Mencap preview 2: Exeter already hoping for repeat Coldplay performance next year

The following letter has been published online via Exeter's Express & Echo ahead of tomorrow's gig for Big Noise Sessions and Mencap. The letter urges Coldplay not only to record the gig for an official release but to play at a larger venue in Exeter this time next year. Here's the contents of said letter...

It is great that Chris Martin and his band and friends are to play a pre-Christmas charity concert, albeit for a very limited audience. The idea of recording the gig for future release thus potentially raising even more funds for the charity has occurred to me and probably others, perhaps Chris and the band also...

I seem to recall that there were a couple of lads in the Exeter area who had started a company that records concerts for quick release shortly after the event. Maybe if they are still around they could link up with Coldplay and their management to produce a live recording that could be sold locally in sufficient numbers as to satisfy all those local fans of the band who were unsuccessful in getting one of the 500 tickets on sale. Should your paper be able to get an interview with Chris and the band while they are in the area, could you please ask if they would seriously consider next year playing an Exeter venue that will also be larger in scale, so as to give more of us a chance to see them down here again in the near future?

As I understand it the band are looking to play some smaller venues next year. May I suggest Powderham Castle, Exeter Arena playing field, Westpoint, St James's Park? If they want an even smaller gig, then there is always the university's Great Hall. So I say to the promoters or the Echo in conjunction with maybe local radio, get some planning done now with the lads and their people to set this up for next year. Please. Chris Ware, Exeter via ]

In case you didn't already know, the Vivacrew account will once again be tweeting live updates and photos from the intimate performance in Exeter this Saturday

The latest discussion on this is at the Coldplay Live forum, where you can read the latest comments here onwards.

First photos of the work being done at Exeter Castle ahead of the gig: (Pictures by karenc)