Coldplay have been churning out hits for what seems like an age, so it’s easy to forget just how talented they really are until you see them live in concert.

The first time I saw the band perform six years ago was a rather muted affair, with Chris Martin spending most of the time glued to the piano and very little spent on production.

But when the lights came up on The O2 stage, the rock band even your mother likes seemed to have found a cache of dynamite, shoved it up their bums and lit the fuse.

Lead singer Chris Martin’s exuberance was infectious, bouncing across the stage like a five-year-old on Christmas morning, and belting out favourites such as In My Place and Clocks.

Fans did their best impression of an X-Factor entrant, singing as the band performed their breakthrough hit Yellow, while giant yellow balloons floated down from the ceiling showering fans with gold confetti when they burst.

Other surprises came when Martin and drummer Will Champion climbed up into the back of the audience to play with Shaun of the Dead comedian Simon Pegg on the harmonica.

Only about 30 minutes in to the show did the band perform tracks from their latest album Viva La Vida.

But perhaps this was a deliberate ploy to distract the audience from what were the least memorable and downbeat songs of the evening.

For a band which seemed to be running out of steam just a couple of years ago, the concert was a welcome reminder their material is as strong as ever.

Martin is without a doubt a talent often overlooked by critics and the media, more concerned with his film star wife and children named after fruit.

His ability to sing and swap from piano to guitar without hesitation was exhilarating to watch.

The band seemed perfectly at home on the huge arena’s stage and rarely did it look empty or lifeless.

Coldplay surpassed my expectations, delivering not only flawless performances but also a show to match any offered up by glitzy pop stars like Britney or Madonna, which dominate this venue.

The future seems bright for the band and with no signs of slowing down there’s no reason why this hit factory can’t keep delivering the goods. So lets all cheer Viva La Coldplay and Viva La O2.