WordPress Posts: R#42 blog

Coldplay's Roadie #42 - Blog #184 (reporting for duty in Auckland)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 reports on the soundcheck in Paradise (aka Auckland)

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Tash]

We’ve been out for over a year now and in every country and every city we’ve visited, Chris has sung “This could be Paradise”. New Zealand though, gets my vote for it being closest to the truth. Of course we’ve arrived mid-spring, escaping a damp and chilly run into winter at home. Even so, it’s lush, it’s green and it genuinely is pretty damn wonderful.

I’ve been here a while already, staying with some old friends down on South Island. The band, however, have gone for the rather questionable approach of following the head-mashing 28 hour flight (and 12 hour time difference) by piling straight down to the stadium for a soundcheck the night before the first show.

The general consensus among the crew is that one of two things could happen. They’ll either be completely wiped out and they’ll turn up, have a look and go straight to bed - or they’ll be somewhat on the tired and irritable side. What happens though, is way better. There’s a giggly, daft air to the soundcheck. They’re clearly in that weird underwater stage of jetlag where it’s impossible to take anything seriously...

God Put A Smile gets a ridiculous, terrible pub-band heavy metal ending - complete with over the top fretwank nonsense from Mr Buckland. The C-stage dissolves into mangled lyrics and giggles as Phil Harvey and Anthony Martin (CM’s father) get the cricket gear out and blow out the jetlag cobwebs.

As the C-stage is finished up, Chris pulls out a tune that was knocking around while they were putting Mylo together. It’s funny hearing it again - something that never made it outside the Beehive walls echoing around the open air on the other side of the planet. It definitely still sounds good to me. There’s talk of studios to fill in the days off - who knows what’ll happen…

Soon, the sporting theme takes over and the soundcheck is abandoned. Will and Jonny head off to talk footy with Lighting Director Graham Feast and then the cricket becomes a full band and crew free for all.

As starts to a tour leg go, I can’t remember a more pleasant one. It may not actually be Paradise, but I figure if we ever get there, it won’t be all that different.

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

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]

4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [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 London, UK @ Wembley Stadium (Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2012) [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]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy 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]

7 Los Angeles, US @ Shrine Auditorium (Stand Up To Cancer) [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]

12 Sydney, Australia @ MAX TV intimate show [discussion] [NEW!]

13 Melbourne, Australia @ Etihad Stadium [discussion]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

18 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

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)

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]

Coldplay's Roadie #42 - Blog #183 (heading down under... with his passport)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 writes from his plane to New Zealand

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Tash]

Greetings from 30,000 feet, folks. I’m going to move swiftly past jokes about the mile high club and welcome you to my first blog sent from a comfy chair moving through the air at 500 miles an hour. I’m heading down to New Zealand a little ahead of the main party to see some friends of mine and there’s wifi on the plane. The future has truly arrived!

Before take-off, I was sitting in the airport lounge musing at the wonder of another piece of technology - namely my iPhone. I’d been sent some photos by “Mystic”. If you’ve been to see a Coldplay show, you may have seen Mystic onstage before the show, pottering about getting things ready. (He’s a right potterer…)

Mystic has sent me some photos of Tony Smith for the upcoming Digital Tourbook. I’m forwarding these to our digital editor, Anchorman. He’s finalising material for use by our design-and-build ninjas Slender Fungus in LA.

Tony is on the email chain and wants to make it very clear to me that I should choose the image that he likes from the three options. He doesn’t want people seeing the one of him looking rather camp. He wants nobody to see that. Nobody at all. I promise to make sure it doesn’t go in the book.

I didn’t say, though, that I wouldn’t put it in the blog…

(Photo by “Mystic” Nick Davis).

Tony, by the way, works at the opposite end of the signal chain to Mystic. Broadly speaking, Mystic deals with all the microphones onstage that suck in the noise the band makes. Tony is where the buck stops on all how all that noise gets blown back out at the audience. Dan Green, of course, is somewhere in between, making decisions on the balance, but Tony and Mystic deal with the art and the science of the big machinery.

Moving back again to my musings on the wonders of technology, I can’t help but think that it’s amazing that the phone in my pocket is bouncing an image from the north of England off to LA, all the while being watched over by the photo’s subject, who lives in Spain.

As the email conversation broadens (as emails with more than one person on the cc list have a tendency to), I mention that I’m about to get on a plane. Suddenly it becomes clear that Tony isn’t in Spain - in fact he’s at the same airport as me, in the lounge next door.

Had the email chain not started, we’d have simply got on two different planes on two different airlines and met up on the other side of the planet, none the wiser. We celebrate the chance meeting by disappearing off for a beer.

He’s flying via Dubai and heads off first. I’m going via Singapore. We’ll arrive within an hour of each other at the Auckland end. I’m delighted when we get in the air, to find that my plane does indeed have wifi. I email Tony to ask if his plane does. I suggest we could have a superbly ridiculous game of battleships by email as we race each other 20,000 feet over the planet down to Auckland.

Sadly, it’s not to be. There’s no reply from Tony, so he’s either asleep or in the digital darkness. I decide to write a blog instead.

I’m looking forward to the upcoming shows, it has to be said. I adore New Zealand and Australia, I genuinely do. The schedule looks quite agreeable and six weeks off usually puts the entire touring party in the best possible frame of mind. After the year or so of Mylo that we’ve had, it’s a nice final lap - perhaps a chance to take it all in properly before it disappears. It ain't over yet though!

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

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]

4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [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 London, UK @ Wembley Stadium (Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2012) [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]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy 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]

7 Los Angeles, US @ Shrine Auditorium (Stand Up To Cancer) [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]

12 Sydney, Australia @ MAX TV intimate show [discussion] [NEW!]

13 Melbourne, Australia @ Etihad Stadium [discussion]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

18 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

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)

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]

Coldplay's Roadie #42 - Blog #182 (two blogs in two days... and the must-have documents to travel)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: Roadie #42 and the forgotten passport...

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Tash]

The “Day Sheet” is an element of touring life that you folks may not be familiar with. It is, I’ve come to learn though, the most vital document of the day. The day sheet is written by tour manager Marguerite and outlines every key piece of information for the upcoming day: the times that everything is happening, flight details, additional press and promo - just generally any and all vital information to get everyone through the next 24 hours...

Across the entire touring industry, the Tour Manager’s refrain, to almost all questions, is of course “read your day sheet”. Marguerite has had a gentle dig at me of late for never reading all the way to the bottom. (I mean really, once you know what time you’ve got to be up and out of the hotel, you can just follow everyone else after that…)

I generally do read the day sheet fully (honest - I do, I really do!). I think I just like asking stupid questions. I’ve been trying to be a good tour-citizen lately though, by reading it thoroughly and not asking about things I already know the answers to.

The day sheet for our second St Paul show comes through with a strong warning about the flight over there from our Chicago base. “Mr Barack Obama is coming to town this weekend, so there are some restrictions in place for his visit that affect us. We’ll have actual TSA Agents do our screening planeside + will be more strict than usual. So if possible, limit your carry ons”.

I make it this far through the day sheet and look down at my day to day rucksack. My rucksack contains at least one of virtually every gadget known to man, plus a telephone exchange of cables, chargers, adapters and all the other security-worrying crap that might ever be required to make them work. On a regular day, it can take them only slightly less time to go through all my stuff than the flight itself takes. On a fine-tooth-comb day, I could be holding up the entire travel party by bringing all this along.

I resolve to prove my reading-of-the-day-sheet by heeding the warning and reducing my hand luggage to the absolute minimum. What do I actually *need* to get a day done? I pull out my laptop, my power supply and my headphones and put them in a plastic Walgreens bag, leaving my rucksack full of crap on my hotel room desk. As we arrive at the terminal, band assistant EJ and soundman Dan Green begin to lightly rib me about my new luggage. “Nice laptop bag - have you been to the Apple Store today?”

“Nope, I read the day sheet - laugh it up, but I’m gonna be through security in 30 seconds flat”.

We’re ushered into a side room for screening and sure enough, the elite squad are in full effect. With Airforce One bringing the President to town just across the tarmac, these folks aren’t messing around. They have black uniforms on, with the TSA logo on each sleeve. They also do not smile. At all. Most worryingly though, each of them snaps on a pair of rubber gloves as we enter.

I proudly place my “extreme minimalist” hand luggage on the inspection table - and then it happens.

Dan Green, ahead of me in the line, produces his passport for the man with the clipboard. It’s the classic blood-runs-cold moment from the dream where you find yourself completely naked in front of the whole school.

My passport. My passport - that lives in my rucksack. My rucksack that is at the hotel. The hotel that is a good 45 minutes away.

“Without identification, you will not be flying today, Sir”.

This is not good. In fact, we’re so far from good that you can’t even *see* good from here.

The pilot is summoned and there’s a brief conversation conducted almost entirely in very official acronyms. Apparently there is a way that we might be able to resolve this.

I’m told that I’ll be taken to a small side office where someone on the telephone will give me a 20 questions quiz about where my passport and I have been in the last few months. If my answers match their records, I’m allowed on the plane. Given that I’ve done entire days on tour thinking we’re in Italy - only to discover that we’re actually in Switzerland, my confidence is not spectacularly high.

As I get past the first few questions, tour manager Marguerite arrives with the band. She clocks the situation and gives me a questioning look through the door.

“I’ve really fucked up, Mags”, I begin. “I’ve come without my passport. I am so, so sorry”.

Mags calmly produces her laptop with scans of my passport and proceeds to know the answer to every question about which city we flew in and out of on what date in the past three months. I’m playing the dopey apologetic Englishman and Mags is doing the supremely organised, polite and efficient California tour manager. Well, I say we’re playing roles…

The TSA fellas seem to have thawed. They genuinely seem to be on our side now and doing everything they can to try to help us.

Kelly, Chris’s security chief, walks past the door with a smile slightly wider than his actual face.

“Thanks for the day sheet Mags. Good job you put on it ‘you MUST have ID to board the plane’ otherwise anything could have happened”.

“I’m not finding this funny just yet, Kelly” I plead.

Kelly is still cross with me from the Hollywood Bowl. I put a luminous green sign on his back just before he ran through the crowd to the C-stage. I’d tell you what it said, but then he’d be cross with me all over again. For now, he’s happy that karma has payed me a visit on his behalf.

Just as this takes place, a man holding a motorbike helmet rounds the corner. Mags has contacted the hotel manager, who has fished out my passport from the rucksack and had it couriered over with insane speed.

