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[9-Sep-2012] Coldplay @ Paralympics Closing Ceremony, London, UK (please post your reviews for Wiki,

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Ahead of Coldplay's @London2012 @Paralympic Closing Ceremony show on Sunday, we hear from Art Director Misty Buckley cldp.ly/mistyqa A

 

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Interview: Misty Buckley on the Paralympics Closing Ceremony

7 September 2012 1:54 pm

Coldplay set designer and Paralympics Closing Ceremony Art Director gives us a sneak preview of Sunday night's show

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On Sunday night, Coldplay will perform a set at the Closing Ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic Games in the city's Olympic Stadium. It begins at 7.30pm UK time - click here to find out what time that is where you are. The ceremony will be shown live on Channel 4 in the UK, while the list of broadcasters worldwide is here (then check local listings for exact details). The entire ceremony will also be streamed live worldwide at http://www.paralympic.org.

 

We dropped Coldplay set designer and Paralympics Closing Ceremony Art Director, Misty Buckley, a line to find out more about her work with the band and Sunday's ceremony...

 

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Hi Misty, please could you tell us how you first came to work with Coldplay?

My husband and I are the Creative Directors of the Park and various areas at Glastonbury Festival. The organisers Emily and Michael Eavis have a very close relationship with the band as they have played the festival several times and have a strong connection to it. I think they may have had a little chat. I first worked with the band on the Christmas Lights music video

 

Were you pleased with how that video turned out?

Yes. It was great. We only had a about 10 days to find the location, design and build the set. The set was a fairly complicated travelling theatre with proscenium arch, wings and a full flying rig for all the scenery and props to fly in throughout the song. It was great to work with director Mat Whitecross and we had such a laugh figuring out all the tricks of scenic forests parting to reveal a back-lit Arabian nights scene... rockets and comets shooting past as a trolley of singing Elvises trucked by in burst of newspaper snow. I don't know what we were thinking. It was -2 degrees and we were filming on the South Bank two days before the massive snow storm in December 2010. I have never been so cold in all my life. I think the crew have only just forgiven Mat and I for putting them through that. But the results were beautiful.

 

[ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=z1rYmzQ8C9Q[/ame]

 

Then the band asked you to work on the stage sets for the festival shows, with Glastonbury obviously being the pinnacle of those. What was the brief?

That was really exciting, because it was like having the home games. I just had a real instinct for what would work at Glastonbury and what would feel right. We wanted to create an environment inspired by the world of Mylo Xyloto, the character behind the album. The concept was a ball of energy from which light and colour emanated. It was important to incorporate neon lights, lasers, fluorescent colours and a painterly feel.... to fuse latest technology with a hand made feel. The band were keen to use graffiti in a new way which offered us all a really exciting challenge. This was the beginning of a great creative collaboration with the band, lighting designer Paul Normandale and Phil Harvey, the band's creative director.

 

And you guys were responsible for bringing Paris on board?

We brought in Paris, our favourite graffiti artist who we have worked with for years and he absolutely stepped up to the challenge. We discussed - at great length! - the style of graffiti. We wanted to move away from traditional graffiti and develop our own style of mark making, inspired by the work of Jean-Michel Basquiat and Picasso. We did some workshops with the band where we all got to explore and experiment with spray cans, acrylics, fluorescents and paint pens. The results were extraordinary. Paris brings great flare and creativity.

 

How closely have you worked with the band on the stage sets?

We've worked really closely with the band on all the different guises and developments of the various set designs. The band's deep rooted visual creativity, combined with album concept and lyrics provided a rich palette to work with. I always make a scale model of the set, so the band can get a sense of the space. It creates a central focus and we can sit around the model and move various bits of set and screens until we're happy ... I love the process. I find it very inspiring.

 

Glastonbury must've been a highlight for you, with the Pyramid Stage lighting up and the incredible audience response?

Awesome. It was very moving.

 

[ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=DOMZhftTpAg[/ame]

 

How did you go about translating the set to the stadium shows?

