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tisnowflake

tisnowflake

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http://www.coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=609

 

Roadie #42 - Blog #116

March 12, 2010 9:38 am

#42, the Parachutes song and the farewell dinner

 

As I write, we're only hours from the final closing bell on the Viva Tour. The realisation that we're reaching the end seems to have hit everyone simultaneously after the Guadalajara show. The fact that there is "just one more gig" - that the Monterrey show tomorrow is "the last one" flicks the switch and we're all faced with the knowledge that it's the end of this chapter.

 

We've already "done" the end of the tour once, of course. The Wembley stadium shows were the end of a very long concentrated run. In the back of everyone's minds then though, was the fact that we still had these Latin American shows to do - so it wasn't *really* over. We were just stopping for a while. We mused about this over breakfast this morning. Guy remarked that it's like we've already had the season finale, but the cast has been talked into doing a Christmas special.

 

Planned nights out and parties have been arranged a couple of times on this tour-leg for band and crew to get together and break bread, but events have continued to conspire against. Franksy and Marguerite though, have decided that enough is enough. Last night we all gathered at a restaurant for drinks and a final meal.

 

The evening starts somewhat inevitably, in the bar. It feels very slightly formal as everyone comes together. Talk is of what folks are doing next, how crazy it is that's been nearly two years. The gathering feels mildly like a wedding reception or a Christmas works do. It's rare that we're all in the same place at the same time with the sole purpose of enjoying ourselves.

 

As the drinks continue, we ask each other about loved ones; many of us have attended weddings of our crew-mates over the years, or have crashed in each other's spare rooms on at least one occasion. We have met each other's kids and can even say "my how they've grown". It's rare (and lovely) though, to chat with each other about "real life". Somehow, shop talk or the latest office drama can tend to get in the way.

 

As well as the family at home, we also talk about the family "out here". We ask if we've heard from folks we've worked with together over the years. Some are doing well, some are a cause for concern. Like all families, we can tear them to shreds with a mere few words, but care deeply enough to go into battle for any of them at the drop of a hat.

 

The meal ends and Mr Champion rises to put a seal on things. He gives a speech to thank everyone present for all their efforts both in these last few weeks and over the last two years. He's eloquent, very genuine and above all very funny. I would have taken photos, but it's so dark in the restaurant that I'd have been posting either silhouettes or photos of folks shielding their eyes from an annoying man with a flashgun. Besides which, it was supposed to be a night off...

 

It's lunacy of course, to behave this "finally" with a show still to do. Roadie superstition dictates that it's tempting fate in a quite kamikaze fashion. Tomorrow though, will doubtless disappear in a flash. We'll go from tearing around carrying out that day's duties, directly to each being fired at a thousand miles an hour at the brick wall we call our "normal lives". Having celebrated what we've had and what we've done is only right and proper.

 

As the dinner plates are cleared away, we're urged to re-convene in the bar upstairs. Dan Green and I go up for a quick look. It's dark, it's full of painfully fashionably dressed folks we've never met before. Worse still, there is a DJ playing some terrible jazz-funk at a level that makes talking unlikely. We head back downstairs, where everyone has very sensibly decided to stay floating about the dining room. Slowly it thins out as folks head off to brave the noise - and doubtless completely redefine the character of the bar.

 

I make my excuses and bail. I have Guadalajara to write about, after all...

 

That's right, we've done a show since I last wrote. Guadalajara was another new destination for me. Similarly to Mexico City and Bogota, it's placed at a very good distance above sea level. This has left folks pretty short of breath a lot of the time. Indeed, there have been tanks of oxygen at the side of stage each night for use when the band give it a little too much welly.

 

Here's Mr C in the pitch blackness behind the drumriser. He's grabbing a lungful before Viva, while Chris sings alone on the C-stage. And here's me saying I didn't want to post photos of silhouettes....

 

WCguad01.jpg

 

The thinner air is allegedly playing havoc with the table-tennis backstage. Trainer Dan claims that it explains why every shot where he applies topspin goes "way long". He calls that "applying science". There are others who might say he just can't stand losing... ;-)

 

The show is a belter. The weather is truly gorgeous and the crowd wonderfully bonkers. It's a smaller stadium than some of the others that we've been in recently, but they make enough noise for twice their number. Out of nowhere, the intro to Yellow becomes an impromptu rendition of Parachutes. Not sure how often that's been heard live, but I'll wager it's very, very few!

 

<object width="400" height="225"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10098063&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10098063&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="225"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/10098063">Parachutes</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/coldplayyalpdloc">Coldplay</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.

 

And that brings us to Monterrey. The arrival is pretty spectacular as we skim in over the mountains. We're held up at the airport waiting for the president's wife to clear the field. We're then pursued by paps who appear to know no fear whatsoever. Us - not so much. We have a healthy understanding of danger and they are clearly behaving very, very unwisely. Despite a flank of motorbike police outriders and completely blacked out windows in our vehicles, the pap vehicles continue to buzz us like angry bees. It's silly, it's pointless and it's plain bloody dangerous.

 

And that brings us to dinnertime, which is where we came in. Best get this posted and pack. Home tomorrow....