The TSA fellas are impressed and the relevant boxes are ticked. I am no longer any kind of threat to the President, or national security in general. An idiot, yes…

Mags and I walk across the tarmac, me apologising profusely, carrying my laptop-in-a-plastic-bag at my side. My passport, I’m not allowed to touch again until I’m safely checked in on the flight back home tomorrow.

I reach the top of the plane steps and take a deep breath before facing the travel party. Predictably and quite deservedly, there’s a sarcastic round of applause as I make my way up the aisle with my head held low.

“The walk of *shame*” comments Chris, shaking his head as I pass his seat.

Safety belts fastened. Secure doors and cross-check. Sink into your seat and feel like you could crawl up your own arse with embarrassment? Check.

Never a dull moment…

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

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]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy 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)

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]

Coldplay's Roadie #42 - Blog #181 (looking back at the first Amsterdam performance in 7 years...)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42, the harsh YouTube judgement and the Amsterdam revival

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Tash]

YouTube comments threads are pretty well known for the massive amount of snarky negativity they can contain. In this globally super-connected age, anything you can imagine can be filmed, uploaded and then called “Ghey” by a 12 year-old in the midwest all in a matter of minutes.

I had the utter delight the other morning though, of YouTube itself passing judgement on a clip. Phil Harvey had asked me to upload a clip filmed by the reference camera at the mixing desk, as a Private video to my account. It was just one song, to show someone how the band do it live.

Imagine my delight then, when the upload was complete and I got this message.

I immediately did the only thing I *could* do under the circumstances. I immediately took a screenshot and emailed it to Lighting Designer Paul Normandale and Lighting Director Graham Feast.

“Everyone’s a critic” comes Paul’s reliably dry-witted response. He’s not wrong…

Slightly more positive audience contribution comes in the first of the Chicago shows. Right in front of the B-Stage are three folks holding signs that spell out a request for the band to play Amsterdam. Now it’s been a long, long time since this last had an airing. Chris apologises and claims that they just can’t remember how to play it. Then the guilt sets in and he gives it a go anyway.

Turns out he was right - they make it only bars into the tune before it collapses in a heap.

Never ones for admitting defeat though, the warm-up room piano gets a work-out the following day and the second Chicago show sees them make it all the way through a small B-stage version.

I always forget what an absolutely belting tune Amsterdam is. I really hope it’s not another seven years before it makes it out again. In the meantime, Chicago got a rare treat…

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

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]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy 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)

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]

Coldplay's Roadie #42 - Blog #179 (and a new 'song'...!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 gives us the world premiere of Graham Against The World

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks wabbit]

We head out to Boston spread across a couple of smaller planes. It would seem that there’s been some storm damage to the regular ride, so this is the best way forward. It’s impossible to sit on the tarmac looking at the similarly nippy looking plane opposite us out of the window and not think one thing: “Let’s race ‘em”. Plainly this isn’t going to happen - and the other plane contains the band, so us getting there before them is not on the cards. Trainer Dan, though, still suggests a whip round to offer the pilot some cash in exchange for “putting the hammer down”. Can’t say it isn’t tempting…

Boston sees more sound-checking and general fiddling. As well as a slight brush-up on God Put A Smile, they head off to the C-Stage to have a look at Us Against The World. The planned change is microscopically subtle, but the version they end up playing turns into a gag tune. I’ve talked before about how from time to time they’ll launch into a tune in soundcheck and Chris will make up lyrics on the spot to make a tribute song to one of the crew...

Today is Lighting Director Graham Feast’s turn. The lyrical re-write is extreme in its minimalism, but it’s wonderful nonetheless. As ever, Mr Champion’s harmony vocal is utterly exemplary…

And so on for three and a half minutes…

Soundchecking means longer days - we’re often in the venue merely for a few hours, but now we’re about for a little longer. We’re still part timers compared to the majority of the crew, but it’s a different experience nevertheless. I’m sat going through my flightcases just after doors and the first few hundred folks are finding their seats.

They’re whooping and cheering and yelling “Coldplay!” from all over the cavernous empty arena. It’s gloriously bonkers. There’s almost nobody here and there’s still a good few hours until showtime. Bodes well for a good night though…

I’m watching all this when DeeDee, who has been with the Band’s record label over here since way back comes wandering around with her adorable daughter picking up the previous night’s butterfly confetti. I comment that the crowd are pretty mad and she says she left the building last night to the sound of thousands of them doing the Viva chant all the way down the escalators and down onto the street.

This reminded me of the first night in Montreal last week where they were Viva-chanting a good ten minutes after the band had left the stage (and in Guy’s case - left the building, if I remember correctly). Maybe I’ll wander out through the crowd one night and see if this is a common thing…

A definite regular occurrence is the home-made outfits. Trainer Dan pops over during the changeover before the show claiming to have found a couple that definitely need to be photographed. They both have clothes in the full Mylo Graffitti style, but the fella has something slightly more permanent going on in the form of tattoos of the lyrics to Everything’s Not Lost and also Will’s Viva logo. Wowzers!

The B-stage gets a shuffle on Boston night two, with the re-appearance of Green Eyes for the first time in ages.

The C-stage also gets a new addition in Detroit, but not with the Graham-tinged re-write of Us Against The World.

Yep, instead, it’s a Birthday mention for Mr. Champion and Detroit were in fine voice to assist with the celebration.

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

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]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy 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)

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]

Coldplay's Roadie #42 - Blog #178 (surrounded by cameras for #coldplayfim!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 - and a dozen cameras - experience an amazing night in Montreal

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Coeurli]

Back in the seventies (when sound systems were somewhat less refined and attitudes to health and safety a touch more vague), the sign of a good show was that the band sent the crowd home with a ringing in their ears. Montreal these past couple nights has kinda turned those tables a little.

Canadian crowds are always good and noisy, but these folks are genuinely something else...

They’re Mexican-waving up a storm before the show even starts. Once the house lights go down, they sound like a jet engine taking off. It reaches a point where it’s actually uncomfortably loud at points - but the emotional impact is astonishing. Hurts Like Heaven, indeed…

(Click for large version)

Nights like these pop up in a tour and catch you unawares. This kind of audience reaction sends the band into another level performance-wise and the crackle back and forth between band and crowd becomes its own electrical storm.

Usually, the thing that crosses everyone’s minds during shows such as this is, "Christ, how come this isn’t the show they’ve booked a dozen cameras for?"

Funnily enough, though, nobody’s thinking this in Montreal. And for very good reason.

Reason being, of course, that in Montreal there are a dozen cameras present, capturing the whole thing as it unfolds.

Given that I’ve seen them do this show coming on for a hundred times now, the idea that I’m actually entertaining the idea of spending time watching a film of it is pretty remarkable. The fact that I genuinely can’t wait to see it is definitely saying something.

Let hope they got it, eh?

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

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]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy 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)

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]

Coldplay's Roadie #42 - Blog #177 (soundchecking new ideas!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 reports on a rare Coldplay soundcheck as the band try out some ideas

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Coeurli]

Soundchecks are something of an oddity by this point in the tour. First day back in Toronto, though, that’s exactly what we’re up to. There are plans afoot for much further down the line which require a bit of work now to start getting right. As is often the case with future plans, there’s as much talking as there is playing. The five man Coldplay brain-trust has some decisions to make. A few things are tried. Some work better than expected, some suddenly seem like less of a good idea than they did on paper. That’s kinda the point of the operation…

There are a few tunes that have been on a break since Viva that get another run through. I’m pretty sure they gave 42 a go, but I could swear we sold that guitar in the eBay auction…

You sort of know by the time the Bob Dylan covers come out that soundcheck is pretty much over…

The Toronto shows themselves are a good pair to come back to. Canadian Coldplay crowds are reliably spectacular and so it goes on both of these nights. For myself, I’m battling the jetlag somewhat, which gives everything that slomo underwater feel. No matter, though - Toronto has matters well in hand...

R42

Coldplay's Anne-Rose #42 - Blog #176 (#42 gets mistaken for a woman!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 gets mistaken for a woman and spins a ripping piano yarn

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks wabbit]

So I arrive at the check-in desk at Heathrow airport and tell them where I’m going and what my name is. I always feel a little doubtful when I do this that it’s actually going to work, that they’ll look at me incredulously and demand a huge docket of paperwork that demonstrates my entitlement to travel. Years of following this procedure though, (and on occasion turning up not actually knowing what city I’m going to, just a vague idea of which country it might be) has made me a little complacent, I guess...

I know that Tour Manager Marguerite will have been as dotted-of-i and crossed-of-t as she ever is, so I know that somewhere in my phone will be the email with my flight confirmation details. I eventually find the required code and recite it to the lady behind the desk who repeats it to someone on the phone. She shakes her head and laughs. “Well he doesn’t *look* like an Anne-Rose”.

“I can be Anne-Rose if it helps me get to Toronto” I offer helpfully. She’s still engrossed in the phoneceall though.

“Yes probably Copenhagen”.

Now I like Copenhagen, but it’s not really on my list of places to be today.

She tries to explain, but it’s beyond me. Someone with the same surname as me, but a double barrelled first name, has checked in over in Copenhagen. Someone there pressed the wrong button, so she has become me and now I’m her. I never knew that these people wielded such power. I say I’m cool with it if they are. I’ve still got a posh seat and we both land in the same place at the same time. Let’s just get to the lounge, eh? Names are for tombstones, baby…

I take my dubious documentation and plough onwards. The airport is in full Olympic chaos mode.

I decide to proceed direct to the gate, in the hope that there is a little respite from the crowds over there. This involves a short train journey. The carriage is resplendent with the same flocks of the world’s most lost. I miss my stop because it’s impossible to move. Never mind, I think. This thing is a loop. I’ll wait ’til they’ve all gone and start again, but I can snag pole position by the door for the next lap.

We reach the last stop and a woman who has clearly never thrown away her Prefect badge tells me (in no uncertain terms) that I’m to get off the train immediately. I argue, I plead, I beg, but she is a formidable opponent. She is here to ensure that the Olympics are secure and I am not to interfere. She waves me off up the stairs with talk of checking in again and going through security again.

“Yes, hello” I wince as I arrive at the transfers desk “my name is Anne-Rose…”

I’m standing at another counter in front of another confused individual. She gets on the phone and reads out some numbers from my boarding card. “Well he doesn’t *look* like an Anne-Rose…..”. I begin to slump in my shoes and think of getting back home to bed. I’m starting to quite fancy it.

“Ah yes - Copenhagen - right…”

I’m waved onwards and twenty minutes later I plop down into seat 20A to YYZ feeling as though I’ve already completed an assault course.

