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12 Coldplay Months of 2010: MARCH (10 Shots of Tequila )


Texasluvsjonny

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March was super busy and rather exciting so lets get this party started! :dance:

So much so that I am not sure if I can even fit all this in to one post :uhoh: but here goes.....

 

 

Chris Martin's Birthday!!

Can I get a squeee from the fan girls! :laugh3:

Chris turned 33 on March 2nd and had a celebration dinner a few days before with family and friends at Leblon Sushi restaurant in Rio de Janeiro.

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Happy birthday Chrissy :vuvuzela:

March 2: Morumbi Stadium, Sao Paulo, Brazil

 

The Viva tour rolled into Sao Paulo on Chris' birthday.

Set list included Shiver, Parabéns pra você/Happy Birthday (sung by Will to Chris) and Don Quixote/Spanish Rain.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXLapY7AnnQ]YouTube - Will singing Happy Bday to Chris in Portuguese![/ame]

 

Who knew Will could throw down in Portuguese! Will is the man! :cool:

 

 

 

Roadie #42 - Blog #113

In which Coldplay bow to pressure and play Shiver

 

So we're three shows in and what belters they've been. Buenos Aires had the task of getting us back on track after a lengthy break. I can't deny I was nervous before the gig. The scale of the show and all that goes into making it happen had become much more apparent having had five months to forget which buttons to press.

 

With that first show done, I wandered around the bar afterwards chatting to a very relieved band and remarked that it had been a solidly good first night back. "Yeah, that one was a banker," commented Jonny Buckland. If the first show back had been a wobbly one, the nerves would have multiplied, but a great first show back meant that we were very comfortably back in the saddle and the confidence was restored. Thanks folks!

 

My lingering memory of the Buenos Aires show is likely to be the low flying aircraft that seemed to buzz the stadium once per song as they came in to land in the neighbouring airport. They seemed perilously close to our lit up art balloons - but it must have made an incredible sight for the passengers with window seats in the starboard aisle. The fireworks, perhaps a little less so.

 

Actually, that reminds me... the other lingering memory of that first show will be Bash running across the stage rescuing the sparkler bucket at the end of Violet Hill. As always, the fellas had started the show walking on in silhouette waving sparklers. As ever, they dushed them into a bucket of sand to let them burn out as they started the gig.

 

Slightly different in Buenos Aires, was the fact that the bin was made of plastic and was gently melting through the first two songs, filling the stage with stinky fumes. Will shouted down his special mic that goes only to mine and Bash's ears. "The bucket's on fire". I'm sure there's a Kings Of Leon song in there somewhere....

 

Next up, Brazil. I joined the fellas for a spot of sushi on the first night in Rio. Outside the hotel was quite a crowd of lovely folks who were so overjoyed to see the fellas that they stood on the kerb below and sang the entire Coldplay catalogue up to the open windows above. Will in particular, remarked upon how impressive some of the polyrhythmic clapping had been. Only in Brazil....

 

We were joined at dinner by the lovely Bat For Lashes folks (affectionately dubbed by Franksy "the old bats"). Not only are they a remarkable band, but wonderfully good company to boot. The evening progressed and there was talk of karaoke. Regular readers will know that this is my cue to ask where the Gents is and then run through the nearest exit yelling for a cab. I headed back to the hotel pondering that outside the hotel were a bunch of fans singing Coldplay songs, whilst members of Coldplay were out in town talking about going out to sing someone else's.

 

Actually, talking of said fans, here's Chris and Will leaving the hotel. It was a gauntlet of flashbulbs, but all very good natured. They also seemed to all want to hear one particular song....

Rio2 from Coldplay on Vimeo.

 

 

Well you only had to ask....

Shiver from Coldplay on Vimeo.

 

 

It poured down at the Rio show. The crowd though, more than made up for it. Clocks, in particular, seems huge down here. The piano riff began, the lasers burnt into the sky and the entire 40,000 or so folks bounced up and down in unison as if they'd become one huge trampoline-d mass. They were loud, they were passionate and it was a phenomenally good night.

