Review | Coldplay Music Of The Spheres World Tour

“We’re the biggest soft rock band in the world, we can’t afford a bigger stool?”

Look no further for a quote to perfectly encapsulate Coldplay, as lead singer Chris Martin laughed and waved a short stool around the stage. Though funny and self-deprecating, the British quartet is a true monstrosity of a band.

For perspective, Coldplay’s debut album Parachutes won the Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album in 2002, and, two decades later in 2022, they sold more concert tickets than any other artist, breaking attendance records around the world. Formed in 1997 during their London school days, the rock band consists of vocalist/pianist Martin, drummer Will Champion, bassist Guy Berryman, and guitarist Jonny Buckland, who have dominated musical charts and proved to be an undeniable influence on the sonic landscape of music. 

As Martin waved the stool around — he ended up having a completely functional stool that simply needed adjustment, and joked, “I could’ve worked the stool like a proper person” — two fans from Mexico sat in front of his piano anxiously waiting for him to join them in singing “Let Somebody Go.” Martin picks fans from shows to join him onstage to sing their requested songs, and the fans of this show excitedly gifted him a pin he proudly wears.

“We recorded it with Selena Gomez … but we never got to sing it with her, so we haven’t really played it,” Martin disclaimed at the start. In true Los Angeles show privilege, Selena Gomez walked out to sing with Martin and the fans, one of whom jumped up to hug her. H.E.R., the opening act of the night, walked out to lend her vocals and electric guitar to the track. 

Worth mentioning is Coldplay’s emphasis on environmental sustainability, with their world stadium tour utilizing energy bicycles, electricity-producing dancefloors, and planting a tree for every ticket sold, to name a few. The floor of the stadium had palpable energy, with fans gleefully riding the energy bicycles and dancing on the floors as the screens onstage displayed their beaming faces. It signaled a step in a more conscious direction for touring, and it was inspiring to see one of the biggest bands in the world walking the walk of the cause they so passionately believe in.

The band made sure to play their hits, including a mind blowing run of “Paradise,” “The Scientist,” “Viva la Vida,” and “Hymn for the Weekend” performed back-to-back. Coldplay performed their biggest songs with a respect and excitement unlike most other acts I’ve seen. Highlight “Fix You” started with Martin performing the intro solo on piano (on the miniature C-Stage in the back of the floor), then running to the main stage as the song soared back to life, joining the rest with the band.

The C-Stage contained my favorite moment of the night, when Coldplay played sleeper hit “Sparks,” in an intimate, acoustic circle — Champion’s drum set swapped for a cajon, and Martin on acoustic guitar — facing one another. It helped those in the back of the stadium get a closer view; I was able to stand at the front, and it was mind-blowing to see such a huge act up close, singing one of my favorite songs. 

During the second C-Stage song, “Magic,” Martin switched to piano and introduced the band while sharing anecdotes. With an improvised song to Buckland, he sang, “It’s just me and you, like in 1996. When you were smoking in the corner, and I was up to all kinds of tricks. You didn’t even like me, you said I got it all wrong. But you said you’d stick beside me, you make millions of dollars from my songs!” Martin laughed. “Not true,” he reassured.

When introducing Berryman on bass, Martin shared how “when we first started playing, this is how we’d rehearse. In Johnny’s bedroom, sitting this close. But they’d be smoking a lot more weed and a lot more cigarettes.” The crowd erupts into laughter. “In 1997, he changed all his life plans and stayed in London so we could keep rehearsing. If he hadn’t done that, we’d all be fucked.” 

It’s hard to imagine a world where this wasn’t Coldplay’s story. It is now solidified in the history of music, and their prominent musical influence will surely endure long after them. “Here we are. The four of us still, somehow. Slightly leaner, and a little bit more beard-y. But here we are.”