The flight attendant is wheeling the drinks trolley past and absently enquires over the partition “would you like a drink, Miss? Er? Oh….”

“Cup of tea and a double vodka please”.

And so to Cananda…

Now I did promise to have a yarn-clearout, didn’t I? This has got pretty long already though, so I’m going to channel the 2002 Christopher Martin. On the first tour I did with the band (Rush Of Blood), Chris was forever legging it back to the mic after the house lights had come up and people had begun to leave. “The regular Coldplay concert is over, but I’ve got this song I’ve been fiddling with - if you want to hear it, you can stick around - if you think it’s shit, you can go home.”

Same goes. Those with time to kill can stick with me as I gas on about wet pianos and stadium shows. Anyone with a better offer (which has to include pretty much anything, really) you are formally excused.

Still here? Right, this began as a blog from Dallas show one on the last leg - about getting back indoors, under a roof and in the dry. Here goes:

Me, I’m all for it right now. I loved the stadiums and always have, but arenas do feel very, very comfy. No rain, no worries and no need to plan your trips to catering around the half hour round trip which that can sometimes entail.

While we’re talking transitions from huge outdoors to merely ‘very big’ indoor ones, I should probably wrap up the last of the stadium shows, which I’ve not mentioned in these pages yet. Now, I’ll say right here, that the following is not a tale for the faint hearted. Certainly too, I should mention that what follows has a very narrow focus on what happened in my world on these shows - not the *only* things that happened. But they happened to me and I’m writing, so…

It all began on the second Emirates Stadium show. I was under the stage trying to solve a somewhat perplexing technical issue that had caused Rhianna to arrive somewhat later than planned on the video screen the night before. There’s actually a crowd of us working around my rack trying to work out at exactly what point in the signal chain goes from glorious harmony to crazed technical fizzle.

Suddenly, through the speakers perched on my rack, I hear a piano firing one note like a machine gun. Either someone is sat playing something extremely avant-garde at one of Chris’s pianos out on the stage, or I have more trouble than I first thought.

By employing a methodology commonly referred to as “unplugging one thing at a time until the fucking noise stops”, I determine that the problem is coming from the piano out on the B-stage. Not good. Andy, my co-conspirator, takes off with a laptop to run some tests. Soon he’s radioing back that the poor old b-stage upright has had a complete nervous breakdown. Even with gentle coaxing (turning it off and on again) it can’t be convinced to play nicely - it just wants to perform the jackhammer sonata. Very not-good.

We do, of course, have a spare piano, so it’s hurriedly thrown up onto the ramp (Equipment failures always make me want to hurriedly throw up…) and the pianos are switched out. This leaves us good for a show, but nowhere to go should there be more problems. (Which, at the rate we’ve been going, is more likely than not.)

We get the errant piano into the loading dock and begin to pull it apart. Besides enough butterflies to stuff a mattress, there is a pretty impressive amount of water in there. We get to work clearing it out and putting fans on it for a bit of air drying. From memory, the show passed with pleasantly little in the way of surprises.

Fast forward to Sunderland a couple of nights later. My folks are in attendance, making any visits from the fuck-up-fairy particularly unwelcome. It’s rainfall the like of which would have any sane individual refusing to leave the house. Perfect for a Coldplay stadium show, then

Chris launches into Paradise and it sounds pretty different from the standard version. Improvisation? Freeing himself from the bounds of rigid harmonic structures? No. The piano is fucked.

There’s a full on Keystone-Cops-meets-F1-pit-crew moment and there is a new piano in place for him. They make it through Paradise and head for the C-stage. As they’re out there, the familiar machine-gun-sonata begins through my speakers. Oh Lord. The piano we calmed down in London has relapsed in the downpour.

We’ve got the length of “Speed Of Sound” to get the piano out from underneath the B-stage, up the ramp and onto the mainstage in time for Clocks.

There’s two dead pianos lying on their backs on the skate-ramp stage right. Some gigs have a bunch of broken drumsticks behind the drumriser by the end - we’re going through timber at a slightly more alarming rate.

We skin-of-the-teeth it through to the end of the Sunderland show, but the horror begins to dawn, that we have one good piano now and after the day off, we have two stadium shows in one day - at opposite ends of the country - and the helicopter that’s getting us between them is not piano-friendly.

Our Wembley Stadium Radio festival is already being handled by the old piano that Vicki Taylor painted for the Viva Grammy awards. We also know a hire company that has the same model (in black) they can hire to us as a spare. That’s that sorted then. A van is booked with a reliably lead-footed driver to get these two pianos from London to Manchester. He’s convinced he can get the journey done with enough time for the pianos to be onstage by showtime that night.

There’s talk of getting the pianos a police escort into the Manchester show in case he gets stuck in gig traffic. Andy is still in Manchester holding the fort. His number comes up on my phone and I answer “Please don’t be bad news, please don’t be bad news, please don’t….”

“None of the pianos up here is working properly - not one”.

“That’s bad news”.

Potentially, this could get really rubbish. We could easily be sat pacing anxiously ten minutes to show with no working pianos and a van stuck somewhere outside Manchester.

It’s the stuff of nightmares and then something beyond my wildest dreams happens. I get a call from Yamaha UK. I’ve mailed them asking if there is any way at all they can help - a repair, a loan, anything. The piano we use was discontinued years and years ago, so they don’t even carry it anymore, so my hopes weren’t high. The ones we use we have to bid for on eBay against folks who want them because it’s “as used by Coldplay”. They’re rarer than rocking horse shit. (And right now, all of the ones we have in Manchester are about as much use…)

Felicity from Yamaha tells me of a fella in their service department who refuses to throw anything away, because it’s all “bound to come in useful”. This sounds embarrassingly like myself and a lot of us on the crew. Apparently though, the chap in question has a special room in the warehouse that is known as his dump. In there, there is not one, but TWO of our beloved pianos with a huge sign on them saying “DO NOT THROW AWAY, COLDPLAY WILL RING UP AND ASK FOR THESE ONE DAY”.

This kind of stuff simply does not happen. It’s like a gift from the roadie-gods. The ultimate get-out-of-jail-free card. I eventually have to stop frothing my thanks and praise in their direction for long enough to arrange a van to get them to Manchester immediately. I go to call Andy to tell him the good news, but notice that there’s a voicemail from him.

Turns out that Xylobands inventor Jason, has recently bought a “Coldplay piano” from eBay for his son. An hour ago it was sat in his living room, but now, it’s in a van speeding towards the Manchester show. Word also reaches us that Paris is in town. And he’s got his spraycans! Incredible. He reckons if he gets to work right away when the new pianos arrive, he can have them Mylo-ed up and ready to go by showtime. Just staggering.

By rights, we should not have had a show tonight - on paper, we were completely beaten. Someone, somewhere though, is looking out for us.

By the time we make it up from London, most of the vans coming from all corners have arrived and the Manchester gig is positively awash with pianos (Eight of them, I believe). I pass stage manager Craig Finley, as I head up to the stage to check things out. “You’ve got a LOT of effin pianos here today young man”

(Photo from Mr Finley’s Facebook)

“Yeah, and with any luck, a couple of ‘em work!”

We round up the dead and send them back to Yamaha.

The final two Manchester shows are two of the only ones on the tour with not a drop of rain. Whoever has our backs is going well above and beyond…

To cap it all, I get a message on my phone on the day of the final Manchester show. It’s “Gaz” the fella I brought one of our eBay pianos from last year. Up until Sunderland, it had been Chris’s main piano. Gaz had listed it on eBay “as used by Coldplay” and eventually sussed that it was us buying it. His first words when he found out were “you’re not gonna paint it mad colours are ya?”.

“Um, sorry fella…”

Today, he’s got tickets for the show and he quite fancies meeting up to have a look at his old pride and joy in the centre of the Coldplay stage. I break it to him that not only have we graffiti-ed it up to the eyeballs, but we’ve spent the summer standing it in the middle of torrential downpours with just a shower cap for protection.

I meet him and his missus and tell him the tale I’ve just told you. He shakes his head in utter disbelief - and quite rightly so.

He has a photo taken next to one of our newly recruited pianos - for his is in the sick bay many miles away now.

Talking of all this reminds me - I need to phone a fella about some waterproofing, once we land in Toronto. We’ll be back in the great outdoors again in only a few weeks.

Never a dull moment…

R42

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #175 (the DC close shave and the return of Oldplay!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42, the DC close shave and the return of Oldplay

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Tash]

Good grief - here we are at the last show of the leg and I’ve got a bag full of untold stories and observations from along the way. I must apologise for the radio silence of late. I won’t make excuses - hows about I tell you about right now and then when I get home I’ll start picking through some stuff I missed out along the way?

We’re in Washington DC right now - although for a little while, it did feel as though maybe we wouldn’t be. We were all set for the trip down to DC from the day off in NYC. We get as far as the fasten seatbelts sign before the pilot comes over the bing-bong to tell us that there are storms in DC and the airport has temporarily stopped all air traffic. Shouldn’t be a problem, but for a half hour, we’ll be going nowhere. Get comfy...

Half an hour turns into slightly longer. The clock ticks onwards from “early afternoon on gig day” to “worryingly closer to showtime” - quite literally with every second. Tour Manager Marguerite swings into “this cannot fuck up” mode. There’s talk of trains, there’s talk of Baltimore - there’s probably talk of a lot else besides, but I decide to keep my head down and stay out of the way. Too many cooks and all that.

Eventually, the storm clears (both literally and metaphorically) and we’re taxiing towards a non-cancelled show. Near-misses it seems, don’t only occur in the air…

Arriving late means that the first DC show day is a complete blur for me. Wolf Gang are well underway by the time we get in, meaning we’re straight into show-prep and done before you know it.

Two shows in one city always means the chance for a bit of mischief after the first show. For the band party, there is no runner as we’re staying in the city. For the crew party, there is no load-out after the show and even better, no load-in the following morning. All of this makes it seem rude not to get together and write off the following morning. And so it is in DC. Mags has organised an end of tour-leg party for all. I’m not a big one for hanging out in noisy rooms after noisy pop concerts, but this is a gathering of the tour family and as such pretty much unmissable.

This is probably the happiest and warmest touring family I can ever remember being part of, so the opportunity to all hang out in a room together with our hair let well down is truly wonderful. I’m starting to realise how much I’m going to miss this tour (or more importantly my friends on it) when it’s over, so I’m trying to force myself from hotel-room hermitage and out to enjoy as much of it as I can while we’re still out here.

