Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 reports back from the BRITs
Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks _Tash]
New Year's Day is often referred to as “guaranteed first hangover of the year”. For the British music industry, I’d hazard a guess that the day after the BRIT Awards sees a hilariously impressive spike in the number of email accounts set to auto-respond with “I’m not in the office today”.
Somewhat disappointingly - or indeed not, I find myself fully able to function today. But then, I did have a job to do last night...
From a crew perspective, the show was pretty full-on for under four minutes' worth of telly. Huge pyro, lasers, a huge ‘orb’ crammed with even more strobes, lasers and exploding stuff. Once the band jumped off the stage, the gear was strapped in and the whole stage flown into the roof above the heads of the diners below until the end of the show. Never a dull moment.
I was set up way out the back behind the stage - definitely the furthest I’ve ever been from the band during a performance that I can remember. For the rehearsal day I was pretty incredulous as I heard Will hit his drums in my in-ear monitors a good second or two before the cavernous arena echo of it made its way back into the draughty loading dock where my gear was piled up.
I did manage to make my way out to watch Chris’s rehearsal with Noel Gallagher though. Back in the day, I used to work (and for some time *live*) in a rehearsal studio complex where Oasis spent a good deal of time. I always had a huge amount of respect for the way that Noel carried himself back then. Seems he’s still a gent, too.
Their tune kicks off and Chris is unsure quite how he’s going to fit his piano into the fearsome wall of sound. With a little work though, it all starts to come together.
The piano is right next to Noel’s amps. As you’d expect, this is the place to be for getting the full effect of the Gallagher guitar. Noel stamps on a pedal and starts of a loop of glorious noise. Immediately Chris is on his feet and shouting “what the hell is that?”.
Chris has his iPhone out to record it, excitedly proclaiming it the most amazing thing he’s ever heard. Noel is laughing as the pedal loops away through the stack.
Fast forward to the dressing room on the show day and Chris is handing me the pedal responsible for all the fuss. It turns out that Noel has come in today and motioned Chris over to his dressing room next door with the words “I’ve got a little present for yer…”
Chris is holding it with great reverence and excitement. “Can you record what’s in here immediately? And then give it Rik? We’re going to take it back to the studio and run it through Jonny’s rig and mic it up”. The pedal is only the size of a block of butter, but I find myself carrying it through the backstage in both hands as though dropping it could send the whole place up in smoke.
Where it’ll end up, I’ve no idea, but if it finds its way into a song, Noel could easily be playing on the next record without ever having set foot in the studio. Wonderful madness…
The show went pretty damn well, I thought. You may well have seen for yourselves. They won one, too - which is always nice.
In a further reminder of my previous life, Blur take to the stage to remind us all what a majestic noise they make. There’s an aftershow bar and a boat moored out the back of the venue, heading up the Thames for a boozy night out. I take the quiet option and slip out the back door. It’s been a pretty enjoyable couple days. No point in milking it…
R42
Don't forget to check out your tour discussion thread if you are getting Coldplay tickets or just getting excited for the European & North American 2012 shows and other forthcoming appearances:
FEBRUARY 2012
8 Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia (iHeartRadio) [discussion]
9 Los Angeles, CA @ Jimmy Kimmel Live [discussion]
10 Los Angeles, CA @ GRAMMY Week MusiCares Person of the Year tribute [discussion]
12 Los Angeles, CA @ 54th Grammy Awards, Staples Center [discussion]
16 Sydney, Australia @ 2DayFM, Mobile Live Set (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]
17 Sydney, Australia @ Sunrise (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]
21 London @ Brit Awards 2012, O2 Arena [discussion]
MARCH 2012
4 New York, NY @ The Secret Policeman's Ball, Radio City Music Hall (Amnesty International) [discussion]
APRIL 2012
17 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place [discussion]
18 Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome [discussion]
20 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]
21 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]
24 Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena [discussion]
25 Seattle, WA @ KeyArena [discussion]
27 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]
28 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]
MAY 2012
1 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]
2 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]
4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]
18 Porto, Portugal @ Dragao Stadium [discussion]
20 Madrid, Spain @ Estadio Vicente Calderón [discussion]
22 Nice, France @ Stade Charles Herman / Nikaia [discussion]
24 Turin, Italy @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]
26 Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund [discussion]
29 Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Stadium [discussion]
JUNE 2012
1 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
2 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
4 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]
7 Sunderland, UK @ the Stadium of Light [discussion]
9 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]
10 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]
22 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]
23 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]
25 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]
26 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]
28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]
29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]
JULY 2012
2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena [discussion]
3 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena [discussion]
5 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]
6 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]
8 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]
9 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]
23 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]
24 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]
26 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]
27 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]
29 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]
30 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]
AUGUST 2012
1 Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills [discussion]
3 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]
4 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]
7 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]
8 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]
11 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]
28 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium [discussion]
30 Stockholm, Sweden @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]
SEPTEMBER 2012
2 Paris, France @ Stade de France [discussion]
4 Cologne, Germany @ Rheinenergie Stadium [discussion]
6 The Hague, Netherlands @ Malieveld [discussion]
12 Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion [discussion]
14 Leipzig, Germany @ Red Bull Stadium [discussion]
16 Prague, Czech Republic @ Slavia Eden Stadium [discussion]
19 Warsaw, Poland @ National Stadium [discussion]
22 Hannover, Germany @ AWD Arena [discussion]
Read also: European Stadium Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the Europe tour)
Read also: North America Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the US/Canada tour)
Read also: 2012: Live Appearances - Easy Thread Finder (last updated - 12th January 2012)
Read also: 2012 tour date rumours (please post dates for ALL countries in 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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