Martin at Mumbai gig: “Thank you for forgiving us for all the bad things Britain has done.”
It was their 181st concert that Coldplay played in Mumbai, India on January 19th of their “Music of the Spheres” tour. Singer Chris Martin also wanted to thank the approximately 75,000 fans at the DY Patil Stadium – not only for coming to the gig, but also for their ability to forgive.
Chris Martin appreciates the hospitality
Some concertgoers filmed the moment when Chris Martin highlighted the hospitality of the Indians. He emphasized that he particularly appreciated the fact that they would probably forgive the British band. The reason for his words? He expressed gratitude for “forgiving” British colonization.
Background: From 1858 India was in British hands. It was not until 1947 that independence from the United Kingdom was achieved.
All “bad things” forgiven?
Specifically, the 47-year-old said on stage: “This is our fourth visit to India and the second time we are playing here. We played a long show the first time and we couldn’t have asked for a better crowd. Thank you all for coming today! Thank you for welcoming us even though we are from the UK. Thank you for forgiving us for all the bad things Britain has done.”
See the live moment in the fan recording here:
Mixed reactions online
Chris Martin’s speech received a wide variety of reactions on the Internet. Some people praised the musician for his choice of words, while others felt his assumption was premature. For example, one Instagram user wrote: “Bold of you to assume it’s forgiven…”