Viva la Vida Tour

Viva la Vida Tour
The Viva la Vida Tour was the fourth concert tour undertaken by British rock band Coldplay. It was launched in support their fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), becoming a massive commercial and critical success. The tour visited Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas, further establishing the band as one of the biggest touring acts in the world.
The stage setup consisted of a stripped-down main stage and two catwalks; Coldplay also performed amongst audience members at the back of venues in a special acoustic set. Instead of a giant video screen on-stage, the band opted for six hanging giant PufferSpheres that displayed images, video and streamed closeups. Lead singer Chris Martin dubbed the fixtures as their "magic balls". During the intro, The Blue Danube by Johann Strauss II was played on all concerts right before the band came into the stage. The tour visited arenas and stadiums in separate phases: In London, they visited The O2 Arena in 2008 and the Wembley Stadium in 2009, with the latter show featuring a half-dome stage design.
Coldplay were accompanied by Oxfam and David Gibbin during the tour. Volunteers were stationed at each venue to tell concert goers how to reduce poverty; the organization's logo and website was featured on one of the light ball fixtures during each show. On 23 July 2008 Coldplay performed their second in two shows at the United Center arena in Chicago. In each of the two shows, the band shot the music video for "Lost!" by performing the song twice. On 19 September 2008, Chris Martin was accompanied by A-ha pianist Magne Furuholmen in the encore at the Oslo Spektrum, Oslo, to play a cover of the A-Ha song "Hunting High and Low".
Visuals
The intro of the concert would begin in space before turning to show the Earth and zooming to aerial views of the continent, country, city and then stadium that the show would take place. The idea was to make each show being a spectacle in its own, rather than just part of the tour. The cosmic theme is repeated across a number of the visuals like "Speed of Sound" and "Glass of Water". This takes the gig-goers on a journey through a solar system where the stars coalesce to form an eye shape that goes supernova and engulfs the screen in flames. However, other sections of the show were completely different. "Lovers in Japan", one of the highlights in visual terms, uses a series of archive footage and animations across the screen at the back of the stage and in the end thousands of confetti butterflies would rain all over the venue. For the show's closing number, "Life in Technicolor II", the paintings created for the album artwork from Viva La Vida was treated with sprocket and projection effects to create a vibrant, immersive and colorful effect.
Opening acts
There were 34 supporting acts for the tour. They are:
Jon Hopkins (North America—Leg 1, select dates)
Shearwater (North America—Leg 1, select dates)
Santigold (North America—Leg 1, select dates) (Japan—February 2009)
Sleepercar (North America—Leg 1, select dates)
Duffy (North America—Leg 2, select dates)
Snow Patrol (North America—Leg 3, select dates)
Howling Bells (North America—Leg 3, select dates) (Europe—Leg 3, select dates)
Pete Yorn (North America—Leg 3, select dates)
Amadou and Mariam (North America—Leg 4, select dates)
Kitty Daisy & Lewis (North America—Leg 4, select dates)
Elbow (North America—Leg 4, select dates) (Ireland—September 2009)
Albert Hammond Jr (Europe—Leg 1)
The High Wire (Europe—Leg 2, select dates)
Eugene Francis Jnr and the Juniors and the Juniors (England—December 2008)
The Domino State (London—14 December 2008)
Kilians (Europe—Leg 3, select dates)
Bat For Lashes (Europe—Leg 3, select dates) (South America)
The Flaming Lips (Europe—Leg 3, select dates)
White Lies (Europe—Leg 3, select dates)
Moi Caprice (Denmark—August 2009)
Datarock (Norway—August 2009)
Ministri (Italy—August 2009)
Pegasus (Switzerland—September 2009)
The Sunday Drivers (Spain—September 2009)
Miss Montreal (Netherlands—September 2009)
Girls Aloud (Britain (Scotland and England)—September 2009)
Jay-Z (Britain (Scotland and England)—September 2009)
La Roux (England—December 2009)
Decoder Ring (Australia)
Hollie Smith (New Zealand)
Mercury Rev (Australia) (New Zealand) (Asia—March 2009)
The Ting Tings (Japan—February 2009)
Vanguart (Brazil)
Reception
In total, the tour grossed $222,256,153 from 3,022,635 tickets sold. Coldplay also broke the attendance record of Sydney's Acer Arena, which was previously held by Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveShow (2007).
Set list
Tour dates
Cancelled shows
Personnel
Credits taken from the band's official tour book, which was sold exclusively on merchandise booths and their online store.
