My evening for this concert coverage started off rather bumpy for this concert as I was unfortunately not allowed in to photograph Kitty Daisy and Lewis who was the opening act for Coldplay. I was sadly stuck at the VIP entrance pleading my case with security or making frantic phone calls to their tour manager. Without the photo pass, I was stuck outside the venue for roughly two hours until Coldplay took the stage. Luckily, I was still able to hear the soulful sounds of Kitty Daisy and Lewis, which to my surprise features a band so young in age (16-19) and with such a strong sense of family as some of their parents were also in the band. I encourage everyone who is coming for Coldplay’s show to beat the foot traffic and show up early for Kitty Daisy and Lewis; you will not be disappointed.
After contemplating a trip to the casino to kill time, I consulted my bank account and realized sitting in the parking lot was more financially responsible. Upon being escorted into the set up for Coldplay, I found myself in an aisle amongst a sea of people just beyond the pit. As there was no photo pit for this tour, I primarily used my 70-200 f/2.8. I really didn’t know what to expect in regards to how their live show would be, but for all those Coldplay haters, see them live and then get back to me. The material from their new album in particular, Viva La Vida or Death And All his Friends, was particularly effective in a live sense, more so than recorded. As a special treat, the band for this tour has several mini stages set up around the venue so if you don’t want to get stuck out of your seat for awhile, be sure to get all your beer and nachos beforehand.
Before closing out the show that they’ve said they’ve rehearsed for 142 times around the world, the crowd was blanketed with glow in the dark butterflies as the band performed “Lovers in Japan.” As the show was coming to a close, Chris made sure to inform the audience that they were going to be treated to a free copy of their EP Left Right Left Right Left as we exited the amphitheater.