Because we started with a narrative from Mylo Xyloto, it meant expanding for the venues was like graffiti-ing a wall. It just got better and richer as we added layers and pushed the boundaries of what we could achieve. I had designed some flowers made of Electroluminescent wire for the festival show which grew and blossomed around the band. This concept was developed and built upon... Expanding them to 5 x giant 13m diameter screen surrounds for the stadium show. Graffiti is all about layering, making your mark but not being too precious about it. You need to keep re-inventing and adding layers, so there is just a suggestion of what was there before.

 

Have you been able to go to many of the shows?

I have been to as many as possible.. but I had my first baby whilst designing this and Art Directing the Paralympics Closing Ceremony. So it's been a busy year!!!

 

Were you responsible for getting Coldplay involved in the Paralympics Closing Ceremony?

We may have had a little chat! Kim Gavin (Artistic Director) and I presented our very early ideas and drawings to the band. I think they said yes before Kim had finished his second sentence.

 

It sounds like there's been an awful lot of work put into the ceremony?

Incredible amounts of work. Because of the nature of the show, we decided the best solution was to build everything ourselves, rather then sending it all out to contractors. So we set up a huge workshop next to the Olympic Stadium and created a massive art department of welders, engineers, mechanics, carpenters, painters, set dressers and prop makers. We brought in creatives from Glastonbury including Joe Rush and the mutoid waste co. to realise my designs and make these unusual structures.

 

Can you give us any idea of what to expect on Sunday night?

I don't want to jinx anything.. but if all goes well, then you should see a very creative and emotive show. An enormous amount of love has gone into this show.

 

Finally, we ask all interviewees on Coldplay.com, what's your favourite Coldplay song?

Charlie Brown... It just lifts me up... It makes me think of bursting colour, Glastonbury Festival, my little boy and having the best year of my life.... And we have a cracking moment in the show to this song!

 

[ame]www.youtube.com/watch?v=KhKxtv1FiUM[/ame]

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Tash

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Chris Martin hints at Rihanna, Jay-Z joining Coldplay

Star studded set expected at Paralympic closing ceremony this Sunday

 

Coldplay's Chris Martin has added to the speculation that his band will be joined on stage by Rihanna and Jay-Z at the Paralympic closing ceremony this Sunday (Sept 11).

 

The 'Paradise' star told Radio 1's Greg James that the band have a 'couple of friends' joining them at the event, though went coy when quizzed on precisely who those friends may be.

 

"We're in rehearsals in the biggest car park in the world where there's a fake Olympic stadium thing. I'm not sure what I can say," Martin told James during his Radio 1 show this afternoon (Sept 9).

 

Adding: "We're gonna play some of our songs, then we have a couple of friends coming out with us. There's lots of amazing dancers and acrobats."

 

When James asked if the "couple of friends" were Rihanna and Jay-Z, Martin unhelpfully added: "This is like a police inquiry! I can't say much."

 

According to a Sun newspaper source, Coldplay and Rihanna will come together inside the Olympic stadium to sing their collaboration 'Princess of China' as part of the show's earth, wind, water, fire and ice theme.

 

The source suggests the collaborative performance will take place after the 'We Found Love' singer has performed a short set of her own.

 

Colplay frontman Chris Martin will then take to the stage to sing the duet at the ceremony, which takes place on 9 September.

 

A source told the Daily Star newspaper: "All the Closing Ceremony details are top secret but Rihanna has already started rehearsing.

 

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A Cold medal for preparation: Chris Martin and Coldplay put the finishing touches on their Paralympic Closing Ceremony set

 

In a concert that is due to star a host of top international artists, one band are due to take centre stage.

 

British rockers Coldplay were seen rehearsing today (Friday) for their Sunday night set at the Paralympic Closing Ceremony.

 

The chart toppers went through the motions as they were surrounded by a few large trucks that were customed to look like different creatures.

 

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The legends: Coldplay were seen rehearsing in a big car park, earlier today, ahead of their Paralympic Closing Ceremony performance on Sunday

 

One extremely eye-catching vehicle was a larger than life green grasshopper that was driven around as Coldplay played their music.

