
Charlie Brown
The Scientist
Viva La Vida
Hymn For The Weekend
Let Somebody Go
Politik
In My Place
Yellow
Human Heart
People Of The Pride
Clocks
Infinity Sign
Something Just Like This
Midnight
My Universe
A Sky Full Of Stars
Sparks
Torn
Summer Nights
Humankind
Fix You
Biutyful
It certainly was a long setlist – Coldplay began at 8.15pm, and finished at 10.30pm. That’s far from a complaint – what else would you expect from a band with nine albums to their name? Seeing Coldplay live felt like a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a feeling shared throughout the crowd. They could have kept playing all night and we’d have been happy; there’s certainly plenty of songs I could think of to add to the setlist. But in many other ways, they have managed to come up with the perfect set. There wasn’t one dull moment; every song was full of energy, every comment to the crowd felt personal. Everyone in the crowd knew: this was a concert to remember.
