R#42 blog

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 fancies a cuppa   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Lore]   Tea. Daily studio life can come to revolve around it.   To borrow someone else's story for a moment, it's claimed that uber-producer Flood earned his nickname very early in his career whilst working as an assistant on an album with The Cure. Legend has it that he was one of two assistants working alternate days in the studio. The two chaps apparently had v

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 goes for smiles and smiles   Congratulations to Elena35 who wins the 6th round of Roadie sweepstakes! Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks zzz]   I guess it's inevitable that after a couple months away from the recording process, the first couple of weeks back would feel a little like being thrown into a wind tunnel. When the fellas get the bit between their teeth, things start to move very quickly. And then they acce

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: Our man on the inside is back...   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks AnnaElisabeth]   Oh yes, I should have mentioned that we were going away for our summer holidays.... But today, like legions of kids across the land being dragged away from their Xboxes (or their surfboards...) we're back to school. Interestingly and somewhat predictably, we've spent the last ten days prepping the studio ready for what we thought woul

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 watches as Coldplay create   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks coldplayisawesome]   Greetings folks, from back inside the Beehive. I'm at my desk, which is tucked away behind one of the pianos. Over my shoulder are two rather beaten up old sofas. This "lounge area" is where every recording day starts - beginning, as every day should, with strong coffee.   I talked in the last blog about different ways in which the

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 returns with more news from the studio...   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks SueDeNimes]   Greetings to you from Budapest. I'm nearing the end of a two week break from the studio. We're back in on Monday. I greet you hanging my head and begging forgiveness. Yes, seven weeks is an obscenely long time to be leaving you hanging. Apart from this couple of weeks of being a civilian, my primary distraction has been that

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: Chris has got a little project for #42   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards.   I've talked before about differences between what I've experienced when touring with the band and work here at the studio. Mostly, it's the fact that you're not sure what's coming next. Touring is fairly repetitive; the scenery changes a great deal, but the daily routine is pretty much set in stone. Here in the studio, it isn't like that. As you'd ex

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: They think it's all over...   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks marie/pims]   So there we have it folks. There goes the final whistle. The fat lady has sung and the world's Vida has been well and truly Viva-ed. Summing up two years of your life in a few words is a little like trying to mow a lawn using only scissors. I could try, but I'd pretty soon have sore fingers and give up. All I know is that I'm ready for a day

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42, the Parachutes song and the farewell dinner   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks tisnowflake]   As I write, we're only hours from the final closing bell on the Viva Tour. The realisation that we're reaching the end seems to have hit everyone simultaneously after the Guadalajara show. The fact that there is "just one more gig" - that the Monterrey show tomorrow is "the last one" flicks the switch and we're all faced

This morning I’ve arrived in the Estadio Universitario in Monterrey quite early to enjoy the last day from the start. The sun is shining, someone has put Lou Reed on to test the sound so here comes the title of the post (I haven’t slept enough last night so I’m short of ideas). The Oxfam stand is not set up yet, so I’ve got time for an update about Guadalajara’s concert.   The show was fantastic: my confetti shot was the best one since I’ve been using the ‘advanced’ machines. Butterflies came ou

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42, the bootleg merch and the unexpected Mexican singalong   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks svenky]   Coldplay have history with Mexico. The Rush Of Blood tour finished here at the Palacio Des Deportes in 2003. The X&Y tour also finished up here in 2007. Now, we're putting Viva to bed here in 2010. Of course, there is also the fact that the artist Frida Kahlo was born here - and that she provided so much of the

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the Bogota barnstormer   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks svenky]   Now, don't get me wrong, - Argentina and Brazil were both fantastic. Each wonderful in their own way (largely down to the people and the response). For me personally though, things really get interesting when we leave for Bogota. Not for any reasons pertaining to one of their more well known exports, but because I've never been before. When we

[Notepad-typed notes on the flight to Mexico City] Two days since my last post from Brazil and we’ve already been to Colombia and gone. So here we are, on a plane to Mexico right now and Mexico City is in some way what everyone in the crew has been looking forward to: we’re half-way through the tour and also this is the only place where Coldplay will play twice in the same venue so it means a bit more time for everyone.   Last night show in Bogotà was in the huge (how many times will I use this

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: In which Coldplay bow to pressure and play Shiver   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here [thanks marie/pims]   So we're three shows in and what belters they've been. Buenos Aires had the task of getting us back on track after a lengthy break. I can't deny I was nervous before the gig. The scale of the show and all that goes into making it happen had become much more apparent having had five months to forget which buttons to press.   With

