Children In Need gig organiser Gary Barlow is relieved Coldplay agreed to headline his upcoming charity concert because the band 'got the ball rolling' for other acts to sign up for the show. [Full discussion on tonight's show is at the Coldplay Live forum now. For those outside of the UK we've heard that there may be live streaming available here and here [thanks Londonerr]
Gary singer has once again been put in charge of organising the Children In Need stage spectacular at the Men Arena in Manchester, England on Thursday (17th November 2011, just a day before the annual BBC telethon on Friday. He also organised the 2009 gig at Albert Hall, London. Coldplay were the first act to sign up for the stage extravaganza and Barlow is glad the high-profile band agreed to the gig. He tells Britain's Daily Star, "My favourite band are Coldplay, lovely guys. I started with them and they got the ball rolling."
Lady Gaga is also set to take to the stage, and Barlow has promised fans her performance will be one to remember, adding, "It's gonna be amazing. She'll be bringing something that will keep us all talking for a week, I'm sure. We're all like: 'You do what you want. Go for it!'"
However, one star may be unable to perform as planned - Girls Aloud singer Cheryl Cole is battling a throat condition. Barlow explains, "We are watching this space at the moment because Cheryl has been ill over the weekend. So fingers crossed, it's all going to be all right. If it doesn't happen, I don't know what we're going to do. I might just have to get on the piano and do a bit of Roll Out The Barrel."
Synopsis for the show: Chris Moyles, Fearne Cotton and David Tennant present a charity concert from the MEN Arena. Led by Gary Barlow, a once in a life time, world class line up including Lady Gaga, Michael Buble, Coldplay, Snow Patrol, Elbow, Kelly Rowland, Ed Sheeran, Hugh Laurie, James Morrison, JLS and Jessie J come together to help raise money for the BBC Children in Need Appeal 2011. Please visit www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey for full details and ways to get involved in this year’s appeal.
Also writing are the Manchester Evening News: For a man organising one of the biggest concerts Manchester has ever seen, Gary Barlow is awfully relaxed. "It’s all going smoothly," he tells The Diary. "It’s a bit worrying actually. We need more chaos."
The Take That frontman and X Factor judge is remarkably calm ahead of tonight’s Children In Need Rocks at the MEN Arena. The event will feature performances from the likes of Lady Gaga, Coldplay, Elbow, JLS, Michael Buble and Gary himself. It will be shown live on BBC1. "This is going to be the biggest musical event on TV this year," says Gary. "We’re going to light up Manchester. You expect a few last minute hiccups but so far everything is going great. It’s going to be a brilliant show, encompassing every kind of music. What we are trying to create is a one-off performance of the like people will have never have seen before or see again."
Gary, who hosted last night’s gala dinner, has taken on responsibility for organising the musical spectacular. So how has he found managing the egos of some of the most famous stars in the world? "It’s strange because as soon as you say those words, Children In Need, everyone puts their egos to one side. Even the biggest stars recognise it’s an opportunity to do some good. I guess that’s a reflection of how people value this wonderful charity."
The 40-year old is one of the best connected men in showbiz. Not everyone could persuade international superstars to perform at a charity gig. "It’s quite hard getting people together. I decided to start at the very top and work down. I aimed for Gaga and Coldplay. Once you get them, everything else falls in to place and thankfully within a week I heard positively from both."
But how do you get in touch with Gaga? "I was able to email her directly. Luckily she was in England at the right time. She is the biggest star in the music world at the moment and it’s fantastic she has agreed to take part."
Gary has masterminded the entire concert, from booking guests to arranging the set-lists and devising the staging. It’s a big task for a man who already has a busy diary thanks to his Take That commitments and his work on The X Factor. "There’s a lot involved. I did another of these concerts for Children In Need two years ago at the Royal Albert Hall in London. I was asked to do it last year but didn’t have the time so I said I’d come back this year. I think once every two years is enough. It’s a real scramble but Children In Need is a brilliant charity so you don’t mind the hard work."
And he was determined to bring the event to Manchester this time. "I said I would only do it if we could take it out of London. London gets everything. Manchester was the obvious choice because it’s where everything started for me 21 years ago and I’ve had some fantastic gigs here."
Kit yourself up for the forthcoming MX tour and get spotted with Coldplaying's new range of merchandise! [click on the items for the full shop]
The new range of Coldplaying merchanise (unofficial of course to the official shop) has hit our stores, with our biggest range of goods so far. Prices are as low as they can be for a Cafepress shop so more people will be able to afford them. We don't take any profits for the sale of the merchandise as a result. Take a browse in one of the online stores nearest to you: UK | US | Canada | Australia | European (shipping is worldwide, but you can choose what currency to pay in) - simply alter the country dropdown menu at the top of the shop page. [thanks to TracieMorgan and zzz]
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