A Rush of Blood to the Head Tour was the second concert tour undertaken by British rock band Coldplay. It was launched in support of their second studio album A Rush of Blood to the Head. They performed a total of 151 shows across Europe, Asia, Oceania and the Americas. Between 21 and 23 July 2003, the band filmed Live 2003 at the Hordern Pavilion, Sydney.
Background
Overall, Coldplay's concerts during this period showcased its progression as a bona fide live act. The band began playing more shows in arenas and amphitheatres, moving away from the club venues that dominated earlier tours. Shows also had more elaborate stage and lighting effects. For example, strobe lighting for the song "Daylight" featured the image of a rotating sun superimposed over the stage. Taking a cue from U2's Elevation Tour and Nine Inch Nails' Fragility Tour, Coldplay also adopted a series of back screens that displayed video footage of each band member simultaneously.
Other highlights included: Lead singer Chris Martin sang with Ron Sexsmith on the track, "Gold in Them Hills" during the headline set. An ambient, instrumental introduction before the start of "Politik" for every show. This can particularly be heard on the Live 2003 DVD. Note: Not the same as the Brian Eno introduction sometimes used before this intro. Guitarist Jonny Buckland regularly played a harmonica solo on the track "Don't Panic". He tossed the harmonica into the crowd after the solo's completion. Buckland also performed an original electric guitar introduction for the track. The aforementioned back screens were unfurled mid-concert, usually during the beginning of "One I Love". At some shows, Martin sang lyrics after inhaling from a helium balloon. Martin usually wore a Make Trade Fair T-shirt during 2002 shows to promote the Oxfam campaign. Make Trade Fair booths were present at venues, where concert-goers could sign petitions and learn about the campaign's objectives. An specially created, ambient introduction for "Yellow", featuring a dark and gloomy tone. Martin sings the lyrics, "Your skin... Oh-oh-oh..." during the introduction, which afterwards leads to the regular start of the song.
Opening acts Most of the tour included at least one supporting act on each concert, with English singer Richard Hawley opening all performances held between 19 and 28 June 2002. Except for the show at Rome's Valle Giulia (which had the Music), all dates from 30 June to 12 July included 1 Giant Leap. For the second North American leg, Coldplay invited Northern Irish band Ash, while the third European run featured Idlewild. In 2003, Ron Sexsmith opened for the band from 21 January to 9 February. He was succeeded by the Music starting from 24 February. As Coldplay returned to Europe for a fourth leg, Feeder was chosen as their support and Ian McCulloch additionally guested in the United Kingdom. The last North American run counted with Eisley, who were joined by Damien Rice on 25 May, and Sexsmith between 27 May and 13 June. During the tour's final months, Coldplay went to Asia, Oceania and Latin America: the first two continents had Betchadupa, while Mexico featured Jumbo.
Concert synopsis
The 2002 shows contained a rough 50/50 split in material from Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head. The official tour in 2003 focused on songs from the second album, as well as many unreleased tracks. For example, the future Live 2003 song "Moses" and "Fix You" B-side "Pour Me" were introduced during the tour. Other new songs included future X&Y b-sides, "Gravity" & "Proof", "Your World Turns Upside Down", which would later become a completely different song called "The World Turned Upside Down" as another b-side to "Fix You", and an unreleased piano ballad called "A Ladder to the Sun".
Coldplay also made a habit of covering other artists on the tour, often as outros to their own songs. Covers ranged from a tongue-in-cheek excerpt of Avril Lavigne's "Sk8er Boi" to the Louis Armstrong classic "What a Wonderful World". Coldplay also regularly covered Echo & the Bunnymen's "Lips Like Sugar" in its entirety, in homage to Ian McCulloch's role as a mentor during the recording of A Rush of Blood to the Head.
The musical introduction to the concert featured selections from Brian Eno's Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks.
