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 very different levels of commitment to ensuring a regular flow of hot beverages. Apparently, this prompted Robert Smith to quip that on the tea front, it was "either flood or drought". The two assistants then became known by these names for the remainder of the session.

("All That Remains" - Left to right from top: Chris - glass of water, Markus Dravs - coffee long black, Brian Eno - mint infusion, Jonny - tea white without, Guy - tea white without, Rik - tea white without, Matt McGinn - tea white 1 sugar, Will - espresso intenso.)

It's a fair indication of the importance of the almighty brew, that Flood went on to achieve greatness and you don't see the name Drought on the back of many album covers. (Kids, ask your grandparents about "album covers", they were all the rage for a while...).

Perhaps the propensity for always having a steaming mug on hand comes from the fact that studio work can be quite "stop-start". In the old days, you'd wait for the tape to rewind, or for someone to fiddle around in the patch-bay. Nowadays, of course, technology has banished all of that for good. Or rather, it's simply replaced it with "waiting whilst one person clicks a mouse at a rate that would give a morse code operator cause for raised eyebrows".

The person in front of the computer here at the Beehive is Rik Simpson. Now Rik is a big tea fan, but during each of these moments, which form the ideal opportunity for a swig - he's the one rushing like a loon getting the job done. As a result, his desk can regularly be seen sporting an array of cold, half finished mugs. As the work ramps up, he's spending less and less time away from the computer screen between arriving at half nine and stumbling home some time in the next a.m.

This clearly hasn't gone unnoticed by the band - and this morning, something rather sweet occurs.

The first tea run of the day (actually featuring predominantly coffees, truth be told), is performed by assistant Chris Green. It always includes a few pastries, some fruit and some tubs of yoghurt and granola. Sometimes, people come in straight from the gym - or if the evening session has run long and sleep has been scant, straight from bed. This makes the morning coffees and teas into a last chance for a quick breakfast.

Will offers Rik a yoghurt, with the addition "and I want to see this eaten now, not still on your desk at 4pm".

It's not done in a sarcastic or nasty way, but rather in an almost fatherly and concerned manner. Not a lot gets past Mr. Champion. He's clearly twigged how hard Rik's been working and has figured that if Rik isn't going to look after himself, then he'll do it for him. Will stands behind Rik as he continues to fiddle in the Pro Tools screen. It's a lot like watching a parent trying to pull their child away from the X-box. I imagine Will has come straight in from the family breakfast table at home. Perhaps he's still in the transition from "parent mode" to "work mode". Perhaps he's just nice. Either way, Rik starts the day today with a healthy breakfast.

True to form though, his brew is still two thirds full come lunch time. I'm led to believe that in a previous studio, Rik was referred to by the name "Coldcup" for this practice of continually being too busy to get his brew while it was still hot.

Me, I'm considering asking for folks to start referring to me as 'NotherCuppa. Think it'll catch on?

R#42

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 accelerate. As detailed previously, "the plan" has again been shaken up like a fizzy drink can. Once they decide to bend back the ring pull, you'd better be on your toes...

The immediate plan has shifted to one very specific thing, to the exclusion of all else. Brian has often claimed that limitations are very useful in the creative process and in this case it's like a huge shot in the arm. The past week has been like watching one of those time lapse movies of a tree growing. Rather than a tree of course, we have a song. One song in particular.

The extreme focus and the speed with which things start to come together results in an unmistakable giddiness within the studio. Despite there being nothing stronger than a decent espresso in evidence here, you'd be forgiven for thinking that there was something chemical at work.

The excitement elevates the mood to the point where everyone is completely on form. Jokes crackle back and forth between takes - and the takes themselves are quite clearly keepers...

Davide Rossi joins us for a while. He's the immensely talented young man who put down all of the strings on Viva. He brings with him equal parts breathtaking virtuosity and supreme stand-up comedy. Pretty soon, he and Andy Rugg are in the Bakery laying down his army-of-one string section.

Upstairs, Jon Hopkins is sitting with Dan Green weaving laptop magic that will swell and glow throughout the track. From the bottom of the stairs, you can make out an acoustic guitar and Chris singing at the top of his lungs from through Phil's office door.

The ring pull has clearly been lifted - and the tune is exploding all over the place. What a lovely mess to witness. Moments like this come out of nowhere and a huge amount of progress is made very quickly. Sustaining this rate inevitably becomes the goal, which means the poor old Pro-Tools trackball is slowly melting under co-producer Rik Simpson's fingers.

I've escaped upstairs to my office. I've been given a backup task. Every hard disk involved in the recording process is backed up religiously on a daily basis. There's other media involved though. Chris has gone back to pen and paper recently and has been stuffing a notebook with lyrics, doodles and random thoughts.

Obviously, losing this would be disastrous, so I've been scanning every page, every scrap and every sellotaped addition. "The next record" exists in several forms within the Beehive walls. This, in many ways, is as pure a representation of what's coming than the stack of firewire drives sat on the Pro Tools rig.

So, ladies and gents, I give you the next Coldplay record:

R#42

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 would be our first lesson - only to have the timetable turned firmly on its head within the first hour of the band being in the building.

The natural response is to curse, tut and whine about moving goalposts, but we've long since learned that this is simply the way the creative process works. The band are attempting, after all, to create something from nothing. So planning the route is as much guesswork as anything else. As things begin to develop, the best way forward becomes clearer.

This, of course, is easy to type several days after the fact, made all the more easy by a good healthy dose of tutting and cursing which helped to smooth the transition.

After much discussion and frantic re-arrangement of the studio, the afternoon begins with the band in a circle and playing together. The results are pretty special.

I remember a long time ago discussing with a mate how driving a car very fast wasn't really that impressive. He said, "It's not like The Flintstones, where you've got your feet through the floor powering it yourself". In a way, making "huge sounding" music can be the same. It can be a triumph of machinery, when all the driver is doing is pressing his foot on a pedal.

Here and now, "big sounding" is some distance away, as the band are pretty much as close to silence as it's possible to get whilst still playing music. As a result, it's less like watching a racing driver and more like witnessing a high wire act. All poise, balance and the ever-present possibility that it could all go south at any moment.

Everyone in the room is still. I click the mouse button on my laptop and receive a disapproving raising of eyebrows from co-producer Rik Simpson. It becomes one of those moments where you're a little afraid to exhale in case it bursts the bubble or breaks the spell.

Our first week back continues in exactly this vein. "The plan" becomes a pinball, bouncing off different points of enthusiasm at alarmingly regular intervals. In all honesty, it would be pointless me trying to explain where we're going right now. By the time we're halfway there, we'll be going somewhere else.

Hell of a ride though....

Roadie #42

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 record gets made. These first-thing conversations are actually a hugely important part of the process too. The band spend a great deal of the day playing live together. These discussions beforehand, though, mean that everyone has a good idea of what they're trying to achieve before things start getting noisy.

The conversation about today's song is getting underway. Guy, Will, Chris and Phil are sitting with producer Markus Dravs. Jonny has already sat at his guitar-world and has begun experimenting with sounds. His guitar is being fed into his laptop. What is coming out the other end sounds very much like it's arriving from another planet.

Chris is mid flow discussing the song that they'll be working on today. It's a tune that he's been incredibly excited by since it first appeared and suddenly he's having very major doubts as to whether it will even end up making it onto the record. In a quintessentially Chris style, he gets halfway through a sentence outlining his grave concerns, before interrupting himself and turning to shout over his shoulder to Jonny.

"Fucking hell man, that's INCREDIBLE - Rik, make sure that's being recorded...."

He continues where he left off without missing a beat. Simultaneously maintaining despair and ecstatic excitement. Ever the multi-tasker.....

Will and Guy, quite rightly, refuse to accept the doomy assessment of the track in hand. It's clearly going to be an immense tune, it just hasn't yet found its true voice.

It won't surprise anyone to hear of moments in the development of a song where there are losses of confidence. It's par for the course and the feeling can flare up out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. "Moments", is exactly what they are. The overall vibe is decidedly "up" here, with everyone very excited at what they're hearing.

Will often gets cited as the member of the band most likely to tell Chris "No", or to reject an idea completely. I always feel that this paints a rather unfair picture of him. He's just as likely to be stubbornly and solidly saying "No, it is not shit - not at all. It's going to be great". This refusal to back down and allow doubt to prevail provides a huge amount of Coldplay's spine. I can't begin to imagine how many times it's been essential to the mix over the years.

Guy too, can view the work in progress and bring to the table his ever growing experience as a producer in his own right. Guy often gets gently teased by the others for his huge array of extra curricular activities, but the truth is, his overview of the production process allows him to eloquently assess strengths, weaknesses and alternative approaches - And this experience and knowledge feeds directly into the Coldplay project.

