Here is mine! PLEASE enter it, as I CAN be at Wembley!

 

I have been a die hard Coldplay fan for the last 8 years. Indeed, when we were emigrating to Australia from England, we planned our emigration around a Coldplay concert. We had tried to get tickets for the concerts in London in December, 2005 and were heartbroken when they sold out. However as our Visa application to move to Australia was well underway, when their Australian tour dates were announced, and a July 5 concert in Adelaide was promised, we knew that we would have to say goodbye to England and be in Aus by that date. We somehow managed to get through to Ticketek from the UK and then our fate was sealed!

 

So, you can imagine my disgust when the 2009 tour was announced and Adelaide was NOT on the schedule. I am not ashamed to admit that I cried. I immediately created a Facebook group 'Petition to get Coldplay in Adelaide 2009' (which I have since left as the event has passed) and set about contacting our local press and radio with quite a bit of success. Chugg Entertainment, however, were not interested in little old Adelaide, and it also transpired that High School Musical the frigging ICE SHOW had booked the Entertainment Centre for the dates that an Adelaide show would have perfectly fit in the schedule. Imagine my irriration when the HSM tour was cancelled due to poor ticket sales! By that stage the Coldplay dates were set and it was too late. Believe me, I tried and was even speaking to the manager of the Adelaide Entertainment Centre at this stage!

 

However, every cloud has a silver lining. I became great friends with a girl called Talia who joined my Facebook group. She was in a similar state of distress because of the Adelaide bypass and we quickly became friends . One day, when she was out my house for dinner and we were watching the Live 2003 DVD, she mentioned that Channel V were running a competition. The winner would be flown to meet the band, then attend the soundcheck and concert! Well, I knew that this was fate! We had to say, in 25 word or less why we were Australia's biggest Coldplay fans. I entered EVERY DAY for 3 weeks solid. IT KILLED ME! I remembered reading this article about this woman who won every competition she entered by writing some catchy and witty jingle. So that's what I set out to do. Every day, without fail, I killed myself thinking of some funny jingle that would hopefully spell out to Channel V that I was the most deserving winner. For example:

 

Id run naked through streets of Sydney

just to prove to you

my undying love of Coldplay

Is that what you want me to do?

 

Most were much better than that , but I cannot share my secrets...I may need them again one day!

 

Anyway. I had the WEIRDEST feeling that I'd one for about a week before the comp closed. After it closed, I was so convinced that I'd won, that I was even taking my BlackBerry into the toilet at work. It closed on a Sunday, and at 6PM the following Tuesday, my phone rang and it was an 02 prefix for Sydney. I KNEW. This was it! My hands were shaking as I answered!

 

'Hello?' I said!

 

'Hi this is Jon calling from Channel V'

 

'Are you calling about the Coldplay competition?' I asked...clutching on to the kitchen counter and gazing at my mother in law who was visiting from England with unseeing eyes.

 

'I might be' Jon said!

 

'HAVE I WON?' I said in a slightly hysterical voice!

 

'How would you like to fly to Perth and meet Coldplay?' Jon said. At this stage I'm afraid I went beserk! My mother in law says I was screaming and shrieking on the phone like a hysterical banshee. I'm afraid I cannot really remember. My children were sitting on the sofa looking mildly concerned at this stage.

 

Fast forward about 2 weeks, and Talia and I are together the night before we leave Adelaide trying to get some sleep. It's not easy. Tomorrow we are meeting the best band in history. We are so desperate to look halfway decent when we meet them that we have a hair appointment booked one hour after landing in Perth, and we have also tracked down a professional make up artist. We were told that we would get our own photo op, which turned out to be a lie as we only got a group one in the end (My avatar is closely cropped, lol)

 

Anyway, backtracking slightly, we get to the Burswood Dome in Perth for 2PM. We are to be meeting some chap from Chugg Entertainment, who turns out to be one of the most miserable old buggers on the planet, FYI. Anyway, he's late and eventually we are ushered into the lobby of Burswood with 9 other prize winners and their plus ones. All of a sudden we hear in the auditorium 'Glass of water' and Talia nearly wets herself. Jackie Jackson, head of security comes out to greet us to lay a few ground rules, but she is lovely. She reminds us not to get to close and then we are on our way to meet Coldplay! OMFG!

 

We all creep in and there they are! Coldplay are RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! I cannot describe this feeling to you, other than to say, it really was probably the best experience of my life (Other than the day my two children were born) I mean...look! Coldplay are RIGHT THERE! As we walk in, Chris breaks away from the piano and greets us all by saying, 'Come on in, don't be shy!' I am shaking and reaching for my camera. Initially we stand about 30 feet back, but then I think, sod this, and start inching closer and closer. By the end Im right at the front of stage barriers, which funnily enough is where I am also lucky enough to be for the concert later that evening. They play a bit, then stand around chatting while the sound guys do their thing. Jackie is with us and is lovely....answering our questions and not treating us like idiots at all! Then, Chris says, 'Well we are going to do one more song, so shall we play you something that you'd like to hear that we wont be playing tonight?" OMG I think! 'Amsterdam!!' I scream at him. He looks at me and I fully know he's heard me "sorry, what was that? Trouble? OK . Ill play Trouble!!' Naughty boy!

 

So the soundcheck was unreal. During the photo op, Chris stood next to me and I gave him good natured grief about not coming to Adelaide and we had a good 5 minute chat and I also mentioned that I was coming to Melbourne for 2 of their shows the following week. (If you look on my signature below, there's a link to my Facebook album where I have put all of my fave pics from the concerts.) Afterwards we are given a backstage tour and meet all of the crew. Embarrassingly my husband rings at that stage when there's a lull in the conversation. My ringtone is 'Clocks' and everyone has a giggle. I ask Jackie if we can just stay inside so that we can be front row for the concert and she says sadly not. So we run outside after we say our goodbyes and line up. Now, it's hot, it's summer and we are EXHAUSTED as we have been up for hours by this stage. Talia has had knee reconstruction and cant yet run, so we are discussing tactics for when the dorrs open. Several hours later when they open I am first in. OMG. then my ticket doesnt scan as the machine is jammed. The old trout at the gate says to me, 'wait there' I tell her in my most polite way to get stuffed and run like I have never run before for the stage. My heart is pounding and I feel like Im about to pass out. Im the first person inside the venue. I slow for a second and then hear footsteps running behind me so pick up the pace. I get to the front..dead centre in front of Chris' microphone. Holy crap, I think! How lucky am I? I am holding a space to my left for Talia who cannot run. People are trying to push into her space, but I hold my ground. She finally arrives and we CANNOT believe we are dead centre and front row!

 

So, as you can imagine, the concert is unreal. It's like our own personal performance , we are so close! Drenched in butterflies, we head back to the hotel. ( I probably shouldn't reveal the name for security reasons) So Talia and I have eaten nothing more than a bag of chips in nearly 24 hours. We are faint with hunger and a bit drunk after a few glasses of wine on an empty stomach. We get in the lift to go to bed. As we get out I say to her, 'you know what? Let's just go downstairs just in case they are there'. I just had this feeling. So we get back in the elevator and as the doors open downstairs, Talia clutches my arm and whispers 'Holy F*** it's Chris Martin' and he's standing 10 feet away from us with Kelly looking sexy as hell and exhausted in a black hoodie.

 

'NO PHOTOS' commands Kelly, Chris' bodyguard (we were never anything but polite and courteous to him and Chris and it annoys me that he is so aggressive towards the fans) We are not even holding our cameras. Chris looks at him, then us, and says , 'nah man it's cool' then he says, 'You're the girls from Adelaide, I saw you rocking out in the front row, did you enjoy the show?!' Then some American girl came and asked him what was the 'piano tune' he played after Hardest Part and me and my friend immediately yelled at her 'Postcards from far away' (DUR!) and he smiled at me and said to her, 'see, only the super fans would know that!!' I nearly fainted, lol. Oh and then he said to me, 'Ill see you in Melbourne next week' as he fully remembered the conversation we'd had at soundcheck. He also signns a gorgeous photo of them that Talia had printed for me.... 'Hi Lucy, Love Chris Martin' with a funny face which now has pride of place in our study!

