WARSAW (Poland) via SUWALKI (Poland)
17 June - 20 June 2017
Summer in Northern Europe not only means great weather, a fun vibe and party atmosphere but it also means that all the big bands that you love to see head out on the European circuit. In the lead up to our wedding, or should I say, in the planning of the lead up to our wedding we discovered a whole raft of concerts that were going to be on. The first cab off the rank that also aligned with our bucket list was Coldplay.
Heading out of Riga late one afternoon we did a six hour drive, mostly south, to the small Polish town of Suwalki. With a population of nearly 70,000 inhabitants it lies some 30kms off the South-Western border of Lithuania. In all honesty it was only an overnight stop, so I don't have a hell of a lot to report other than our lodgings were surprisingly good and we had a pleasant nights sleep in Suwalki. Also, somewhat surprisingly, this would not be the only, or even the second time that we would end up staying in this town, but more about that in later entries.
On the road in Lithuania
All set for Coldplay in Warsaw - Poland
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
Travelling further south to the Polish capital the next day we encountered a highway system that was under construction. Unbeknown to us, but somehow known throughout the region, it apparently is common practice for major Polish arterial roads and highways to be constantly undergoing some of of re-construction and re-formulation. This of course was our bug-bare all the way into the capital as mentally our constructed time of arrival in a 'perfect' setting literally turned to shit with a 60kph speed limit for what felt like 200kms.
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
Inga & I had passed through Warsaw previously and found it to be a 'nice enough' city. There are elements to it that make it pleasant but somehow to me it feels sparse. It feels like there's a lot of character and potential charm missing from the the centre of the city itself. Whilst it appears to be trying to turn itself into a modern European city there's a lot of absent soul and I can only guess that WWII did an absolute number on this place. Those wounds obviously cut deep and recovery, full recovery, not just of the cosmetic nature, will take more than just a few generations.
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
Coldplay at the PGE Narodowy Stadium - Warsaw - Poland
First on the Concert Series agenda was Coldplay. Neither of us had been to a live show previously but a sneak peak online of snippets from their Head Full of Dreams Tour, said a lot for the spectacle that was about to eventuate.
They were absolutely brilliant and their ability to encapsulate the crowd, making them part of the theatre and performance was quite special. No matter what you think of Coldplay (and I know they hit a variety of points on the likeability spectrum), their live shows are dynamic, brilliant and engaging. And let me say, for the record, I think Coldplay are fantastic!
For the record, here's the setlist
Performer: Coldplay
Location: PGE Narodowy Stadium, Warsaw, Poland
Tour: A Head Full of Dreams