They begin to discuss what makes great songs great and what they would like to attempt here. It becomes clear that not only are all four of them very knowledgeable about good music, but they're still also hugely excited by it. They're fans of a quite staggering range of artists.

Galvanised by the chat, they move into the main part of the room and start picking up instruments. It has to be said that this area of the Beehive is looking pretty amazing now. In an effort to deaden the sound, there are thick, heavy drapes hung around the walls and fancy rugs on the wooden floor.

Also dotted around are an array of plants, giving the whole place the feel of a conservatory or a botanical gardens. This is further enhanced by the summer heat and the fact that the air conditioning is simply too loud to hear yourself think over, let alone put a microphone next to.

The band are set up exactly as they would be on stage, with Will at the back and Jonny, Chris and Guy in a line in front of him. This place is like the funkiest rehearsal room they've ever had. They begin working away at the tune again. As ever, when the voices stop and the music starts, everything immediately feels a lot better.

This, and every other song, will doubtless go through an immense amount more massaging and coaxing before they emerge through the Beehive doors into the big wide world.

For the time being though, it's pretty clear that the record is in very safe hands.

R#42

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 they've asked me to get a little more involved engineering on the record. This means I've spent a great deal of time trying to work out exactly what plugs in where and more importantly, why...

I'm far enough along the learning curve now though, to return to my primary responsibilities of keeping you wonderful folks posted of progress. If you'll forgive me this once, I promise that when we make it back next week I'll more than make it up to you - how's that? ;-)

So anyway, enough of excuses, what's been going on? Well, "Your skin and bones, turn into something beautiful...." was the first hook that Coldplay sank into many people - and it also pretty much perfectly describes progress over the last month.

With the project getting something of a reboot after Latin America, they've been very much back in the exploratory phase again. As described in the previous blog, there is a list of songs now and those songs have verses, choruses, riffs, lyrics and so on. These are the raw materials, though. Unrefined and rough, this is the record's skin and bones, if you will. The "turning into something beautiful" bit, is the result of two methodologies.

The first is a huge amount of sheer graft and attention to detail. Brian Eno calls it "screwdriver work" and he's not much of a fan of it. It's the real craftsmanship of the songwriting phase. Everything is tried and changed, analysed and re-appraised. All in search of an approach that will yield the magic they're seeking. Leaving no stone unturned means that the elusive "perfect arrangement" or "getting everything to sit just right" will be achieved no matter how much work is required to get there.

The second method, is the lightning bolt of "happy accidents". Sometimes, the thing that ignites a tune appears to come completely out of nowhere - and you'd need to do a lot of retracing of steps just to work out exactly who triggered it. It could be as simple as someone playing a part with the wrong sound in error, or it could be Will noodling distractedly on his drum machine and Chris jumping on it and putting it under the verse of a song from another day.

Both things get the record made and neither can be invoked by attempting the other. Sitting around waiting for inspiration doesn't get the hard work done and long conversations and methodical approaches can waste hours when a single snap of brilliance can change everything in an instant.

It's this growth and evolution of the songs in the studio that I've never witnessed before (previously, I've only ever been with the guys on the road). I remember first hearing Lost! during the X&Y tour. We were in an empty arena one afternoon in Chicago. Chris asked me to record a bunch of demos with just him onstage in the empty venue at the piano he plays in the gig. He put down about a dozen ideas that day, but I remember Lost! jumping out at me immediately as a great song, even as just a sketch in an echoey arena.

The next time that I heard Lost! was when the album had been completed and we were making preparations for touring. It was like seeing a favourite nephew for the first time in years and saying "My how you've grown". (Although if I remember correctly, my exact quote at the time was "Wow, I've always loved this song, I'm really glad you didn't fuck it up..."). There are already several tunes for this next record that everyone has their eyes on - and plainly there is absolutely no intention of fucking them up.

In other news, Brian has been dropping in regularly, but has also been leaving the band to get on with things alone. It's been noted that he's having as much effect on the record when he isn't here as when he is. The band observed a little while ago that very often when they were working without him and getting stuck, they'd think of something that he would say and apply it, getting them "over the hump".

To this end, they asked Brian to come up with ten commandments that could hang on the wall and could be applied to every dilemma. Of course this isn't brand new, Brian's Oblique Strategy Cards are themselves as famous as many pieces of studio equipment. Here though, Brian's Ten Commandments (of which of course, there are eleven) are tailored to this project and provide strong guidelines for just how these songs will grow up.

Just as every child needs to be shown wrong from right, the songs are now free to express themselves in any way they choose - whilst knowing that if they're caught doing what they know they shouldn't, they'll be getting a hard stare at the very least. I've seen Chris on more than one occasion get halfway through playing something a little too flowery or "done before", before breaking down in laughter and shaking his head, saying "All I can hear in the back of my head is Brian telling me off".

It has to be said, that throughout the entire band, the Eno impersonations are becoming quite uncanny.

All of that of course, makes it sound as though Brian is somewhat tyrannical and negative, which simply couldn't be further from the truth. When he arrives in the studio control room, he brings with him his very own portable sunshine of enthusiasm. His excitement is very contagious and addictive. He's like a naughty schoolfriend who encourages anyone he comes into contact with to try things that maybe they shouldn't, or maybe go exploring somewhere exciting that their parents have told them to stay away from. He's a true dichotomy, part benevolent schoolmaster (nod to Phil…) and part wonderfully bad influence. He plays both roles extremely well and the results speak for themselves.

So, now we're on a break for a couple of weeks, giving everyone the chance to spend some time with families. As before, a gap in proceedings made for a great deadline and a deadline became a great motivator. The most recent few weeks were a real concerted effort to push every song to a place that everyone was excited about.

Anything that's not as great as the current favourite song gets strong focus. Problems get the spotlight so that they can't hide. A verse that's not flowing into the bridge gracefully can get a whole day's attention - the screwdrivers have well and truly been out.

The ongoing war on obstructions to greatness was further escalated with the arrival of Markus Dravs. He was back in the camp for the last few days before the break. I've seen him referred to as "Drillmaster Dravs" on one the studio whiteboards and now I can see why. He's not one for letting folks slack. Markus, for those of you who don't know is German.

His grasp of the English language is of course perfect - it even extends well down the road of a superb appreciation of dry British humour. When he was studying the phrasebook though, he appears not to have learnt the phrases "that'll do" or "good enough". I don't imagine he's ever uttered the words "can't be arsed" either. No wonder he fits in so well around here...

To round off the last week before the break, Rik was asked to put together "monitor mixes" of all of the songs in progress. The band and Markus sit down for a listen through on the final day. The plan is to work through every one of the songs in progress - to listen to it, discuss it and then play it together out in the live room.

Inevitably, it's an overambitious plan and the day slips away before they get through the whole list. Something very interesting happens though as they make it through listening to the first few songs.

After weeks and weeks of working on the tiny details, of only paying attention to the flaws, they are now standing back and trying to objectively experience what they have made so far. I could be mistaken, but it genuinely felt as though there was real excitement spreading through the room. Perhaps it began to dawn on the fellas that what they have here is more than just a collection of intros, verses and choruses.

The songs haven't assumed their final beautiful form yet, but they're a very long way from their skin and bones phase. What's impossible not to conclude though, is that they have some absolutely killer tunes. I have no idea whether the fellas left for their break proud of what they've achieved so far and excited about what they have here, but I really hope so. They should be.

R#42

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 expect with a process led by the creative mind, there is a lot of jumping from one thing to another. It's difficult, if not impossible to anticipate what's coming next and what you'll be asked for...

It shouldn't really come as any surprise then, that within an hour of my first day back after South America, Chris comes up to me with the following: "I've got a little project for you". "I'm not sure whether to be excited or terrified", I reply.

"I'd like you to build a solar system..."

Oh well, I guess we're officially back now....

R42

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 or two of sleep...

Off the top of my head, I'd say that I'll remember this campaign as the one where Coldplay finally made friends with stadium gigs. They haven't joined the old guard in the greatest hits shows just yet. They also haven't joined the stadium rock arms race of selling tickets on the strength of "having a longer power cable than The Stones used on their 1998 tour - previously the most extensive stretch of copper used on a rock show..."

All of this, of course, may still be to come - and why not? That stuff is fun. This time out, though, it's been about the songs. This most recent record has some of their strongest ever work on it. Every night was a celebration of the tunes - and what a party we've had...

