Train Enjoy 'Intense' MTV World Stage Performance

Thanks to the success of hits like "Meet Virginia," "Drops of Jupiter" and — especially — "Hey Soul Sister," Train are the kind of band that operate in only one way: globally.

They are, after all, one of the most popular radio acts on the planet ("Soul Sister" went to #1 in 16 different countries, was the most-downloaded song of 2010 in the U.S., and the year's most-played song in, of all places, Australia), which is why they're the perfect band to be showcased on MTV's World Stage, a concert series that features the biggest acts on Earth.

On Friday at 9 p.m. ET on Palladia, fans who weren't lucky enough to score tickets to London's Shepherds Bush Empire theater — where Train filmed their World Stage performance back in October — will finally be able to catch the band in all their globe-spanning glory.

Though the idea of filming a show for the entire world seems like a no-brainer, the guys in Train were hesitant to sign on when first approached by MTV. After all, they'd done the whole "concert film" thing before and, as frontman Pat Monahan put it, the end result was usually less than satisfactory. For everyone involved.

"We've recorded a lot of shows in the past, with cameras ... and usually it's been kind of a bummer, because it sets a weird vibe right off the bat, when there's six cameras and people can't see past [them]," he explained. "But this one was different. They set it up really nicely and all the fans that were in there were psyched to be a part of it, and we were psyched to be a part of it. ... The people of London were amazing, and once they found out they were going to be part of a film, it was even more intense. It was a great night for us."

The show also gave Train an opportunity to unveil their brand-new, Coca-Cola-approved Christmas song, "Shake Up Christmas." The London audience was the first anywhere to hear the tune, and even though it was new — and being played in October — the response was one Train won't forget any time soon. And, luckily, the cameras were there to capture the moment.

"[That was] the first time anyone heard it, at Shepherd's Bush in London, and it was cool, because the end chorus is just 'Ho Ho Ho,' and so I just asked them to sing it once, and they sang it every single time," Monahan smiled. "And that's why it felt so big, because they just wanted to be a part of it. We feel honored to be able to go to the U.K. or Europe or anywhere in the world, and get people to care at all. That was the first time they heard it, and they acted like it had been on the radio for months."

"MTV World Stage: Train" premieres Friday, December 17, at 9 p.m. ET on Palladia.