21.11.12
it has been more than a decade when i first heard their music. was it clocks or speed of sound? but they used to be just one of the many bands i have on my playlist, with a couple of songs from the few albums they had at that time.
and then i was re-introduced to them with their album viva la vida back in high school. the song itself remained one of my personal favourites even today, especially with the familiar bells and chimes. i missed them live in singapore then, but my civics tutor just couldn't stop talking about the concert for a while after. of pretty confetti and mass sing-alongs. her enthusiasm certainly surprised me, and i made a mental note to myself to check them out after the As, for it really did sounded extraordinary.
and i am glad i did. they became what many called "favourite band", or rather just one that i can identify with and be excited about. the gap year was a year of confusion, misjudgements, disappointments, and one of those times when i didn't know what i want in life. i couldn't differentiate my own expectations with that of others, and different doors were already closing upon me, limiting my options. their music accompanied me through this period. i listened to their songs right from the first album, and was honestly surprised at how much the band has grown through the years (though there were traces of commericalisation of course, but there's nothing wrong with that, really).
i used to loop the scientist on my long train ride to work, thinking about life, cheesy as it sounds. i am bad at lyrics myself, and so it is the very tune of their songs that touches me most of the time. in my place was the one that i enjoyed the tune and then lyrics a lot, even before knowing it is one of their iconic songs. it was perhaps all part of growing up, that i began to recognize the very talents of an artist (no longer their appearance and packaging, that is!) and relate their music to my own life experiences. i simply love the chemistry among the members, how charismatic they are, and how they are such a private band. i just respect that.
and that was the point where i started to wait for a chance to catch them live, to live and experience the very atmosphere i always watch longingly from my very small youtube screen. 3 years 7 months - that was how long it took for a new album release, and then a tour. but it was most certainly worth every moment of it. it was first time i was so excited over something that doesn't directly impact me. i mean, to be honest, my life would still be complete without watching them live - well, there is always next time. adrenaline rush came a couple of days before the concert, when i bought their concert dvd released for the tour, and it got me singing along at home, memorizing lyrics and being so very excited for the actual event itself.
it was perhaps because of this adrenaline that i, with a couple of friends, camped outside the stadium hours before the show, and found similar fans doing that. it's pretty weird really, seeing someone else so crazy over something you're passionate about, and i cringed slightly whenever someone from the crowd mention the band's name. it was like a dawning moment when i realised that there are perhaps many of "me" around, waiting for this moment to come too, and i am certainly not the most passionate fan around. it was also a wonderful moment, getting to meet strangers sharing something similar with you and whom you probably will never cross roads with again. there were even dads queuing early for their kids, and many others dressed in paradise elephant costumes. we were face-painting, donning our concert tshirts (which cost a bomb, mind you), drawing our shoes, lining up, getting ready for the concert. all simply for ourselves to have a great time.
and then the moment came after opening acts and hours of queuing. fireworks blazed the night sky and songs rang after another. emotions just came rushing in. it's like savouring a meal after starving for ages; you just feel happy inside, with a tint of disbelief too. you just forget who you are and enjoy the music, singing along and bonding with the crowd, jumping along everyone else around you. everything was just so colourful and vibrant - with confetti cut in the shape of symbols of mylo xyloto, laser lights shining just inches above your head, amazing screens displays and graphics, the famous yellow balloons, and of course, the crowd's wristbands.
songs sang live are simply different. the music literally surrounds you and you feel the words with your heart. there were numerous times where i had to mentally withdraw myself and take a moment to absorb in everything around me, somewhat still not believing that the band was singing in front of me. live. memories attached to certain songs just came replaying inside my head too, and perhaps it was the realisation of the passage of time, how much i have grown and how i was feeling in the past that just made me tear. the belief that lights will guide you me home and everything will get better just warms my heart. live music is amazing like that.
there were too many moments to remember from the concert, like those with the charismatic CM changing lyrics to suit the brisbane crowd, which we all responded to (cheers to that!). it was, how should i put it, a night of emotional roller coaster and a night of a rose bursting through concrete of black and grey. a night that i would recall in the future and still brings a smile.
"every show is different. when the lights go down that's (50,000) people's lives colliding...for that one moment. everyone that's there working or watching is there for that moment. it's when you're all kind of in agreement about what you're doing at that time...so it's a wonderful feeling of togetherness and possibility"
my exact sentiments.