Pulling the zoom inwards on the most recent leg, I can honestly say that every audience was superb. Outdoor shows also make a lot of sense under balmy warm skies - particularly with a wonderfully crazy bunch of the most passionate folks on earth going berserk on a nightly basis. I would say it was one of the most punishing schedules undertaken on this tour - not a single proper day off from first show to flight home. But I have a feeling that the version of myself that did the "London-->LA Grammys-->Japanese tour-->London Brits-->Australia" ten day pinball mission would have something to say about that.

Focussing more tightly, the final show saw some superb wardrobe - not from the band, but from the crew. Folks who regularly have to dive on and off stage to do their jobs are usually requested to dress all in black and wear baseball caps or other head-wear. Tonight, in celebration of our Mexican hosts, the seven crew-folks most often on the stage during the gig have adopted the Mariachi look.

Left to right: Paul Newman (Guy's Bass tech), Bash (Will's drumtech), Hoppy (Chris's guitars), Steph Thompson (All things radio), Matt McGinn (Jonny's guitar butler), "Mystic" Nick (onstage audio), Neill Lambert (Keyboards and techy stuff).

Bets were taken on whether the outfits would stay on for the entire show - which of course they did. Neill, in particular, looked superb down on the C-stage encouraging the crowd to give it their all on the "Olé, Olé Olé Olé" bit. We sat in the airport waiting to board and Chris recounted how it looked seeing Neill's sombrero loom up out of the darkness every so often through the gig. Vicki, one of the band's lovely assistants, says she's willing to bet a not insubstantial sum, that Neill is wearing it for the flight home. We round the corner to the gate and find out that Ms. Taylor has just earned herself a nice end of tour bonus.

I think part of the reason that I'm not as emotional and philosophical about the end of the Viva era (besides the fact that we've been on a trial separation since Wembley) is that everyone is so excited about what's coming next. You could forgive the fellas for scattering from the end of the tour and going to enjoy the spoils for a little time before re-grouping and lazily putting together something new. This being Coldplay, though, we arrive home on Saturday and I can't see the Beehive getting any peace from Monday onwards.

We're talking about folks that really don't HAVE to go to work, let alone work as hard as they do. The only thing that you can conclude is that hearing the new stuff take shape is the most exciting thing they can think of to do. Well, you could also conclude that they're a little bit mental - and you might be a little bit right - but I can't wait either, so it's plainly a widespread affliction.

It also doesn't feel over for me because I'll be right here keeping you posted on what's going on inside the Beehive. It's not the end, we're just losing the nice weather for a while.

See you in the studio...

R#42

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 with the knowledge that it's the end of this chapter.

We've already "done" the end of the tour once, of course. The Wembley stadium shows were the end of a very long concentrated run. In the back of everyone's minds then though, was the fact that we still had these Latin American shows to do - so it wasn't *really* over. We were just stopping for a while. We mused about this over breakfast this morning. Guy remarked that it's like we've already had the season finale, but the cast has been talked into doing a Christmas special...

Planned nights out and parties have been arranged a couple of times on this tour-leg for band and crew to get together and break bread, but events have continued to conspire against. Franksy and Marguerite though, have decided that enough is enough. Last night we all gathered at a restaurant for drinks and a final meal.

The evening starts somewhat inevitably, in the bar. It feels very slightly formal as everyone comes together. Talk is of what folks are doing next, how crazy it is that's been nearly two years. The gathering feels mildly like a wedding reception or a Christmas works do. It's rare that we're all in the same place at the same time with the sole purpose of enjoying ourselves.

As the drinks continue, we ask each other about loved ones; many of us have attended weddings of our crew-mates over the years, or have crashed in each other's spare rooms on at least one occasion. We have met each other's kids and can even say "my how they've grown". It's rare (and lovely) though, to chat with each other about "real life". Somehow, shop talk or the latest office drama can tend to get in the way. As well as the family at home, we also talk about the family "out here". We ask if we've heard from folks we've worked with together over the years. Some are doing well, some are a cause for concern. Like all families, we can tear them to shreds with a mere few words, but care deeply enough to go into battle for any of them at the drop of a hat.

The meal ends and Mr Champion rises to put a seal on things. He gives a speech to thank everyone present for all their efforts both in these last few weeks and over the last two years. He's eloquent, very genuine and above all very funny. I would have taken photos, but it's so dark in the restaurant that I'd have been posting either silhouettes or photos of folks shielding their eyes from an annoying man with a flashgun. Besides which, it was supposed to be a night off...

It's lunacy of course, to behave this "finally" with a show still to do. Roadie superstition dictates that it's tempting fate in a quite kamikaze fashion. Tomorrow though, will doubtless disappear in a flash. We'll go from tearing around carrying out that day's duties, directly to each being fired at a thousand miles an hour at the brick wall we call our "normal lives". Having celebrated what we've had and what we've done is only right and proper.

As the dinner plates are cleared away, we're urged to re-convene in the bar upstairs. Dan Green and I go up for a quick look. It's dark, it's full of painfully fashionably dressed folks we've never met before. Worse still, there is a DJ playing some terrible jazz-funk at a level that makes talking unlikely. We head back downstairs, where everyone has very sensibly decided to stay floating about the dining room. Slowly it thins out as folks head off to brave the noise - and doubtless completely redefine the character of the bar. I make my excuses and bail. I have Guadalajara to write about, after all...

That's right, we've done a show since I last wrote. Guadalajara was another new destination for me. Similarly to Mexico City and Bogota, it's placed at a very good distance above sea level. This has left folks pretty short of breath a lot of the time. Indeed, there have been tanks of oxygen at the side of stage each night for use when the band give it a little too much welly. Here's Mr C in the pitch blackness behind the drumriser. He's grabbing a lungful before Viva, while Chris sings alone on the C-stage. And here's me saying I didn't want to post photos of silhouettes....

The thinner air is allegedly playing havoc with the table-tennis backstage. Trainer Dan claims that it explains why every shot where he applies topspin goes "way long". He calls that "applying science". There are others who might say he just can't stand losing... ;-)

The show is a belter. The weather is truly gorgeous and the crowd wonderfully bonkers. It's a smaller stadium than some of the others that we've been in recently, but they make enough noise for twice their number. Out of nowhere, the intro to Yellow becomes an impromptu rendition of Parachutes. Not sure how often that's been heard live, but I'll wager it's very, very few!

And that brings us to Monterrey. The arrival is pretty spectacular as we skim in over the mountains. We're held up at the airport waiting for the president's wife to clear the field. We're then pursued by paps who appear to know no fear whatsoever. Us - not so much. We have a healthy understanding of danger and they are clearly behaving very, very unwisely. Despite a flank of motorbike police outriders and completely blacked out windows in our vehicles, the pap vehicles continue to buzz us like angry bees. It's silly, it's pointless and it's plain bloody dangerous.

And that brings us to dinnertime, which is where we came in. Best get this posted and pack. Home tomorrow....

R#42

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 out smoothly until the last seconds of ‘Lovers In Japan’. I think I’ve mastered the art now! And the ola before ‘Don Quixote/Spanish Rain’ was the fastest I’ve seen up to now, so well done Guadalajara! However, today someone told me that the real home of the Mexican Wave is Monterrey’s Estadio Universitario, which is exactly where I am sitting right now, so we shall see tonight what El Volcàno has prepared for us…

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here courtesy of Giulia now...

Pictures of Coldplay Parque Simon Bolivar, Bogota, Colombia (4th March 2010):

Photos by sicoactiva

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 inspiration for the title and spirit of this record. Frida gets shouts out during both of the Mexico City shows. From the B-stage on night one and then (if memory serves correctly) during Politik on the second.

Mexico shows are always a treat, as the crowd are properly berserk. They are incredibly loud - so much so that even though I'm hidden away at the side of the stage and have earphones in, I have to put my hands over my ears at several points because the cheering is so loud it's making my ears go funny.

The band have also been getting the crowd to do the "Mexican cellphone wave" throughout the tour, ever since Andy and Ben from the video department first came up with the concept. Now, you can be pretty well assured that if you're going to be asking the crowd to do a Mexican wave, then Mexico City is going to be a pretty special night on that front - which it indeed is. It looks utterly spectacular as the mosquito-cloud of lights sweeps across the stadium.

Mexico is also remembered from previous visits for the huge number of "unofficial" merchandise stalls outside the gig. It's like a huge Sunday market with stall upon stall (upon stall) selling nothing but bootleg Coldplay gear. (Well, apart from the one that inexplicably has U2, Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin posters, but we'll overlook that for now).