 

R#42

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jenflor

jenflor

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Ok new puppet pic for Guadalajara today and it's right outside the hotel where I stayed! In Mexico City I told Trainer Dan no more puppets please and now he takes their pic right outside my window! Bastard! Wait, how did he know where I was staying? :uhoh:

 

the stalk-er has become the stalk-ee :P

 

 

 

Lovely blog as usual... I hope R#42 still pops up often to fill us in on studio stuff!

 

Parachutes gave me chills. Beautiful!!

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Batman

Batman

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Raodie #42 never ceases to get me tearing up every time. what a great writer he is, hope he writes a book

Oh yes he writes like a professional! :thumbsup:

 

 

 

Well now, where the Viva tour is finally over... I believe I'll do a little tribute picture or something.

 

 

 

 

 

I don't want it to be over! :bigcry:

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marie/pims

marie/pims

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wwwwwwweeee.NEW BLOG.Crazy Sunday :D

 

<object width="400" height="227"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="movie" value="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10161653&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" /><embed src="http://vimeo.com/moogaloop.swf?clip_id=10161653&server=vimeo.com&show_title=0&show_byline=0&show_portrait=0&color=&fullscreen=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" allowscriptaccess="always" width="400" height="227"></embed></object><p><a href="http://vimeo.com/10161653">They think it's all over.</a> from <a href="http://vimeo.com/coldplayyalpdloc">Coldplay</a> on <a href="http://vimeo.com">Vimeo</a>.</p>

 

421.jpgRoadie #42 - Blog #117

March 14, 2010 7:00 pm

The think it's all over...

 

news_line.png

 

 

So there we have it folks. There goes the final whistle. The fat lady has sung and the world's Vida has been well and truly Viva-ed.

 

Summing up two years of your life in a few words is a little like trying to mow a lawn using only scissors. I could try, but I'd pretty soon have sore fingers and give up. All I know is that I'm ready for a day or two of sleep...

 

Off the top of my head, I'd say that I'll remember this campaign as the one where Coldplay finally made friends with stadium gigs. They haven't joined the old guard in the greatest hits shows just yet. They also haven't joined the stadium rock arms race of selling tickets on the strength of "having a longer power cable than The Stones used on their 1998 tour - previously the most extensive stretch of copper used on a rock show..."

 

All of this, of course, may still be to come - and why not? That stuff is fun. This time out, though, it's been about the songs. This most recent record has some of their strongest ever work on it. Every night was a celebration of the tunes - and what a party we've had...

 

Pulling the zoom inwards on the most recent leg, I can honestly say that every audience was superb. Outdoor shows also make a lot of sense under balmy warm skies - particularly with a wonderfully crazy bunch of the most passionate folks on earth going berserk on a nightly basis.

 

I would say it was one of the most punishing schedules undertaken on this tour - not a single proper day off from first show to flight home. But I have a feeling that the version of myself that did the "London-->LA Grammys-->Japanese tour-->London Brits-->Australia" ten day pinball mission would have something to say about that.

 

Focussing more tightly, the final show saw some superb wardrobe - not from the band, but from the crew. Folks who regularly have to dive on and off stage to do their jobs are usually requested to dress all in black and wear baseball caps or other head-wear. Tonight, in celebration of our Mexican hosts, the seven crew-folks most often on the stage during the gig have adopted the Mariachi look.

 

ttiaopic1.jpg

 

Left to right: Paul Newman (Guy's Bass tech), Bash (Will's drumtech), Hoppy (Chris's guitars), Steph Thompson (All things radio), Matt McGinn (Jonny's guitar butler), "Mystic" Nick (onstage audio), Neill Lambert (Keyboards and techy stuff).

 

Bets were taken on whether the outfits would stay on for the entire show - which of course they did. Neill, in particular, looked superb down on the C-stage encouraging the crowd to give it their all on the "Olé, Olé Olé Olé" bit.

 

We sat in the airport waiting to board and Chris recounted how it looked seeing Neill's sombrero loom up out of the darkness every so often through the gig. Vicki, one of the band's lovely assistants, says she's willing to bet a not insubstantial sum, that Neill is wearing it for the flight home. We round the corner to the gate and find out that Ms. Taylor has just earned herself a nice end of tour bonus.

 

I think part of the reason that I'm not as emotional and philosophical about the end of the Viva era (besides the fact that we've been on a trial separation since Wembley) is that everyone is so excited about what's coming next. You could forgive the fellas for scattering from the end of the tour and going to enjoy the spoils for a little time before re-grouping and lazily putting together something new. This being Coldplay, though, we arrive home on Saturday and I can't see the Beehive getting any peace from Monday onwards.

 

We're talking about folks that really don't HAVE to go to work, let alone work as hard as they do. The only thing that you can conclude is that hearing the new stuff take shape is the most exciting thing they can think of to do. Well, you could also conclude that they're a little bit mental - and you might be a little bit right - but I can't wait either, so it's plainly a widespread affliction.

 

It also doesn't feel over for me because I'll be right here keeping you posted on what's going on inside the Beehive. It's not the end, we're just losing the nice weather for a while.

 

See you in the studio...

 

R#42

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