Coldplay

In recent years, Friuli Venezia Giulia — particularly with venues such as Stadio Friuli and Villa Manin — has been establishing itself as one of the most active regions in organizing major musical events, drawing crowds from abroad as well.

After Bjork, Rem alongside Editors, Patti Smith, Paolo Conte, Bruce Springsteen and Madonna, it's the turn of Coldplay. Following the double autumn date in Bologna and Milan, the quartet fronted by Chris Martin draws around 40,000 people to the stadium, half of whom have travelled from Slovenia, Croatia, Hungary, Serbia, Austria, Germany, Switzerland and even Norway!

An exceptional opening slot, on the warm afternoon of Monday 31 August, goes to Ministri and White Lies. The former take the stage at around quarter to seven in the evening. Live, the trio deliver an aggressive brand of rock, all clattering guitars, screams to the sky and sweat, for a half-hour set that's as spirited as it is harmless. The Ealing quartet, led by frontman Harry McVeigh, run through several tracks from their debut album. It's a performance that's probably a touch too polished and cold, not helped by a venue that isn't exactly suited to total immersion. "To Lose My Life" and "Death" nonetheless come across best, aided by a livelier response from the crowd.

Stadio Friuli only really fills up as the start of the most anticipated show draws near, given it's a working day. At nine o'clock sharp the lights go down, Strauss's "Sul bel Danubio blu" begins as if by magic, and the London-based quartet makes its triumphant entrance, greeted by cheers and applause from the fans.

The first part of the show offers up a collection of the best singles turned out by Martin & Co.: we go from "Yellow", one of the most spot-on pop songs of the last decade, to "Violet Hill", the lead single from their latest effort, from "Clocks" to "In My Place". The setlist then runs through tracks from "Viva la Vida", alongside deep cuts like "God Put A Smile Upon Your Face", a gorgeous "The Hardest Part" performed on piano, and a not-quite-successful techno version of "Talk".

The second half doesn't hold up against what came before, ranging from a garish tribute to Michael Jackson to a spine-tingling rendition of "The Scientist".

After more than two hours of music, complete with a closing fireworks display, the English quartet's performance draws to a close. What we witnessed was less a concert than a full-blown show, one in which Martin's gifts as a performer blended seamlessly with the band's execution of the songs. The Coldplay phenomenon has once again touched the hearts of the audience, a hurricane with no equal on the mainstream pop scene in the last decade.

Ride the wave of great music

Add OndaRock to your favorite sources on Google Discover. Don't miss our reviews, milestones and latest news straight in your feed.

Follow on Google