Reception In total, the tour grossed $27,152,888 from 854,424 tickets sold. Pollstar also reported that Coldplay sold 341,201 admissions in 2003, which placed them at number 42 on the list of most attended tours of the year. Rolling Stone Australia ranked the shows at Sydney's Hordern Pavilion among the best in the venue's history in 2024.
Set list This set list was taken from the 22 July 2003 concert in Sydney, Australia. It does not represent all shows throughout the tour.
"Politik" "God Put a Smile upon Your Face" "A Rush of Blood to the Head" "Daylight" "Trouble" "One I Love" "Don't Panic" "Shiver" "See You Soon" "Everything's Not Lost" "Moses" "Yellow" "The Scientist" "What a Wonderful World"
Encore "Clocks" "In My Place" "Amsterdam" "Life Is for Living"
Tour dates +List of 2002 concerts
Date (2002)CityCountryVenue19 June Edinburgh Scotland Queen's Hall20 June LiverpoolEngland Mountfield Hall22 June London Royal Festival Hall24 June Bath Bath Pavilion26 June Truro Hall for Cornwall28 June Pilton Worthy Farm30 June Werchter Belgium Festivalpark Werchter2 July Stockholm Sweden Göta Källare3 July Ringe Denmark Ringe Dyrskuepladsen5 July Amsterdam Netherlands Heineken Music Hall7 July Rome Italy Valle Giulia9 July HamburgGermany Große Freiheit 3610 July Cologne Kultkomplex Cafe12 July Oslo Norway Rockefeller Music Hall2 August ChicagoUnited States The Vic Theatre6 August Boston Paradise Rock Club7 August Philadelphia Theatre of Living Arts10 August Washington, D.C. 9:30 Club12 August New York City Bowery Ballroom14 August Minneapolis First Avenue16 August Boulder Fox Theatre18 August San Francisco Bimbo's 365 Club20 August Los Angeles El Rey Theatre27 August Paris France L'Olympia29 August London England London Forum4 September SeattleUnited States Paramount Theatre6 September Berkeley Hearst Greek Theatre7 September Paradise The Joint9 September San Diego SDSU Open Air Theatre10 September Los Angeles Greek Theatre16 September Baltimore Pier Six Pavilion17 September Boston FleetBoston Pavilion19 September Wantagh Tommy Hilfiger at Jones Beach Theater21 September Toronto Canada Air Canada Centre24 September Chicago United States UIC Pavilion4 October Glasgow Scotland SEC Centre5 October NewcastleEngland Telewest Arena7 October Birmingham National Indoor Arena8 October Nottingham Nottingham Arena11 October Manchester Manchester Evening News Arena14 October Brighton Brighton Centre15 October Bournemouth Bournemouth International Centre17 October Plymouth Plymouth Pavilions18 October Port Talbot Wales Afan Lido Leisure Centre20 OctoberLondonEnglandWembley Arena21 October23 October Belfast Northern Ireland Odyssey Centre25 OctoberDublinIrelandPoint Theatre27 October3 November Brussels Belgium Forest National5 November Rotterdam Netherlands Ahoy Rotterdam6 November Paris France Zénith de Paris8 November CologneGermany Palladium10 November Munich Kulturhalle Zenith12 November Montpellier France Zénith de Montpellier15 November MadridSpain La Riviera16 November Barcelona Razzmatazz18 November Assago Italy FilaForum20 November Berlin Germany Arena Berlin21 November Copenhagen Denmark Valby-Hallen23 November Stockholm Sweden Hovet Ice Hall24 November Oslo Norway Oslo Spektrum6 December Tokyo Japan Liquid Room8 December Los AngelesUnited States Universal Amphitheatre9 December San Francisco Bimbo's 365 Club11 December Boston Orpheum Theatre12 December Uniondale Nassau Coliseum13 December Washington, D.C. MCI Center15 December Philadelphia First Union Center19 December Reykjavík Iceland Laugardalshöll
