Check out our amazing Coldplay photos HERE

Over the course of four albums, Coldplay have turned from a gentle rock band into world-beating, stadium-filling superstars. Their latest album Viva La Vida topped charts around the world, and at tonight’s Brisbane Entertainment Centre show, they proved that they’ve got the live chops to match their massive reputation.

Australian instrumental group Decoder Ring open proceedings. Surrounded by the equipment of the later bands, they seem dwarfed by the giant stage, but right from the opening harmonies from the keyboards, they take us on a soaring journey through the stars. Over the course of just five songs, the drums, guitar and keyboards work together with the images on their large screens to create a fine narrative. With a new album dropping later this year, 2009 should be a great year for Decoder Ring.

Mercury Rev were announced for the Coldplay tour after it had already sold out, so their presence is like icing on an already delicious cake. They open with the 10 minute epic Snowflake In A Hot World, Jonathan Donahue sounding like a mix between Ben Gibbard and Perry Farrell. Holes is hypnotic as always, and Donahue uses the instrument breaks in People Are So Unpredictable to conduct the other band members. Unfortunately too many of Mercury Rev’s numbers end up devolving into the same maelstrom of sound, and big single Goddess On A Highway, which is the closest thing they have to a pop song, is trampled by a bass which is way too high in the mix. They finish on a high with new single The Dark Is Rising, Donahue once again performing the role of conductor, and the crowd gives them a roaring round of applause.

After a break, the lights go down, and a black seethrough curtain drops in front of the stage. The crowd goes wild, and the four members of Coldplay make their way out on the stage. The slow burning intro of instrumental Life In Technicolour pounds through the venue. The first big number of the night is Violet Hill – the black curtain drops, and Chris Martin rips out his excellent vocals, and bounces around with his acoustic guitar. The unforgettable piano line which opens Clocks is accompanied by a laser show, while In My Place is a little more straightforward, but also shows that, for all their superstardom, they’re still a four piece rock band at heart. “If you make a lot of noise, we might play, I dunno, Yellow or something,” Martin quips, as if the crowd needed any encouragement. During Yellow, giant yellow balls filled with confetti are thrown out into the crowd. Martin gets the crowd to sing the last chorus, and then segues it the chorus line from You’re The Voice, with the crowd doing the harmonising.

Of course, a tour is about playing new songs (as if anyone in the crowd doesn’t have Viva La Vida burnt into their memories), and the four boys treat us to a bevy of new tracks. We get Glass Of Water from the Prospekt’s March EP, and Viva La Vida’s Cemeteries Of London and 42, which starts off quiet and sombre, but takes off mid-song. Fix You is still heartbreakingly beautiful and presents another chance for a whole-of-venue singalong. The band then make their way down to a small platform which lights under it to play a drum-machine-dance versions of God Put A Smile Upon Your Face and Talk. It’s great to see them play with the format of some of their big songs to provide a bit of musical variety to the night. Martin then plays a solo piano version of The Hardest Part, which might finally cleanse my memory of that disturbing film clip.

Viva La Vida and Lost are explosive, driven by steel drums on stage. The band then head off into the crowd, with no explanation. Eventually they arrive at a platform high in the crowd, where acoustic guitars are waiting for them. “We wanted to play, up here in the crowd, so you can see we’re just guys, spots and all,” says Martin. They play an acoustic version of Green Eyes, followed by a very special mandolin-driven cover of I’m A Believer. Drummer Will Champion leads the band through a rendition of Death Will Never Conquer.

It’s already been a massive show, but the boys return after a break with the powerful Politik, and confetti rains down on the crowd during Lovers In Japan. Finally it’s time to say goodbye, and they wrap up their set with album closer Death And All His Friends after which the band bids us goodnight. Tonight’s show was a perfect blend of big crowd-pleasing moments and quieter special times, and it’s great to know there are bands out there who can back up their superstar status with a show to match.