As is the nature of these things, my memories are somewhat blurry of the evening - and it’s probably best for all concerned that photographic evidence is minimal. I do remember the 3am champagne toast, complete with squalls of feedback from the karaoke mic (prompting inevitable screams for the audio department to get a grip). I remember Robyn and her folks turning up moments after the DJ had played her track Dancing On My Own and her proceeding to commandeer the decks for a DJ set of her own.

(And I may be mistaken, but I swear I remember the same song of hers being put on later by the resident DJ, prompting the wonderfully bizarre sight of her dancing on the bar while the video version of herself sang the tune on the screens behind her.)

Unsurprisingly, the following morning doesn’t start until the following afternoon. Most conversations in the venue begin with “what time did you leave?”.

I’m in the midst of one of these conversations in catering when through the walls comes an explosion of punk rock mayhem. This can mean only one thing.

Oldplay.

For many years, there has been a “crew band” comprised mainly of the backline department, but filled out by anyone who fancies getting involved. Robyn’s tour manager it seems, is none other than Ali McMordie, from seminal punk heroes Stiff Little Fingers. He’s taken the bass spot on the stage and I arrive on the arena floor just as they finish a rousing cover of Anarchy In The UK (complete with Nicole from production and Tiff from wardrobe dancing up a storm).

It’s too good for just one tune and they plough through another as I reach for the camera. No better way to blow away the morning after cobwebs!

Like a Halley’s Comet sighting, it came from nowhere and disappears every bit as fast. When they’ll grace the Coldplay stage again, I have no idea, but in the meantime, I give you the July 2012 incarnation of Oldlay. Contact Steve Strange at X-Ray for booking details…

On the subject of folks getting up and doing their own thing, I should mention how many great outfits folks have been wearing to the shows on this tour. The whole graffiti theme of the record screams of self-expression and creativity, so seeing folks arriving in their own Mylo outfits is a superb strengthening of all of that.

Trainer Dan pointed this guy out to me before one of the recent shows - apparently this fella has been to a bunch of Coldplay shows and even kept the butterflies from a Viva show he saw a couple years ago to make the hat he wore this time around - good work!

Another Trainer Dan spot was these two young ladies who created their own entire outfits for the show they came to

All this talk of unusual attire would of course be incomplete without this crew contribution from that most happy-go-lucky of lampies, Phil Sharpe.

I *think* this may have had something to do with Oxfam, but as ever, it feels more fun not knowing.

So that’s the crew and the fans - what of the band? Well, it’s been a family-tastic tour, with the band enjoying a lot of time with loved ones, whilst in some of the more lovely parts of the USA. This always results in huge smiling faces and fully enthused shows.

They’re hugely on form and they’re enjoying every minute of it, it would seem. Perhaps they too realise how wonderful what’s going on here is. Whatever the reason, the shows have been belters.

I’ve been on the road for over twenty years and I can recall plenty of that time that’s been a struggle. What’s going on here though is very special and supremely enjoyable. These are friendships that will endure until all of this is just a “do you remember when?”.

I’ll remember this for the rest of my life - and for that, I feel very fortunate.

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

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]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy 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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #174 (#42cam's amazing adventure!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the curious tale of the disappearing guitar camera

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Tash]

So here’s a funny one. I’ve been playing about with a bunch of new cameras lately. Even though it’s the cheapest of them, one of the most interesting is a tiny little video camera that was invented for sticking on skydivers heads. What better way to test it then, than to stick it to the end of the guitar that Chris throws into the air at the end of God Put A Smile?

Hoppy spends a lot of his working day repairing this guitar and nursing it through the tour. Understandably, he’s not entirely sure about the idea when I first explain it, but he’s game. I rig it up and show him how to press record, then pretty much forget all about it. During Princess of China after God Put A Smile is done, Hoppy’s voice comes over the comms system. “I’ve got no idea where your camera ended up, mate”. Oh bugger.

We have a quick scan around the stage while the band are on the B-stage and then wait until they take off for the two songs at the back of the arena. I’m down in the pit with a torch, searching on the floor when Darren from the video department informs me that he saw it fly off towards the confetti canon, stage right. Despite a pretty thorough hunt, no joy.

I head back to my bunker to be ready for Clocks and tweet a quick message from the Coldplay account asking if anyone that’s been to the show saw where it went. I don’t hold out much hope - I mean what are the odds? I’m thoroughly expecting to endure a few days of “I am Spartacus”-style wind up, as hundreds of folks who weren’t even at the show all turn up claiming they’ve got our camera. Hmmmmm.

Mainly though, I just want to see what’s on it!

When the show is done and we’re heading for the plane, I have a quick look on Twitter and I’m astonished by the explosion of retweets. A few folks quite helpfully tell me they saw it come off and in which direction it went, but nobody found it when it landed. Oh well, that’s that.

An hour or so later though, as we’re getting to the hotel in Miami, there’s a tweet saying “we have your camera!”. Really? Hmm, could this be the start of the hoaxes?

Shortly afterwards though, they post a photo of the camera. It clearly shows a sticker that I put on it just before the show.

My god! That’s it! After a bit of email back and forth, it turns out that they were in the front row after being “upgraded” from seats way up the back. The band have done this for ages now. It came about after struggling with shows where the seats closest to the stage were often full of just “the highest bidders” and not necessarily the most enthusiastic fans.

In European standing shows, the front rows are the kids who’ve been outside the venue since daybreak and who’ve sprinted in to get the pole position. Usually by the time the opening acts have finished they’re at fever pitch with excitement. The sight of Chris’s piano being wheeled into position can bring about a screaming cheer - explosive enough to make you think the show has already started.

In contrast, folks who’d paid astronomical sums for the tickets could often just sit with an arms folded sense of entitlement, emoting “come on then, entertain me, have you any idea how much I paid for this?”.

So the band don’t sell the tickets to the front few rows any more. Instead, various crew members are sent out to scan the highest, furthest seats to find folks who look genuinely excited and giddy to be seeing the band. They’re then given tickets to the front row (which quite often looks a very, very long way away from the “nosebleed” seats). Often, folks think it’s a scam and refuse to believe it. Often they go berserk and jump up and down screaming - until they have to calm down before they fall down.

Eventually, though, they end up down the front and the natural order of things is restored. For them, it’s a Willy Wonka golden ticket. For the band, it’s guaranteed energy from the folks closest to them. It genuinely does make the shows better. We’ve all said it many times. How good a show is, is largely to do with how good the audience are. It’s what fuels the whole thing.

So it seems, Andy, Brianna and Julia (above) had been upgraded. And a good thing too! When the guitar flew through the air and came crashing down onto the stage, my camera flew apart in all directions. The guts of it though, landed at their feet - and they very kindly mailed it back to me the next day. Twitter, it would seem, has more uses than telling folks what you had for lunch…

The camera got pretty comprehensively trashed upon its crash landing. The waterproof enclosure was shattered and gone, the back cover missing, the battery AWOL, but the body intact. With a little work though, I coaxed the footage from the poor frightened little bugger. So here we have it ladies and gents - I give you the final seconds of the 42cam’s maiden flight:

Never a dull moment…

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

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]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy 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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #173 (the hometown shows)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the hometown shows

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Tash]

In a lot of ways, hometown shows can be like a family Christmas. They’re ostensibly a time of joy and celebration. You do tend to forget though, how much stress comes along with it - and you pretty much always collapse in a heap at the end, glad that it’s all over for a year or so. London, of course, is just another gig - the same as any other. Every gig has to go well and every gig is important. Nevertheless, you can feel the crew collectively clench their teeth (and other parts) as the hometown shows approach...

(click here for hi-res version)

This of course, brings with it its very own pressure. Nobody wants to bugger things up in front of their mates - or worse still, their mum. It’s tough to ignore too, the fact that all the major UK press is in London. Clearly, not fucking this up would be good.

All of these extra visitors means virtual guest-list-meltdown up in the production office. It’s Nicole, our wonderful production assistant, who stands amidst this torrential downpour of requests. (“Can I get my neighbour plus one?”, “The guy from the company that delivers lightbulbs to the studio has asked for his daughter plus two”… and so it goes on). If this is the family Christmas dinner, she’s undoubtedly juggling place settings for the biggest table ever assembled.

Perhaps Nicole’s ability to remain so irrepressibly cheery amongst all this, may well have something to do with it being her birthday on show 2. Alongside hundreds of guest tickets and passes, her desk is dotted with cakes, balloons, cupcakes and cards - including the communal card signed by all. The card-signing is undoubtedly “won” though, by Arlene from management, who ends her greeting: “Lots of love from Arlene Moon (+3)”.

The shows aren’t without their moments of panic crew-side. Nothing major, but enough gremlin-chasing to keep everyone well on their toes. Every night feels like a triumph as the after-show drinks see round after round of everyone’s nearest and dearest telling them, “No, I mean it, it really, really *was* amazing”.

I can’t disagree. The stadiums haven’t just been the most “Mylo” presentation of the live show so far, they’ve been by far and away the best stadium shows the band have ever done. Perhaps even the first genuinely superb stadium shows of the band’s career.

They’ve been doing stadiums since back on X&Y. I felt like Viva was the tour where the band themselves got comfortable enough to fill the space - and to perhaps even enjoy the size and scale of the event. This time round though, every single piece seems to have fallen into place. The confetti, the pyro, the lasers, the inflatables, Andy Bramley’s spectacular screens footage. Misty and Paul’s remarkable stage design and Graham’s glorious lighting. Paris has graffiti’d the whole place to within an inch of its life. Last but by no means least, there’s Jason’s wristbands that turn the whole audience into the highlight of the show - and the gigs themselves into something truly unique and groundbreaking.

We’ve broken ground too, in doing outdoor shows wholly without a roof. I’m sure folks have done it before, but we certainly haven’t. I show a friend of mine around the stage after the first night in London. He’s been in the production industry for longer than many of the audience have been alive. “What on earth are you thinking?” he questions incredulously. “What happens when it pisses down?” I shrug: “The band get wet and shit breaks”. Well it’s got us this far…

The damp has certainly been a great opportunity to discover pretty much every new and exciting way you never knew your gear could fail. But spending the afternoons working out what’s happened and what needs to happen to make it right, brings truth to the cliche of the touring crew being a family unto themselves. Everyone makes fun at each other’s expense without mercy - it’s almost a sport. Once there’s a problem though, everyone gathers around to pitch in and get things sorted without so much as a missed beat.

The sight of more than two people staring frowningly at a piece of equipment is enough to gather the tribe. Suddenly the brain trust is brought to bear and what was unsolvable gets chipped away at until all is once again well with the world and full strength is regained.

