Coldplay frontman Chris Martin made a surprise appearance in Dublin city centre, but disappointed fans after singing the same song three times.
Fans armed with smartphones filled Dublin’s Grafton Street to virtually impassable heights to see a barefoot Martin sing his new single “We Pray”.
But instead of a supposedly spontaneous performance, Martin, the only Coldplay member present, ended up filming a music video for the single. He was accompanied by Nigerian singer Burna Boy, rapper Little Simz, Palestinian-Chilean singer-songwriter Elyanna and Tini, an artist from Argentina.
According to reports, some fans were frustrated after having to wait for hours for their idol to perform. Also, because there were no speakers, many of those present could not hear the song.
Niamh Burke, from County Tipperary, said she was disappointed with the sound but told The Mirror: “I liked it. It was exciting to see her in person.”
‘Waste of time’
Another fan, who preferred to remain anonymous, added: “I don’t know what it was, but it was still a waste of time.”
News of the surprise appearance leaked out on Wednesday afternoon and expectations grew as camera crews were seen setting up their equipment in surrounding buildings.
The first fans arrived at the venue at 6.30pm, the Irish Times reported. Martin arrived two hours later. Police and crew members tried to push the crowd down Grafton Street to make more room on the way, but to no avail.
Coldplay, who will play four shows at Croke Park starting Thursday, have sold out the 82,000-capacity stadium. The concerts are part of the record-breaking Music of the Spheres World Tour, which has sold more than 10 million tickets, making it the most attended music tour in history.
Martin, who was once married to Gwyneth Paltrow, attempted to speak to the crowd but could not be heard due to sound problems.
The previous Wednesday, he had shared a video in which he was chatting to a street musician on the pier in the coastal suburb of Dún Laoghaire.
“We Pray,” co-written by rapper Jay-Z, is from Coldplay’s upcoming album “Moon Music.”
