Yellow (song) - Live Performances

Live Performances

Coldplay have performed the song throughout their career, and it is a firm audience favourite. The band had their debut performance on television on the show Later...with Jools Holland. They performed Parachutes's lead single, "Shiver", and the new song, "Yellow"; but it was the latter that had an immediate studio audience impact. They have also performed at the Glastonbury Festival, one of the prominent festivals in Europe. During their second appearance in July 2000, Coldplay performed "Yellow" and "effortlessly" captured over 10,000 spectators. Coldplay's popularity at this time was still growing and "Yellow" has helped cultivate it; Martin has said it was the best day of their year. During most concert performances, large yellow balloons are dropped on the audience. The first known sighting of yellow balloons was on 24 September 2002 at the UIC Pavilion in Chicago. Chris Martin noticed the balloons in the air with a surprised look. Now, the balloons are filled with confetti, and at the end of the song Chris Martin pops one with his guitar and confetti flies everywhere.

A live acoustic version performed on Jo Whiley's Lunchtime Social was included on the Acoustic EP. Another live version featuring only piano and vocals performed and broadcast in Los Angeles on 89.9 KCRW's Morning Becomes Eclectic was included on the Japanese Clocks EP. Most recently an acoustic piano version the song was recorded in the studio for starbucks charity compilation album Every Mother Counts 2012.

Coldplay performed the song at the 'Celebrating Steve' event at the Apple campus on October 16, 2011. Before the performance, Martin revealed that they first played it for Steve Jobs 10 years ago, Jobs said the song was "shit" and that "they would never make it".