+List of 2003 concertsDate (2003)CityCountryVenue21 January OrlandoUnited States Hard Rock Live22 January Coral Gables UM Convocation Center24 January Birmingham BJCC Concert Hall25 January Charlotte Grady Cole Center27 January New Orleans Saenger Theatre28 January Houston Verizon Wireless Theater29 January Austin Frank Erwin Center31 January Grand Prairie NextStage Performance Theater1 February Oklahoma City Oklahoma City Music Hall3 February St. Louis Savvis Center4 February Kansas City Memorial Hall6 February Denver Fillmore Auditorium7 February Salt Lake City Salt Air Pavilion9 February Phoenix Dodge Theatre24 February OttawaCanada Corel Centre25 February Montreal Bell Centre 27 February WallingfordUnited States careerbuilder.com Oakdale Theatre28 February Camden Tweeter Center2 March Pittsburgh A.J. Palumbo Center3 March Detroit Fox Theatre 4 March Indianapolis Murat Theatre6 March Duluth Gwinnett Civic Center Arena7 March Nashville Ryman Auditorium 9 March Columbus PromoWest Pavilion10 March Louisville Palace Theatre12 March Milwaukee Eagles Ballroom13 March Minneapolis Target Center 24 March London England Royal Albert Hall27 March LilleFrance Zénith de Lille30 March Paris Zénith de Paris31 March FrankfurtGermany Jahrhunderthalle2 April Münster Halle Münsterland3 April Düsseldorf Philipshalle5 April Böblingen Sporthalle6 April Zürich Switzerland Hallenstadion9 April Lisbon Portugal Pavilhão Atlântico10 April MadridSpain Palacio Vistalegre11 April Badalona Pavelló Olímpic de Badalona14 April ManchesterEngland Manchester Evening News Arena16 AprilLondonEarls Court Exhibition Centre17 April20 May EdmontonCanada Shaw Conference Centre21 May Calgary Pengrowth Saddledome23 May Vancouver General Motors Place24 May GeorgeUnited States The Gorge Amphitheatre25 May Bend Les Schwab Amphitheater27 May Boise Bank of America Centre28 May Wheatland AutoWest Amphitheatre30 May Mountain View Shoreline Amphitheatre31 MayLos AngelesHollywood Bowl2 June3 June San Diego Cox Arena5 JuneMorrisonRed Rocks Amphitheatre6 June9 June Chicago UIC Pavilion10 June Cleveland Tower City Amphitheater11 June Toronto Canada Molson Canadian Amphitheatre13 June New York City United States Madison Square Garden20 June ScheeßelGermany Eichenring21 June Neuhausen ob Eck Flugplatz Neuhausen ob Eck23 June RomeItaly Centrale del Tennis24 June Fano Piazza XX Settembre27 June Roskilde Denmark Roskilde Dyrskueplads29 June Werchter Belgium Festivalpark Werchter1 July Nijmegen Netherlands Goffertpark3 July Kristiansand Norway Idrettsplassen12 July County Kildare Ireland Punchestown Racecourse13 July Kinross Scotland Balado18 July MelbourneAustralia Rod Laver Arena20 July Byron Bay Belongil Fields21 JulySydneyHordern Pavilion22 July24 July Auckland New Zealand Auckland Showgrounds26 July Yuzawa Japan Naeba Ski Resort29 July Bangkok Thailand Impact Arena16 August ChelmsfordEngland Hylands Park17 August Weston-under-Lizard Weston Park3 September São PauloBrazil Via Funchal4 September Rio de Janeiro ATL Hall7 SeptemberMexico CityMexicoPalacio de los Deportes8 September
Cancelled shows +List of cancelled concertsDateCityCountryVenueReason25 June 2002 Portsmouth England Portsmouth Pyramids Centre Unknown 14 September 2002 Atlanta United States The Masquerade Weather conditions 28 March 2003 Strasbourg France Hall Rhénus Illness 5 June 2003 Albuquerque United States Tingley Coliseum Unknown
Boxscores