Performing members
Chris Martin – lead vocals, piano, rhythm guitar
Jonny Buckland – lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards
Guy Berryman – bass, backing vocals, keyboards, percussion
Will Champion – drums, backing vocals, percussion
Main crew
Dave Holmes – manager
Andy Franks – tour manager
Phil Harvey – creative director
Vicki Taylor – artist assistant and instrument painting
Emma Jane McDonald – artist assistant
Paul Normandale – production designer
Craig Finley – production manager
Dan Green – FoH sound
Fraser Elisha – lighting director
Chris Wood – monitor engineer
Yasmine Kotb – tour accountant
Kurt Wagner – stage manager
Marguerite Nguyen – production assistant
Craig Hope – backline technician
Matt McGinn – guitar technician
Sean Buttery – drum technician
Neil Lambert – backline technician
Matt Miller – MIDI technician and videographer
Tony Smith – FoH assistant
Nick Davis – monitor technician
Stephanie Thompson – RF technician
Video
Andy Bramley – video director and content
Ed Jarman – video engineer and crew chief
Ben Miles – catalyst and content
Mathew Vassalo – projectionist
Video crew
Jason Lowe
Phil Johnson
Lighting crew
Dave Favourita (chief)
Tommy Green
Wayne Kwiat
Niall Ogilvy
David Cox (UK)
Dave Jolly (UK)
Marta Iwan (US)
Jim Michaelis (US)
Sound technicians
Rob Collett (UK)
Owen McAuley (UK)
Simon Rogers (UK)
Jim Allen (US)
Stephan Curtain (US)
Carlos Sallaberry (US)
Stage
Rick Stucker – head carpenter
Russell Macias – carpenter
Gabriel Wood – head rigger
Charles Anderson – rigger
Brooke Blomquist – confetti
Mike Hartle – laser
Tiffany Henry – dressing rooms and wardrobe
Security
Jackie Jackson – venue security
Kelly Samuels – band security
Geoff Sands – band security
Merchandise
Signatures Network, Inc. – Dell Furano, Rick Fish, Pete Weber
De-Lux – Jeremy Joseph
Eric Wagner – product development and road manager
Joe Heden – US Road Merchandise Mrg.
Jon Ellis – UK Road Merchandise Mgr.
Catering
Heidi Varah – chief
Darren Shead – head chef
Pauline Austin – chef
Sarah Money – FoH
Jessie Collins – FoH
Management
Mandi Bursteen, Ivan Entchevitch – Dave Holmes assistant
Lauren Valencia, Arlene Moon – 3D Management
Booking agents
Marty Diamond, Larry Webman – Paradigm (US)
Steve Strange, Josh Javor, Nicki Forestiero – X-Ray Touring (international)
Business management
Lester Dales, Maul Makin – Dales Evans
Donna McQueen, Tracy Lawson – assistant
David Weise – David Weise and Associates (US)
Legal representative
Gavin Maude – Russells
Suppliers
Chapman Freeborne – aircraft charter
Matt Snowball Music – anything at any time
Stars and Cars – Europe artist transport
Moorcrofts – UK artist transport
DPL – US artist transport
Beat the Street – UK buses
Celebrity Coaches – US buses
Global Motion – freight forwarder
Robertson Taylor Insurance Brokers – insurance brokers
Lite Alt – UK lighting
Upstaging – US lighting
All Access – passes
Strictly FX – confetti and lasers
Wigwam – UK sound
Eighth Day – US sound
John Henry's – storage
Celebrity Protection – tour security
Music by Appointment – UK travel
Altour – US travel
Stagetruck – UK trucks
Upstaging – US trucks
XL Video – video
77 Million Paintings
Brian Eno – paintings and music
Website
Wendy Marvel, Brian Schulmeister – design
Chris Salmon – editor
Debs Wild – ambassador
Creative input
Brian Eno
Markus Dravs
Tim Crompton
Lee Lodge
Tour book
Wendy Marvel, Eric Wagner – design
Matthew Miller – front cover design
William Garland – lithography
Photos courtesy of
Guy Berryman
Stephan Crasneanscki
James Gooding
Dan Green
Penny Howle
Matthew Miller
Greg Waterman
Others
Pete Lusby – Oxfam UK representative
Soha Yassine – Oxfam US representative
Dan Portanier – trainer
Rik Simpson – additional musical production
Andy Rugg – additional engineering
Beth Fenton – stage uniforms designer
Special thanks
Alison Burton
Air Studios
All bus and truck drivers
Gear
Credits taken from Projection, Lights & Staging News, with product quantities being represented between parenthesis whenever possible.
Flying Pig Systems Wholehog 3
Wing, Catalyst and Green Hippo Hippotizer Media Servers
Martin MAC 2000 Wash XBs (17)
Martin MAC 2000 Wash Fixtures (7)
Martin MAC 700 Spots (32)
Martin MAC 250 Wash Fixtures (20)
Martin Atomic 3000 Strobes (27)
Nova Flowers (4)
i-Pix BB4s (12)
Omni Wash Lights (10)
Mole Richardson 4-Lite Blinders (28)
Mole Richardson 2K Mole Beams (8)
Custom Clip Light Fixtures (4)
Reel EFX DF 50s (4)
Look Solutions Unique Haze Machines (4)
See also
List of Coldplay live performances
List of highest-grossing live music artists
Notes
References
External links
Coldplay Official Website
2008 concert tours
2009 concert tours
2010 concert tours
Coldplay concert tours
Concert tours of Argentina
Concert tours of Australia
Concert tours of Austria
Concert tours of Belgium
Concert tours of Brazil
Concert tours of Canada
Concert tours of Colombia
Concert tours of Denmark
Concert tours of France
Concert tours of Germany
Concert tours of Hong Kong
Concert tours of Hungary
Concert tours of Ireland
Concert tours of Italy
Concert tours of Japan
Concert tours of Mexico
Concert tours of New Zealand
Concert tours of Norway
Concert tours of Singapore
Concert tours of Spain
Concert tours of Sweden
Concert tours of Switzerland
Concert tours of the Czech Republic
Concert tours of the Netherlands
Concert tours of the United Arab Emirates
Concert tours of the United Kingdom
Concert tours of the United States