See Coldplay, Michael J. Fox Play ‘Back to the Future’ Songs Onstage
Chris Martin saw his “dream come true” Sunday in New Jersey, when actor Michael J. Fox joined Coldplay onstage to cover the Penguins‘ “Earth Angel” and Chuck Berry‘s “Johnny B. Goode” – two tracks Fox’s classic character Marty McFly performed at the “Under the Sea” dance in Back to the Future.
In a video projection, Martin’s son Moses asked his dad to play something from “both of our favorite movie, Back to the Future.” Coldplay complied, easing into the silky doo-wop classic “Earth Angel,” as Martin crooned and strummed an acoustic guitar. Fox walked onstage midway through the track and played a brief, tentative guitar solo – but the actor looked more comfortable with the rock classic “Johnny B. Goode,” nailing Berry’s bluesy tone.
“That’s our dream come true. Thank you, Michael,” Martin said after the performance. “What a wonderful, wonderful, wonderful man.”
Though Fox appears to be playing guitar in the fan-favorite Back to the Future scene – and even studied with a coach to make the fretwork look realistic – he technically simulated the parts, with a professional guitarist dubbing on the finished solo.
Coldplay released their seventh LP, A Head Full of Dreams, last year. The band has tour dates scheduled until mid-December; their next performance is Wednesday, July 20th in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The Jay Z-curated Made in America Festival returns this Labor Day weekend with a lineup featuring headliners Rihanna and Coldplay. Watch here.