As Chris Martin serenaded Abu Dhabi, UAE wooed him back. Like a river hit by sunlight, the night glowed with the neon lights of cell phones and wristbands, and the audience hummed songs in unison.
The show was on.
Martin and his four-piece British band sang crowd favourites such as Yellow, Head Full of Dreams (from their new album and the name of the tour), Clocks and A Sky Full of Stars.
And while guitarist Jonny Buckland’s riffs were on point, the frontman’s charisma was on full display — at one point Martin lay down on stage and sang to the sky.
And while he didn’t let us forget the difficult times ahead — he alluded to the Trump election at one point, and started the concert with Charlie Chaplin’s Great Dictator speech — the band offered some much-needed respite during what had been a difficult year. He also sent out ‘good vibes’ to strife-riven places such as Syria and Yemen.
His tribute to George Michael seemed apt — he sang Faith.
If there was one big mess up, I’d have to say it was the giant queue for the ATM — the kiosks weren’t accepting cards and the getting through the barricades meant stepping away from the big, bright stage.
But navigating your way back through the crowd was well worth the light show.
And as impressive as the start of the gig was, the end was better. After a rollicking routine of up-tempo beats and swaying, as the clock stuck 12, the balloons were brought out. Confetti showered the stadium in a golden rain, and smiling and renewed, like children, we ushered the New Year in.