 

Another big motor was creatively designed to look like a hollowed out fish as crew members clung to its head and neck area.

 

Chris Martin seemed undeterred by the distractions and wasn't thrown at all as he rehearsed with his band.

 

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The leader of the pack: Chris Martin strutted his stuff across the stage as he practised with the group

 

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The motions: Coldplay were surrounded by huge vehicles that were kitted out to look like creatures as they rehearsed

 

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The music man: Chris showed off his skills as a guitarist and then jumped behind his trademark piano to play a melody

 

The 35-year-old was as casual dressed as he always is and wore a white T-shirt with the word peace, printed on it.

 

He teamed the top with a pair of baggy black jeans as he strutted across the stage with his acoustic guitar slung over his back.

 

The band stopped several times during their sound check to reorganise their set and listen to direction, but they had a big finish planned.

 

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The big green machine: A large truck disguised as a grass hopper was seen driving past the main stage area

 

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The metal monster: Another large motor was designed to look like a big hollowed out fish

 

Chris, who is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow, took to a large staircase as he climbed to the top several feet in the air.

 

With his fellow band mates backing him up, Martin looks set to put on quite a show on Sunday night.

 

The boys are rumoured to be doing a duet with Rihanna for their track Princess Of China, and Martin hinted their may be more surprises in store.

 

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The only way is up: While Chris made his way up to the top of a flight of stairs, his band mates stayed on the stage

 

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Stair way to heaven: Chris made his way down the steps after surveying his kingdom

 

Speaking to BBC Radio 1's Greg James, he said: 'We're in rehearsals in the biggest car park in the world where there's a fake Olympic stadium thing. I'm not sure what I can say.

 

He added: 'We're gonna play some of our songs, then we have a couple of friends coming out with us. There's lots of amazing dancers and acrobats.'

 

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wabbit

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The 35-year-old was as casual dressed as he always is and wore a white T-shirt with the word peace, printed on it.

 

He teamed the top with a pair of baggy black jeans as he strutted across the stage with his acoustic guitar slung over his back.

 

Maybe they forgot for a moment they were not profiling Gwyneth's style. "Teamed the top"? :laugh3:

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Coeurli

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OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD :awesome::dazzled::dazzled::dazzled:

 

I am SO excited for this!!! :dance::dance::dance:

 

 

And I've never seen that Peace t-shirt :surprised:

 

 

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OHMYGOD LOOK AT HIS ARMS AND THIS WHITE T-SHIRT THAT SUITS HIM SO WELL :dazzled::dazzled::dazzled::dazzled:

 

 

I squee-d so many times while reading that post, I think I have a problem :|

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OHMYGOD OHMYGOD OHMYGOD :awesome::dazzled::dazzled::dazzled:

 

I am SO excited for this!!! :dance::dance::dance:

 

 

And I've never seen that Peace t-shirt :surprised:

 

OHMYGOD LOOK AT HIS ARMS AND THIS WHITE T-SHIRT THAT SUITS HIM SO WELL :dazzled::dazzled::dazzled::dazzled:

 

 

I squee-d so many times while reading that post, I think I have a problem :|

You are quite in a mood today Celine! :lol:

 

 

Not to mention all those smileys lol...

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Safy

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Nice photos!! they all look very casual & so cool!!! How can it be they are not looking exhausted after all these concerts ?! *touch wood*

 

& the stairs look very scary!! I wonder if Chris or Guy will climb on them as on the photos!!

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Coeurli

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You are quite in a mood today Celine! :lol:

 

 

Not to mention all those smileys lol...

Actually, my day was rather crappy but that kind of post is exactly the kind of things that make me so happy and excited :wacky::lol:

Is that a bandage around Chris' arm? :uhoh2:

I noticed he sometimes wear a bandage during this tour. I guess his arms are getting a bit tired from all the shows, somehow ?

Remember months ago when he wore that weird thingy on his arm, on stage ?

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