Coldplay Showcase "Viva La Vida" at First Free Show in London

"No refunds," joked Chris Martin to the 5,000 lucky lottery winners jammed into London's Brixton Academy last night for the first proper live gig from Coldplay in more than two years. Playing in front of flashing stadium lights that illuminated the ecstatic crowd, Coldplay opened with "Life in Technicolor" and "Violet Hill," cuts from their new Viva La Vida, before rocking the crowd with classic hits "Clocks" and "In My Place."

Photo Gallery: Coldplay's London Free Gig.

Basking in Viva's stellar opening sales — the album moved 300,000 copies during its first three days of U.K. release — and playing for millions of less fortunate fans who listened to the show on the BBC's Radio One, Coldplay worked through a set list that included new songs "42," "Lost!" and the title track, interspersed with old favorites "Trouble" and "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face." Playing in England for the first time since 2005, Martin thanked "the most encouraging fans in the world" as the band closed their set with "Strawberry Swing."

A tireless Martin then grabbed an acoustic guitar, perched himself on the balcony of the venerable theatre and serenaded the audience with Coldplay's first hit "Yellow" before introducing "something super extra double special" as drummer Will Champion joined Martin on the balcony to sing a version of the Pogues' "If I Should Ever Fall From Grace With God." The first stage in this new chapter for Coldplay came to a close with "Fix You" and the new "Lovers in Japan" as confetti exploded over the crowd.

The trio of free concerts continues tonight in Barcelona and wraps up on June 23rd at Madison Square Garden. Coldplay's Viva La Vida tour launches July 14th in Los Angeles at the Forum and will take the band through Japan, Europe and North America.

Set List:
"Life In Technicolor"
"Violet Hill"
"Clocks"
"In My Place"
"Viva La Vida"
"Chinese Sleep Chant"
"God Put A Smile Upon Your Face"
"42"
"Square One"
"Trouble"
"Lost!"
"Strawberry Swing"
"Yellow"
"If I Should Fall From Grace With God"
"Fix You"
"Lovers In Japan"

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Song Stories

“All Along the Watchtower”

The Jimi Hendrix Experience | 1968

Jimi Hendrix got hold of Bob Dylan's early John Wesley Harding tapes and in late 1967 recorded a version of "All Along the Watchtower" with the Experience in London. Dissatisfied with that first development, Hendrix brought those tapes with him to New York in early 1968 when he began work on Electric Ladyland. Eddie Kramer, Hendrix's engineer at the time, told Rolling Stone that Hendrix "was still looked upon by his basically white audience as the mammoth black guitar hero. There was a constant fight within him to expand himself." Hendrix's successful take on Dylan's work has long been recognized by the songwriter. "I liked Jimi Hendrix's record of this and ever since he died I've been doing it that way," Dylan wrote in the liner notes to his Biograph box set. "Strange how when I sing it, I always feel it's a tribute to him in some kind of way."

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