KUALA LUMPUR – Coldplay, led by Chris Martin, hopes to perform in China soon to share their universal language of music.
Despite grappling with bureaucratic challenges and censorship, the band remains undeterred, joining other artists who strive to overcome cultural divides through their craft.
According to a CNN report, Martin assured tens of thousands of fans who attended the band’s performance in Bangkok, Thailand, last Saturday, that the group would eventually play in China.
“I promise we’ll play in China one day,” Martin said to the screaming crowd when he invited two lucky fans up on stage. He selected the duo, from the southern Chinese city of Guangzhou, after spotting their banner in the crowd.
“All I say is I promise we’ll play in China one day,” Martin said, before launching into the band’s 2015 hit Up&Up.
“Up and up, don’t ever give up. China loves Coldplay,” he sang, sending the crowd wild.
The moment, captured on camera and confirmed by CNN staffers who were in the audience at the Rajamangala Stadium on February 3, has become a huge talking point for the British band and their fans as they wrap up their tour of Asia.
In Tokyo last November, Martin also conveyed the same wishes and even went further, hinting that the band lacked the approval of mainland Chinese authorities to perform there.
“You know, we can’t get the permission (to play in China).
“Coldplay loves China… please, universe! Let us play in China!”, he told concertgoers.
CNN has reached out to Coldplay and their representatives, and China’s Culture and Tourism Ministry for comment.
It was reported that Coldplay’s Kuala Lumpur leg of their Music of the Spheres World Tour garnered a whopping 81,812 concertgoers, despite only performing for a single night last November.
The performance also became the band’s most-attended concert in their history, with an impressive RM51 million in estimated profit, beating their 2017 show in Croke Park, Ireland, which had 80,389 attendees.
The Kuala Lumpur leg managed to collect about 91% of Xyloband wristbands after the concert, which is one of the highest percentages. – February 11, 2024