Cover Coldplay frontman Chris Martin performs at Hampden Park on August 23, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin performs at Hampden Park on August 23, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland
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Coldplay will be hitting several stops in Asia—Kuala Lumpur, Kaohsiung, Jakarta—for the first time on its ‘Music Of The Spheres World Tour’
In support of its ninth studio album, Coldplay announced on October 14, 2021 the Music of the Spheres World Tour that marks the band’s triumphant comeback to live performing after the long-drawn Covid-19 pandemic. It’s also its eighth concert tour to date and one which required extensive planning over two years as Coldplay has pledged to not tour until it could ensure the concert runs are environmentally friendly.
Read more: Coldplay is performing a concert in Malaysia in November 2023
The British rock band’s last tour was the multiple award-winning A Head Full of Dreams Tour which grossed US$523 million (approximately RM2.33 billion) from 5.38 million tickets sold for 114 dates including Abu Dhabi, Singapore, Manila, Bangkok, Taoyuan, Seoul, and Tokyo. Ahead of the band's return to Asia, here's what you can expect from the concert that promises to be a technicolour spectacle.
Putting sustainability on the main stage
Above Jonny Buckland, Chris Martin, Will Champion, and Guy Berryman of Coldplay perform at Hampden Park on August 23, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland
Jonny Buckland, Chris Martin, Will Champion, and Guy Berryman of Coldplay perform at Hampden Park on August 23, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland
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It's no secret that the Coldplay members are vocal about their concerns over climate change. In fact, they made sure that the Music Of The Spheres World Tour champions sustainability. Thus, they commissioned a team of sustainability experts to investigate their carbon footprint and study how it can be reduced. After two years, a plan was put in place.
Together with BMW, the band developed the first-ever mobile rechargeable show battery made from recyclable BMW i3 batteries and powered concerts by using renewable resources such as hydrotreated vegetable oil, solar power, and kinetic energy.
See also: Fix You: Coldplay sponsors watercraft to clean up Malaysia's rivers
Additionally, the Music Of The Spheres World Tour stage is built with lightweight, reusable materials and upgraded to incorporate low-energy LED displays, lasers, and lighting set-ups, along with a PA system that consumed 50 per cent less power, which will also dramatically reduce environmental noise outside the venues.
Coldplay’s concerts are famed for mind-blowing special effects such as pyrotechnic and confetti visuals. The band will use biodegradable confetti adapted to require less compressed gas for ignition, while pyrotechnics will have less explosive charge and new formulas to reduce harmful chemicals.
Sing and dance your way to reduced carbon emissions
Above Fans attend Coldplay's concert at Hampden Park on August 23, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland
Fans attend Coldplay's concert at Hampden Park on August 23, 2022, in Glasgow, Scotland
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To ensure that fans can also be a part of the sustainability effort, Coldplay has partnered with One Tree Planted and pledged to plant a tree for every ticket sold through a reforestation agreement.
The signature Xylobands (LED wristbands) which are given on entry and worn by the audience as part of the show will be replaced by PixMob wristbands made from 100 per cent plant-based materials. To reduce wristband production, Coldplay will be collecting, sterilising, and recharging them after every show. The electronic components will be repurposed for wristbands to be used in future tours.
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At certain venues, the band will install kinetic floors in certain points around the stadium so that the concertgoers' dancing can be converted into energy and literally help to power the show. Electricity-generating pedal bikes will also be installed so that fans can actively charge show batteries.
Water refill stations for the fans will be provided wherever possible and are encouraged to bring their own reusable bottles to reduce the sale and usage of single-use plastic water bottles.
Be moved by Coldplay's signature anthems
"Lights will guide you home. And ignite your bones. And I will try... to fix you."
One would describe Coldplay's crafted-to-perfection concerts as euphoric and impactful. The band's setlist ranges from anthemic bops to calming songs which are both heartbreaking and inspiring at the same time such as Fix You.
Fans can expect to rock out to tracks from the latest album such as the global smash in collaboration with K-pop boy band BTS, My Universe. Then, as the wristbands fill the stadium in a kaleidoscope of colours, stroll down memory lane with crowd favourites like A Sky Full of Stars, Yellow, and The Scientist, which sound even better when performed live.
When the unabashedly loud and fist-pumping Viva La Vida comes on, it’s guaranteed to be one big, karaoke session with endless “Ooooooh-ohhh-oooohs” that will unite thousands of fans.
Chris Martin's masterclass showmanship
Above Martin performs on the piano at Wembley Stadium on August 12, 2022, in London, England
Martin performs on the piano at Wembley Stadium on August 12, 2022, in London, England
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Martin's unparalleled energy and masterclass showmanship are enough reason to attend a Coldplay concert. Be prepared for a jump and shout fest as the Coldplay frontman joyfully runs and gallops, grinning (and occasionally cheekily winking) up and down the long catwalk which cuts through the audience.
Not forgetting, he could work the piano with gusto even with his eyes closed. This has always been and will always be magical and mesmerising to watch. End of conversation.
Credits
Images: Getty Images
Lainey was the Digital Director of Tatler Malaysia. When not whiling away the hours watching documentaries, the latest K-drama, or reruns of Friends, she can be found indulging her wanderlust by stalking travel platforms or feeding her obsession with music. She loves animals, running, all things social media, a good conversation over coffee or soju or wine (often rambling on if nobody pulls the brakes on her), and is an avid fan of bursting-at-the-seams laughter.