Hello from Rio de Janeiro. Coldplay are just about to play tonight in the famous sambodromo Apoteose and Oxfam is here, as the band have asked us again if we wanted to come along. This time it’s me, Giulia, trying to make the most of this opportunity for Oxfam to be heard and to involve as many fans as possible. And I will be reporting for you on the fabulous life of the ‘Oxfam Rep’ on tour.   The tour started last Friday in Buenos Aires, with about 50,000 people in the River Plate stadium singi

Mad traffic - two words that perfectly sum up my first impression of São Paulo. Okay: we arrived just at rush hour and the city is huge, but the journey from the airport took us absolutely ages, despite the driver trying his best to find as many shortcuts as one can possibly imagine.   Anyway, we’re finally here, the crew is already loading in for tomorrow’s gig. I haven’t seen the Morumbi Stadium yet, but it’s supposed to be MASSIVE: with a capacity of over 60,000 people, I can only imagine how

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: In which #42 gets scared, discusses new songs and looks forward to the tour   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks AnnaElisabeth]   Where on earth does the time go? One minute it's Christmas and I'm rushing about wondering whether we're going to get the eBay auction finished, or whether it's going to finish us first. Suddenly, I look around to see that the Latin America leg has begun and it's nearly March. Before I start

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the Beehive's clean slate   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards.   Happy New Year folks! Somewhat fittingly for the season of fresh starts and new beginnings, we're finally installed in The Beehive. The builders have been in here for months, but last week, we got word that they were all but finished. Obviously, the band are chomping at the bit to get in and get started. So, in typical Coldplay style, the process of build

To the relief of Latin America Coldplay Fans, Coldplay finally announced their Viva La Vida Latin American Tour. Argentina, Brazil, Colombia and Mexico are featured on the list and a second Mexico show was announced at the end of October. "Coldplay are pleased to announce a tour of Latin America for February/March 2010. The seven stadium shows will mark the end of the band's Viva La Vida world tour, which has so far seen them play 159 shows to 2.75 million fans across 25 countries."   Two weeks

As the sweet summer month began (August 4th), Coldplay was honored with four nominations for Viva la Vida at the VMA’s; this included the nomination for Best Rock Video.   Four days later Coldplay were sorry to announce that they had to cancel the last show on their US tour due to illness. The fans in Tampa were of course devastated, and unfortunately the promised re-scheduling of the show has not yet happened. Some comments to the Coldplay cancellation in Tampa, taken from Coldplaying.com are

The Coldplay blog from Exeter Castle in Southwest England has started following a bout of technical problems (well, a delayed train anyway). Please join us now at the Coldplay forum for all the discussion on the latest pictures, interviews, videos and updates from the live Coldplay Exeter blogging! Don't forget to keep an eye on the Vivacrew Twitter account which will also be tweeting live updates and photos prior to, during and after the performance courtesy of Jayzo and mimixxx.   Here are the

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 is back, Back, BACK! And he's in the sudio...   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks cephaus & deathandallmyfriends]   I keep wanting to say "Happy New Year" every time I see people. I can't speak for others, but six weeks off tour in the warmth of home, loved ones and general all round "real life" has felt like the holiday season. It hasn't helped that I saw my first "Christmas Shopping" adverts in mid-October th

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: As promised yesterday, it's #42's Wembley blog   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks SueDeNimes]   It's been 159 shows, 17 months and I couldn't even begin to imagine how many miles. I believe that the first blog entry of this tour was written on a flightcase in the corridor of Brixton Academy and included the line: "The crowd's gone home, the floor's a mess and the truck's nearly packed."   Well, looks like this is wher

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the post-tour hibernation   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks marie/pims]   Which cliché to chose in describing the experience of finishing a tour?   "It's like stepping off a fast moving train"? "Like being fired out of a cannon at a brick wall"? "The kind of dis-orientation you get when shaken awake from a deep sleep"?   All handy phrases I've used in the past to romanticise "life on the road". In reality, t

Oxfam UK: Here we are. Paused on the finish line. The finale. The final shows of the VIVA tour this year. Hundreds of flourescent jackets are scurrying about inside this huge, world famous stadium. You can already sense the rush and anticipation, which will only be quenched when Coldplay take the stage. It’s a huge occasion.   Everyone is pulling out all the stops, to make the next two days, days to remember for a long time.Of course, this place is a venue full of memories, where dreams come tru

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the superstar rapper   Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Noémie]   It's funny. We're within sight of the finish line, which means we should be coasting to a nice comfortable finish. Things seem to be more hectic than ever though. Today in Glasgow, we have Radio 1 recording the show for a Live Lounge transmission. This means getting in early and soundchecking almost the whole set (albeit only half of every other