A roadie could easily fill their suitcase with just tat from these bootleg-merch-villages on the edge of the gig - and a quick wander out there to peruse what's on offer is pretty much essential. I receive an excited phone call from the Oracle, informing me that I simply MUST come out of the stadium for a look. Turns out there's a stall that seems to be almost entirely stocked with - joy of joys! Bootleg Roadie 42 gear!

One of the customers joining us at the stall, is none other than Mrs. Penny Harvey. As you can see, she is a woman of impeccable taste!

Yes folks, this is Phil "fifth member of Coldplay" Harvey's mum. Phil's folks have been with us for the past week or so and delightful people they are too. Penny is credited with being Coldplay's very first ever fan. In fact, I'm led to believe that Mr and Mrs Harvey were convinced by an enthused young Philip to invest in the production of the Safety EP - Coldplay's first ever recorded product. I expect that when they gave the band that first step up onto the ladder all those years ago, they had little idea they'd be screaming through Mexico City in a police escort to a stadium full of folks who knew every word.

The shows themselves have a lot to live up to. After the nights the band have done here in the past, we expect a lot from the Mexico City crowd. They deliver and exceed expectations for a great time. The spark ignites early and the shows are alight throughout.

One last thing to mention is the break before the first night's final encore. The crowd are singing something I don't recognise. It's plainly very well known here though, as it gets louder and louder until it's ringing around the stadium as one huge, almost deafening choir.

Then something happens that I have never before witnessed in all my years of touring. The band return to the stage, walk to the front edge - and sit down. They're taking in the scene, soaking up the sound of the crowd singing and looking out at the vast sea of humanity. The band being entertained by it's audience.

I had intended to speak to one of the locals to try to find out what the song being sung was and its significance. I also intended to ask the band what possessed them to just wander out to sit down and watch. Somehow though, the moment was perfect as it was. It was glorious for the fact that it just came out of nowhere and appeared to have no rhyme or reason. Beautifully surreal. Understanding it could only dilute the memory.

For once, words fail me....

R#42.

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 last visited Latin America, we had almost a week in each city, which means that Sao Paulo and Buenos Aires actually felt quite familiar to me. I even remembered where my favourite place to get coffee was just around the corner from the Sao Paulo hotel..

Columbia though, is uncharted territory for us. As you become more of a boring road-worn old codger, visiting countries you've never been to before gets more and more rare. Just the simple fact that you're going into the unknown brings back the excitement of exploration and adventure that gave us all the ridiculous idea that this might be a good way to earn a living in the first place.

We fly up the continent and over the Amazon. The sun is low in the sky and glints over the rivers below us. Slowly it sinks into a stunningly gorgeous sunset. Brooke, (confetti cannon commander-in-chief) has a wander up to the flight-deck to watch it from there and tells me on his way back that the pilots have explained all about why the sunset over the amazon is so utterly magical. Something to do with carbon dioxide apparently.

People tell me I'm really lucky to have the job that I have. A lot of the time, the repetitive nature of things can obscure it a little. I've mentioned before that hearing the band soundchecking with a new song, or one they rarely play is always a good experience, as it throws you out of the phenomenon of the music just becoming a background noise you get used to. You get to hear the band a little more as other people do. Today it's hard not to see that job occasionally is just as others imagine it.

When we arrive at the hotel, there is a crowd of folks outside. This has been the way in every city so far and they've all been lovely people, without fail. I haven't ventured out to see them though, beyond filming a little of the chaos. Some of these folks have brought some amazing home-made gifts for the band. The vehicles disappear deep into the bowels of the hotel, but I decide to have a wander out to say hello.

These folks are so genuinely excited that the band are visiting their country that it's completely infectious. I tell them that actually, we're all pretty excited to be here too. The time they must have spent on the things they have brought is amazing. See for yourself...

The show site the next day is a lovely open park space overlooked by the mountains. We're actually treated to some sunshine for most of the day. I'm sure that the band have played to bigger crowds (in fact, according to the itinerary, the Sao Paulo crowd was twice as large at 68,000) the shape of the site here however (narrow, but very deep front to back) means that the crowd looks unbelievably huge. All the crew cameras come out in the changeover after Bat For Lashes.

Meanwhile, the crowd are going berserk already. "Olé, olé olé olé.... Coldplay, ColdplayColdplayColdplay" There's Viva chanting, there are roars of applause every time someone makes a noise with one of the band's instruments. And this is a good half hour before the intro-tape even rolls.

Once the band appear and the show gets rolling, they're singing every word, roaring and cheering in every pause. There's sound issues onstage with the sub-bass from the PA rattling and booming under the stage like a succession of 747s taking off in a particularly bad thunderstorm. On a normal night, this could be a real problem. When the crowd is giving off as much energy and excitement as this though, these things are seen in their rightful perspective. What matters tonight is that we're a long way from home and everyone is having a rollickingly good time.

Which is just as well really, cos that's exactly what's going on.

R#42

[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 word again? Place your bet) Simon Bolivar park from where you could see the green mountains surrounding the capital. We’ve also been blessed with sunshine all day long, except some drizzle just when Coldplay went on stage. As usual. It was the first time in Colombia for Coldplay. 32,000 people made it to the show despite a quite impressive public transport strike; they were all there, screaming their lungs out when Chris successfully attempted some local slang in Spanish!

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here courtesy of Giulia now...

Pictures of Coldplay Parque Simon Bolivar, Bogota, Colombia (4th March 2010):

Photos by sicoactiva

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 that first show done, I wandered around the bar afterwards chatting to a very relieved band and remarked that it had been a solidly good first night back. "Yeah, that one was a banker," commented Jonny Buckland. If the first show back had been a wobbly one, the nerves would have multiplied, but a great first show back meant that we were very comfortably back in the saddle and the confidence was restored. Thanks folks!

My lingering memory of the Buenos Aires show is likely to be the low flying aircraft that seemed to buzz the stadium once per song as they came in to land in the neighbouring airport. They seemed perilously close to our lit up art balloons - but it must have made an incredible sight for the passengers with window seats in the starboard aisle. The fireworks, perhaps a little less so.

Actually, that reminds me... the other lingering memory of that first show will be Bash running across the stage rescuing the sparkler bucket at the end of Violet Hill. As always, the fellas had started the show walking on in silhouette waving sparklers. As ever, they dushed them into a bucket of sand to let them burn out as they started the gig.

Slightly different in Buenos Aires, was the fact that the bin was made of plastic and was gently melting through the first two songs, filling the stage with stinky fumes. Will shouted down his special mic that goes only to mine and Bash's ears. "The bucket's on fire". I'm sure there's a Kings Of Leon song in there somewhere....

Next up, Brazil. I joined the fellas for a spot of sushi on the first night in Rio. Outside the hotel was quite a crowd of lovely folks who were so overjoyed to see the fellas that they stood on the kerb below and sang the entire Coldplay catalogue up to the open windows above. Will in particular, remarked upon how impressive some of the polyrhythmic clapping had been. Only in Brazil....

We were joined at dinner by the lovely Bat For Lashes folks (affectionately dubbed by Franksy "the old bats"). Not only are they a remarkable band, but wonderfully good company to boot. The evening progressed and there was talk of karaoke. Regular readers will know that this is my cue to ask where the Gents is and then run through the nearest exit yelling for a cab. I headed back to the hotel pondering that outside the hotel were a bunch of fans singing Coldplay songs, whilst members of Coldplay were out in town talking about going out to sing someone else's.

Actually, talking of said fans, here's Chris and Will leaving the hotel. It was a gauntlet of flashbulbs, but all very good natured. They also seemed to all want to hear one particular song....

Well you only had to ask....

It poured down at the Rio show. The crowd though, more than made up for it. Clocks, in particular, seems huge down here. The piano riff began, the lasers burnt into the sky and the entire 40,000 or so folks bounced up and down in unison as if they'd become one huge trampoline-d mass. They were loud, they were passionate and it was a phenomenally good night.

Before the show in Rio, I grabbed a couple of the fellas to chat about how it feels to be back out here. For some reason, I get less respect than regular interviewers. I bet Alan Whicker never had this kinda trouble....

By Sao Paulo, I was beginning to flag, I have to be honest. Maybe I'm not drinking enough water. Maybe I'm out of practice at this touring thing. As ever, I'll hold my hands up and say I've got an easy ride compared to some folks. The schedule on this run is pretty brutal and it's gig-travel-gig-travel up until our first two-nighter in Mexico. I predict some messy folks that night...

Spirits were lifted not only by the enthusiasm of 60,000 of Sao Paulo's finest, but also by the Birthday of a young Mr Martin. Will led the singalong from the C-stage and there were drinks and festivities in the bar late into the night. By all accounts, Chris and his dad were actually the last to leave. Good work fellas!

