Coldplay made certain that their final Melbourne concert on Sunday night, November 3rd was a memorable one with an emotional one-off collaboration, and, for frontman Chris Martin, an embarrassing onstage tumble.
During the set, the English stadium rockers welcomed Emmanuel Kelly on stage for a performance of “Everglow”, lifted from the 2015 album, A Head Full of Dreams.
The touching moment, however, was almost soured as Martin, while introducing the number, fell backwards into an open stairwell on the catwalk. “That’s not planned,” he remarked, as he checked himself for injury. It could’ve been a disaster. Instead, “it probably will be a YouTube moment. And what a great one,” he quipped, as he made his way to the main stage, apparently unscathed.
Watch the clip below.
CHRIS ACCIDENTALLY FELL DOWN THE STAIRS THAT WAS OPEN FOR EMMANUEL KELLY 😭 he’s okay but i could see it and I was praying he would see it before stepping back 😭#ColdplayMelbourne pic.twitter.com/tQovueii93
— angel ∩^ω^∩🌙✨ON TOUR! ✈️ MEL ♡ SYD ♡ AKL!!!! (@februberry) November 3, 2024
Martin took a moment to observe the hazard, and thank the crew for catching him. “I’m ok. Thank you,” he insisted, to a huge roar from the Marvel Stadium crowd.
He was fine, and he proved it by positioning himself behind the keys and performing a rendition of “Everglow” with Kelly.
Chris Martin is performing Everglow alongside Emmanuel Kelly, who is opening Coldplay’s shows in Melbourne!#ColdplayMelbourne 4/4 🇦🇺 @lurisburis pic.twitter.com/dT4uZCgFrJ
— Coldplay Access (@coldplayaccess) November 3, 2024
Coldplay and its frontman have a strong connection with the Kelly family.
Moira Kelly founded Moira Kelly Creating Hope Foundation (MKCHF), an organisation that brings to Australia children from overseas with medical conditions that local doctors are unable to treat. MKCHF also works with disadvantaged Australian children and women in need.
For her humanitarian work, Moira was in 2001 awarded the Order of Australia. During their last national tour in 2016, Coldplay presented her with the inaugural Love Button Global Movement Imagine Award, which seeks to empower people to transform their communities through acts of kindness.
Martin is an ambassador for the movement, as is Emmanuel Kelly, the support act on this current Coldplay tour and whom Martin calls his “brother.”
It was Moira who enabled the journey of siblings Ahmed and Emmanuel from Iraq to Australia, where they overcame severe disability and multiple surgeries to become accomplished men in their fields, the former as a Paralympian champion and the latter as a successful singer and songwriter.
On Sunday night, Martin retold the story of the “very special man,” EK, and sang the praises of Moira, who was watching on in the crowd. The cameras spotted her. “That is Emmanuel’s mum, and Moira is going through some pretty intense cancer,” Martin remarked, “and she’s made it out tonight to hear her son sing for her. And maybe all of you sing too, if you feel so inclined.” The singer dedicated “Everglow” to her.
After four nights at Marvel Stadium, during which the band opened without bassist Guy Berryman for the first time (due to illness), they later kicked on with The Karate Kid star Ralph Macchio, Coldplay’s ‘Music of the Spheres Tour’ now makes the jump to Sydney for four show as Accord Stadium, the first on Wednesday, November 6th. A hat-trick of shows follow at Auckland Eden Park.
The Australasian lap is produced by Live Nation, and follows two exclusives shows last year at Perth’s Optus Stadium. Coldplay’s tenth and latest studio album, Moon Music, debuted at No. 2 on the ARIA Chart. Starting with the band’s 2000 debut Parachutes, all Coldplay albums have peaked at No. 1 or No. 2 in Australia, a tally that includes seven leaders.
