Bono, lend us a jet (says Chris Martin)

Once you've reached planet-conquering rock champ status, the pitfalls are few and far between. The Coldplay tour juggernaut, for example, runs like a Rolls-Royce. But this week the lads' private jet packed in, leaving them in a pickle as they kicked off a string of European stadium shows, writes The Sun today in an article reflective of Roadie #42's Herning blog recently.

Continues The Sun, Coldplay's plane gave up the ghost in Denmark but Chris Martin has friends in high places. One phone call and the band found themselves with a new jet - courtesy of fellow megastars U2. Bono kindly sent the Irish rockers' 360° tour plane to Herning Airport to scoop up Chris and Co and get them to Norway in time for their next gig.

Luckily Bono was already back at his London base and didn't need his wings. Good job. Don't think he'd fancy the Megabus ride to the capital from U2's Sheffield concert. Here's what Roadie #42 wrote about the incident...

In a superbly bizarre twist, the band have flown into their first stadium show of this tour on U2's plane. Apparently, our regular ride is misfiring. I believe that the big end's gone, or something like that. The easiest way to deal with this it seems, was to take U2's "360 Air" jet for a spin. They're doing UK shows right now, so it's just sat about doing nothing otherwise.

I can confirm that, as one would imagine, those fellas truly travel in comfort and style. I'm writing this now on the flight out to Norway for today's show. Again, we're aboard 360 Air. As we walked across the tarmac to the plane there was a Ryanair flight boarding over the way. A few folks stopped on the steps to take photos of the U2 plane. Quite what they thought watching a bunch of scruffy roadies climb aboard I have no idea. I expect though, they were even more confused watching a complete lack of U2, but instead Coldplay cheerfully climbing the steps. Again, not something I'd have pictured all those years ago when I first walked into the Forum in Kentish Town, London for my first day's work with the band. It's been a long, strange trip indeed and one does wonder where it'll all end.

New pictures of Coldplay at MCH Arena, Herning, Denmark (16th August 2009):