Coldplay head to Dallas to restart the Mylo Xylotour in the US, and while we've not found any Dallas previews online (yet), we have found one for the Houston shows on 25th and 26th June, entitled, "Making child’s play of your Coldplay date," which is a throw away article exploring the art of turning your man into a Coldplay fan. As well as this, Oxfam have also blogged their latest diary entry as they follow Coldplay around North America. Read on for both articles...
Your Houston News: With British too-old-to-be-a-boy-band Coldplay in town, ladies, I thought it would be fun to help you ensnare your date-to-be between some especially soft rock and hard place. I know, you’re thinking such meditative, romantic fare strays pretty far from the standard guy-rock bombast of, say, AC/DC, Metallica or any number of those spandex-clad bands from the 80s that never seem to really go away.
Well, that’s probably true. Still, this outing offers some interesting options as far as strategy goes. First of all, you have the element of surprise working in your favor. After all, when is the last time you – with a straight face, anyway – asked him anything as instantly confounding as, “Hey, Sweetie, do you think we could go see a rock band at the Toyota Center this week?”
If that doesn’t cause your beau to stop dead in his tracks and turn his baseball cap around backward, I don’t know what will. You now have his attention – undividedly. Next comes the tricky part. He’s going to ask what band is playing. Unfortunately, since Coldplay has sold about a billion albums and pops up on pretty much all radio stations, television shows and public address systems on a regular basis, he already knows what they sound like, too. Don’t get me wrong. It’s not that all men hate Coldplay – at least not at a Maroon 5 Super Bowl halftime show level – it’s just we guys prefer a bit more bang for our arena-rock buck. Simply put: A wild man thrashing around on a huge drum kit tops Coldplay frontman Chris Martin’s poetic musing and piano tinkling every time.
That said, there are ways in which this outing will sort of resemble a rock concert, and that is what you must concentrate on. If, for example, the mere mention of Coldplay causes your beau to do that eye-rolling thing or, heaven forbid, turn his cap back around the right way, let him know there will be a massive, massive laser show – the kind only a really rich band can afford. Remind him there will be alcohol available, too. Alcohol and lasers, ladies. That’s something he can’t get at those planetarium laser shows (unless he’s really sneaky).
Plus, this being a rock concert, of sorts, your fellow will have the opportunity to dress up, or rather down – or in many cases, dress like he normally does whenever he’s not at work. Tattered jeans? Kid Rock T-shirt with no sleeves? No problem. Encourage it. Remember, he can’t embarrass you. It’s an arena show; most people will dress worse. Some will have pierced heads and facial tattoos to boot.
Then there’s always the simple guy-friendly fact that Coldplay does at least play guitars and drums at fairly high volume – at least when Martin isn’t tickling the keyboard and being sincere about something or other. In truth, there’s a chance your fellow will become a fan before it’s all over. Of course, if he does, he’ll never admit it to you. [Article ends]
Read more: [22-Jun-2012] Coldplay @ American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX, USA
Read more: [23-Jun-2012] Coldplay @ American Airlines Center, Dallas, TX, USA
Read more: [25 June 2012] Coldplay @ Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Read more: [25 June 2012] Coldplay @ Toyota Center, Houston, TX
Oxfam On Tour: These last few weeks have taken me the length and breadth of different Oxfam’s in Europe. I have met Oxfam volunteer’s from 5 of Oxfam affiliate’s; Oxfam Intermon, Oxfam France, Oxfam Italia, Oxfam Germany and Oxfam Great Britain. I have travelled 6 different countries and sometimes were in two different countries within 24 hours. Am I a super hero? No I’m on tour with Coldplay. In the last few weeks I have seen Coldplay fans in Portugal, Spain, Italy, Switzerland and England and each one of those countries brought a new eye opener and experience for me, brace yourself for the next few minutes you are going to experience these things with me.
On arrival to the first venue in Portugal, the tour book stated the venue would hold 43,000 people that night. I didn’t think much of it, surely there wasn’t much difference between 16,000 – 43,000 people?! I was most defiantly wrong!! Standing outside the arena waiting for the volunteers to arrive I sat and took in the noise and movement that such an amount of people have. From that point I instantly knew that this tour was going to be a whole different ball game.
