Are you sitting comfortably?

COLDPLAY, Phoenix Park, Dublin Mon 4pm 76.50 0818-719300

At the end of last year, Coldplay performed in the then newly christened O2. A day or two before, the venue was officially opened by Kings of Leon. At the KoL gig, it was standing room only for screaming fans; at Coldplay’s performances, it was a sit-down crowd with a muted, too-mature audience reaction.

Therein lies the problem. Coldplay are good at many things (the slow build’n’burn ballad, the chest-beating sincerity, taking the lead from someone as adventurously intuitive as Brian Eno). But the truth is that, in a live context, their music isn’t the most exciting thing in the world.

Not that this niggling issue will be something the band won’t attempt to overcome; the strengths of Coldplay lie in their innately (and occasionally superb) mournful pop sensibilities, and it is these, we reckon, that will lift the gig skywards.

Spare some time, as well, for special guests White Lies and, especially, Elbow, who were one of the best “wow” bands at Oxegen.

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