So, that’s the hometown festivities dealt with for a while again. Top time all round.

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

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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #172 (photo special!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: Roadie #42 shares a whole bunch of great photographs

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks zzz]

Hello folks, I've just turned my camera upside down and given it a shake. Here's a few bits that fell out… (Click the photos [at the official site] for hi-res versions)

REMINDER! On Saturday, Coldplay.com [direct link to follow] will be heading to the Emirates Stadium in London to spend the day blogging from backstage at the second of Coldplay's shows at Arsenal FC's home. From early on Saturday afternoon there will be lots of behind-the-scenes build-up and photos and then updates during the show itself!

Read more for the official photo special...

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #171 (R#42 reports back from the first few European stadium shows)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 reports back from the start of the European stadium tour

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Tash]

It’s been a somewhat busy few days making it happen, but the stadium shows are finally underway! The British have a somewhat justified reputation for being obsessed with the weather. In our case right now though, I figure there’s an excuse. We’re doing outdoor shows. Without a roof.

The preparations in Porto for the first show start days before I get there. I email the lampies for some advice on what to pack. They assure me it’s beach weather well into the evening. Indeed, the load-in and rehearsal days in Portugal are scorching - utterly glorious weather...

Come show day though, it’s very a different story. It’s pretty torrential by mid-afternoon and it doesn’t get any better. You totally have to hand it to the fellas though, apart from the constant spray bouncing off of them, you really wouldn’t know. They throw themselves into it full tilt. They’re standing completely uncovered out there in the deluge giving it everything they’ve got.

I’ve talked before about the level of energy coming off stage on this tour. The new songs have given this tour an incredible celebratory exuberance that’s impossible to ignore. The image of Coldplay as middle of the road miserablists just seems odd to me now. Doubtless though, it will remain the starting point for many more pieces of half-arsed journalism before the band are done. Just as every article about Ozzie Osbourne will refer to bat-munching and Oasis will always be the Burnage-Beatles (long after they branded their very own legend onto British culture). So it goes, I guess…

Talking of the new songs, Paradise is becoming a moment in the show to rival the Viva chant. Something I wasn’t sure I’d ever see (or indeed, hear…).

There’s something about that many people all gathered together making that kind of noise that you just can’t help but be affected by. As the panoramas will have shown you, we’re in some pretty big places for these shows. Easy indeed for it all to become about fancy production, but at the end of the day, the strongest moments are the ones where you could turn every one of the gadgets off and just let the crowd do what comes naturally…

Loving 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

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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #170 (R#42 reports back from the Hollywood Bowl and American Idol)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 reports back from the Hollywood Bowl and American Idol

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Tash]

I’ve got to admit, there just *are* some venues in the world where you just can’t help thinking “This is fucking cool”. I tend to rebel against the more obvious prestige ones, but sometimes everyone raves about how good something is because - well, because it really is that good.

Of course those of you familiar with the Coldplay story (or more likely, familiar with the Live 2003 DVD) will know that Coldplay have played here before. It’s kind of inevitable then, that I’d sit up at the back during the load-in day and reflect on how nine years has changed things...

My memories of the Rush of Blood tour are of constantly feeling like things were getting bigger. Every few weeks we’d be looking out at an audience the size of which was difficult to comprehend. The band are now at a point where they could doubtless get bigger, but not really at anything like the exponential rate of growth we experienced back then...

This feeling can’t help but be heightened by re-visiting venues that now feel quite familiar. There’s nothing like flying thousands of miles and walking into a venue thinking “oh yeah, when we were here the time before last, I had to go out and buy shoes at that place two blocks away” to make you wonder if perhaps you’ve been doing this just a little too long…

When we came to do American Idol though (squashed in-between the second and third shows at Hollywood Bowl) it began to dawn on me. It’s all tied to something I mentioned a blog or two ago. When you’re doing TV shows, you can’t see or really even imagine the true magnitude of the audience. We’ve done bigger and bigger TV shows on this campaign each few months - it just hasn’t necessarily felt like it…

The final of X-Factor, in the UK was a massive deal. On the day though, it was an arena that we’d played in before - and one that felt much smaller due to the huge set, at that. American Idol was a moderately sized TV studio and we were barely even there half a day. Personally speaking, I wasn’t even *in* the studio for more than ten minutes total in the whole day.

All of the touring and video gear for Idol (which my rig ended up being a part of) was set up outside, in the parking lot under the glorious California sunshine. I didn’t even see the crowd in the studio, let alone the 22 million watching at home. I remember at Live 8, being told that the crowd in attendance on the day in London was approaching a quarter of a million (***FACTCHECK***). I remember standing on the front edge of the stage just before things got underway, looking out and trying to take it in.

I thought to myself if I could imagine the same number of people as were in front of me being to my left, right and behind me too, I could get a mental picture of what being in a crowd of a million would look like. Inevitably, the cliched truth that “once a crowd gets past a certain size, it doesn’t really look that much different” made it a pointless exercise.

What I’m trying to get at, is that imagining an audience of 22 million is pretty much beyond the scope of my imagination - particularly when the day’s filming essentially consisted of standing in a parking lot looking at a tiny screen for half an hour and then going back to the hotel.

Despite this though, the band’s penetration and profile has continued to rise just as it did back when we were at the Hollywood Bowl the first time. Maybe it felt more exciting to me back then because I’d always dreamed of big tours, huge crowds, trucks, lights and all the associated touring-circus that successful bands meant. Perhaps if I’d dreamt of Hollywood studios and broadcast infrastructure, this would all feel different. I’ve a suspicion though that no matter what, it’s pretty much impossible for a crowd of folks in front of you cheering to not make an immediate and tangible impression.

I remember as a crew, we were mostly new to touring at that level when we first visited the Bowl in 2003. We would scoff at what we saw as unnecessary “bigness”. American crews (who *were* used to touring at that level) would often be a particular source of amusement. We’d often point and laugh at massively oversized flight-cases, everyone bustling around with a radio on and “needlessly complicated” gear setups.

Now of course, we roll in with flight-cases the size of which would’ve horrified us back then. We all wear radios (well ok, *I* still rarely do, but only because I know I’ll lose it inside a day). Our setup is now sprawling enough to have had us shaking our heads into a neck-brace ten years ago.

We’ve all finally learnt that the people we laughed at were doing it that way for a reason: because it just makes sense at this level - it lets you do a better job.

To put it another way, you can dig over a field with a shovel, but after your first one, you’ll probably start thinking about a tractor.

Which brings me back to being at the Hollywood Bowl just shy of ten years later. The band in 2003 were stripped down and very reluctant to indulge in “gimmicks”. There was a feeling that purity and authenticity were very important, that big production and “showbiz” were to be disapproved of - a bit like having a workbox the size of a freezer, or always having a radio on…

But we’ve all dug a good few acres since then.

Putting on a show, of course, is still about getting the songs across - communicating an emotion, being true to the music. All of that though, is served well by using every tool at your disposal to enhance the impact. The emotions transmitted from the stage aren’t masked by a production that makes people gasp. If it’s done the right way, the emotions are heightened and the gasps made deeper - the memories taken home made stronger.

I forget who it was that was standing looking across the stage with me on the first afternoon shaking their heads. “We’ve really got a lot of stuff now, compared to back then” was the thrust of the conversation.

“Yes, but imagine if we’d come along ten years later with exactly the same setup, the band in the same clothes, playing exactly the same kind of songs. What kind of progress would that be? We’d have been better giving up in 2003 and leaving it at that”.

I’m glad I’m still here. And I’m glad that things are evolving. What they’ve become and what they’re now capable of I couldn’t have even imagined back then. I can’t tell you which is better between then and now. Possibly because both are very special indeed…

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

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]

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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #169 (another 'never a dull moment...' from R#42)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the P45 microphone

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Texasluvsjonny]

Sometimes, you’re just better off not knowing.

I was in the van after the second San Jose show, thinking to myself what a great time the fellas appeared to be having onstage lately. I couldn’t help but wonder why that was? Are the new songs more energetic, more celebratory? Have the crowd reactions been stronger? Maybe it’s the fact that after six months of promo, actually playing the songs to huge crowds is like a massive shot in the arm? After all, small rooms full of just a few crew and TV cameras can feel a little vibe-less and flat when compared with 15,000 folks making their feelings very much known.

But as I say, ultimately it doesn’t matter why. The fellas are clearly having a properly great time - and the shows have been total belters as a result. San Jose were a pretty damn loud crowd. Perhaps it’s been like this every night and I just spent more time with my earpieces out, taking it all in.

They’re most definitely in the zone right now. There have been tinkerings, though with some possible setlist additions in soundchecks. One of the Viva album tracks that only got a rare live outing has had a workout. I really hope it makes it back into the setlist, it’s one of my all time favourite Coldplay live tracks (particularly the ending when Jonny goes off into full on guitar hero territory).

They also played around with something from a long way back. It’s all a sign of a band very much alive and enjoying themselves. The possibilities keep appearing left and right for great additions, but the set right now is so killer that it’s tough to work out where to make substitutions. I’d call that a good problem to have…

Whilst I’m talking of day to day work, I don’t think I’ve mentioned my very exciting new microphone. Now, all of the “backline” crew, who look after the band’s instruments during the show have in-ear monitors (a radio receiver with little in-ear headphones moulded to fit their ear exactly). Woodsy, keeper of the medieval monitor underworld has constructed an elaborate system of microphones that lets us all shout up if there’s a problem or a request and everyone (including the soundcrew) hear it.

There’s also a mic next to Will’s drumkit (separate to his vocal mic) that is routed only to his drumtech Bash's ears and to mine for song cues. Communication from the band to the crew helps in all manner of situations (Chris shouts to Will that he wants to drop a song and do something else and Will can tell the crew, via Bash or I, immediately)

We’ve had all of this for some time now and it’s become absolutely invaluably helpful as the show has got more complex. Fast communication can make all the difference between a tiny problem and a huge one. It also just makes everything easier. Above all though, the “shout system” is the best source of entertainment for the roadie community since the self-stocking beer fridge.

This is never more evident than in the final minutes before showtime, when the adrenaline starts to kick in and the comms system becomes a comedy free for all. Usually it descends (like any group of five year olds given walkie talkies for the first time) into a combination of insults and seeing who can crack the most inappropriate gag.

Once the show proper is running, it’s all business. Too much chatter is a pain for everyone and breaks concentration. Long soundcheck jams though, are a time when the shout system heats up and becomes a hotbed of nonsense chatter. There has even been threats of a Karaoke competition on the shout system in soundchecks when Chris usually doesn’t sing, in an effort to preserve his voice.

