It rained throughout the day. She did it in the morning, continued at noon, and did not stop for a good part of the afternoon. This caused that in the hours before the second Coldplay concert in Barcelona -Saturday and Sunday they repeat- the umbrellas and raincoats were counted by thousands both in the queue, first, and on the track and the stands, later -surely more than one he learned from what he experienced in the last recital of Bruce Springsteen in the same Olympic Stadium, just a month ago. Everything seemed to indicate that it would be a show gone through the water. But if Montjuic is known as the magic mountain, it is also for a reason.
The opening acts -Hinds and CHVRCHES- did not escape the rain either. In fact, they had to play covered by several black tents to prevent the instruments from getting wet. But as if it were a secret pact, the rain stopped falling when there was little left for the British quartet to return to the Barcelona stage. A fief that is more than well known.
In the minutes before 9:30 p.m., the Estadi Olímpic radiated happiness. Part of the 55,000 people who returned to fill the venue had a great time making massive waves to ask that the concert start on time - and surely to also celebrate that the weather was finally on the right side. And after a short presentation by two young people -Claudia and Julia- the lights went out to welcome almost two hours full of light, color, emotion and some surprises.
Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion appeared on the big screens heading towards the main stage as the E.T. And after performing a countdown, the bracelets of those present lit up at the same time to receive Higher Power, the first song of the night and one of the highlights of his latest work and which gives its name to the current tour: Music of the Spheres. The party had started and the first serving of confetti was already flying through the air.
With no time to lose, it was the turn of Adventure of a Lifetime, from his seventh studio album and which meant the first vocal duel between Chris Martin and the audience, and the singer's first greeting, with a "bona nit, good night". . Paradise was also present in the first bars of the concert and it was a success. After only having played the first three songs, more than one felt that they were in paradise.
But if one thing characterizes Coldplay, it is that they are capable of going from absolute ecstasy to lowering their heart rate in a matter of seconds and making the attendees take out their mobile phones to illuminate the Olympic Stadium and welcome one of the group's first anthems. : The Scientist. "Thank God for the rain, here in Barcelona. We are going to play the best concert of our lives," Chris Martin said in more than passable Spanish, although he joked that "I speak like a two or three year old." .
Surely many agreed with the final phrase of the song, that they wanted to go back to the beginning -of the concert-. But they reconsidered it when, after the lights went out and the band moved to the center of the catwalk, the first notes of that song that is so special for Barcelona sounded: Viva la vida. And it is something that Coldplay knows: the silhouette of the Sagrada Familia is drawn on Will Champion's drum box and on Wednesday, hours before their first concert in Barcelona, the band confirmed on Twitter that Gaudí's temple is the "spiritual home" of the theme.
The concert only had five songs and the British quartet had already put the public in their pocket, who also did not stop singing in Hymn for the Weekend, with a stage set on fire. And then came the most intimate moment of the night, when Chris Martin was left alone at the end of the catwalk, next to his piano, and invited a middle-aged man to sing with him. "I never do this, I always choose young people," acknowledged the singer, who decided to make an exception. The reason? An impromptu version of What's Love Got to Do With It as a tribute to Tina Turner, who passed away last Wednesday at the age of 83.
With In My Place instead of Charlie Brown, the four musicians returned to the main stage, the point from which they best saw the spectacular play of lights that caused the bracelets of the 55,000 attendees. Some bracelets that suddenly lit up in the same color to introduce another of the group's first hymns: Yellow. A song that had to be stopped on Wednesday because Chris Martin hallucinated with a girl who was standing on the shoulders of her companion, emulating the typical Catalan castells. However, yesterday the song was played normally.
Human Heart was Coldplay's second reference to their latest album, with hearts in the stands included, followed by People of the Pride, also by Music of the Spheres and dedicated to the LGTBI collective. However, perhaps the group considered that having played two songs in a row from their last album was too much. Solution? Go back in time to the rhythm of Clocks, another of his greatest hits and which once again made it clear that Chris Martin, apart from being a good singer, is a more than correct pianist. And the Olympic, dyed green.
Something Just Like This was not missing either and was interpreted in sign language by the band leader, with a robotic mask on his head. This was followed by a new standing ovation from the stadium, which thanked the artist for the gesture. And then it was time for Midnight and My Universe, with more confetti in the air and viewers who had already lost track of time.
Another emotional moment came with A Sky Full of Stars, which curiously played twice: after playing the first few bars of the song, just before the audience started to jump, Chris Martin stopped the song, joined the other members of the group and pleaded with those present to put away their mobile phones. "We need your hearts, bodies and souls," the singer asked. And the public, obedient, gave it their all when the entire song was finally heard.
This tour is touring several places in the world and in each one the band treats those present with a typical song from the site and has special guests. And Barcelona has not been an exception: both on Wednesday and yesterday, the Gipsy Kings, led by Nicolás Reyes and with his characteristic torn and flamenco voice as the flag, unleashed madness in the final part of the track with Bamboléo, first, and Nel blu, dipinto di blu -so that we understand each other, Volare- later. And Coldplay, present on that small stage, enjoying themselves like children.
With this special section finished, the band moved to the central stage to perform Humankind, absent on Wednesday, which preceded the always emotional Fix You, one of the most anticipated by spectators and which did not disappoint, with a guitar by Jonny Buckland that puts anyone would get goosebumps, some fireworks that announced that the end of the party was near and some led bracelets that underlined one of the most outstanding phrases of the song: that the lights will guide us home. And that home is called Coldplay.
And as a final point, Biutyful, another song by Music of the Spheres that featured The Weirdos -the puppet band that is already inseparable from Coldplay- as special guests and that closed a concert of almost two hours with a message -Believe in love - more than clear to some fans who, many with sore legs and sore throats, left the Olympic Stadium with a smile from ear to ear and with the feeling that they had just experienced one of the best nights of their lives.