 

 

 

So we are buzzing and finally manage to get some sleep. The next morning we wake up and open the curtains. It's a beautiful day in Perth. Luckily we have a poolview room. I keep winding Talia up by saying, "OMG Jonny's at the pool' or 'OMG here's Will with his family' She runs to the window each time but soon realises I am teasing! And then, wait, what's that...holy crap CHRIS MARTIN HAS JUST WALKED DOWN TO THE POOL!!!! I race for my fancy new camera to turn it on and THE BATTERY DIES! Luckily I bought my old one as a back up. I had taken hundreds of pictures at soundcheck and the concert the night before...I guess in hindsight, packing the charger would have been smart. Anyway, I am ashamed to say we were crouched like paparazzi on the floor by the window with our eyes popping out of our heads. Chris appears to be wearing a pair of speedo's? Now I know I posted some pics of this shortly after I got back, but removed them as felt it was an invasion of Chris' privacy. Some of you doubted that it was Chris. But I can promise you that I was there, saw with my own eyes and it was 100% him! (Any wanyway I recognised his shoes, lol...we all know what bad taste in shoes he has!) His mobile rings constantly and he has ants in his pants. He does not sit still for a minute. Then he starts rolling around and doing all sorts of weird yoga moves. And then, Guy rocks up with some blonde chick. He sits awayfrom Chris but seems very relaxed and content to just chill out on a sun lounger. At this point we are in danger of missing our flight back to Adelaide so we reluctantly make our way down to the lobby to check out. Some people asked why we didnt go down to talk to them? Well I feel that they were on their days off and relaxing, and I thought it would have been terribly rude and obnoxious to invade their privacy. (So I just took photos from our hotel window instead )!

 

So we are back in Adelaide, but know it's only a few more sleeps until we head to Melbourne, so we dont feel that depressed. Incidentally I also win a competition on Video Hits for the Melbourne show, but sadly not the sound check this time, just 2 normal tickets. I sold them on EBAY and used the money to upgrade to a better hotel, which proves to be the smartest move ever, as my hunch pays off and guess who happens to also be staying there?!?!?!?!?!?

 

We were on the early flight out of Adelaide to Melbourne. Talia heads straight to Rod Laver to scout out the best place to line up for the day, and I head to the hotel to check in. Imagine my surprise when Kelly walks past me! he does a double take and says 'Hello again!' 'Im fully NOT stalking', I say, 'I just like nice hotels!' and then I add, 'Are you guys staying here?!?!?!?!?!?' to which he hold his finger to his lips like shhhhh. Like Ill keep that one to myself? There's a white Tarago people mover outside the lobby with the doors open, waiting for I wonder who. I hang around for a bit, but dont want to look like stalker so hail a cab to Rod Laver where I break the news to the gathering super fans. Very exciting! We have a great day lining up. There are about 20 other die hard fans and we have a great time swapping stories and generally getting punch drunk on our mutual love of Coldplay. It was a great experience.

 

Now anyone who has had general admission to a concert at Rod Laver knows what a bloody joke it is. It doesnt matter really if you have been there all day, as when the doors open, all bets are off. You have to run like hell to gate 15 to exchange your ticket for a coded wristband which proves that you have the right to be down the front. I swear I nearly collapsed I was running so fast. All of us who have been there all day make a pact to look out for each other and make sure we all get front row. WE DO! However this time I am between Jonny and Chris, but it's still a fantastic position to be in. We joke around with the security and the camera man who gives us water and takes great care of us. We are sadly subjected to our second performance of Mercury Rev. They really were terrible. All of the audience members looked as bemused and amused as we were the previous week in Perth. The lead singer appears to be off is tits on something. The guitarist is hilrious....Id chatted to him in Perth in the elevator and he LOVED himself. He's trying to eye f*** all the girls in the front row and we are in hysterics for most of their show.

 

So at last we hear Strauss' Blue Danube Waltz and it's game on again! I still smile at the thought of Chris spotting me during In My Place and smiling at me. Quite a few people were like 'OMG he just smiled at you' that was bloody awesome!

 

After the concert we, along with Josh and Adam, 2 great guys we had met head back to our hotel, just to see who's about and wouldn't you know it, but there's Phil and Guy Berryman in the lobby. Now Im an ex smoker, however I suddenly rediscovered the need for a ciggie when we spot Guy leaning against the railing out front of the hotel. He is such a lovely , excuse the pun, Guy. So I cant remember the whole conversation but I did say to him 'Guy, you look sooo serious when you are up on stage' and he smiles and replies (probably thinking you're a f*ckwit) 'Well, it's a very serious job I have to do!' LOL. We chat about how he likes Australia and I also ask him if he remembers Adelaide in July 2006 and how shit the audience was. He has no clue....venues all blur into one for him. He really was very sweet. He still had his sexy black jeans on and red shirt, girls. I was standing 2 feet away from him for several minutes. I regret not asking for a photo, but I just didn't want to piss them off and was content just for the chance to chat to them whenever I encountered them. How many fans ever get that chance? Oh before I forget , we also saw Will several times in the hotel lobby pushing his children in their pushchair and with a woman who I presume was his wife.

 

 

So after all of those experiences, we just didn't think things could be better than that....we were wrong! We went back upstairs to our room...and by the way the hotel they stay at is now my absolute favourite hotel in Melbourne...so gorgeous! We were sad that there was only one more concert left, especially as we didnt have general admission, we had seats...the atmosphere is never as good in the seating areas, I dint care what anyone says to the contrary. Talia had general admin and was right by the piano for Hardest Part so I was super jealous! But I suppose it was interesting to see the show from a different angle, but we missed out on the butterflies! Towards the end of the encore just as they started playing The Scientist, we legged out out of Rod Laver Arena and hailed a cab back to the hotel so that we could beat the band back and be waiting there for them when they came back. It was so funny as when we got back, all the hotel management were waiting in a line on the step to greet the band, and I said 'oh for me, you shouldn't have!' as we ran into the lobby. We plonked ourselves in the comfy leather tub chairs and waited for no more than 2 minutes. Jonny was in first and walked about 3 feet past me. He is very cute and so shy in person. I called out to him 'Great show, Jonny' (Like a dork!)and he smiled and started walking towards me. Now this is where I FAILED! Rather than talking to him, I briefly turned away from him to see if I could see Chris, so he carried on towards the elevator. My husband said he was fully coming over for a chat. SHIT!!!

 

So we went to grab a bite to eat quickly and then later my husband had to collect something from reception that had been delivered from his office. So about midnight we went down to reception. Phil was there and came and said hello to me. He asked me if I had enjoyed the show and I said not really as it was nowhere near as good for me, atmosphere wise, as I was up in the nose bleed section! He then said, 'Oh have you met Anthony? This is Chris' dad'. Well of course we hadn't!

 

Now it turns out that my husband and The Martins are from the same part of Devon. It also turns out that my husband's younger brother used to play against Chris at hockey in school. My hubby and his brother went to Millfield, the rival private school to Sherborne and they are the same age. Anthony was travelling with an old family friend who as it happens was looking to move to the same village that I lived in before I moved to Australia and was friends with the vicar who had baptised/Christened my son! What a small world!!! So the four of us had a great time talking about this and that, and before I knoew it, we had been chatting for over an hour! By this stage it was well past 1AM, so Anthony asked us if we would like to join him for coffee the following morning! Out of respect, I will not write about the things we talked about regarding their grandchildren and his daughter in law. But I will say we were so impressed by what a loving, level headed and close knit family they are. We laughed at how he addressed Chris always as 'Christopher' and he is so proud of him. He says it's surreal seeing his son on stage, adored my thousands! And he was telling us how much he HATES Chris swearing! He said 'The Scientist' was his favourite and he also liked the 'piano song', which I informed him was 'Postcards' and played it off my phone for him! We spent a lovely 2 hours with them and then sadly it was time to go to Melbourne airport for our flight back to Adelaide. I really enjoyed meeting him and have a huge amount of respect for him. He is a lovely man!

 

Overall, you have to remember that Coldplay are just 4 normal men with an extraordinary musical talent. All I can say is that the week that I spent travelling to concerts and meeting the band was the best week of my life. I feel honoured to say that I have met them all. They are charming and down to earth. I hope that one day soon I will have the chance to say all of the things I so badly wanted to say until I got tongue tied with excitement.

 

 

 

Lucy

mammoth! Thanks! :D

^I aim to please! But, I've been thinking, if I win....can you fly the boys to Adelaide for an intimate gig as well? !!! :D

Here is mine! PLEASE enter it, as I CAN be at Wembley!