The biggest nightmare then, is that the mics would be mis-routed and end up in the band’s in-ear monitors, not just ours. Apart from the fact that most of the chatter is humour at its most puerile, it would also be massively distracting for a band in mid-flow. It was very much with this in mind then, that when we discussed the fact that none of us could ever talk to the band and make them aware of a problem, there was a *lot* of wary caution.

It was decided that I should get a mic that could talk directly to Will should the need ever arise in a show. This mic became immediately referred to in emails as “The P45 mic”. (P45 being the form that your employer fills out in the UK when they fire you!) Obviously, I was going to have to be very, *very* careful to make sure I didn’t mix my two mics up. Wisecracking roadie banter into Will’s ears while he’s trying to propel the show from the back mightn’t lead to instant dismissal, but it’s definitely to be avoided at all costs.

Imagine my delight then, when I arrived for the first day of rehearsals weeks ago and found that Radio Rocket Scientist Ali Viles had already gone to great lengths with a spraycan to help me differentiate my “shout mic” from my “P45”.

Before I head off for the Hollywood Bowl, I shouldn’t forget to mention this wonderful outfit that someone wore to one of the San Jose shows. There was quite a lot of debate amongst the crew as to whether it was a wolf, a lion or a tiger. (It even went as far as a very confused radio call overheard backstage claiming that “there is a bear in the audience”.)

Whatever (and more importantly WHYever) the outfit had come to be at a Coldplay show, they looked to be having a great time - they even wore their wristband - and they had some great moves to boot.

Never a dull moment…

R42

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #168 (the joys of an off-stage band member)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the joys of an off-stage band member

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks _Tash]

My God, can we be a week into the tour already? We’re sitting on the tarmac waiting for departure to show number six.

It has to be said that this first week has felt not entirely unlike a jet taking off. The rush of getting the first few shows happening has much the same adrenaline inducing surge that you get as the engines kick in and the pilot eases off the brakes...

We’ve managed to get airborne pretty quickly too, I’d say - and with pleasingly minimal turbulence. And the view has been pretty great.

First thing’s first though, I have to say that the Canadian crowds (and Vancouver in particular) were truly outstanding. Chris has taken to chanting “the more you give, the more you get” over and over through the intro to God Put A Smile. This was most certainly the case here. As someone who sees the show night after night, you can always tell when the fellas are enjoying themselves and feel the show gaining intensity as a result.

Good job, folks!

If there’s been a pilot through the takeoff of the tour, you’d have to point in Phil Harvey’s direction. I’ve often said before that he’s got a unique perspective on events, in that he can look at the show through both the band’s eyes and the fans’.

One of the frustrations for any touring band, is that they’ll never be able to truly watch their own show and know how it looks sounds and feels. Having a “fifth member” then, who isn’t onstage, is an asset beyond measure. He knows intimately what the band are trying to achieve and can report back with complete honesty whether or not they’re delivering.

This works both ways, too. Phil also knows what strikes a chord with the crowd - the things that they’ll take home as a treasured memory. Sometimes the band would be more comfortable doing things their own way, or feel uneasy making a grand gesture. Having an enthusiastic audience member on stage in soundcheck that can wield considerable influence, means the comfort-zone gets challenged.

We’ve also seen the return of the C-Stage on this leg. The band leave the huge sprawling main stage before the ‘encore’, only to confuse one and all by appearing behind them, way up in the back. It’s one of my favourite gags in the show.

The platform the four of them stand on up there, is no bigger than the tiny “rolling riser” that Chris’s piano sits on down on the main stage. When you see that Will has a mini-piano of his own up there, you realise that the four of them really are perched on a postage stamp.

They’re also quite literally surrounded by the punters. There’s no fancy stage, no big gimmicks, just a band, singing a song under a single spotlight - about as up close and personal as it’s possible to get.

Something I noticed the first time I took a hike up to the C-stage took me somewhat by surprise. Those close to the band often stand staring at the video screens in the other direction - often with a camera-phone held up towards the band. This is somewhat baffling, initially. The people they’ve come to see are now standing close enough to touch and they’re gazing off at a screen a hundred feet away.

It only dawns on me when I take a look at the screens myself. With the band essentially standing on the row of seats in front of them, these folks are now squarely in camera shot. They’re not watching the screen to see the band that are at arms length from them - they’re checking themselves out. It’s a little like the studio audiences you see on TV, where they’re looking off to the side at the monitors. It makes perfect sense on the screen, but when you’re standing next to them, it looks faintly ridiculous.

As for the mobile phones, we’re well past the age of “pics or it didn’t happen” and now we’re into “video on Facebook, NOW”…

Well, our flight from Portland to Seattle is almost done. The journey that is the Mylo Xyloto Tour though, has very much just begun.

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

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]

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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #167 (North American tour leg 1 begins!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 reports on the first shows of N. American tour

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks _Tash]

Aaaaaand we’re off!

I’ve said before that a tour is essentially a huge machine, powered for the most part by an extraordinary amount of human effort. Considering we haven’t really done any “proper touring” since before Christmas, we’re really trying to get this massive contraption in motion from a stationary and cold start. I can’t help but see these first few days as being a bit like the band and crew united, leaning their shoulders into push-starting an ocean liner. Of course, we’re not starting completely from scratch. We’re building on everything that has gone before. There’s plenty of changes though. Phil has been overseeing new video content for the screens as well as working with show designer Paul Normandale on a heap of new show elements...

The band have also been working away at a couple of new additions to the setlist (which itself has been juggled and re-jigged).

Every single one of us has new stuff to deal with and take on board in addition to the basic task of actually getting everything back up and running. Our first few days have been the usual mad rush to make all the pieces fit, but after two shows, I have to say, it feels like we’re in great shape.

The reviews are in and pretty much everything I’ve seen so far seems to reinforce what I’ve secretly suspected all along. Many reviewers come with the express intent of hating the band, but when faced with the live show that the guys now put on, they can’t manage to keep their cynicism intact.

Everything I’ve read has been a unanimous, resounding thumbs-up. These first shows certainly felt to me like a pretty triumphant return.

The setlist is relentless. It simply does not let up from start to finish. The whole band have been training and working out like demons of late and I can’t help but wonder whether this gym action is where the pace is coming from. The show is now like a hundred minute hit of Coldplay circuit training. Even the “quieter” songs don’t let the intensity drop. Granted, The Scientist and Fix You are nothing like as in your face adrenaline wise as Hurts Like Heaven or God Put A Smile, but the huge sing-alongs mean that the emotional impact stays just as strong.

So the good ship Xylotour is launched and I’d say we’re in for a damn good ride. I’ll leave you though, with further evidence of band and crew sweating simultaneously. It seems the ongoing band vs crew football tournament is back with us and the inaugural match took place yesterday on the first day off of the tour.

I’ll draw a veil over the final score, but suffice to say that the band may have benefitted from being marginally less hungover than Roadie FC.

(Thanks to team manager Jackie Jackson for the photo).

I’d say “next time, eh fellas?”, but that would imply the crew’ll lay off the sauce before the next one. I think deep down, we all know the truth…

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

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]

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]

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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #166 (reporting from the Secret Policeman's Ball!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the Secret Policeman's Ball

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks _Tash]

Coldplay played Radio City Music Hall back in the Parachutes days. I know this because I recently found a box of Guy’s first ever camcorder tapes. On this tape they were all looking *incredibly* young and fresh, wandering around the stage before soundcheck marvelling at how immense the place was.

It is indeed a hugely impressive building...

Sound-checking some ten years later, they’re somewhat more worldly and experienced. Chris arrives and throws himself into the rehearsal with all the energy of a full show. Clearly it’s been a good birthday…

For anyone not familiar with the Secret Policeman’s Ball, it’s a fundraising event for Amnesty International. The majority of performers throughout the evening are comedians and there is a definite political slant to the humour. I wander out and watch a good few of them. John Stewart, (who had the band on his show as guests during Viva), is predictably brilliant, as is Russell Brand.

The tiny backstage corridors of the theatre are in full on Muppet-Show-mode as folks fly on and off the stage. Waiting for the lift to the dressing room can feel like being in the middle of an episode of Saturday Night Live, as comedy legends greet each other left and right.

Coldplay are closing the show and do so in a celebratory style. It’s only three songs, but they explode out of the gate and by the time the confetti is falling, Chris has bounced up off the stage and into the balconies. Wonderful chaos…

It’s one of the more unusual shows we’ve done on this album’s outing - which it must be said has had its fair share of odd shows! We have almost a whole month off now (or pottering in the studio, which is at least a change of gear, if not a complete rest). I have to admit I’ll be glad to get into doing our own shows, come April. The simplicity of just turning up and doing our own thing will feel like a great luxury after months of promo and TV.

I don’t think we’ve ever ‘started’ a tour with the band in such fine form and the direction so well set. I’ve a feeling they’ll be great gigs and an enjoyable time for all. I guess we’ll find out soon enough…

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

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]

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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #165 (reporting back from Good Morning America!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the 3.30am Good Morning America lobby call

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks _Tash]

Now, a 3.30am lobby call is usually a pretty cruel blow. However, in a wonderful demonstration that two wrongs sometimes do make a right, the London-NYC jetlag has me up and about and feeling fine before the alarm even goes off.

It’s all in the name of Good Morning America, of course. The band are performing on air at 8.30am - which means getting set up and soundchecked obscenely early, but it does give us pretty much the whole day to ourselves once it’s done.

The morning of the GMA show, is Chris’s birthday. As a treat, he’s relieved of soundcheck duties. Singing at 8.30am is hard enough. Soundchecking at 6 would just be unkind. This leaves the studio with a problem, though. They want to do “camera blocking” during soundcheck. This means that someone must be found to stand in for Chris so that all of the camera folks can learn the songs and plan their moves.

Will’s drumtech Bash is chosen to doppelgang Mr. Martin. This is partly down to the fact that he’s a very similar height and partly down to the fact that he’s a natural showoff and can’t resist. There’s also the fact that he spent last night at Madison Square Garden and came pretty much straight from there to load in here at 1am. If anyone’s in the right frame of mind to rock out for the cameras, it’s him.

Of course, we’re not the only ones who’ve been up since some ungodly hour. Outside the windows behind the band are some gloriously bonkers types who’ve braved the cold to show support. Good on ya folks!