In Spain I wandered around Altetico Madrid’s dressing rooms and experienced what some would call tropical showers. Such showers I was not prepared for in my English style shorts and flip-flops! But Spanish fans didn’t care, they showed me what being a true fan was about, standing all night in the rain, silencing it’s fall on the stadium with their cheers and versions of “nobody said it was easy”.
Nice was the city where I had my first taste of French onion soup! Which sparked my addiction to find soup that tastes as spectacular. Canned soup just doesn’t beat it! It was also the city where the wristband boys and myself found xylo men statues in the centre square. Each one of them changing in sequence and lighting up the night sky. If you haven’t already people, go and see these statues. Turin was the date when the ‘Coldplay cloud’, that had followed us from Porto through to Nice, started to part. The crew started became instantly happy, the truck drivers pulled out their picnic tables and set up a ‘bronzing camp’ (Rachel’s new word. The definition of bronzing camp – where Brits set up a sunbathing lounge complete with sun lotion swapping and cold cans of juice). Turin was also the city of surprises, when on arrival I was shocked into silence as the main Piazza opened up into a huge space, fenced off by beautiful classical buildings and outdoor eateries where people we laughing and eating just like a designer sunglasses advert. It was heaven. On sitting to eat I realised I had actually walked into a holiday concert where their own local star was performing and I was sat right in the middle of thousands of people. It was bliss.
Next was Switzerland, where I had the amazing opportunity of meeting a partner that Oxfam works with, the Clean Clothes Campaign. Such a meeting provided me with a deepening of my Oxfam knowledge and how we deliver our programmes. To top this, when I thought I couldn’t, I even got to try some Swiss patisserie in the shape of a vanilla slice! Yum!
From Switzerland we were on route home, I must admit it was strange going to bed in Switzerland to wake up in France, cross the channel on the ferry and then go back to sleep again to wake up finally in Coventry. They truly are submarine drives where I spend my time drawing in my travel journal, listening to new albums and watching a lot of cartoons to past the hours. This is the time I spent catching up on writing postcards I bought three countries ago and never posted, (they are still sat undelivered on my desk at home, sorry Mum).
This tour was very different to my first one in the US because it spanned such a mixtures of experiences. I really didn’t think I could fit some much culture, memories and people into three weeks. So as a way to finish, here are my best moments from the Europe tour:
- Racing up and down the arena on scooters, these venues are big places they need toy scooters to get around, well that’s my excuse
- Filming volunteer’s dressed up as peas and carrots, rocking out to Coldplay tunes
- Taking photos of my American colleague next to every fountain and quaint lamp post in Madrid
- Paddling in French sea on Nice’s seafront before our morning pick up call
- Being featured in a French newspaper
- Eating ‘real’ Italian pizza in Turin, sat in the stadium’s car park watching the trucks load out of the venue
- Watching the wristbands move like a neon ocean in Zurich
- Meeting a variety of Oxfam Great Britain volunteers in London
- Watching an American crew member have a conversation with a Geordie (person who lives in the Newcastle area) and knowing that they didn’t understand a word they were saying due to their accent, but nodding in politeness
- Arriving in my home town’s (Manchester) football stadium where I spent a lot of time with my Dad only to be arriving this time with the Coldplay crew
All that in three weeks, phew, now I’m sat at home in London packing my suitcase again to head back to the states for some East side adventures and I can’t wait. See you across the pond, Rachel. [Article ends]
New photos of Coldplay performing at the Etihad Stadium, Manchester, UK (10th June 2012):
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
2 New York, NY @ Good Morning America [discussion]
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]
3 Los Angeles, CA @ American Idol show [discussion] [NEW!]
4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]
5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [discussion] [NEW!]
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 London, UK @ Wembley Stadium (Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2012) [discussion] [NEW!]
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]
9 London, UK @ Paralympics Closing Ceremony [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]
NOVEMBER 2012
10 Auckland, New Zealand @ Mt Smart Stadium [discussion]
13 Melbourne, Australia @ Etihad Stadium [discussion]
17 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]
18 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion] [NEW!]
21 Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stadium [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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