Coldplay Test Out New Songs, Cover Amy Winehouse During Free Toronto Concert

On a day when rock enthusiasts were mourning the loss of R.E.M, British rock band Coldplay proved there are still groups out there carrying the torch.

The quartet performed a 14-song, 65-minute free show in Toronto Wednesday evening (Sept. 21) – broadcast live in Canada on MuchMusic and in the U.S. on Fuse TV -- supporting their forthcoming 'Mylo Xyloto' album before thousands of fans. And while all braved inclement weather, the skies cleared for the show, which was split evenly between older albums and the upcoming one.

Although opening with 'Mylo Xyloto' -- which is little more than a short instrumental -- Coldplay thrived on the bubbly, bouncy 'Hurts Like Heaven' as lead singer Chris Martin strummed his acoustic guitar. Using the same stage setup -- heavy on lasers and other effects -- as used during their summer European festival dates, the band upped the ante with a slightly faster 'Yellow' and anthem-like 'In My Place.'

The only drawback might have been the ridiculous amount of confetti tossed out during 'In My Place,' looking like it was the show closer and not an early offering.

"Well good evening everybody," Martin said, thanking fans for putting up with the rain and adding that -- given their traditional English insecurity -- they expected three people to show up in the parking lot adjacent to MuchMusic headquarters. Just a wee bit more than that turned up, Chris!

Of the new songs performed, 'Major Minus' unfortunately lived up to its title by at best sounding forced and U2-lite. The mid-tempo framework in 'Paradise' should fare much better with its huge sing-along chorus potential, although it took a little while for the crowd to warm to. What definitely came off as a keeper was the fantastic 'Charlie Brown,' which brings to mind the same infectious yet intricate hook 'Lovers in Japan' had from 2008's 'Viva La Vida Or Death and All His Friends.' Meanwhile, 'Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall' could have been renamed 'Every Teardrop Is a Firework' given the stream of pyrotechnics soaring high into the sky during the finale (well, the televised finale).

After a second half that included 'The Scientist' and 'Fix You' -- the latter of which was unexpectedly intro'd with the chorus to Amy Winehouse's 'Rehab' which got the crowd chiming in on the "no, no, no" -- Coldplay returned for a post-televised encore of 'Us Against the World.' Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion then bowed a few times before calling it a night.

The band -- who play Las Vegas and Atlanta later this week -- performed an exclusive 'Live at Letterman' concert in New York City on Sept. 20 that's currently available for streaming. 'Mylo Xyloto' comes out Oct. 24.