Come stage-time, the fellas rip into Yellow with impressive gusto given the hour. It’s funny, Yellow’s been around longer than I’ve been working for the band, so it’s always been like part of the furniture for me, but lately I’ve loved watching them play it all over again. Four fellas making a glorious noise and looking as though they’re loving every minute of it.

That’s not to say that Charlie Brown and Paradise were any less high octane in their performance this morning - as you can see for yourself on the clips online.

Then all of a sudden it’s over. We’re jumping into cars and heading back "home" after a day’s work well done. Out the windows NYC is heading into work and starting their day.

Forever out of sync…

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

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]

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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #163 (reporting back from the GRAMMYs!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 gives his perspective on last weekend's Grammy Awards in LA

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks _Tash]

They’re a funny thing, awards shows. I guess then, that if Glastonbury is the “Beatles of festivals” as CM once quipped, then the Grammys is pretty much the toppermost of the poppermost when it comes to awards shows - and hence the funniest of funny things.

In my more sour roadie moments, I’ve likened working at awards shows to going to a slightly stiff family wedding - you know that you have to go, but you’re pretty sure you're not exactly going to *enjoy* it - and you’re damn sure that you’ll be glad when it’s over.

I guess the oddest thing for me, is that they carry all of the weight and importance of a large show (a Glastonbury, say), but offer none of the joyous release when the audience connects, or when the band leave the stage and all that preparation and worry have paid off.

It’s partly, of course, down to our involvement amounting to a mere few minutes. In a regular show, that’d be enough time for the intro tape to roll and the band to get through the instrumental MX intro. It’s also partly due to a sense of perhaps not really belonging. We’re kind of distantly related to the people here, but we don’t really know if we’re *part* of it.

A funny thing happens as the rehearsal and show days move past, though. Wandering around the backstage corridor which rings the entire arena, there are a lot of familiar faces. Folks who’ve helped us out in the past - crew who’ve treated us well here before and make time for a smile and nod or perhaps a warm handshake as the show bustles on.

Further down the corridor, you can’t help but read the dressing room signs as you pass. Paul McCartney on the left, Bruce Springsteen to the right. I guess if you’re going to be part of a family, this isn’t exactly a bad bunch to find yourself among. The band have most definitely always had their sights aimed high in terms of becoming writers of classic and enduring songs - like those of the most distinguished folks here.

I wander up to check on my gear and then sneak down the seating to watch the show from the boom camera platform. Bruno Mars attempts to gee up the attendant industry crowd with a “rattle your jewellery”-style shout. The arena is full of folks from all corners of the music business.

Quite surprisingly, they all rise to their feet and show some love. (It’s an entire arena full of the music business and folks “in the biz”, after all, are notoriously “too cool for school”.) It suddenly occurs to me that all of these people have had their lives and careers driven by a desire to be closer to music - the same reason I’m here.

It’s a celebration of achievement, I guess. The artists, the folks who help them along the way. As with anything as personal as music though, trying to pick a “winner” is a strange concept at best. You can pretty much guarantee that every individual in the place would pick a vastly differing crop of favourites, but the point is that music itself is worth celebrating.

It’s a tough time to be in any way involved in music. You read worrying articles everywhere claiming doom and gloom all around in the industry. But there are plenty of people here that think music is important and that it’ll survive - and most of all, that getting together and making a fuss about it is a good idea.

Every time I visit the Grammys, I’m a little less cynical. With any luck, Coldplay will have a long and successful career that brings them back here time and time again. Who knows, if that happens, then by the time that they’re stately elders, I might even end up looking forward to 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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #161 (working on a NEW song!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: Coldplay round off the tour in Berlin by working on a brand new song

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks _Tash]

I hadn’t thought about it until Chris mentioned it on the B-stage. He thanks the Frankfurt crowd and mentions that Germany is where this tour really started, back on Rock im Park all those months ago. Fitting then, that we bring the show back here just before we break for Christmas.

I don’t think there can be anyone not going home from this tour not feeling as though they’ve been hit by a truck (or indeed, by a dozen of them, or however many it is we’re up to now). It’s been an utterly bonkers six or seven months, but looking at the way the record has been taken to people’s hearts and how joyous the shows are, you can’t help but conclude it’s been worthwhile.

I’m going to keep this one brief. Primarily because in the rush to get out of the back door in the runner to the airport, I left my memory card in my camera, which means all my photographic evidence from the past few days is on a truck to Abu Dhabi. (I promise I’ll dig a few things out for you once we hit new year.)

I should probably tell you that we had a rather interesting soundcheck in Berlin today, with a bunch of files finding their way over the internet to me from the studio for the fellas to work on before doors. It’s not a song that’s likely to be in the set for a good while. I’d say that once they’ve finished writing and recording it though, it’s got a good chance…

Order of business today was mainly Will’s drums. There’s something about the sound of a drumkit exploding through an enormous PA in an empty arena that no amount of studio gimmickry is going to be able to beat. So the work in progress track is fed to Will’s ears and he slams into it, shaking the dust from the highest rafters.

I believe that some of the drum sound on Up In Flames came from the soundcheck in The Roundhouse when Chris first played the song to the rest of the band - so this afternoon may well end up - well, wherever this song finds itself…

I’ll leave you with a photo of one of the audience from the Frankfurt show. Looks kinda familiar, can’t quite put my finger on it, but I’m sure I’ve seen this fella before…

Merry Christmas folks,

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 2011 and 2012 shows:

DECEMBER 2011

14 - Paris, France @ Bercy [discussion]

15 - Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena [discussion]

17 Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Ahoy [discussion]

18 Antwerp, Belgium @ Sportpaleis [discussion]

20 Frankfurt, Germany @ Festhalle [discussion]

21 Berlin, Germany @ O2 World Arena [discussion]

31 Abu Dhabi, UAE @ Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village [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]

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]

28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]

29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]

JULY 2012

2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips 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

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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #161 (Twinkle Twinkle little stars, look how they shine for you...)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: Roadie #42, the errant smoke machine and the soundcheck experiments

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks _Tash]

I’ve got to be honest, I was expecting the Rotterdam audience to be somewhat - um, “laid back” I guess is the right phrase. It just goes to show that you never can tell…

It’s a good noisy crowd that sing through the show at the Ahoy - none more so than when the band are on the B-Stage and the cheer for Will during Us Against The World is so huge that the song grinds to a halt amidst disbelieving giggles on stage.

Meanwhile, *underneath* the stage shortly later, things go similarly silly just before Clocks when it becomes clear that an errant smoke machine has been kicked and is now facing in the wrong direction. Rather than fill the stage with smoke for the lasers, it instead fills the entire under-stage corridor with thick smoke. I can hardly see the computer screen in front of me and begin wafting the smoke out of the side curtain with a clipboard in either hand.

Click to see bigger version

I’m wondering to myself what it must look like to the crowd in the seats immediately above stage left as the drape flips open belching smoke and revealing coughing grinning roadies - just as the drums explode into Clocks. I muse that it can only look like the scene in a film when the inventor is thrown backwards through the door of his lab after a huge bang - covered in black soot and missing his eyebrows. Just then, Monitor Engineer Chris Wood’s voice comes over the crew comms system. “Takes me back to working for the Sisters Of Mercy.”

Never a dull moment…

Somewhat randomly, the following day in Antwerp, we’re soundchecking. It turns out that the band are keen to have a tinker with the setlist. First, they fiddle with a different approach on Us Against The World and then they try a couple of tunes not heard since the Viva shows. After some chin-stroking and discussion, Chris turns to Guy and laughs.

“We’re not going to play any of this tonight, are we?”

Guy simply smiles and shakes his head. More work to be done, clearly…

Next, they blast through one of the new songs that got a workout during production rehearsals. It sounds pretty damn ready to me. Come setlist time though, it’s not made it on. Oh well - it’s not like there aren’t a whole bunch more shows coming up…

One of the comments from the band during soundcheck is how much they miss Phil’s voice in these situations. I’ve always described Phil as being able to view everything occurring through both the eyes of the band and those of their audience. It’s in situations like this, where decisions need to be made, his absence is most strongly felt.

Phil of course, hasn’t gone away, he’s simply got some other very exciting matters of his own to attend to for a few days. There’s plenty of the extended Coldplay gang around though, in the shape of the Champion family. They’re here for a couple of shows to see their dad at work and it’s a suitably wonderful sight to see. I have to say that the family vibe seems to have made touring an awful lot more civilised - or maybe we’ve all grown up a little bit, I’m not sure.

One thing I do know for certain, is that it’s extremely difficult to take the whole thing too seriously when there is a toddler holding the radio mic and singing Twinkle Twinkle Little Star through the sound system…

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 2011 and 2012 shows:

DECEMBER 2011

14 - Paris, France @ Bercy [discussion]

15 - Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena [discussion]

17 Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Ahoy [discussion]

18 Antwerp, Belgium @ Sportpaleis [discussion]

20 Frankfurt, Germany @ Festhalle [discussion]

21 Berlin, Germany @ O2 World Arena [discussion]

31 Abu Dhabi, UAE @ Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village [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]

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]

28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]

29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]

JULY 2012

2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips 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

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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #160 (from video shoot to Paris to Cologne... and happy birthday #42!)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: Roadie #42 blogs about Paris, Cologne and an unexpectedly flashing wristband...

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks zzz]

What a difference a few weeks can make. We had shows in Paris and Cologne during the album launch period. We’re back in those same two cities now and we’ve reached the light at the end of the tunnel that got us through the past six months or so of promo chaos. Yes, we’re finally “just doing gigs”.

Not only that - to further the joy, the band have decided not to soundcheck for these last few shows. This relaxes the schedule to a fantastically civilised degree. Finally, it’s just back to the only thing that matters being the time that the band and the audience come together. And what a time that's turning out to be…

Before I continue with the shows we’ve just had, I must make mention of a great story I heard from the Charlie Brown video shoot the other day. The xyloband wristbands are activated using radio by Jason, our inventor-in-residence. He was of course at the video shoot with his kit making the wristbands flash appropriately.

Apparently, when he flicked the switch on Mat Whitecross’s command, a local woman who had been at X Factor on the weekend sat up in her living room and noticed that the wristband on her mantlepiece had started flashing. She thought no more of it until she left her flat to pop to the shops and walked past a building with a pile of flight-cases outside and Charlie Brown quite clearly blasting through the walls.

She excitedly ran back to the flat and donned her wristband, convinced that she’d discovered a secret gig. Back at the shoot site, the wristbands were actually being used by security to identify those involved in the video, so she simply wandered into the church for a look at what was going on, before finally asking someone just what on earth was going on.