It's all whipping by at a rate, but it beats working for a living!

R#42

Pictures of Coldplay in Sao Paulo, Brazil (2nd March 2010):

Photos by Sarah Schimidt

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 singing along to their songs. I was there, free from Oxfam duty for the first concert and suddenly recruited for helping out with firing butterfly-shaped confetti during Lovers in Japan: an exciting task that is likely to continue for the rest of the tour. Right now twenty-one great volunteers from Oxfam Brasil are campaigning on the issues of climate change, asking people to sign up to Tic Tac - you can do it here: www.tictactictac.org.br

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here courtesy of Giulia.

Backstage photos of Coldplay's dressing room in Rio De Janeiro (28th February 2010):

Pictures by showcoldplay.com.br

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 much noise Coldplay fans will make when they recognize the first few notes of their favourite songs. And from my short experience, that usually happens with every single song! Oxfam will be at the venue with 20 volunteers led by the amazing Carlos: you’ll see them distributing bookmarks and if you ask they’ll be more than happy to have a chat about how you can take action against climate change.

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here courtesy of Giulia.

Pictures of Coldplay at Apoteose Stadium, Rio De Janeiro (28th February 2010):

Pictures courtesy of the UOL (Brazil) website (click for more).

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 telling you how lovely it is to be in Argentina, howsabout I fill you in a little on what's been happening since we last spoke? Firstly, the Beehive is really beginning to feel like home. The builders' dust has settled, the smell of paint has faded and we've all established our little workspaces, spreading instruments, equipment and tea cups around the place in equal measure...

I’m sure there’s a word to describe the psychological phenomenon of moving into a new place and automatically thinking that someone is going to break in. It’s not quite like we’re living here (although a few notable persons are coming close…), but everyone is beginning to feel comfortable and it’s natural to want to keep the less pleasant aspects of the world out. The alarm system arrived a few days after all the equipment, which may be what kick-started my paranoia.

Not long after the alarm is fully installed, I drop in late at night to drop off some cable and gave it an unplanned test. There is the customary set of hoops to jump through if you arrive and have to open up. I've had all of it explained to me and am confident I can come and go as I please. My first attempt reveals that there is a detail with one of the padlocks that I haven't completely grasped. As I stand repeating the number to myself and reading it off the padlock, the beeping of the alarm counts down my allotted time to get inside and identify myself. It gets more and more impatient before finally throwing an almighty strop and calling the police.

I call Dan Green on my mobile who can't hear me over the din of the bells and wailing alarm. He quickly understands what is occurring and explains the missing trick. I'm in. I placate the alarm system and phone the head office to ask them to call off the police. They ask me if I’d like them to call Phil Harvey back and tell him that there are actually no intruders. I groan and text him. “Can confirm alarm fully functional and very loud. Please continue with your evening...”

The following Friday, I'm hit with a migraine that leaves me unable to see daylight without severe pain. Not unusual for folks in our line of work, but entirely booze-unrelated in this case (I hardly drink these days…). I miss the day completely, but am recovered and wide awake in the evening. I decide to head into the Beehive and get a bit of work done. I manage to get inside without incident and make my way up to my office. It’s Friday and being an industrial area, all around is deserted. To feel a little less alone I hop online and see that, despite the hour, Anchorman is logged into chat.

It seems he’s about to appear on the radio. I decide to tune in, but I’m quickly distracted. There is a noise downstairs. Not a squeaky boards noise, or a grumbling of the boiler noise. This is like something very heavy being knocked over. The way the staircase echoes does nothing but make it sound more huge. (Mental note: experiment with Led Zeppelin drum-sounds...) I cut the radio and scan my office for a weapon. I have a large metal tripod. Before I go off for a look around I message Anchorman. “Big noise downstairs. Think someone is inside. Going to investigate. Text me in 15 mins. If no reply, call the police”.

It’s funny how big a building can start to feel when you’re not entirely sure if you’re alone. I feel a bit of a tit wandering about with a tripod raised over my shoulder but eventually convince myself whatever it was, it’s nothing to worry myself about. I get back to my chat with Anchorman:

“All clear”.

“Thank God for that. Right, I’m off to bed. Mrs. Anchorman has just asked me what I’m doing up so late and I told her I thought you might be dead”.

I’m led to believe that her response was a bleary, “OK, well don’t be long”. How reassuring!

So that's me and my security-related escapades (I won't even recount the night I met the new cleaner at 11pm and introduced myself by emerging from my office at the top of the stairs with a metal table-leg raised above my shoulder...). What of the band? The new songs?

Well, the ground floor of our new home has seen a bunch of fresh tunes being moulded, shaped, kicked around and sometimes changed beyond all recognition. I'm constantly surprised by exactly how much work gets done in a day. I figured (like pretty much everyone else who's not spent much time in a studio), that making an hour or so of music over the course of a year works out as a lot of tea breaks and time to read the paper, whichever way you slice it.

This being Coldplay though, it's nothing like that at all. Work begins brisk and early each day with minds focused intently on the job in hand. If a song is deemed not to be working, the root of the pain is sought out and generally identified very quickly. New approaches, slight massages or even radical amputations are approached with urgency.

A single song can exist in several very different forms all within the same day. The mood can go from elation at striking upon a new melody, to a complete loss of confidence and then back to "I can't wait 'til Brian hears this" all within a few hours. The rate of progress is astonishing.

The impending three week working-holiday in Latin America has not just served as a tantalising escape into the sunshine; it’s also focussed work within the Beehive’s six-sided rooms into a very powerful and concentrated team effort in the weeks leading up to departure.

Just as one pays off bills, empties the fridge and has a mad tidy-up session before leaving for a holiday, so the band are making sure to leave a neat place in the recording to walk back into once the tour is done and they're back at it. Some songs sound ready, some barely started, some may never see the light of day, but they've pushed everything to as complete a state as they can before they pick up the suitcase and head out the door.

As a tangible representation of this, co-producers Rik Simpson and Dan Green have put together a bunch of rough mixes and sequenced them together according to the "possible running order" that Chris recently wrote up (on the Beehive wall, naturally). There is now a file all locked up in the depths of the building that they can huddle round and listen to from start to finish. They can judge their progress now - and then again when they get home.

What's that? What does it sound like? Well, it sounds like this:

So, that brings us up to the now. We've arrived in Argentina - truly one of the most wonderful places on earth. The pace of life, the passion and warmth of the people, the gorgeous weather - it's all about as different from the London winter we've left as it's possible to get.

By a strange and wonderful scheduling quirk, we've somehow arrived on Tuesday with no show to do until Friday. Talk about result! The crew has been drawn back together from all manner of spots across the globe, so a wander round the town on our first day here means soaking in the very foreign-feeling surroundings, whilst constantly bumping into old friends and having reunions in the middle of the street a few thousand miles from home.

Dan Green and I wander through the old part of town and wind our way through the antique shops into a gorgeous piazza, complete with a couple dancing the tango to a distorted boombox running off a car battery.

And what do you know? We're looking for the best spot to stop for a sit and a drink when a voice calls my name from over my shoulder. Who should it be but Bash (Will's drumtech). He's sitting in the sun nursing a beer and watching the world (and the women) go by. We pull up a couple chairs and join him for an hour. in the corner of the square, there is graffiti in Spanish, none of which I can really understand.

One word looks familiar though.

I have a feeling we're in for a fantastically pleasant few weeks.

R#42

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 building a working recording environment - something that would normally take a solid few weeks - has been achieved in mere days...

Myself, my involvement has been modest. I plugged some cables in and built the Pro-Tools recording rack with Dan Green, but mainly I've been assembling a media headquarters on the top floor. For the first time, I have my very own office right at the heart of things (or at least above them). Pleasingly, my room is right next to the kitchen. I can't wait 'til we get round to buying a kettle...

The top floor is also pleasing for the fact that both the stairs leading up here and the floors when you get here are superbly wonky. The fact that I'm somewhat sleep deprived at the moment combines with this to mean that any walking about up here makes me feel mildly drunk. Strangely, I feel right at home.

Downstairs, the main studio room is looking utterly wonderful. It's all high ceilings and bright winter daylight. The walls are freshly plastered white, the floor sanded and stained. Very significantly, before me, Chris is kneeling over a whiteboard brought here from The Bakery. He's just pulled his sleeve over his wrist and wiped the whole thing clean. Fresh starts and statements of intent all around...

The room itself has excited everyone that's walked into it. It has a gorgeous reverb all of its own and the fellas have already been wandering around the room stamping on different sections of floorboard in search of the ultimate bass-drum sound. As ever at the beginning of recording, it's a tangle of microphone stands and cables right now. Already, though, it has the feeling of a warm, comfortable and very inspiring space in which to create.