 

As soon as I saw the competition, and after reading your review on another thread, I thought this would be right up your street!

Now that I see I might be outdone in length, I might have a go :P

Here is mine! PLEASE enter it, as I CAN be at Wembley!

 

 

I remember that, your story is truly amazing! I hope you are a top 4 finalist. You have my vote. As well as the t-shirt design guy.

OK do you want concert reviews or just stories about going to the concert?

^that's what i'm struggling with. mine is so far a concert story, and i'm now at the part where i should be reviewing the concert and i'm stuck. i feel like everything that's been written about them live has been written...i'd rather hear the unique stories and circumstances of people getting there and enjoying it.

The main reason I asked is because Jenji said to think about how the pro's write theirs and they don't usually go into the story part but more of the show parts.

I was thinking more about language, ie sentences & grammar. rather than txt speak, smilies etc.

It seems a very open ended competition, but I guess that way Absolute will get all kinds of wacky, wierd and wonderful stories both on and off stage to keep it interesting. Keep plugging away folks! :)

They Call It “Coldplay Karma”: I’m a Believer!

 

I have to start writing this down before I forget; and these past few days, i want to remember. There is more to the story, but I’m going to go with June 9, 2009 as a starting point. The first thing that happened as i started on my journey, was that I ended up on this long, winding road behind a truck with the word “YELLOW” written across it! The journey continued, and through many a confusing exit and traffic jam, I eventually found my way to the motel I was going to stay in, in a town called “Battle Ground.” I checked in, then decided to drive to where the amphitheater was so I wouldn’t end up getting lost on my way to volunteer for Oxfam the next day. I was also very hungry! I noticed a mini-mall with a grocery and such, and decided to stop on the way back.

 

I found my way to the amphitheater, figured out where the box office/Oxfam meeting point was, and headed back to find dinner. In the mini-mall, there was this Thai restaurant, called the Golden Tusk? While I like Thai food, I’d pretty much convinced myself that I should just go with the granola bar in my purse when this group walked past on their way into the restaurant saying, “Yeah, Guy says this place is ...” -um, lets just say that the rest of the sentence was a compliment! So as silly as it sounds, I took it as “a sign” (and anyone reading this now thinks me a lost cause and a complete nutter). Hey, I really did want that food, but was reasoning against the expense. As it was, it was good for me to get a warm meal into myself. I bought this wonderful tofu curry with rice! I did decide to do some grocery shopping, and bought some veggies and water/juices/etc. for later. Parked outside of the grocery store was this funky silver car with British flags on its doors!

 

Back at the hotel, I started downloading my travel log “thus far” and to my anguish, though I thought everything was okay and saved, somehow the videos were never really downloaded! It would have been okay, except that I’d already deleted almost all of the videos I thought had transfered! Including this really cool side of a mountain that looked like a face --like Rock Biter from the Neverending Story! I was very sad and upset to have lost that image! Anyway. I was also disappointed to discover that the Internet from my room was dial-up and was not “secure” which meant there were certain things I wouldn’t get to do! Downstairs, I found that the “business office” computer was secure, but practically all my favorite haunts were blocked! Annoyance upon annoyance.

 

I tried getting other work done, but couldn’t sleep for the longest time! I finally did. The next day, I discovered the Fred Meyer store. As I walked around, I saw groups of excited people buying flowers, food, etc. chatting... about Coldplay! I looked all around and realized... that all these people were headed toward the same experiential context... literally thousands of people! It was so strange, to feel that sense of unconscious unity, that unseen link. Now, as i found out later at Oxfam, just because Coldplay fans agree on Coldplay, doesn’t mean that they agree on everything else . . . or anything else! But I’m getting ahead of myself.

 

Upon arrival at the Clark County Amphitheater, I was directed to the VIP parking zone. I explained several times that I wasn’t sure this was the right place, but everyone but me seemed certain; then the head security guy decided to agree with me! I think because hot on my heels were several other carloads of “Oxfamily” that were just as lost! We were redirected to parking lot B (I think, already forgetting details!), then finally told to go to parking lot K. (the “K. ‘Stena’ James” parking lot, obviously). I walked to the meeting point, no Soha yet, but volunteers started gravitating together; it was amazing!

 

Canvassing is hard. You would think it easy, because of the goodness of our cause, but many people just “--don’t want to be bothered.” Some were receptive, not all. Others are more than receptive! Oxfam training tells you that most people won’t want to talk to you, but everybody seemed to have something to say to me! I nearly lost my voice with all the discussion! Soha is so great though. As was Alexis, our local coordinator! Amazingly calm, secure, kind, brilliant women! We volunteers all knew well in advance that we would be sitting space available on the lawn, so it was an incredibly strange, unreal, and fantastic happenstance to be given tickets for seating near front and center! Whooohooo!!! I remember just sort of standing there, in shock, wondering at it all. As challenging as it was, I’d do it all again. (Soha, you ever need some help and I can get there in time, you got my number!)

 

The show was magnificent. Everything was perfect! Although i nearly killed myself falling off of a chair I was standing on during The Hardest Part. The reason I fell, was because my back was to the main stage, and I forgot that Will would be harmonizing from there! I heard his voice and I reeled around so fast that I lost my balance! I’m not sure, but I think he saw me and gave me a little smile. After my brush with “death by awkwardness,” I was gently asked to please stay off of my chair for the rest of the show. I think I was lucky not to get evicted altogether though! I’m certain my ecstatic dancing and screaming made me a total nuisance to everyone around me!

 

I tried to capture some of the show on video and in pictures, but to be honest, I don’t know how anyone manages this! My head may tell me to keep still, get clear footage, and focus on one thing, but my feet wouldn’t listen! I was spinning around, looking at all the cool stuff there is to look at, video globes, projection screens, people, the band, floating yellow balloons, and rainbow butterflies! It was just impossible for me not to dance and sing and yell and spin about! Everything was so perfect, I never wanted it to be over; but half-way through “The Scientist” was the prearranged cue to go back to Oxfam tent. When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. It was so great to work with everyone on the Oxfam team! We gave each other hugs, and then for me it was back to the motel, to try to get a couple hours of sleep, before I had to be up and away again to get to the Gorge show.

 

“What!” you say? “The Gorge show too?!”

 

I had gotten a ticket to that show before I found out about the Oxfam/Coldplay alliance, and this particular volunteer opportunity. When i did find out about this, I signed up for the Portland show, not actually expecting to get to participate, but thinking that at the least Oxfam looked like a wonderful organization. When I got the mail asking if I still wanted to volunteer for Portland show I was on the moon! I immediately said YES.

 

Then I realized the marathon I was in for.

 

Let’s go back to the night after the Portland show, day before the Gorge. It took me until almost 1 a.m. to get through the traffic back to my hotel room. I lay down on the bed and wept strange, happy/sad tears; that’s really not like me. Part of it was being tired, but part of it was that it had been such a perfect experience. How many of those do you get in life? Where you really feel like “Hey! somebody up there likes me!” Yeah, i know. One should feel that way about every day, but. . . one doesn’t; or I don’t. I even thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t go to the Gorge, because, like, nothing could ever be better, right?” Then I further thought, “Nah! Coldplay will be awesome whatever!” As it was, my seat was “Section C, Row 42, Seat 3” which had made me laugh originally when it was my random selection from Ticketmaster! As i wrote in my journal: “Section C, Row 42, Seat 3 = Crazy Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything <3 (the number three with a less-than sign in front of it: a heart emoticon meaning love). Given the novelty, I was okay with whatever view “C 42 3” would happen to be.

 

The morning of July 11, 2009, I wasn’t thinking very clearly. I got lost straight away for about half of an hour before finding a way to proper direction. I was running on 3-4 hours of sleep that had been had 34 hours previous. I nearly ran off the road or into road barriers three times, because I would fall asleep at the wheel with my eyes wide open. It wasn’t like nodding off, it was as if I suddenly wasn’t awake or seeing the road anymore, then I’d be “aware” again. One moment I’d be driving and keeping everything in line, the next i’d realize I was headed for a cement barrier! Very scary. I did make it back to my parents’ home though, for to rest a couple of hours; a short break before continuing on to the Gorge show.

