Coldplay: Live 2003

Riding high on the phenomenal success of A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay is in peak form on Coldplay Live 2003. This CD/DVD two-pack was filmed (on Super-16mm film) and recorded in Sydney's Horden Pavilion on July 21 and 22, 2003, during an exhaustive year-long world tour, and the medium-sized arena provides a fitting stage for the London-based rock quartet, not so grand as to overwhelm the music, but large enough to indicate their large and loyal following, which includes enthusiastic fans of either gender. Especially when played in DTS 5.1 surround, this 90-minute concert is richer, thicker, and (of course) louder than Coldplay's studio recordings, lending a wall-of-sound expansiveness to the band's signature sound, which draws from such diverse influences as Genesis, Pink Floyd, The Verve, U2, and their own unique sonic landscape. "Politik" gets the gig off to a rousing start, and other impressive highlights include "Daylight," "Yellow," the as-yet-unreleased new song "Moses," and the popular hits "In My Place," "Clocks," and "The Scientist." And while the concert visuals are slick and professional (perhaps placing a bit too much emphasis on singer/frontman Chris Martin), this DVD and CD--the latter containing a truncated 70-minute version of the same performance--are best appreciated for their pristine audio quality. Culled from 400 hours of home video, the 40-minute "concert diary" represents a wasted opportunity, enjoyable for hardcore fans but offering no insight into the band or its individual members. Much better, then, to play the concert at healthy high volume, and appreciate Coldplay in the prime of their young career. --Jeff Shannon
Customer Review: The best concert I never went to!!
I got the Coldplay 2003 DVD as a birthday present in '04. Coldplay's my favorite band, so you can imagine my excitement. Back in the days, I never thought I could ever be in a real concert of the band, I lived too far away from any place they toured. Almost four years later, I still think the DVD was the best concert in my life. That is, taking into consideration that I went to see them, against all odds, in NYC in 2006. It's not that the concert was bad, it was one of the best days in my life. It's that to me, the DVD is so good that I can't get enough of it. The band plays perfectly, the connection with the crowd is real, the choice of songs is fantastic, the sound is epic, the transitions that go along with songs, including colors, angles and views of the crowd and the band are nothing but exciting and bright. If there's any DVD I would ever recommend, it's this one. It's the closest you'll come to live the Coldplay experience if you haven't got the chance to live it already.
Customer Review: Wow. That's all I have to say.
Not only is the music CD great, but the DVD packs quite the punch. The only tiny thing that bugged me was how the CD didn't have every song off of the DVD, but I guess that's what makes the DVD that much better. If you like Coldplay, but this DVD, you will not regret it. Best $20 musical purchase I've made in a long time.

Trawling through one internet music recording forum after another (as I often do) is certainly illuminating. The multitudinous posts from earnest recordists enquiring from the experts which microphone, preamp, soundcard, converters, compressor, EQ, reverb - blah, blah, blah - is better than another have a rather dulling effect on my sensibilities before too long. And in truth, I've begun to make a bit of a nuisance of myself at one or two places by interjecting with a recommendation that the poster look to the room before he batters his credit card in the hope that some sparkling new high-end "professional" piece of gear will solve all his recording issues. Sometimes the repost comes back claiming that the initial poster is a hobbyist and is not aspiring to achieve professional results - so why don't I just back off and let the guy/gal spend his/her money the way that he/she sees fit? That's all very well, but it doesn't gainsay the logical flaw in spending in the region of $2k on gear when a similar amount - or much less with a bit of research and DIY - on some acoustic treatment of the recording space would achieve a whole different order of improvement.

At this point I should perhaps confess that it took about a year for me to reach the same conclusion. There's no question that a sexy new microphone with a price tag to suit is far more appealing than buying bags of mineral wool slabs, or even proprietary, pretty looking, sound treatment products. I should also admit that I did read a whole lot online about ways and means, materials and products, and earnest debates between the experts - not all uncontroversial - before I felt confident about doing something about it in my own place.

Most - nearly all - of what I have learned I have learned through advice freely given by experts on internet forums concerned with recording studio construction and acoustics. There are some wonderful step-by-step instructions out there on how to make excellent DIY acoustic treatment solutions that are about as effective as, and at fraction of the cost of, commercial products. There are also detailed explanations available on the causes of problems encountered when recording acoustic instruments in small(-ish) rooms - a rudimentary understanding of which is essential to finding solutions for your own particular room.

Following some of that advice has lifted a veil from my recordings and has enabled me to deliver professional sounding projects resulting in a CD - and sales! So I won't apologise now for my evangelising about the topic whenever I get the opportunity - such a difference has acoustic treatment made to my own projects.

Hobbyist or not, you're better off recording in a field with the cheapest of gear than in most untreated rooms with the most expensive recording equipment on the planet.

So there!

Dave Keir is an acoustic fingerstyle guitar player and songwriter with over 40 years experience of recording, touring and teaching guitar. More information and resources can be found by visiting http://www.dave-keir.com

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