WATCH THE VIDEO

Despite all the freshness and "Happy New Year", it actually feels in many ways as though we've not stopped. This is my first time being involved in the recording phase. I remember on tour thinking "great - nice and relaxed, sitting about watching the tape go round". I figured that only touring happened at a blurry fast-forward pace and the studio would be more gently paced.

The creative phase, though, means ideas of all kinds can bubble up and appear at any moment. On tour, the work is in constructing and executing the massively complex show accurately day after day. Here there is little repetition nor idea of what's coming next.

The work here is in turning a glimmer of thought into something real. Ideally, the time between an idea's conception and its completion should be minimal. Instantly, is obviously ideal. I remember when I was putting together the Coldpay.com Timeline, constantly being convinced I'd got the dates mixed up. "They can't have gone from first rehearsal to record deal that fast?" "No wait, from first gigs out of London to Manchester Apollo in HOW LONG? - no, that is actually correct..."

I'm now beginning to understand how things happen so quickly. It's difficult to quantify the way in which an idea can go from not even existing to bulldozing your entire to-do list in a carnage of urgency. It can produce some mildly terrifying moments, especially when the word "impossible" gangs up with its older brother "deadline". It can be tortuous, but it does give one a completely fresh education in what can be achieved.

The Exeter show before Christmas was a hilarious case in point. Spoken about for weeks as "just an acoustic show, like that thing at Capitol Records", it all seemed pretty simple. Just days before the event, though, word came round that it was going to be the full shebang. All electric and the complete backline.

Cue massed scurrying and cursing of roadies up and down the nation, as gear and crew was pulled together at a moment's notice. As with many things that seem like nothing but a huge pain during the lead-up, the event itself was utterly wonderful. The insanity of pulling out the gear that had last been used at Wembley Stadium in front of eighty thousand punters and ramming it into a tent for a few hundred people was the perfect way to round out a year of similar madness.

My own favourite recollection of the Exeter show came at soundcheck. Chris arrived late, having been wandering around his old town. Clocks was in full swing and he bounded up onto the stage, diving onto the piano stool to join in. As they powered into the bridge, he leaned into the mic and grinned, "We've still got it". As a justification for doing this gig, I'd say that phrase pretty much covers it.

Finally, I can't end this without mentioning the End Of Decade Clearance Sale. Charity efforts fall squarely into the bracket of things that are very difficult to talk about without sounding cheesy, so I'll keep this brief. It was, though, an astonishing result which has blown both the band and everyone involved clean away. What an utterly incredible turnout from you folks! It was also gratifying to watch the fan forums (yes, I'm looking at you Coldplaying.com) and see that a good proportion of the gear went to truly fanatical Coldplay fans.

So then, we're back. It's a new building, a new decade, new recording and new songs. Judging from what I'm hearing downstairs, I'd say the best may well be yet to come...

R#42

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 after the Wembley shows, Roadie 42# (who has a lovely cat) still seemed somewhat exhausted when he explained what finishing a tour felt like after months on the road. He also revealed that the band were back in the studio after a well deserved break. He even let slip that Coldplay had found a new studio. "Just as the Bakery was at its birth, this place is currently no more than a broken down shell, which will become a warm womb in which to grow the next little member of the album family."

This revelation sparked fear among fans that this meant the end of the famous “Bakery” but the all-knowing Oracle quickly explained that the Bakery was still in use. Fans had to abandon their hope of buying the Bakery...!

Chris Martin played a low-key solo performance at the Keep A Child Alive's 6th Annual Black Ball at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City (15th October). Wearing a suit and tie, he played Clocks, Viva La Vida and If Ain’t Got You with Alicia Keys. The event, hosted by Alicia Keys and Padma Lakshmi, benefited children & families with HIV/AIDS in Africa & India.

And for two nights in a row, Chris Martin also performed solo at Neil Young's annual Bridge School Benefit, which raises funds for students with severe speech and physical disabilities. Chris played alongside violinist Davide Rossi (whose works can be heard on Viva La Vida) and performed Clocks, Lost?, Yellow, My Love Will Not Let You Down (Bruce Springsteen), Maple Leaf Rag (Scott Joplin), Viva la Vida and Earth Angel (The Penguins). "Despite a couple of flubs, Chris Martin from Coldplay sat behind a piano and knocked out what was arguably the finest 30 minutes of the night," wrote Rolling Stone.

Read the full October 2009 Coldplay review article in the Coldplay forum here [thanks marie/pims & BerrymanGirl1]

Charity Show: Keep a Child Alive (Chris Martin and Alicia Keys pictured)

Bridge School Benefit: another Charity show for Chris Martin

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 below...

i'm seriously still in disbelief. this was def. one of the highlights of my summer. my friend and i still want to drive down to the ampitheatre and make sure that it's all really real. i hope Chris gets better soon, and the show's rescheduled very soon. i think they're not meant to play on their original scheduled dates in Tampa, b/c isn't this the second time they've had to postpone and reschedule a show there? [thanks technicolor_love78]

Ok everyone, I just got to my friend's house in Atlanta. I got texts fron Kaleigh and Tracey as soon as I landed. I'm on page 69, and you guys are up to page 79, so I haven't yet read any commnents or anything. but I AM SO FREAKING BUMMED!!! We left for the airport at 5:15 this morning, so I didn't go online. I'll see what you all have been saying as I read the next few pages. I'm kinda waiting, for what, I don't know. But I guess I'll call Delta and see if I can just cancel the Atlanta-Tampa part of my ticket. On the way home, I was connecting through Atlanta again, so my flight was like 2 round trips. My friend here may be stuck with me until Monday night. And I have a non-refundable hotel room in Tampa, but really, do I want to hang out in Tampa for a day alone, just because I have a hotel room? But if by some miracle, they can do the show Monday, I'm so there...Thursday, I don't think I could do it - I can't really just hang out here for a week, and I"m sure flights are way too expensive to come back on such short notice plus I used miles to pay for this flight. I'm sorry Chris is sick and all, and I'll definitely try to come out again, and hopefully I can work it out with my kid's schedules if it's rescheduled in Sept sometime. [thanks lfdianne]

Right before the final U.S. show? OUCH. While that means they have over a week to rest before heading back to Europe, I feel absolutely awful for anyone who was planning on going, especially the few Coldplayers who were FLYING to see them in Tampa. The latter are the greater victims when it comes to money, so hopefully they can enjoy Florida for the heck of it, but considering how hyped this particular show was (more than the previous postponed show in NY), this is a real blow to excited fans. Keep your chins up, folks - maybe Wembley won't be the last show of the tour and you guys will be instead! [thanks Corkus]

Fortunately, for the European fans, Chris soon got better and the show went on… on August 16th Coldplay began their European tour. First stop; Herning, Denmark. This show also saw the light of the new stage…

Read the full August 2009 Coldplay review article in the Coldplay forum here [thanks Cirkusprinsessa]

The new stadium tour stage

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 latest official photoblog updates...

10:46pm: A very happy Chris just told us he thought the show was "really great fun". The crowd certainly thought so. We did too. And that's it from us. Thanks, as ever, for reading this and for all your emails. And for generally being such terrific supporters of Coldplay. Hope you all have a great Christmas. And keep on bidding...

10:40pm: Goodnight Exeter

That was ace.

10:36pm: The pre-encore huddle...

And the encore itself...

10.28pm: OK, it's time for the Christmas special which our laptop helped out with earlier. It's Happy Christmas (War Is Over) by John Lennon. And it sounds very, very lovely indeed.

10:24pm: It's LITii now - that might just be in our Top 3 too. Wish the puppets were here.

10.18pm: OK, we're on to the last 3 songs. Chris is back out there on his own playing The Scientist. Exeter is providing backing vocals. First line changed to "Come down to Devon..."

10:15pm: I never quite understood; if Roadie #42 is the official blogger, why are you, Anchorman, responsible for the live blogs? - Anita N, Canada

Because, during gigs, Mr #42 has buttons to push and dials to twiddle. But we're both part of the same loving Coldplay.com family.

10:13pm: A few more live shots. Four songs to go. Those Q&As were ace, by the way - thanks for sending the questions.

10.04pm: How the C-stage looked...

Viva just happened. And it was mighty.

9.50pm: How cold is in Exeter at the moment? Greetings from the snowy Spain. Antonio

Well, Antonio. It's VERY cold outside, but VERY warm inside. Contrasts.

