Play!

♬ ♩ Today's post is a musical one and should therefore be accompanied by some well-chosen lyrics and keys - these, for example.

The Stade de France is a huge stadium near Paris where sport events are staged, and not only soccer, but also shows of all kinds and last but not least, concerts. Like all big facilities, it is impressive, loud and messy - at a first glance, the last place on earth you would contemplate for a concert... 

As I approached the huge oval stadium though, duly surrounded by a throng of folks holding their concert tickets very tight, I started changing my mind, possibly helped in the shift by the great summer evening above us: soft light and cool air were all around, ready to welcome us in the arena. The concert of the evening was Coldplay's. To me, they epithomize the 21st century pop group - even though they would probably shriek at the definition and would definitely prefer the term "rock". Sorry. To me, an all-time A-HA fan (remember them?!)  that's a compliment.

These guys certainly know how to play and surprise the audience: at the entrance of the stadium we were handed a couple of mysterious plastic bracelets... Once the concert started they magically lit up and pulsed to the rhythm of the drums. Now, you have to imagine that, even though gadgets may not exactly be my passion on an everyday basis, seeing an entire stadium with around 60,000 people all wearing flickering bracelets in the dark was an entertainment epiphany. 

The trick worked beautifully in setting the tone of the unpretentious show: playful, fun, inspired and poetic. Believe me, if you manage to infuse poetry in a place like the Stade de France, you are brilliant - as simple as that. The result was a joyful evening, with surprises, colors and a feeling of being in your own courtyard with a bunch of friends - well, a lot of friends. If by the end of the evening, you walk out with a smile on your face, I would say the show was a total success - wouldn't you?

Credits: Billboard