Live Review: Coldplay, The Temper Trap

As we walk in and out of black curtained-off sections, getting closer to our designated aisle in the gargantuan Etihad Stadium, we hear throbbing bass and news commentary samples from the London riots. It's The Temper Trap and they launch straight into London's Burning. Frontman Doug Mandagi sounds a bit harsh in the “AAAAaaaah” bits, which call to mind a toddler hooning about playing aeroplane crash. And what's with the lyrics, “Everything is nothing”? Please discuss. There's a carnie in the stalls who has brought along a rhythmic gymnast's ribbon, which she flails about. “It's good to be home,” Mandagi stresses regularly. Science Of Fear, with its rolling percussion, ups the ante and sees punters jigging away in their seats, but the whole 'frontman providing additional drums' shtick is getting a bit old – which bands don't do that these days? Sweet Disposition explodes aural bliss-bombs throughout the stadium. The frontman tests out Chris Martin's catwalk during this final song and it's pleasing to note this hasn't been made out of bounds for Coldplay's support act.

Reams of black fabric cover the arena seats behind the stage and these have been graffed with neon painted phrases such as “clumsy things” and “luminous and wired”, which looks kinda like a rock eisteddfod backdrop. All were handed special Mylo Xyloto wristbands upon entry and now messages on the giant screens insist that we put them on since they're “Part Of The Show”. With Etihad's roof open tonight, we pray these wristbands are heated! Coldplay's intro tape of choice is from Back To The Future's main title. As the title track from the band's latest album kicks in, all wristbands illuminate making the audience resemble a field of multicoloured flashing tinsel. It's difficult to achieve wow-factor these days, but they've one-upped the effect AC/DC created at this very stadium with their sea of lit-up, red headbands avec devil horns. Pyros detonate in pretty colours. Then cue the confetti cannons. Impossibly far-reaching lasers accentuate this arena's vast periphery. What an opener!

And now for some power ballads. Chris Martin pulls up a piano stool to showcase those magnificent pipes on In My Place and we notice the graff theme has extended to Coldplay's musical instruments, which are all decorated accordingly. There's a burning smell. Oh, no! Have some of the wristbands caught fire? Thankfully it's just post-pyro stench. Martin promises us the best concert ever and then stops his bandmates a few notes into their next song, admitting he fucked up. That jovial, self-deprecating manner of his ensures instant forgiveness. There's a lady the row in front of us practically humping her plastic chair during The Scientist. Martin certainly has a very sexual way of grinding into that piano, which is probably what set her off.

Enter that insistent Yellow guitar riff. It's amazing how many fans try to sing along with Martin, his range is extraordinary and so they invariably have to regulate octaves through the verses and then catch up with, “Your SKI-in/Oh yeah, your skin and BO-ones.” Truly luminous. Rihanna appearing on screen to mime her Princess Of China parts in absentia just puts us in a bad mood, 'cause her concert was appalling last year. The visuals also take a while to catch up to the sample, which makes her image's lip-synching outta wack. Martin needs to cut it out with the crazy eyes; he's just fine without the added OTT expression. When Martin sings Warning Sign, many in the crowd would love to have the following phrase delivered personally: “So I crawl back into your open arms.” There's then a very abrupt transition into Don't Let It Break Your Heart. Drummer Will Champion is a contender for fastest sticksman alive here and his arms move faster than the human eye can register.

Martin substitutes “Ramsay Street” into a song at one point for those paying attention and when he pops up on a mini-stage beyond the halfway mark, GA patrons make a beeline for it. The rest of Coldplay join Martin and there's another false start, but we love him for acknowledging yet another blunder. As Coldplay race through the crowd back to the main stage, we're reminded of when Martin similarly legged it across the Sydney Cricket Ground during his band's generous appearance at Sound Relief. That was in Fix You, which is a poignant inclusion again tonight. Coldplay are dedicated to providing an experience.