 

Recumbent at my folks’ home, I’ve rarely been so tired, yet so wired that still couldn’t sleep. I wrote a couple of blip and twitter updates, then lay down on the bed. The next thing I knew, I was awakened by my cell phone ringing! It was Soha? She had phoned me mistakenly! She was answering my message from yesterday. It was providential, though, because I would’ve probably overslept! As it was, I had just enough time to make it to the Gorge and see some of both of the guest artists’ shows!

Sorry, getting ahead of myself again.

 

It was easier traveling in general, but the line of traffic to the Gorge itself, which is a two lane road, is arduous. I arrived, and started toward the venue, eventually meandering through this entrance where all these limos were parked; “VIP” camping? I tried to visualize what that could mean: gold-plated tent stakes? Le Cordon Bleu chefs roast your marshmallows for you? I moved to exit to the venue entrance, and the lady usher standing at the “VIP Camping” exit gate, said that technically she should turn me away and I should have to walk all the way around this other direction, but she was very kind and just let me go through.

 

Those that have been, will tell you “The Gorge is the most beautiful, breathtaking, amazing venue on the planet,” but until you go and see it, you are incredulous. Having been, I have to tell you: “The Gorge is the most beautiful, breathtaking, amazing venue on the planet!”

 

As I meandered though the crowd sitting way up on the lawn ridge of the venue, I realized how lucky i’d been to get a ticket in the seated area at all! There were about 24000 people at the Gorge July, 11, 2009. It was a long journey from the ridge top to the seated area. When I got there, there was no seat where mine should be! I was worried, but then this man came, looked at my ticket, looked at me, said “You’re alone?” and yes, I was. Then with a little smile, he flipped through a stack of tickets and gave me a complimentary ticket, pointing silently to the section, row, and seat; it was for SEC C, ROW 6, SEAT 15! Brilliant! Even if I did get reprimanded for dancing in the aisle during the opening sets.

 

Again, I proved a terrible nuisance to everyone around me! Hands in air, swinging my minicam around, yelling, singing. The show seemed more intense to me than it had the night before, for some reason; or perhaps many reasons. And I should say, that while I got some footage, I had a lot of technical difficulties --like dropping the camera when I nearly fainted at one point in the show (lack of sleep, slight dehydration, and “the nearness” are probably responsible). Also, I ran low on battery power, camera memory, and the minicam just didn’t seem to “feel like” functioning! I’d press the “rec” button, and nothing happened! Most of the time after that, I just surrendered to the experience and accepted I would not be able to capture every moment. I just felt badly, knowing that there are Coldplay fans out there that would love to have gotten that close, and might never ever have the opportunity! I would’ve liked to be in a better position to share that experience with them. Of course, out of 24,000 people in attendance I know I’m not the only one that was filming! Somebody out there is bound to have gotten excellent video!

 

It was so much good all at once. I’m not used to that; feeling like there is someone or something on my side. I guess I don’t know where I am right now, heart wise. I think, that I’m a little depressed? Some sort of “Post-Concert-Traumatic-Stress-Syndrome,” maybe? I miss it all! “It” . . . that frantic getting between new places, feeling a part of something interesting and beautiful, even if it's only for a day!

 

Don't let me give the impression that I'm not grateful for my “normal” life; for what I do have in life, because I am! Yet clearly, I want things to be different; less quiet, less routine, less in my head all the time, less on my own. Which occurs to me is one of the things an excellent concert can do for the heart and head; make them start listening to each other. Many thanks to any patient reader that has made their way through my story, and many thanks to Coldplay, for “such a perfect day,” times two!

 

PS: I don't think we are supposed to do this for purposes of the contest, but I wanted to share the vlog I made. I think it expresses things better than I've just written:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UKcdtG6dQoI]YouTube - Coldplay Odyssey: The Gorge[/ame]

PS: I don't think we are supposed to do this for purposes of the contest, but I wanted to share the vlog I made. I think it expresses things better than I've just written:

 

YouTube - Coldplay Odyssey: The Gorge

Thanks for posting the vlog!!!

It's so nicely and professionally done and by watching it I got a better idea what it was like there!!

 

Thanks so much!! :kiss:

Thanks for posting the vlog!!!

It's so nicely and professionally done and by watching it I got a better idea what it was like there!!

 

Thanks so much!! :kiss:

 

Professional? :D No, but it's very, very kind of you to say! It was such a perfect day. :) I wish I could have gotten some better images of what it is to look back and see everyone. So many brilliant faces and smiles! Hands reaching for dancing balloons; two little girls carefully gathering paper butterflies one by one; a couple, just listening to the music, holding each other, smiling and swaying together; amazing things happening every moment. Thank you for the good words!

Jan 28, 2003- Houston, Texas

Let’s Go Back to the Start

 

It was my first time to see the band live. I was so excited when the tour dates were announced and was on line to buy my ticket the second they went on sale. I tried to get someone to go with me. “Who? Coldplay? Never heard of them,” was the response I got. Forget them, I will go alone!

 

After months of waiting, finally show day arrived. At the time I was living about 100 miles from Houston, so I left out extra early because I wasn’t exactly sure of the venue location or what traffic would be like. I absolutely had to be up front. It was a general admission ticket, so if I could get there early enough, I should be able to be in the front row.

 

I got to downtown Houston around 1pm and passed their tour buses parked on the street on my way to the underground garage. My heart was racing and I couldn’t park my car fast enough. I parked and asked some guy how to get to the Verizon and he said to take the stairs and it was right there. I go up the stairs and come out on the street just next to where the buses are parked and Jonny, Will and Guy are all on the street right there just walking around! I almost fainted. In my rush to get topside, I had left my camera in the car . I didn’t even have anything for them to sign. I said hi to Will first, then Guy and then Jonny. They were so beautiful in person. Will was very nice, not scary like in most of his pictures. Guy was so skinny; I just wanted to feed the poor child. Jonny was so tall, had the sweetest voice and the most beautiful eyes. I was in love. It amazed me that they were just so normal! And so shy and amazed that anyone knew who they were. They went into the venue and I rushed back to my car to get my camera, but when I got back, they didn’t come back out. People were starting to arrive for the show, so I went and got in the line. Some girls came and got in line and said they had come back out just after I had left. I wanted to cry. Anyway I was at the front of the line and was for sure going to be front row.

 

At around 3pm, a lady from Capitol Records comes out and asks if we are there for the contest. They had a contest on their website for 10 people to attend the sound check. We said no and then she got all uppity and asked why we were there then. Well they are playing a concert here tonight you know. A few of us tried to talk our way in, but Miss Capital wasn’t having any of that. The radio station was setting up tables next to where we were standing and came over and told us that they would be interviewing Chris after the sound check right here next to us so that perked us up. Just before the interview started, they moved the tables inside the building and did the interview inside. We had to settle for watching Chris through the glass. Bummer!

 

It took what seamed like for ever for gates to open. Once inside venue we had to stand in line again. Come on already! There was a mad rush to get to the front. Don’t run! Yeah right! Get out my way! Everyone ran to the center, I ran to where Jonny would stand. Front row baby, front row!

 

Outside security was firm on the No Cameras rule. Inside security could care less. I could have brought my 35mm instead of cheap disposable I smuggled in. Mos Eisley and Ron Sexsmith were openers. I liked Ron, but thought he was a bit too slow paced for an opener. Sorry but I didn’t care much for Mos Eisley.

 

Stage set up was pretty simple. Four large screens hung at the back of the stage. Chris’ piano facing toward Jonny. Will’s silver drum kit at the back Guy stage right and Jonny stage left. Small video cameras set up in front of each person. They had what looked like blue rope Christmas tree lights outlining the edge of the stage.

 

Finally, house lights down. My heart is pounding! The crowd is screaming and whistling. Movement on stage, I see them! My pulse rate shoots up to about a million. Organ sounding music filled the room and a quick “Hello” from Chris and we were off!

 

Politik starts, lights flashing, piano banging, Will beating those poor drums to a pulp, and the crowd bouncing along with the beat. Chris sounds awesome live. He’s bouncing on his piano stool like a mad man and I thought he might knock himself out at any second.

 

When the song ends, we get a quick speech from Chris about being back in Texas then straight into Shiver. A definite crowd favorite and sadly the last time they would play it on this tour.

 

Spies was next with this trippy sounding guitar opening from Jonny. Chris flubs the first line of the lyrics and gets the giggles, which gives Jonny the giggles. It’s OK because the crowd picks up the slack and sings it for him. He quickly recovers and the rest is just beautiful.