I love the idea of the wristbands being some multi-coloured flashing Bat-Symbol calling Coldplay fans to action. She clearly did too! Who knows where all this will end up…

I do know that we ended up in France. Scene of many of Coldplay’s finest shows. This Paris show was no exception, with a hugely vocal and up-for-it crowd lifting it into a rollickingly good night.

Shiver makes it into the Paris setlist again. It contrasts well against the more densely layered new material and judging by the Paris reaction, it’s a very welcome addition.

Folks filming the show on their phones is pretty commonplace now, but Paris marks something that’s definitely a first for me. I look out and see a fella holding a tablet aloft in both hands, even panning around and following Chris up and down the ramp. He seems to be at it for the whole show - I can only wonder what it must have been like being stood behind him all night.

Another strange and unusual occurrence comes back at the hotel. In my younger days, I was a very enthusiastic and indeed quite accomplished drinker. The times I make it into the bar on a tour now though, tend to be countable on one hand. As midnight marks it officially becoming my birthday, I wander down “just for one” with predictable results.

There’s much talk in the bar of the fact that the hotel rooms all have acoustic guitars in them. This too is most unusual. My guitar is horribly out of tune. I resist the temptation to ring the front desk to ask for someone to tune it, then notice that the name of the hotel is in fancy text above the tuning pegs. More imaginative than a bathrobe, I guess - but hell getting the suitcase shut…

I’m reminded of why drinking and I parted ways for much of the following day, but can’t fail to be kept in good spirits by constant good wishes as I wander about the corridors before the gig. Indeed, when I finally get under the stage to my world, I find it’s been decorated, making it amusingly difficult to actually see the stage.

The Cologne show sees Shiver shuffled onto the B-Stage (or the “X-Stage” as I believe it is correctly termed), where Will rightfully gets a big cheer for his contribution and all round multi-instrumentalism.

The flight home sees another round of Happy Birthdays, a cake and then home for a birthday day off.

Magic.

R42

Don't forget to check out your tour discussion thread if you are getting tickets/excited for the European & North American 2011 and 2012 shows:

DECEMBER 2011

14 - Paris, France @ Bercy [discussion]

15 - Cologne, Germany @ Lanxess Arena [discussion]

17 Rotterdam, Netherlands @ Ahoy [discussion]

18 Antwerp, Belgium @ Sportpaleis [discussion]

20 Frankfurt, Germany @ Festhalle [discussion]

21 Berlin, Germany @ O2 World Arena [discussion]

APRIL 2012

17 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place [discussion]

18 Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome [discussion]

20 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]

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]

25 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]

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

3 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

4 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

7 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

02 Paris, France @ Stade de France [discussion]

04 Cologne, Germany @ Rheinenergie Stadium [discussion]

06 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)

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #159 (shooting the Charlie Brown video...)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the Charlie Brown video shoot

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks _Tash]

Following the directions from the car park to the video shoot location, I pass the pub that’s noted on the map. I look in the windows to see if there’s anyone I recognise in there. The pub is completely awash with folks covered in luminous paint. Clearly I’m getting close.

They’re quite a striking sight, all crazy hairdos, raving outfits and glow in the dark splashes - yet they’re all sat quietly chatting, drinking and reading the paper like it’s the most normal thing in the world. I have to wonder what the old fella in the corner who’s nipped in for a quiet lunchtime half is thinking.

The shoot site itself is classic Mat Whitecross. I trudge in over the mud and into a very musty abandoned old wreck. It’s about the least glamorous location you can imagine, but you can instantly see it’s going to look great...

On the way, I pass Paris, the band’s resident graffiti artist. He’s recounting a tale to his friend. Apparently, he turned up last night to get started Mylo-ing up the interior. When he arrived, he found that the key he’d been given didn’t appear to match the padlock.

Now, Paris is a graffiti artist from Bristol with a backpack full of spray cans and a job to do. It will come as a surprise to absolutely no-one that a locked door poses less of a problem to him than to many in this situation. Soon, he’s inside working his way around the walls weaving his magic.

Equally unsurprising is the fact that he’s shortly finding himself trying to explain to a local bobby that he really was allowed to be in here and that he really *wasn’t* planning an illegal party.

Never a dull moment…

I’ll not talk too much about the shoot itself - you’ll see the whole thing for yourself in the fullness of time and knowing Mat Whitecross as we do, it’s shaping up to be a belter…

R42

Photos from behind-the-scenes of Coldplay's video shoot for new single Charlie Brown:

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]

Coldplay Roadie #42 - Blog #158 (X Factor review and O2 gigs)

Thu, 01 Jan 1970 00:00:00 +0000

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 muses on a triumphant TV performance and two homecoming shows

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks _Tash]

Back in 2002, very shortly after I joined the Coldplay travelling circus, we found ourselves in a tiny club in San Francisco. I remember the soundcheck having been somewhat eventful, almost ending in fisticuffs over nothing of any great import. Shortly before showtime, I dived into the dressing room to clarify something about the setlist. Chris was in mid-stream, giving an impassioned monologue - to whom exactly, I don’t remember - I was more concerned with getting the information I needed without interrupting.

As I left though, I caught a phrase that he was hammering emphatically. “…It’s still all about bringing passionate music into the mainstream, which is what we’ve always been about…”

The phrase came back (somewhat shortened) minutes later when the intro tape finished and they smashed into Politik. Chris yelped the phrase over the opening chords (he used to yell all manner of random stuff at the start of that tune back in the day I seem to remember).

I’d been with the band a mere month or two at this point, but I took it as a statement of intent. It’s stuck with me to this day.

Back then, of course, they still dressed like scruffy students and the majority of the public didn’t really have a clue who they were. They might have heard of Yellow, but for the most part, Coldplay “belonged” to a relatively small group of people “in the know”. This meant that they could be loved not just by real live human beings, but also by those who appoint “credibility”.

The band no longer dress as scruffy students (but then why should they, having graduated over a decade ago and covered thousands upon thousands of miles since?). They’ve also committed many crimes deemed heinous and unacceptable by the tastemakers. They’ve sold a very large number of records, they’ve fallen in love and got married - and most disgraceful of all, they’ve demonstrated a willingness to promote their music.

I don’t really see any change to their intent. The music they play now is no less passionate than when I met them. If anything, I’d say they’re more focused in their intensity and power. They’re a different band in many ways, but they’re still carrying the very same flag. They’re still making passionate music, and as for bringing it to the mainstream? Well, that brings me to the point of all of this.

Last night they played on the final of the X Factor. (For those outside the UK, I’m sure you have seen similar shows - think American Idol, or whatever your nation’s equivalent might be).

There has been a lot of discussion over whether this was a good idea - not least within the Coldplay camp itself. I remember first hearing that it was a possibility. “Man, you’re handing haters some pretty huge bullets there…” was my first thought.

The downsides are obvious. It now becomes effortless for the cool kids to lay out their case against the band. For some, the X Factor is the devil. It is regularly painted as the source of all evil in the current music industry. Indeed, as an angry young man back in my own student days, I’d have ranted at length against it, I expect.

I even struggle with all those feelings when I arrive on the day. It was partly the nerves of a tricky live show in front of 15 million or so. It had struck me that in many ways, fucking up tonight could be more of a big deal than if Glastonbury had gone wrong. The TV audience is much larger and indeed is not at all Coldplay’s crowd - many would be watching hoping to be able to hate them.

All of this was making me uneasy - it was a pressure gig, for sure. It put me in a frame of mind that really began to question whether this was a good idea at all.

Like many of the band’s crazier schemes though, it makes sense to me only when it finally takes place. The barrage of VT finishes and the floor manager cues the band. The room lights up as the song kicks in and it soon becomes clear that they’re absolutely nailing it up there.

Once they take flight, it’s impossible not to be carried along with it. I’m taken right back to that San Francisco dressing room in 2002. They’re doing what they’ve always done. They’re making the very best music they can and they’re putting it where as many people as possible can see it and make their own minds up.

My Twitter timeline has a good selection of snarky cynics, but when I leave the venue and have a quick read, even they have posted messages at having been sat wide-eyed at the performance. Doubtless, there’s plenty of people who didn’t watch who’ll carry on thinking that this marks the band’s ultimate sellout. There’s probably some who watched it and weren’t that impressed. I’ll bet you there’s a hell of a lot more that watched who were very surprised with what they saw.

Now, I’m as cynical and sarcastic as the next person (in fact on a good day, I’m as cynical and sarcastic as the next five or six people…) but I couldn’t help but be proud of the fellas last night. They haven’t just got away with it - merely turning in a decent performance at a controversial choice of show. They’ve taken a risk and then they’ve absolutely “smashed it” (to coin a phrase…)

These views of course, are my own. Your own may differ. For all I know, the band’s may, too. (I was out the back door within 15 minutes of the performance and won’t see anyone until tomorrow.) I’ve a feeling though, that it’ll go down as a bit of a watershed moment.

But that’s not all that’s been going on. We’ve had a couple of rather large hometown shows, too.

The first O2 show sees the return to the setlist of Don’t Panic. And a rare lead vocal from the Bucklander.

As befits a hometown show, there are friends and family aplenty. Every corner you turn sees another member of the touring party showing a small gathering of their clan around the sprawling roadie village beneath, beside and behind the stage.

String Maestro Davide Rossi is in attendance and, as ever, brings his own ray of sunshine to proceedings. Various band parents are here too and the whole home and family vibe means it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas.

This is enhanced the following night when we have another show in the same venue, but of a completely different kind. It’s the Under 1 Roof show, in honour of a charity, Kids Company, that the fellas have been heavily involved with for some time now.

The phrase “Under One Roof” and the logo has been sprayed in graffiti all over the studio for the past couple of years. It's also appeared in the bottom corner of many pages of Chris’s notebook and even on handwritten setlists we’ve been given. Finally seeing the event come into being then, is a huge deal.

That’s not to say it’s all smooth sailing. There’s a very strong Muppet Show feel to the whole day, as everyone races around trying to work out just exactly what the hell is going on. There’s a whole bunch of additional folks on the bill tonight, from Tinie Tempah to Rob Brydon, to Steve Coogan's a(-haaa)lmighty Alan Partridge.

Partridge is an absolute comedy legend to so many of us. Chris appears to know the scripts to every single episode of his shows word for word, so to have him share a stage is a huge deal.

It’s good-natured chaos for the whole evening and ends with a duet that I’m certainly not likely to forget in a hurry…

It’s becoming difficult to keep up with just how many high points keep popping up through this campaign. It really is shaping up to be quite a ride.

R42

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]