 

Before the show in Rio, I grabbed a couple of the fellas to chat about how it feels to be back out here. For some reason, I get less respect than regular interviewers. I bet Alan Whicker never had this kinda trouble....

Latin America interview from Coldplay on Vimeo.

 

 

By Sao Paulo, I was beginning to flag, I have to be honest. Maybe I'm not drinking enough water. Maybe I'm out of practice at this touring thing. As ever, I'll hold my hands up and say I've got an easy ride compared to some folks. The schedule on this run is pretty brutal and it's gig-travel-gig-travel up until our first two-nighter in Mexico. I predict some messy folks that night...

 

Spirits were lifted not only by the enthusiasm of 60,000 of Sao Paulo's finest, but also by the Birthday of a young Mr Martin. Will led the singalong from the C-stage and there were drinks and festivities in the bar late into the night. By all accounts, Chris and his dad were actually the last to leave. Good work fellas!

 

It's all whipping by at a rate, but it beats working for a living!

 

R#42

 

 

Coldplay play football with Ronaldo at Sport Club Corinthians Paulista

 

A hatless Jonny :awesome:, Will, Phil and Trainer Dan joined Ronaldo for a little footie action. Woo hoo check out those legs. :wink3:

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March 4: Parque Simon Bolivar, Bogota, Colombia

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The Viva tour traveled to Colombia for the next stop. It was the band's first time to play there. I think the fans were pretty excited.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R8TE9xvaGHw]YouTube - Coldplay en Bogota YELLOW[/ame]

 

 

Roadie #42 - Blog #114

#42 and the Bogota barnstormer

Now, don't get me wrong, - Argentina and Brazil were both fantastic. Each wonderful in their own way (largely down to the people and the response). For me personally though, things really get interesting when we leave for Bogota. Not for any reasons pertaining to one of their more well-known exports, but because I've never been before.

 

When we last visited Latin America, we had almost a week in each city, which means that Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires actually felt quite familiar to me. I even remembered where my favourite place to get coffee was just around the corner from the Sao Paulo hotel.

 

Colombia though, is uncharted territory for us. As you become more of a boring road-worn old codger, visiting countries you've never been to before gets rarer and rarer. Just the simple fact that you're going into the unknown brings back the excitement of exploration and adventure that gave us all the ridiculous idea that this might be a good way to earn a living in the first place.

 

We fly up the continent and over the Amazon. The sun is low in the sky and glints over the rivers below us. Slowly it sinks into a stunningly gorgeous sunset. Brooke (confetti cannon commander-in-chief) has a wander up to the flight-deck to watch it from there and tells me on his way back that the pilots have explained all about why the sunset over the amazon is so utterly magical. Something to do with carbon dioxide apparently.

 

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People tell me I'm really lucky to have the job that I have. A lot of the time, the repetitive nature of things can obscure it a little. I've mentioned before that hearing the band soundchecking with a new song, or one they rarely play is always a good experience, as it throws you out of the phenomenon of the music just becoming a background noise you get used to. You get to hear the band a little more as other people do. Today it's hard not to see that job occasionally is just as others imagine it.

 

When we arrive at the hotel, there is a crowd of folks outside. This has been the way in every city so far and they've all been lovely people, without fail. I haven't ventured out to see them though, beyond filming a little of the chaos. Some of these folks have brought some amazing home-made gifts for the band. The vehicles disappear deep into the bowels of the hotel, but I decide to have a wander out to say hello.

 

These folks are so genuinely excited that the band are visiting their country that it's completely infectious. I tell them that actually, we're all pretty excited to be here too. The time they must have spent on the things they have brought is amazing. See for yourself...