9:47pm: Ah, except, as anyone reading since the start might remember, we can't have an internet connection at the same time as uploading pics. So we'll have to wait for the vid. 8 mins. The band are currently playing Strawberry Swing, which as we now know is a big favourite amongst the crew. For the record, it's definitely in our Top 3 too.

9:44pm: It could take the dongle a wee while to upload the film. Bear with us. In the meantime, we're off to take some pics from the back (not quite as long a walk as it was at Wembley...)

9:41pm: A little film on its way. The band are playing Fix You. And we're starting to feel a little weepy. What a decade, eh?

9:27pm: Picture splurge, from dressing room to gig (the crowd are making a HELLUVA lot of noise for 500 people). (the huddle was back in the dressing room and included everyone there - including us - so we couldn't take pics. Sorry.) This gig is giving us goosebumps. Fact.

9:20pm: OK, the gig has begun, and we've smuggled the laptop over to the side of the stage. Pics to follow...

8:48pm: Sorry for the gap in service, the band are practicing a cover version for tonight (shhh!) and needed the laptop/dongle to get the lyrics. So we've just had the very surreal experience of being in the midst of the four of them, using our laptop as an autocue. Cover sounds ace. And our laptop is feeling very proud of itself.

Stage in 10 mins...

8:34pm: Chris, warming up a few minutes ago...

8.22pm: La Roux is on now - and we've just been to take a couple of pictures (hence the gap between posts). And here they are..

Sounds good in there.

And this is the bar...

Festive!

8:08pm: Well, that whole Q&A thing was fun, wasn't it? Thanks for sending all the questions - everyone was very impressed with the number coming through. Here's a couple of pictures, then we're off to take a couple of La Roux, who've just come on...

Check out tonight's wardrobe rail!!

8.00pm: Hi Phil! What was your favorite gig this tour so far?

"Parc de Princes in Paris. It was perfect"

And with that, he's off to watch a bit of La Roux. Thanks Phil.

7:58pm: dear phil: what is your favorite band? besides coldplay Fatima

"The Smashing Pumpkins"

7.56pm: Phil, what's your favourite Christmas carol Amanda

"The Angel Gabriel"

7:56pm: Hi, Phil! What's your favorite Coldplay song? Juliana

"I'm going to go for Clocks."

7:54pm: Philly, Do many people recognize you other than at Coldplay concerts? If so, do you enjoy the attention?- Emily S.

"No, never. It's very dispiriting!"

7:53pm: Phil, if you could live in a foreign country, what would it be ? Clementine

"Australia. I lived there before and I loved it. And because I like kangaroos."

7:49pm: Hmm, Phil has disappeared. He will, we hope, be back in a sec.

7:46pm: Right. It's Phil's turn! Get those questions in to anchorman@coldplay.com (put the question in the subject, please)

7:45pm: EJ, is there any job in the world that you would actually prefer to your current job? Imke

"I actually can't think of one. Um... no I don't think there is."

7.42pm: EJ, do you play any instruments? Rania.

"Not any more. I used to play the organ, though."

7.41pm: Hello EJ! Why the mysterious intitials and not just your name? Thanks! Camilla

"Because my name is quite long and it's just easier! But Chris calls me Ski-J, because I do like skiing!"

7:30pm: "EJ, how long have you been working as a personal assistant for Coldplay?" -Katie G.

"I've been working for the band since 2005, in wardrobe, and then became their personal assistant in 2006." Before that, she tells us, she was in on-the-road catering.

7.36pm: EJ, your favourite Coldplay song? Vera

"I think probably Strawberry Swing" Ooh, it's a popular one!

7.34pm: EJ.. Your favorite Coldplay gig on the Viva la vida European tour? Julie

"I didn't actually see a full show. In fact, I've never actually seen a whole show in my two tours with the band. So I couldn't really say for sure!"

7.33pm: EJ, which is your favourite country? Tamara

"Australia. It's got lovely beaches, lovely climate and it's almost like home"

7.28pm: So, who's got a question for Coldplay's personal assistant EJ? anchorman@coldplay.com

7.22pm: Dear Jonny, What is your favorite type of cheese?

"I actually really like Jarlsberg. It has a delicious nutty flavour! Hahaha!" Thanks Jonny. Top man. We'll see if we can grab someone else for questions later...

7.19pm: Jonny! Did you have a good breakfast today? Amy W

"Yes, I did. I had scrambled eggs and bacon." OK, one more...

7.15pm: Jonny, are you excited about the World Cup? Steph

"Yes. I actually think we're going to win it. I really do. Beating Brazil 7-0 in the final. Hahaha!"

7.11pm: Jonny, if you didn't end up as a member of Coldplay (that's not an option of course, but what if), what would you be doing right now? -Linda M

"I'd be on the Tottenham team bus travelling back from Blackburn having scored two goals, playing poker with Robbie Keane"

7.10pm: Jonny, what's your favourite Christmas movie? Nadina

"I really like Bad Santa. And Muppet Christmas Carol is good too."

7:08pm: "How do you feel about your stuff going in the eBay auction?

"Well I did feel genuine pangs of regret about the black and white telecaster as I played it for soundcheck this evening. You folks better bid high on that one!"

7.05pm: Jonny, how is the new material coming along???? Zoe

"Very well. We have a strong idea of what we want to do in the new year. Thanks for asking."

7.04pm: JONNY, how are you feeling about todays gig? Nervous? Emily P

"I'm not really nervous about playing the gig, but I am a little nervous that I'll have forgotten to play the songs. But I'm sure it'll be a forgiving crowd."

7.02pm: Hey Jonny! What's your favorite food! Christina

"That's a really tough question. I like all food apart from Turkish Delight."

7:00pm: Right, we've persuaded Jonny to answer a few. Email anchorman@coldplay.com now - with your question in the subject...

6.58pm: Franksy, do you prefer Chris with or without the afro?

"Actually, I've never had an afro, so I couldn't say"

(Huzzah!)

6:56pm: What's your favorite country to visit? Thanks :) Laura L

"Argentina. I just think it's great. Actually, it's good to have visited as many countries as your age. I've done that."

6:54pm: Franksy, how was the downtime since Wembley? Are you well-rested or still stiff from all that touring? -Michael R.

"There hasn't been any. It never stops in Coldplay world. (I've been counting butterflies.)"

6.52pm: Fransky, are you excited about the Latin America Tour?

"Yes, I love Latin America. It's my favourite place in South America. I can't wait to get there."

6.50pm: Franksy - How many butterflies were blown on the Viva tour? From Phil

"2,437,212. It should have been 2,437,213. But Geoff security stole one for his cousin."

6:48pm: Franksie, do you ever get tired of moving around constantly? Emily P

"Yes, that's why I stand still regularly. I am looking forward to standing in one place all over Christmas (next to the turkey)"

6:48pm: hey where do you get your hats???thanks ..Laurie

"From my hat cupboard, by the kitchen. There are over 40 hats in there. But only in three or four styles."

6:46pm: Franksy, what's YOUR favorite Coldplay song? -Zoe

"Um... um... probably Viva, I think. Cos it just has unique reaction at a live concert, unlike anything I've seen or heard before"

6:44pm: Franksy, how long have you known the band? Christina F

"I've worked with them for five years. I met them a few years before that at some festivals and TV shows"

6.43pm: Right, who's got a question for Tour Manager Franksy? anchorman@coldplay.com

6.41pm: Dan, which stadium sounded the best at the last tour?

"Ooooh.... Wembley."

Tour Manager Franksy has chipped in with "Paris".

"Oh yes, that too."

6.40pm: Has Dan Green ever messed up doing his soundman job?! asks Amy

"Not that I'm going to admit with Jonny listening"

6:38pm: To Dan Green: How many instruments do you play, if any? Christina F

"Five. And a laptop."

The five are - guitar, bass, keyboard, drums and clarinet. (Jonny is amazed by this last revelation)

6:33pm: What is your favourite Coldplay song? Vera

"Um... Strawberry Swing"

6:31pm: Hey Dan. Are you ever teased about having the same name as a famous boxer? Kaitie

From the baffled look on Dan's face, we'll take that as a no. Jonny has, though, just pointed out that Dan used to play basketball for Enfield U17s.

6:30pm: Do you brag about your job to everyone?- Emily S.

(Dan laughs) "No!"

6:28pm: Can you ask Dan what it was like to be in the Nappies? :D Brooke

"It was fun. And I enjoyed the wig!"

6:26pm: Dan Green is here, Coldplay's legendary soundman. Does anyone have a question for him? Email to anchorman@coldplay.com quick smartish...

6.25pm: Jonny just asked to look at the Premier League table on our laptop (we're still the only ones with internet). We bargained, and demanded a photo in return...

