Coldplay’s Chris Martin always acts in the name of love. And that’s exactly what he did during his latest tour stop in Vienna, Austria, when he sang a cover of Taylor Swift’s “Love Story” with opening act Maggie Rogers. He dedicated the song to Swift and her fans after her concerts in the city were canceled earlier this month following an attempted terrorist attack.
“Of course, we didn’t mention that Vienna was in the news all over the world for the wrong reasons. But what got through to us was the beauty and kindness of all Taylor Swift fans,” said Martin, addressing the Ernst Happel Stadium, where Swift was scheduled to play two weeks earlier.
On August 7, one day before Swigt’s three-day run in Vienna was due to begin, the shows were cancelled after Austrian police foiled a planned terrorist attack on concertgoers. The next day, Swift’s loyal fan base, aptly dubbed “Swifties,” made headlines when they gathered at Corneliusgasse in Vienna.where they held an impromptu get-together where they sang Swift’s songs and exchanged friendship bracelets.
“I don’t want you to think we don’t care about Swifties in our band,” Martin continued, before staging his own sweet moment. With help from the crowd, Martin tracked down the biggest Swifties he could find and brought them onstage so they could sit front row for his duet with Rogers. “If this isn’t good, please don’t put it on YouTube,” he implored his fans. Of course, Martin and Rogers delivered honeyed harmonies for a rousing crowd that sang along to every word of the song. Fearless trace them right back.
Coldplay is currently on the Music of Spheres Tour in advance of their upcoming album Moon Musicwhile Rogers supports her after the release of her album Don’t forget me.
The cover was released on the same day that Swift addressed the terror threat in Vienna, calling the cancellation “devastating.” Swift spoke of her fear and guilt after the events, but was also moved by the celebrations of her fans afterwards. “I was heartened by the love and unity I saw from fans who stuck together,” she wrote on Instagram.
“We sing this song with so much love for Taylor, with so much love for the Swifties, and we sing this song with love for young people who are brainwashed to do stupid shit, and we send them our love too,” Martin said. He continued on the theme of love: “This is just love for all people.”