 

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The show site the next day is a lovely open park space overlooked by the mountains. We're actually treated to some sunshine for most of the day. I'm sure that the band have played to bigger crowds (in fact, according to the itinerary, the Sao Paulo crowd was twice as large at 68,000) the shape of the site here, however (narrow, but very deep front to back) means that the crowd looks unbelievably huge. All the crew cameras come out in the changeover after Bat For Lashes.

 

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Meanwhile, the crowd are going berserk already. "Olé, olé olé olé.... Coldplay, ColdplayColdplayColdplay" There's Viva chanting, there are roars of applause every time someone makes a noise with one of the band's instruments. And this is a good half hour before the intro-tape even rolls.

 

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Once the band appear and the show gets rolling, they're singing every word, roaring and cheering in every pause. There are sound issues onstage with the sub-bass from the PA rattling and booming under the stage like a succession of 747s taking off in a particularly bad thunderstorm. On a normal night, this could be a real problem. When the crowd is giving off as much energy and excitement as this though, these things are seen in their rightful perspective. What matters tonight is that we're a long way from home and everyone is having a rollickingly good time.

 

Which is just as well really, cos that's exactly what's going on.

 

R#42

 

Ryan's Mini Meets Coldplay :D

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Julie was kind enough to entrust me with the task of getting pics of the band with Ryan's Mini. I was most honored to do it. You can read about Ryan and her famous Mini and our exciting adventures in Mexico.

 

 

 

March 6 and 7:Foro Sol, Mexico City, Mexico

The next stop on the Viva tour was Mexico City with a two night stand. Both shows were awesome! 6th and 7th Same set list each night but on the first night the band got a song from the crowd. :D When they came out for the Encore, they sat on the edge of the stage and the crowd serenaded them with Cielito lindo. :sombrero:

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ESklOoFLhA]YouTube - Coldplay best video ever!!!!!!![/ame]

 

Roadie #42 - Blog #115

#42, the bootleg merch and the unexpected Mexican singalong

 

 

Coldplay have history with Mexico. The Rush Of Blood tour finished here at the Palacio Des Deportes in 2003. The X&Y tour also finished up here in 2007. Now, we're putting Viva to bed here in 2010. Of course, there is also the fact that the artist Frida Kahlo was born here - and that she provided so much of the inspiration for the title and spirit of this record. Frida gets shouts out during both of the Mexico City shows. From the B-stage on night one and then (if memory serves correctly) during Politik on the second.

 

Mexico shows are always a treat, as the crowd are properly berserk. They are incredibly loud - so much so that even though I'm hidden away at the side of the stage and have earphones in, I have to put my hands over my ears at several points because the cheering is so loud it's making my ears go funny.

 

The band have also been getting the crowd to do the "Mexican cellphone wave" throughout the tour, ever since Andy and Ben from the video department first came up with the concept. Now, you can be pretty well assured that if you're going to be asking the crowd to do a Mexican wave, then Mexico City is going to be a pretty special night on that front - which it indeed is. It looks utterly spectacular as the mosquito-cloud of lights sweeps across the stadium.

 

Mexico is also remembered from previous visits for the huge number of "unofficial" merchandise stalls outside the gig. It's like a huge Sunday market with stall upon stall (upon stall) selling nothing but bootleg Coldplay gear. (Well, apart from the one that inexplicably has U2, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin posters, but we'll overlook that for now).

 

A roadie could easily fill their suitcase with just tat from these bootleg-merch-villages on the edge of the gig - and a quick wander out there to peruse what's on offer is pretty much essential. I receive an excited phone call from the Oracle, informing me that I simply MUST come out of the stadium for a look. Turns out there's a stall that seems to be almost entirely stocked with - joy of joys! Bootleg Roadie 42 gear!

42 Merch from Coldplay on Vimeo.

 

 

One of the customers joining us at the stall, is none other than Mrs. Penny Harvey. As you can see, she is a woman of impeccable taste!