 

Daylight and Jonny singing! What, Jonny sings! Eyes closed and singing, deep sexy voice, right in front of me….. “Slowly breaking through the daylight”. I might have fallen over if it had not been for the crowd to hold me up.

 

Chris has a guitar malfunction and the crowd gets introduced to guitar tech, Hoppy, who looks a bit like Brian Adams according to Chris. Guitar repaired and Warning Sign started. What can I say? It’s one of my favorites off AROBTTH and sounds just so beautiful live.

 

One I Love was next. What a great song. It allows them to totally rock out. Why it wasn’t included on AROBTTH I will never know.

 

Don’t Panic up next with this U2 sounding intro guitar and quick time drum part. Jonny gets the harmonica solo on this tour. He finishes the solo, looks down, walks to toward me and throws it right at me. Some tall person standing behind me snatches it from the air just above my outstretched hand. I was gutted.

 

Chris then dedicates next song to Destiny’s Child. Everything’s Not Lost is what happens if George Bush runs your country according to Chris. Will singing back up! Wow! He has a voice just the softest sweetest voice. Big crowd sing along.

 

Chris then introduces a new song, Moses and informs the crowd that Jonny is more handsome than Justin Timberlake. I agree! The song is beautiful! This was back before songs appeared on the internet 10 minutes after the show was over, so we knew they were playing new stuff but had not heard it before the show. It remains a favorite of mine.

 

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face followed and it is much better live than on the record and it’s pretty awesome on the record! Chris says it’s about not moaning when you got it all. Guy’s bass line is so great on this song. And Chris lets loose, dancing and jumping about.

 

“Your skinnnnnnnnnnn. Your skinnnnnnnnnnnnn. Jonny.” Then the open notes of Yellow and the crowd goes ballistic! Matt was playing Chris’ guitar part during this tour so he could jump about and go insane along with the crowd and that’s pretty much what he did. I thought he might actually jump over his piano at one point.

 

Main set ended with The Scientist which is so beautiful live it makes you want to cry. Jonny playing both acoustic and electric guitars. Chris’s voice is just so beautiful.

 

Encore starts with Clocks. The laser, the giant green laser! There is just so much energy in this song. And I just love the piano riff.

 

Will smashes the opening to in In My Place and Chris does his “climb the ladder” dance. Yellow and In My Place were the only songs where Chris didn’t play an instrument and he really let loose with the dance moves on both as only Chris can.

 

Trouble complete with epic audience sing along followed.

 

Chris announces one last song. A new song just written only a few weeks ago and its “good”, Ladder to the Sun. Yes it is. Wow two new songs at one show.

 

After the show I went and hung around the back by the buses hoping to meet them again and after standing around for about an hour decided on plan B. I didn’t have a ticket for Austin. I didn’t have a place to stay in Austin. I wasn’t even sure how to get to Austin, but I knew I would regret it if I didn’t see them again. So off to Austin I went. An obsession begins.

 

 

 

part 2 to follow........

June 10, 2003 Cleveland, Ohio

Away Day

 

Cleveland was my first time to travel away to see the band. I had seen them around Texas, but I don’t consider that traveling. Traveling requires getting on a plane in my book. I had met Mary on the old Coldplay message board. We worked similar schedules so we were on line at the same times each day and became friends. The band was nearing the end of their AROBTTH tour and we wanted to try and go to a show together. Why Cleveland, a question we would ask ourselves after seeing Cleveland, but basically because it was a general admission show with tickets still available. We had to have a GA show so everyone that wanted to go could get their ticket and we didn’t have to worry about getting seats next to each other. We had people coming from all over to meet us there, me from Texas, Mary and Lulu from Indiana, Britney and her friend from Ohio, Abbey from Arizona, Todd from Vegas, and Leah from New Jersey. I rented a suite at a downtown hotel so we could all stay together. At work everyone told me I was going to be killed by “internet people”. Yes, those mad axe wielding psycho Coldplay fans, they are always on the news. We got into town the night before the show so we could have a look around and get to know each other but that is a whole other weird story. On with the Coldplay bits.

 

Woke up early the next day and most of us went down to the venue at 8am. Ha! What we needed to be down there that early for I don’t know because the band wasn’t even there yet. Their crew wasn’t even there yet! We didn’t care. We got in line anyway. We had a walk around to the back to see where the band would be coming in. This venue was basically as Chris put it during the show, “a car park with a tent over it, next to a river, under a giant bridge”. At around 10am we could see the band’s buses up on the highway as they made their way in, so some people held our places in line and we ran to the back to greet them. Mary had made everyone a shirt with Will’s picture on it. I can only imagine what must have gone through their heads. They have been driving for hours from Chicago and arrive to find a bunch of crazy people all wearing the same Will shirt waiting at the venue at 10 in the morning. They start parking the buses and Rocky their security guy comes and tells us we need to stay on the corner across the street from where the buses are being parked. We wait and Mary gets up and does her “Clocks Dance” outside the band’s bus as they wait to park. I don’t even know how to describe it, but basically it involves her dancing while swinging her arms around like the arms on a clock. I am sure they are now too frightened to get off the bus. Finally all buses are parked and one by one they exit and go into the enclosed backstage area. Will is last off and he doesn’t go backstage but instead walks right over to us! He is wearing his now famous green Nike shoes and pink shirt. You can tell he is so embarrassed about his picture on all our shirts. It’s just so sweet. He signs stuff and takes pictures with us. He leaves and goes back stage.

 

We hung around in the back for most of the day, but eventually went and got back in line. We could hear them sound checking later in the day. The played some of their stuff and some Smiths and then Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday? OK, that’s interesting.

 

We soon discover that this venue is strange and security here is even stranger. Before gates opened some security dude comes out and gives everyone free water. Well that’s a first. I have never received anything free from a venue before. Then they make a no backpack announcement which sends some people into frenzy. They took a cab to the show and had no place to put their packs. There are signs on the fence which surrounds the venue stating the dangers of moshing. Once we get inside we all make it onto the first row and then security makes everyone sit down until the bands come on. Sit down like we are in kindergarten or something. There are enough security guards at the front to invade a samll country. Most shows have 3 maybe 4 at the front, they had at least 12. Well if that dangerous Coldplay mosh pit gets out of control, they will be ready! Stage at this venue is very high, around 6 feet. Who do they think will be able to jump up on that stage? Openers were again Mos Eisley and Ron Sexsmith. Eisley still not good. Why me? We could see the band sitting on this giant hill of dirt that was behind the venue watching Ron Sexsmith’s set, drinking beer. Between bands the security guard standing in front of me keeps telling me he doesn’t like Coldplay. What ever dude, leave me alone.

After what seamed like an eternity, the band is finally ready to come on stage. Lights down, band on! Chris is his normal bouncy self. How can one person have so much energy? Jonny has a porn stash! It is beautiful.

 

Politik still the opener. For a crappy tent venue, the sound was pretty good. Chris bounced madly on his stool, the crowd bounced madly in unison.

 

 

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face up next with Guy’s fat bass line and Chris dancing with his guitar.

 

 

A Rush of Blood to the Head. Finally! I had been so disappointed that they didn’t play it in Texas. Why they didn’t play Rush on the Rush tour until near the end of the tour, such is the Coldplay. It is so beautiful and worth the wait.

 

Daylight with Jonny singing. Why don’t they let Jonny sing more!

 

Trouble moved up in the show. Much better in this spot I think. The Security guard that told me how he doesn’t like Coldplay now comes over and asks the name of this song because he “knows it and likes it”. A feat he repeats several more times that night much to my agitation. Leave me alone dude, I am trying to watch Jonny!

 

One I Love, rocking out. Man I wish they would play this one again.

 

Don’t Panic. No throwing of the harmonica. There must have been some kind of riot for it so they had to stop throwing them into the crowd. But I was ready this time.

 

Moses. More road tested now and sounding brilliant.

 

Everything’s Not Lost. How does a guy that smashes drums like that have such a sweet angelic voice? Big crowd sing along.

 

Pour Me. New songs are awesome. They played so many new songs on this tour.

 

Yellow. Crowd goes nuts, jerk security guard again agitating me with questions.

 

The Scientist. I remember watching Chris’ hands up on the 4 giant screens hanging at the back. He has really pretty hands. This song is just so beautiful.

 

Encore

Clocks. In the six months since I had seen them in Texas, Clocks was released as a single and it was huge. It got a bigger reception than Yellow I think. And the green laser is just awesome! Here’s s shocker, security dude loves this song too.

