Meltdown 2002 - Coldplay

Who lives in a house like this?

Sweet smelling sheets hang outside, the foul jest of bedwetting juices keenly washed away by a the summer breeze. Inside, through the foyer, tripping over the maid, one finds the mantle-piece on which lies a signed photograph of one Mr. David Bowie, taken circa June 2000 at Glastonbury. The strange chicken boned character with him has rather unsightly curly hair, 'he'll never amount to anything' they said. How they were wrong. Next to the super-dooper lifestyle home entertainment system lies a pile of ultra-worn CDs: 'Grace' by Jeff Buckley, 'What's The Story (Morning Glory)?' by Oasis and of course 'OK Computer' from Radiohead.. The proprietor of this abode also has matching wardrobe items for each of these records, although all the shirts on poverty and fair trade seem to be missing. He must be at one of those student rallies protesting at how much people moan about third world debt. Bastards should get themselves a job instead of watching flies all day long. Anyway, who would live in a house like this?

Two minutes into 'Politik' and it becomes clear that Coldplay's new stuff pisses all over everything else from an extremely great height. Parachutes down, one could say, whilst shitting down the throats of guiless little pretenders like Matthew Jay and Starsailor, intelligent, unthreatening and deftly beautiful, Coldplay will be bigger soon that they could have ever imagined. Among the crowd of style editors, name journos including yours truly, and assorted Aussie pop nympets, a general air of 'Coldplay are quite good, bit like Travis, good tunes and that' hangs, whilst the memories of 'bedwetting new acoustic drivel' dry completely out of mind. Simplicity is policy: the haunting piano, vocals superimposing a saintly glow over the sweet pound of the Coldplay's tight rhythm section.

Always in a different league to the sorry likes of whiney chubsters like James Walsh, thanks in no small part to the magnificent skill of guitarist, Jon Buckland, Chris Martin, fresh from his duet with Ian McCulloch at Echo And The Bunnymen's recent New Order support, couldn't be happier. As our exclusive photos show, he looks uncannily like Thom Yorke, complete with generic 'help the third world, it matters, really it does' t-shirt. Free trade? I don't see Coldplay giving any records away! Is it not true that one of their label's international affiliate companies actually deals in arms? Yeah, I think so. Lit moodily under red and blue, his head swings like a psychotic pendulum over the chiming piano.

'Spies', the haunting favourite from their early live shows, and its groovy, dark sliding melody, shines tonight, before new track 'Daylight' the eternal 'Trouble' and another new song 'One I Love' cause palpitations across the whole audience, who by now are on the feet demanding blood. Or maybe lemon barley water, it's Coldplay, less us forget.

As the likes of 'Don't Panic' transcend into grand anthems for the summer, further wonders like 'God Put A Smile On Your Face' explode as stunning new opuses from Chris Martin's seemingly endless repertoire of melodic, heart-touching anthems for the masses. Coldplay's mandate has always been to move without the evils of rock excess. They leave the pyrotechnics to Ozzy and the silhouetted podiums and large rubber balls to Muse. With Coldplay, it's personal. A rush of blood to the heart.

Having dedicated 'See You Soon' to fellow Parlophone star, Kylie, Martin had a surprise guest vocalist for 'Yellow' when security was breached by a slippery trainer wearing townie - (how he got through the main door to the venue on such a night is anyone's guess, let alone on stage), who Chris allowed to stay and complete the song with him.

Wonderful new single 'In My Place' and 'Life Is For Living' end the show on a jaw-dropped high. Epic as much as they are accessible, with as much love and soul as self belief. Expectations are defied in the most extreme style, as even the most cynical are moved. Coldplay have proved themselves, and if you need convincing Glastonbury will take care of that.

The full set was:

'Politik'
'Shiver'
'Spies'
'Daylight'
'Trouble'
'One I Love'
'Don't Panic'
'Everything's Not Lost'
'See You Soon'
'God Put A Smile Upon Your Face'
'Yellow'
'The Scientist'
Encore
'Clocks'
'In My Place'
'Life Is For Living'

'In My Place' and the new LP 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head' are released on Parlophone in August.