After more that 20 years of waiting, British rock band Coldplay finally announced their first ever concert in Malaysia, where it was held at the Bukit Jalil National Stadium on November 22.
Having heard of how colourful and epic their concert was from friends who had watched them live in the past, I knew I had to land my hands on the tickets and was fortunate to be able to do so, albeit in a nerve-wracking manner.
Heading towards Bukit Jalil
On the day of the concert, there was already a slight downpour, prompting me and my friends to don our raincoats before walking towards the Muhibbah LRT station from one of my friend’s house.
There at the station, we were greeted by a throng of passengers who were also heading towards the stadium and squeezed our way into the LRT as we didn’t want to wait for the next train and risk running late.
After three stops, we finally arrived at the Bukit Jalil LRT station and were met with even more people, something that my claustrophobic self was unable to process for a moment.
As expected, it involved a lot of pushing and shoving to finally get past the gate at the station and step foot into the stadium grounds. Thankfully, the rain had subsided and me and my friends began searching for our designated gate to get into the stadium.
But before we could do so, we had to be scanned by staff members with a metal detector for prohibited items. I was worried that my powerbank would be confiscated but fortunately it wasn’t taken away. Me and my friends were then given a wristband which was to be worn throughout the entire concert.
Let the show begin!
At exactly 7.45pm, the lights went dim, sending the 75,000-strong crowd into a frenzy as they screamed in anticipation for Coldplay to appear onstage.
But before they took the stage, local rapper Bunga rocked the audience with five songs, namely Intan Payung, Apadehal, Jiwaraga, Belai and Buai.
After her 20-minute performance, there was another 20-minute interlude before Coldplay finally made their appearance and kickstarted the show with the upbeat tune Adventure of A Lifetime, where every audience member’s wristband gyrated to the music and turned the entire stadium into a sea of multiple colours.
After the blood-pumping tune, the atmosphere was brought up a notch higher as Coldplay performed a string of their hit singles such as Viva La Vida, Paradise, A Sky Full Of Stars, Something Just Like This, and My Universe, where fans sang with much gusto and passion.
Despite my prayers prior to the concert, the rain came back with a vengeance and drenched those in the rock zone and standing zone. Even Coldplay wasn’t spared from the downpour, where lead singer Chris Martin was seen wiping his face several times while performing onstage.
However, he decided to make the most out of the downpour and even sang an impromptu tune called ‘Malaysian Rain’, much to the delight of concertgoers.
Coldplay – Malaysian Rain:
— im a girl (@pelisahh) November 22, 2023
I've been to Europe
I have been to Spain
But there's nothing quite as beautiful as the Malaysian rain
Whenever I'm down
Whenever I'm in pain
I love to stand in Malaysian rain
Whenever I feel like I shouldn't have been born
I stand in the rain and it… pic.twitter.com/SHfazePBLk
Halfway into the show, Chris called up a couple up to the stage and performed Magic on the piano at their request for their 3-year-old daughter. He also performed Sparks in memory of a fan who had passed away before the concert, where her father reached out to Coldplay to dedicate the song to her.
As hardcore fans would know, it’s never a complete Coldplay experience without the cult classics Yellow and Fix You, which were performed by the band to close the show as the whole stadium lit up in tiny specks of yellow wristbands (pun intended).
Sadly, I wasn’t able to witness or capture the fireworks on my phone as my view was partially obstructed by the stadium’s roof.
Another time? Heck yes!
Despite the rain and monstrous crowds, seeing Coldplay live in action has been one of the best moments in my life and I’d pay more money to watch them again even if it were to leave a gaping hole in my wallet.
If asked what were the three words I’d use to describe my concert experience, they would be: magical, epic, and of course, yellow.
To all those who went to the Coldplay concert, was your experience equally as memorable? Share with us in the comments!
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