EDMONTON -- It's time to start an international musical exchange program. The British are apparently tired of Coldplay. Some critics over there are calling the band "bedwetter's music" and slagging them as Radiohead ripoffs. Come to think of it, perhaps the Brits are tired of Radiohead, too. Meanwhile, we're tired of Theory of a Third Eye Nickelcreed. Tell you what, people, we'll trade you one Our Lady Peace for one Coldplay, plus a modern rock band to be named later. Deal? Coldplay's concert at the Shaw Conference Centre last night was a lot more interesting than any show in that building in recent memory, more interesting than I fear Stage 13 will be this year - even with both 3 Doors Down and Third Eye Blind on the bill. It must just be a case of familiarity breeding contempt. We so rarely get a chance to see the top-flight British bands in our neck of the woods. Last night, a crowd of 4,500 got a chance to see two of them, including a terrific group called the Music (plus an unknown-but-hopefully-not-for-long band called Eisley, which isn't British but might as well be). Coldplay took the stage to resounding cheers with the pounding strains of Politik. "Open up your eyes," sang frontman Chris Martin as blinding white light strobed the crowd. Hey, irony from the lightman. The song's dramatic, haunting melody was reminiscent of Radiohead, come to think of it, not that there's anything wrong with that. Any British band that doesn't follow the status quo is invariably compared to Radiohead. The stomping groove of God Put a Smile Upon Your Face followed, then Daylight, then the straight-ahead rocker Spies - none of them as "mellow" as Coldplay has been accused of being. It's not fair: Stick a piano and acoustic guitar in a band and it's derided as "soft rock." Coldplay did show its downbeat side here and there. The Scientist was a romantic piano ballad through and through; odd title for a romantic piano ballad. And the band's big hits Yellow and Clocks are more likely to get the "this year's Semisonic" comparison than "last year's Radiohead." It's that piano again. Overall, however, the mellow side of Coldplay simply threw the band's intense side into sharper relief. It's called "dynamics," which is more than just playing a soft verse/loud chorus in every single song like all those American rock bands we're so sick of. Speaking of contrast, some people think Coldplay is crazy to have the Music as an opening act. Members of the Leeds quartet even describe the headliner as a "soft rock." And in an advance interview with The Sun, drummer Phil Jordan said the bill was like "Metallica opening for Sigur Ros." (If you don't know who Sigur Ros is, perhaps we need to extend the exchange program to Icelandic art-rock.) Actually, he wasn't far off. More like early Led Zeppelin opening for Page & Plant today, say. "We're the Music - welcome to the dance," said vocalist Robert Harvey before leading his band through a tremendous blast of psychedelic rock that surely caused more than a few jaws to drop on the floor. Now we know where the Zeppelin comparison comes from - Harvey looks and sounds like a young Robert Plant. As for the music of the Music, imagine disco spiked with LSD, pumped full of adrenaline and served over a 200-proof heavy metal cocktail. It's astounding that a four-piece can pump out such a big sound. Of course, sequencers turned out to be behind some of it - plus plenty of electronic stink on the guitars - but who cares when the result is such a hair-raising ride? These guys cook up the most basic elements - songs rarely had more than two chords, sometimes just one - into an explosive reaction of drama and power, hypnotic grooves that invariable evolved into a frenzy. The set ended in glorious chaos. "It almost makes me want to do drugs," said one audience member. A hard act to follow (which may in fact be why Coldplay chose the band), the Music's set was a high in itself. It was clear from the start that this was going to be a special evening - from the cool vinyl spun between bands to the first act of the night: An unusual quintet from Texas called Eisley. The band has never toured before and admitted to being "freaked out," although "freaky" might be a better term. While obviously inexperienced, this was no boring clone rock band thrown on the bill by the record company. Eisley's music was a fascinating meld of art rock and mysticism, with lyrics along the lines of "travelling through the misty streams of light" etc. The band sounded like a female Radiohead incorporating the more stoned elements of Abbey Road - and there's that Radiohead comparison again. By the way, British people, we'll take Radiohead, too. You can have the Tragically Hip. Deal? NOTE PERFECT: Mellow Yellow SOUR NOTE: Blinding lights (More on Coldplay)