 

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Yes folks, this is Phil "fifth member of Coldplay" Harvey's mum. Phil's folks have been with us for the past week or so and delightful people they are too. Penny is credited with being Coldplay's very first ever fan. In fact, I'm led to believe that Mr and Mrs Harvey were convinced by an enthused young Philip to invest in the production of the Safety EP - Coldplay's first ever recorded product. I expect that when they gave the band that first step up onto the ladder all those years ago, they had little idea they'd be screaming through Mexico City in a police escort to a stadium full of folks who knew every word.

 

The shows themselves have a lot to live up to. After the nights the band have done here in the past, we expect a lot from the Mexico City crowd. They deliver and exceed expectations for a great time. The spark ignites early and the shows are alight throughout.

 

One last thing to mention is the break before the first night's final encore. The crowd are singing something I don't recognise. It's plainly very well known here though, as it gets louder and louder until it's ringing around the stadium as one huge, almost deafening choir.

 

Then something happens that I have never before witnessed in all my years of touring. The band return to the stage, walk to the front edge - and sit down. They're taking in the scene, soaking up the sound of the crowd singing and looking out at the vast sea of humanity. The band being entertained by it's audience.

 

I had intended to speak to one of the locals to try to find out what the song being sung was and its significance. I also intended to ask the band what possessed them to just wander out to sit down and watch.

 

Somehow though, the moment was perfect as it was. It was glorious for the fact that it just came out of nowhere and appeared to have no rhyme or reason. Beautifully surreal. Understanding it could only dilute the memory.

Mexico pre-encore from Coldplay on Vimeo.

 

 

 

For once, words fail me....

 

 

 

R#42 wasn't the only one bootlegged. We found a booth selling T Shirts with our Wembley butterfly design and Mexico City written in. :laugh3:

 

 

March 9: Estadio Tres de Marzo, Guadalajara, Mexico

 

Viva tour traveled to some new cities for the band. Guadalajara was the next stop. The venue was small, but man oh man was that crowd LOUD! They started chanting wayyyyy before the show started and never let up. Chris rewarded all the effort with Parachutes! :stunned: Yes!!!!!! FUCKING Parachutes! :awesome:

 

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UetaHNKJnXc]YouTube - Coldplay- Parachutes- Yellow 1/2 Guadalajara[/ame]

 

 

RIP Puppets :dead:

 

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The Oracle confirmed that the puppets had met their end during the Mexico trip. They were last seen in Guadalajara. The Oracle didn't say exactly how they met their demise, but I have my theory....Guadalajara.....ground zero for tequila....my spiritual home land.... :drunkjoe:

Some puppets, just can't hang.

:lol:

 

 

March 9: Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico

Monterrey. Last date of the very long Viva La Vida World Tour. The crew came dressed as Mariachi. The crowd was super loud. Brilliant end to a brilliant tour.

[ame=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ApSEhnD7fXY]YouTube - Coldplay - Viva La Vida (Monterrey)[/ame]

 

Tour is done. :bigcry: :thinking: LP5 coming soon? :wideeyed:

 

 

 

 

Roadie #42 - Blog #116

 

#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....

 

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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!

Parachutes from Coldplay on Vimeo.

 

 

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

 

 

Roadie #42 - Blog #117

They think it's all over...

They think it's all over. from Coldplay on Vimeo.

 

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.

 

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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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Guest howyousawtheworld
Ian having the search and photo gallery disabled and doing this sucks ass! :angry:

 

What?! Aren't there archives from the past year available though??

I've got to do June and if there's no archives available then I and the review section is fucked like a turkey at this particular time of the year.

 

 

But a fantastic review though. Remembered those brilliant pictures from the Latin American tour especially the one over the Amazon.

 

Great effort!

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Angie thank you again for getting Ryan's MINI in the bands hands. Your the only one who could have!!! That MINI and your butterflies from your trip now sit in a display case! Ryan loved Coldplay so much so I thank you on her behalf. I know you now have a coldplayer angel watching over you.

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