 

In My Place. Chris’ dancing not improved but so adorable.

 

Amsterdam! YES!!!!!!!!!!! Britney had brought a yellow helium balloon to the show and we wrote “Play Amsterdam” on it and floated in front of their faces all night. Ha! Amsterdam and AROBTTH, I could die in peace now.

 

I can’t remember what all Chris said during the show, but I do remember him talking about the venue and Jonny’s sexy stash. We also found out the reason for the happy birthday sound check. Chris started coughing and their assistant Vickie Taylor comes out on stage to bring him a drink but he was just faking. He grabs her and announces it is her birthday and has the crowd sing happy birthday and Jonny gives her flowers. How sweet are these guys. The mystery of the Happy Birthday sound check solved.

 

After the show was over, we met the Oxfam people on the way out and signed up. Bought some stuff from the merchandise stand. Then we all headed to the back of venue to wait for the band to come out. God I miss the days when they toured by bus. If the bus is there, they are still there. Huge crowd at first, but people started getting tired of waiting and started leaving. Finally around 2am Chris and Jonny were first out. They came out with Rocky. They walked along the line of waiting fans and signed stuff, people taking pics. Mary had brought the picture of them wearing the black afro wigs to get it signed. Chris had to ask which one was him so he could sign next to his pic. I remember that they smelled really good and how nice they were. Jonny’s porn stash up close is just a thing to behold. He looked so thin. And he didn’t have his then trademark red hat. Said he had lost it. But he did have a stripy shirt, so yah! Chris started walking down the street and the crowd and Rocky all followed him. Jonny was left behind with just me, Mary and Todd. Some drunk dude came out of nowhere and staggered into him and almost knocked him over. He didn’t get mad, just said something like whoa mate. We asked for a pic and he stood between me and Mary and Todd took the pic. Jonny smiled, Mary smiled, I smiled and gave his bum a bit of a squeeze. Best picture ever! Chris made his way back up the street, crowd in tow and they left and got on the bus. Most of the fans left after that. After a long wait, Will came out next. Rocky joked that his fan club was waiting for him. That made his ears turn bright pink. How can people think this guy is scary. Pink shirt, pink ears. He’s just a big old teddy bear. He signed everyone’s stuff and posed for pics. We waited and waited and waited for Guy. After what seamed like forever, he came out and walked straight to the bus and got on. Not even a wave. Meanie!

 

The next day we found a store near the hotel that could develop film and dropped off the pictures. I can remember people staring and us as me and Mary jumped up and down screaming in the streets “JONNY SANDWICH” when we picked up the prints. Mary and I talked about how it would never be the same again. I saw how the popularity of the band had grown in that six months. They would be playing Madison Square Garden a few days after that. That was the last tour where they lived on the bus, where they sold general admission seats, where they hung out after the shows and met with fans on a nightly basis. At least I can say I was there.

Angie, I absoluetley love your story!!!!

 

P.

thanks :blush:

Houston 1/28/03 Austin 1/29/03 Dallas 1/31/03 Cleveland 6/10/03 Indianapolis 8/12/05 Alpine Valley 8/13/05

Dallas 9/23/05 ACL Taping 12/9/05 Houston 2/25/06 Dallas 2/26/06 Milwaukee 3/19/06 Today Show 6/27/08

Chicago 7/22/08 Chicago 7/23/08 Washington DC 10/31/08 Philadelphia 11/1/08 Orlando 11/07/08

Ft Lauderdale 11/09/08 Houston 11/18/08 Dallas 11/19/08 Birmingham 5/18/09 Indianapolis 6/5/09 San Antonio 6/10/09

Dallas 7/21/09 Houston 7/22/09 Alpine Valley 7/25/09 Tampa 8/9/09 London Wembley 9/18/09 London Wembley 9/19/09.....

 

 

HOLY CRAP TheAngie! I have HUGE admiration for the amount of shows you have been too and am a little jealous!!! x

I am a show-ho. :lol:

SHOW HO????I BLOODY LOVE IT!!! ROFL!!!!!!!

I'm still struggling with the opening, or the "hook"; I haven't even made it to the actual show yet in my entry. I have two opening paragraphs, and I can't decide which I like better. I shall type them up and post them both here tomorrow for you guys to decide!

 

God, I have to get what I learned in English class out of my head. :lol:

Ok here mine goes.....

 

Pretty much my same review that I wrote up in the first place.

 

Thanks guys for giving us this opportunity to share our concert stories like this :kiss:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Part 1 of DC show: May 21, 09

 

 

 

 

 

I met up with Zoe (notlost) on here and her one friend Cecilia, we all arrived at Nissan Pavilion at about o ....10 till 4pm to line up for the pit! Started talking a mile a minute about Coldplay when we first met...already like we were old friends. And this was Cecilia's first concert ever, so WOOHoo! Concert Virgin and her first time will be seeing Coldplay, front row....lucky gal! We were the first girls there, the only other people around were a couple other guys that had been there since 12pm. We ended up taking a seat by the gates and we talked to one of the guys, Todd who ended up being a really cool guy. This was his 9th Coldplay concert ....ahh so jealous...its only my 2nd, I would see them so much if only I had the money. So he had been seeing them for a long time. Not as far back as Parachutes, but he had seen them during a Rush of Blood to the Head tour, which I'm very jealous about, it being my all-time favorite Coldplay era. I would have killed to see them back then.

 

Btw. so we were outside waiting for about 2 and 1/2 hours and it was HOT! haha Zoe said it was so hot because Coldplay was in the house! haha I cannot disagree with that! We kept hearing someone soundchecking in the venue, but it wasn't Coldplay, it sounded like Howling Bells, one of their support acts that were opening for them tonight. But we freaked when we heard the opening to Don't Panic coming from the stadium! REALLY?! A Parachutes song besides Yellow?! I love it when they play their older stuff, because that's where the real Coldplay gold is at. But sadly I think it was just the Howling Bells warming up and covering Coldplay's Don't Panic.

 

So now more ppl started showing up, but it didn't matter bc we were front row bound! We looked like some hard core fans too Zoe had her "Whatever It Takes" bag that Chris designed and I had my "Viva" bag from the last show. And Zoe had her Viva La Vida tour shirt on and I had my pink Guy Berryman shirt on! Along with my 2 sided poster with "USA <3 COLDPLAY" on one side and "Berry-Girl & Apparat-chick" on the other side for Guy.

O! what a Coldplay - fest we were already having! No words can even describe our exitement! But we needed to decide where we wanted to stand in the pit once we were in there. We already knew we had to be in the front row. But Zoe wanted to stay on Jonny's side all the sudden bc she said Chris would be over there giving more love to Jonny on the ramp of love, instead of on Guy's side! lol Which is true....Jonny and Chris are pretty much a pair. But- I reminded her about In My Place and how all three of them always come over to Guy's side for that song. Also, I needed to represent mah boy! No way was I not going to stand as close to Guy as possible! Got to respect the bassist!

So we agreed on Guy's side.

Next, we think we heard Pete Yorn soundchecking and we kept seeing people who worked for the stadium, walk behind the gate with all access Viva passes....AHHH!!! I wanted to steal their all access backstage passes!....ahh if only! Also around this time, I met up with Catherine, another Apparat-chick! YAH! So we were all there to represent!!

 

Alright so now was the countdown to when the gates were going open!!!AHHH CANT. WAIT.

Now these stupid Best Buy reward card ppl got to go in first!!! AHH! so UNFAIR!! I didnt know anything about stupid effing rewards card! It had to be some crap Live Nation thing they had going on. We were pissed we were the first ppl in line and suddenly all those ppl got to go in first!

 

But thank god this really nice woman came over and looked through our bags b4 so we could skip security. Once these gates opened it was a mad rush to get to the pit! We had to sprint 2 blocks around the venue and then the stairs until we were at the stage. Talk about a rush!! I took off once they opened those gates! And O! once I got in....heaven! the pit was RIGHT UP NEXT TO THE STAGE!!! I ran over to Guy's side, there were only a couple over ppl in there! So i had the best place in the venue muwahahahah!!!

I was wedged in this lil corner, so there was no way anyone was going to be pushing me back in the pit either! Zoe and Cecilia came later and we were all there!!

