Gravity, Release Me (Apocalypse Sound AS170)
Saitama Super Arena, Saitama, Japan February 12, 2009 (broadcast on MTV February 27th): Intro., Life In Technicolor, Violet Hill, In My Place, Yellow, Fix You, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face / Talk (techno version), Viva La Vida, Lost!, Lovers In Japan, The Scientist, Life In Technicolor II
Grammy Awards, Staples Center, Los Angeles, CA – February 8th, 2009: Lost (with Jay-Z), VIVA La Vida
Nrj Music Awards 2009, Midem De Cannes, January 17 2009: Live In Technicolor II (acoustic), Award Of Honor
4Music Presents Coldplay December 12th, 2008: Viva La Vida, Lost, Lovers In Japan, Glass Of Water, Fix You
Saturday Night Live October 25 2008: Viva La Vida, Lost!, Yellow
Later With Jools Holland, October 10 2008: Violent Hill, Lovers In Japan, 42, Viva La Vida
Gravity, Release Megathers together Coldplay documents from late 2008 into early 2009 focusing upon promotional appearances for the latest album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends with the Prospekt’s March EP, which was released on November 21st 2008 and the song “Life in Technicolor II” was released as a single on February 9th 2009. All of the chapters were recorded straight from the telecasts and all have excellent video and audio quality and are presented in reverse chronological order.
The first and longest part of the disc is the MTV World Stage telecast of the February 12th Saitama show in Japan. It is edited to just about half of the actual show and includes the opening songs plus encores (omitting Clocks, Speed Of Sound, Chinese Sleep Chant, 42, Video, Strawberry Swing, The Hardest Part Play Video Postcards From Far Away Play Video, Green Eyes Play Video I’m A Believer, Politik, and Death And All His Friends.) The show was telecast on February 27th.
The Grammy Awards broadcast features the two songs telecast. Chris Martin plays a version of “Lost” alone, accompanied only by the piano and is joined in the middle of the song by the rapper Jay-Z. The arrangement is pretty but is completely ruined by the rapper and looks more like a gimmick devoid of any artistic merit. The rest of the band come on stage for a performance of “Viva La Vida.”
The Nrj Music Awards comes from the TFI En Direct telecast. Martin sings a solo arrangement of “Life In Technicolour II” accompanied by the piano (just like the performance of “Lost” from the Grammys). The performance is followed by Chris Martin receiving an award on behalf of the band. He looks bewildered while the mc is speaking in French but gives his acceptance to the audience in French. He does well until the end when he gives up and says “that’s it, I’m finished.” The 4Music telecasts features the band playing in a studio playing five songs. They play three songs from the latest album Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends plus “Glass Of Water” from the Prospekt’s March EP and “Fix You” from X&Y.
The final two chapters are from October appearances on American and British television and both taped in front of a live audience. They play three songs on “Saturday Night Live.” Two are from the new album plus they play “Yellow” from their first album Parachutes. The appearance on Jools Holland for the BBC is the earliest footage in this collection and features the band playing for songs from the new album. In general, for the Coldplay fan this is a very good collection of TV appearances in excellent quality.