 

So now came the Howling Bells! What an awesome band from Australia! Check them out! They were great and really nice to us and humble. And it was'nt just some opening act that you want to get off the stage for the real show to begin, they were just great and original. And their bass player (o those bass players....) one of us asked him what his name was, one of the girls next to me and he talked to us and said his name was Joe. Lovely guy.

Next was Pete Yorn. I'm so happy he was opening for Coldplay bc I doubt I would have ever seen him live if not. I love Pete's music but I just don't know if I would ever get the chance to see him live. Anyway, he was great and sang some songs from his new album coming out this summer. Also Pete was pretty nice on the eyes as well ladies o yes....

Me and Zoe ended up being buddies with the security guard in front of our rail. We talked to him and he was so nice and his name was Glenn. He told us about where they had been eating dinner backstage just a little bit ago!! aHHH! fangirl happiness from us! and we told him some about Coldplay cus he didnt know much about them, but once we said the lead singer Chris was married to Gwyneth Paltrow....o he was very interested then....! lLOL and asked us if we thought she was gonna be here tonight. We said yes bc so far she had been at every show on this US tour so far. And sure enough we found out Gywneth was at our show, but she was in the first row of the seated section so we didn't talk to her or anything.

Now sometime in here, me and Zoe kept seeing all of Coldplay's roadies coming in and out of the stage and setting up and we were smiling at them and all. And its so bad that we are such super-fans that we know all of their roadies by name and recognize them hahah! And so we saw Miller like 7 or 8 times all together and even Chloe (not a roadie but she is Jonny's girlfriend) came out. She was behind a curtain peaking out from backstage. And I was watching that door like a hawk to see who was coming in and out. And I recognized her right away, and she really is pretty like ppl have said. We also Matt, Hoppie (guitar techie), Bash(Will's drum techie), and Franksie with his pimp hat! haah

 

So anyway, Zoe nudges me and says "look! MIller!" and I looked and Miller was taking pics with his camera (Miller is Coldplay's speical roadie who writes Coldplay's blog on their website....aka...Roadie #42...but thats a secret! haha He doesn't know that we know who he is! ). So here we are and by this time Zoe has made a hasty "Everything's Not Lost" sign bc she is obsessed with that song and she would die if they ever sang it live one of these days! So we hold up our signs and b4 we know it he is taking pics of our signs!!AHHH!! Those signs could maybe end up in his blog on Coldplay.com one day! omg! Not just that, but I look back at Chloe and I see her taking pics of our signs too! AHH! So who knows she might show those pics to Jonny or the boys and they might see our signs that way too!

 

Alright now Pete Yorn is off the stage....now we hear U2's Magnificent playing and the JayZ piece and then the Classical music so we know its only down to single minutes b4 the boys take the stage!! We see someone off to the side tuning up the bass and Zoe grabs me and says "IT'S GUY!!!!" ahhhh WHAT?!?! I try to see all I see is an arm......and a neck and I'm not sure if it's him or not but nontheless Im freaking out!! But why would he be tuning his own bass so close b4 the show and he should be in costume, not just a t shirt cus the show was about to start?? Plus this guy doesn't have an earring on his left year. So I decide it is NOT Guy....plus we found out later it was Hoppie....one of their roadies anyway.

 

Alright now the intro music comes on and we are flippin' out with excitement! We start clapping and soon enough...BAM! The lights go out! And here opens the backstage door! All I see are 4 profiles in the dark running towards us with sparklers in their hands. And O! I recognize the first one right away....ahhhh My Scotish Death!!!!!! DEAD DEAD DEAD!!!! GUY!!!! AHHH!! Alright I'll just go and get this fangirlish-ness out of my system and then I will stop....but Guy in the flesh, only and 3 and 4 ft. away from me the entire show is SO much more Gorgeous than I ever thought, beats any kind of picture or video of him i've ever seen! Chris too in the flesh that close is beautiful too! They all looked so good! We were seriously the closest girls to him in the whole stadium! He was only about 3 and 4 ft. away from me and the entire show! Even tho some of my pics looked further away, my camera does that, like most camera's it shows it farther away, but really we were RIGHT THERE!!

 

They ran around with their sparklers for a few sec. and then they picked up their instruments and started playing Life in Technicolor as the sheer curtain rises, but we could already see Guy since he was so close to us already! Life in Technicolor goes straight into Violet Hill which they always rock out on with Chris on the guitar dancing around the stage. And as soon as the lights turned on for Violet Hill, my poster was right in front of me and Guy saw it right away and smiled at me and you could tell he loved it! hhahh I loved being the closest person to him in the whole stadium of 19,000 people! muwhauauauauua!!hahha I was so spoiled! So anyway here was the setlist of songs they played:

 

Life In Technicolor

Violet Hill

Clocks

In My Place

Yellow

Glass of Water

Cemeteries of London

42

Fix You

Strawberry Swing

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* played on B stage in the audiance*

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (Techno)

Talk (Techno)

The Hardest Part (acoustic) - Chris piano

Postcards From Far Away (piano instrumental)-Chris piano

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Viva La Vida

Lost!

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*played on C stage in the Lawn*

Green Eyes

Death Will Never Conquer (Will)

I'm A Believer (Neil Diamond Cover - acoustic)

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Viva La Vida (remix interlude)

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Politik

Lovers In Japan

Death and All His Friends

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The Scientist

Life in Technicolor ii

The Escapist (outro)

Part 2:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

So anyway, after Violet Hill Guy really took a good look at my sign and was smiling and nodding his head! hahah so he took a drink of water from his bottle and then gave me two thumbs up and I was crazy happy! The more me and Zoe freaked out and smiled and yelled he laughed more and ended up saying "Yeah" to us, ahhh in his Scotish accent....AMAZING! Throughout the whole show he loved the crazy attention he got from us in his lil corner What a tease that Mr. Berryman is! hahah Everytime we would yell he would do something else to get us wound up! Whether it was more smiles or laughs or eyebrow action (muhahaha some ppl know what im talking about! ).

 

So after Clocks....In My Place is just the best live....Guy goes over to his ramp and Jonny walks over and they do their guitar thing, rocking out and all and then Chris always comes up behind them and on to the ramp. Well our faces were right where the ramp was! So Chris is about 1 and 2 feet away from us!! AHHH!! So Zoe is flippin' out and we almost touched Chris!! But all of the sudden I notice that Guy and Jonny were looking at my sign again!! WAHHA!! And I see Guy pointing my sign out to Jonny and Jonny is laughing and smiling and nodding his head and Guy looks proud that he had so much attention from my sign and from me!! AHHH and then I start screaming and they laughed and nodded their heads!!! And poor Zoe didn't see any of it cus she was still too mesmerized by Chris's butt bending over in our faces hhahaha! We're crazy!

 

Next, was Yellow!! AAHHH !!! I had never seen Yellow played live in person with the yellow balloons yet!! WHOO! We loved it! One came right up to us and almost hit Guy and his bass haha! I wish I could have popped one...and taken it home! Chris always pops one with the end of his guitar at the end of the song and all the confetti falls out of it!!

 

Glass of Water replaced Speed of Sound from the previous tour, I absolutely LOVE Speed of Sound...but I was happy to hear Glass of Water live too since I've never heard it live and it's a newer song from the EP. They sound great with that song live...i LOVED it!

 

Cemetaries of London....ahhh one of those songs that deserves A LOT more attention than it gets on Viva La Vida....to me it should be a single. It's one of my favorite songs on Viva La Vida and I'm so happy that they play it live....It's a darker kind of song...but it really balances out the concert I think.

 

42 .....This song is BEYOND AMAZING live....Jonny's guitar solo is one of his best....he just rocks out on it! And the note that Chris sings right b4 it is so long...haha he was singing and he looked at his watch to see how long he can go hahah ...ah cocky.

 

Fix You, of course this song will be played at each and every Coldplay concert forever! Chris running around like a 3 year old all over the stage and I love the end when we all sing it together....reminds me of the music video so much!

 

Strawberry Swing is also another hidden masterpiece from Viva La Vida....the guitars seriously sound so awesome in this song and the clapping they all do. Evedently they are doing the next Coldplay music video on Strawberry Swing....cant wait for that!

 

Now for GPASUYF and Talk the boys move out to B stage, which is right in the middle of the audiance...haha what a suprise for those ppl huh? They are just so nice like that, wanting everyone to have a great time even if your in the back of the stadium....if you cant come to them, then they will come to you. I really love the techno versions of both of these songs...!! I wish they were on LeftRightLeftRightLeft tho...

 

After those 2 songs...Chris stays at the piano on B stage and Guy, Will, and Jonny come back to the stage and get ready for Viva La Vida. Now that they have started playing the Hardest Part just acoustically with the piano, I actually love it more than the original. Now since Chris was like a mile away singing for those in the back...lol we were just hanging out in the pit and we could see Guy and Will getting ready for Viva La Vida, even if it was dark on stage, I could still see what was going on.

 

And uhoh! Not everything was smooth sailing....o no! Yikes- a - do! Something is wrong with Guy's bass. =( *cry* He picks it up and something is wrong and I see him talking to some of the roadies. But Chris is all the way out there....and after Postcards from Far Away, he starts Viva and starts running up toward the stage.....O no! Guy is pissed....o_O!!! There is lots of back and forth of Guy on and off the stage and lots of lip reading on my part lol haha! Quite some cussing coming from Mr. Berryman and the roadies trying to help him out. He is in the back and I see Hoppie hand him a ciggy and he takes a few puffs and hands it back to him =( ahhh I was sad...I don't want Guy to smoke he was suppose to be trying to stop, but I think he needed it in stressful times! lol O my ....Guy angry + cussing + ciggy in his mouth= badass! haha

Meh...I felt bad for him but at the same time I kind of liked seeing pissed off Guy I am crazy... so he finally gets back on stage, they finally get him his different bass so he plays the end of Viva La Vida. And WIll hahah Will is on the drums for Viva of course and he looks over and starts laughing and cracking up at Guy. And Guy finally notices that he is laughing at him and he shoots him a death glance...uhoh! haha It was great to see WIll giving him some crap and how things are sometimes between them. Because they admit that they get mad at each other sometimes. How could you not when your touring all the time as a band and always with each other. Anyway, it was just cool to see that situation even if Guy was pissed.

 

Next is Lost! with Guy on drums first and then he moves back over to his bass. So out of no where here comes Chris to our side of the stage and he puts on this huge Chinese dragon head! hahahhaha lol and is dancing around on our ramp with it on! hahah o only Chris.... It then falls off of him and it lands right at our feet! o_O omg! it was hilarious and amazing!

 

Now the boys moved out to C stage which is WAY out in the lawn.....so we can barely see them for when they go out there! But they sing Green Eyes and I love this song so much. AROBTTH days....*sigh*

Then Will sings Death WIll Never Conquer and I love this part!

They cover Neil Diamond's "I'm A Believer" haha and at the end Chris hold's the microphone to Will and he asks him "Are you in Love?" and Will sings "oooooooooo" then to Guy "Are you in Love" "ooooooo" and to Jonny too! It was so cute!

So they were done out in the lawn and then came the Viva La Vida Remix during a short intermission.

 

Now Politik! I always love this song live.....and the bridge between the first part of the song and the second part of the song always makes me tear up....i know cliche! uhh but it does considering I think its one of the best songs ever written. The words, the chords, everything. And it being one of the first songs that got me into Coldplay. I'm never let down by this song. Its so beautiful.

 

Lovers in Japan time!!AHH! So much happened during this song I don't know where to begin! First off Chris got in the zone and here he comes...Running by our ramp! O god...i know something is going to happen. He runs by and leans his head over ours and I swear I thought he was falling into the crowd and going to crowd surf! I think it was the angle we were at but scooped down and his face was only about 6 in. from our faces!! AHH!!! And so as he scooped down my sign was there too....the "USA <3 COLDPLAY" side and Chris looked at it and then looked at me and said "WWHHOAA!!" really loud and fast and then lunged backwards quickly and we thought he was going to fall! And it all happened so fast! According to Zoe I yelled, "Yeah Chrissy!" and she yelled "It's Chris! Its Chris!" over and over again haha when he did that. It was all insane, also all the butterflies were falling down at that time too! So just imagine all the chaos! *sigh*

 

Now I knew the show was coming to some what of a close with Death and All of His Friends.... and I love the song but I know it means the end of show is coming =(

Then they came out with their Grammy jackets which i love!! aww they were so cute and I realized being so close to Guy that the jackets were actually silky! He had his pink one on <3 and Chris had the blue one and of course Jonny wearing the green one and Will wearing the purple one....just like always.

So Chris is at the piano and is talking to us about the new free live album they are handing out, LeftRightLeftRightLeft. Which is so nice of them to be handing out a free live album at their shows.....esp. since Chris had to talk to EMI in person to allow them to do this. They could be making millions of dollars off of this but instead they are giving it away for free. They just are not in it for the money, which I have always known, but that's my lil spill about lrlrl....haha

Anyway, so Chris is talking at the piano and this guy right behind me yells, "I love you Chris!" but he is half way joking bc his girlfriend is with him. And looks at him and says, "O so you love me, man?" in the way he does. All smiling and joking and Chris looks at me too since I'm standing right there! So ahh! I scream that I love Chris too! It's just something you just say at concerts, its like the only thing you can say to express what your feeling all the sudden with the music and everything. And so Guy was looking at me then I realized and I felt bad for telling Chris that, when really I love Guy the most out of Coldplay haha so i yell that "I love Guy more tho! I love you!" and that got a big laugh and more smilies out of Guy that made us *swooon*!!!omg

And then they sang the Scientist, the beautiful Scientist. That we were perfectly normal for once....no screaming or fangirl antics....just singing the Scientist bc how can you not fall in love with that song. Guy looked at me again, and the girls beside us said, "Aww He has looked at you the whole time, He keeps smiling at you! Its SO CUTE!" Which made me super dizzy and want to pass out..*swoon*!!!

 

Now the last song, Life in Technicolor ii - which ended the night perfectly! Its one of those songs that gets everyone in a good mood and leaving the concert with great memories.And they all bowed at the end we all went crazy for them for one last time! And Guy was the first to come over to us and I held the sign up for him again, the "Berry-Girl & Apparat-chick" side and he clapped and nodded his head and smiled! And we both started screaming and that got him to laugh more....silly boy! And he said "thank you" he looked so happy which of course makes Lizzy happy!

Chris then came over and he saw the "USA <3 COLDPLAY" side again and he looked at me and put his hand on his heart and said "OHH Thank you!" he was so nice and made a big deal out of it even tho it wasn't!

Jonny saw my sign last! He laughed and clapped too! And Jonny has a gorgeous smile too, they all do really! Sadly I never made eye contact with Will, mostly since he is the drummer so he is in the back and doing his thing and not up and moving around like the rest of them are! But still it was great!

 

So after the show we made off with loads of butterflies, Zoe got Chris's setlist and I got Guy's water bottle!!! haha And the girls behind us were so jealous haha! We saw our buddie Todd, at the end again and we were all talking so fast and freaking out about how WONDERFUL the show was! He was in the pit with us too but he was closer to center stage, where we had been right up next to Guy. He said he thought we had a better spot since Guy saw us the entire time and Chris came over to our side a lot too!

We got in line to get our copy of LeftRightLeftRightLeft, and the lady opened the last box when I came through! So I'm so happy they didn't run out like I heard they did at a few shows before.

 

So that was the whole experience, I have never been exited in my whole life. Even though 19,000 people were in that stadium, it felt like the most personal concert ever, like they were playing just for us! The whole show is about 2 hours but it goes by SO quick, but it is worth everything bc you are just having SO much fun! Words cannot describe how absolutely fantastic that whole show, before, during and after was for me! Our voices were so hoarse for a few days lol! But it was worth absolutely EVERYTHING! I always knew Chris, Guy, Will and Jonny were 4 AMAZING guys, and they truly are, being so close to them and seeing how kind and great they were to us in the front....they were just mindblowing! I could go on forever about how good they treated us and what a show they put on. Good Coldplay karma definately came to us that night, and we the luckiest girls there that night getting all of Guy's attention and Chris's looks! haeheh!

It wasn't even a concert to me, it felt more like this soulful, passionate experience.And I cannot WAIT TO SEE THEM AGAIN!!!

THANK YOU COLDPLAY FOREVER! <3

^OH WOW DUDE! THAT IS AWESOME! I think you should meet me in herning, denmark on August 16th so we can go together, as I think we are both as bad as each other! I LOVED your story! Well done!! PS What does that sign USA>3 Coldplay mean? I dont understand.

Lucy

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