6:11pm: Sorry we got caught up talking to Coldplay's manager (a king of anecdotes). Anyway, here's Jonny! Back from his walk. Has he finished his Christmas shopping? "Nearly"

5.45pm: What do you want for christmas, Anchorman? Emily P

Good question Emily. Um... we'd like.... a snowmobile and some snow to whizz up and down on. (First thing that came to mind.)

5.40pm: Several of you (including Kaitie) have asked for a picture of Phil. This is the best we've got...

5:35pm: What are the band doing RIGHT NOW? Ask quite a lot of you. Well, Guy is chilling in the dressing room. Will is reading the paper (he's much tickled by this article in today's Guardian). Jonny has gone for a stroll. And Chris is still with the rellies.

5:25pm: New Exhibit is up (and very nice it is too).

5:21pm: Show us something Christmassy please, ask lots of you via the email. Your wish, etc...

A few of you have asked why Lily Allen pulled out, unfortunately she's poorly with a throat infection.

5.13pm: A few of you have emailed anchorman@coldplay.com asking for a picture of the castle. This is the most castle-y view we can see from here...

5:01pm: La Roux are currently sound-checking down in the marquee. Sounds good. Lily Allen, though has had to pull out of tonight's show, which is a pity.

4:55pm: OK, we're back. Hot food has arrived and has been greeted with considerable excitement. We're having a hog roast roll, which is extremely tasty (and seems oddly appropriate given we're in a castle). We're also pleased to report that the Will-made tea we're washing it down with is a very good cuppa indeed.

4:40pm: "Hi Anchorman! Can we pretty please get a coldplaying shoutout? :)" - Caitlyn

Of course you can Caitlyn. Big up the Coldplaying massive! And merry Christmas to you, one and all. In other news, Chris has gone off to spend time with his family (cos he's from around these parts). Right, we're the only one with internet in this whole place (go dongle!) and Coldplay's manager wants to borrow it. So we're giving the laptop to him for a bit. Back soon...

4:37pm: There we were saying how cosy it is, but it's actually starting to get quite chilly. Will is making cups of tea all round to warm everyone up. Meanwhile, Jonny is very pleased that Spurs are winning. And there's general amazement at the Fulham v Man Utd score (3-0?!).

4:34pm: We've just been giving the band an update on the End of Decade Clearout Sale, which already has bids totally well over £30,000, despite only a quarter of the lots currently being on sale. It's fair to say that they're very chuffed indeed. Thanks for your generosity folks.

4:29pm: "How's everyone keeping warm? It's summer here in Australia, so it's hard to imagine it being cold right now." Love, Ging

Well, it's certainly very chilly here, but the dressing room and marquee where the gig is happening are both nicely heated. So we're quite toasty, thanks Ging.

4:17pm: So, soundcheck over. Gig starts in just under 5 hours. Anything you'd like to know? anchorman@coldplay.com

4:09pm: Here's a pic of the C-stage soundcheck (no zoom needed)

And here's how the train line looked this morning...

4:03pm: The soundcheck is now officially over. And so to the pictures...

4:00pm: Sadly, we can't have both the dongle and the camera plugged into our laptop at the same time (to paraphrase Huey Lewis, they're just too darn wide). So pictures of all this to follow. For now, Chris is practicing Til Kingdom Come, which sounds very lovely indeed.

3:56pm: The C-stage turns out to be right next to where we're typing. Which is nice. Billie Jean in extreme close-up. Quality.

3:51pm: Crikey, Coldplay's elusive fifth member, Mr Phil Harvey, is on stage shaking a tambourine. Could he be making his live debut tonight? Man's got rhythm.

3:50pm: Right, so here are some pictures of the soundcheck, which is still going on. Thanks to the power of dongle (albeit with a slow connection) we're typing this while we watch. Good ol' technology. Now, picttures...

3:31pm: We made it! We're in the castle. EJ, the band's assistant, is ironing shirts and we can hear the band sound-checking. We'd better scoot and get some pics before they finish...

2:31pm: Sigh. Our train is indeed running rather late. Looking like we're going to be a wee bit later than 3. Sorry folks.

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 this year. Nobody else seems to be as chronologically confused as me, but everyone looks positively re-born. The thousand-yard-stares from a year and a half of touring have been replaced by grins, wisecracks and a crackling energy at being back together...

There's TV to do today - never anyone's favourite way of spending time - but it's in the name of getting the Latin American shows next year off to a flying start, so they're down to business. They're also back in their uniforms again for the cameras, which is quite remarkable for how it transforms things. Instantly, it feels like we're back at work and they're a band again.

I actually slept last night underneath the uniforms. I'm in the middle of re-locating to London and ended up spending the night on an air-bed under the clothes rails in the corner. I'm happy to report that despite press reports suggesting the contrary, they don't smell one bit like they've done a hundred and thirty odd shows. (Some odder than others, it must be said).

I'm hoping to move into my office at the new studio in the coming week. We had an email round some time ago from Moonie in management, to tell us that the new place had been christened. It is to be called "The Beehive". Will asks Phil Harvey whether he can take a look inside on his way home as he hasn't seen inside yet. Phil asks if he knows where it is.

"I know which street it's on, but not which one it is"

"It's....." Phil pauses to find the right words. "It's the skanky looking one".

I'd go along with that. We venture up to there in the afternoon after the band have dispensed with their TV duties. Right now, it's a building site. It's covered in brick dust and it's echoing with power tools and hard graft. Soon, it will be ringing with the chaos of new ideas evolving.

Even though it's in a mess right now, the one thing that you can't help noticing as you wander amongst the rubble is how much light there is everywhere. Studios can very often feel like underground bunkers. Soundproofing is somewhat all or nothing and windows can often get trampled in the rush to keep the neighbours happy.

Not so here at the Beehive, though. Everywhere you go there's light streaming in. Even on a relatively gloomy British afternoon, it's noticeably bright inside. I can only imagine that this will be reflected in the new material.

Talking of new material, the studio whiteboards are positively exploding with plans, schemes and fragments of fresh ideas. In some places, when Chris has run out of white-board to write on, he's carried right on to the adjacent plaster. It's like the tour was an 18 month session of shaking up the fizzy drink bottle of the band's imagination - and now they're back in the studio, the lid has been unscrewed.

It is, quite literally, all over the walls....

R#42

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 where we came in...

Wembley, of course, is poetically the most perfect place the Viva tour could finish. Production rehearsals for the tour took place at Wembley Arena, which sits aside the Stadium. The end of tour party tonight will take place in the entrance lobby of the arena - where the first members of the public came into the venue to watch the "friends and family" mini-gig all that time ago.

Wembley for me, though, has a much longer history.

I first set foot in Wembley Stadium at the age of 15, when I went to see Pink Floyd. As a lad from the west country, even being in London seemed like an adventure. The gig though, was a push-pin in the map of my life. Experiencing a show on this scale was akin to visiting another planet for someone of my tender years from a tiny town on the coast.

Fast forward a few years to age 23 and I'd just moved down to London and begun my career in roadie-ing. In between "transit van" tours with baby bands, I was doing "local crewing" for a company called Stage Miracles. U2 were in town with Popmart and I was called up to be one of the hundred or so "locals" brought in to help them load-out.

I remember pushing one of The Edge's AC30 amplifiers up the ramp off the stage and thinking "this is it, I've arrived". Now, it's universally agreed that the Popmart shows were a very long way from U2's finest hour. But I was still over-awed by the size and scale of the machinery. Seeing how a stadium show worked from within was incredible to me. Immense amounts of gear, endless amounts of trucks. Everything about it huge.

Fast forward again to this week. I'm 37 and I'm standing in the middle of our stage at the new Wembley Stadium. Given my history, I'd have been pretty sure my first thoughts would have been different to what came to mind on the day:

"Actually, this doesn't feel that big".

It is, of course, huge. It's the largest crowd the band have played to on this tour, I believe, outside of festivals. Part of the reason, is the fact that there is a roof. The middle of the roof is open, but the terraces are still covered. The fact that it's all contained makes it feel like a "regular" venue. From the middle of the stage, it almost seems like "just a big arena". It's also partly due to the fact that the production has grown to fit and fill the space. Certainly, when we put the arena show into the Skydome in Canada a while back, the scale was much more striking.

There is also the fact that this tour itself has been 159 shows. Since I began, I've done four or five hundred shows with Coldplay. I remember the Rush Of Blood tour feeling like one long immense growth spurt throughout. Every few weeks, we did the biggest gig any of us had ever been part of. I remember some of the American outdoor sheds and arenas feeling just cavernously huge.

Now we revisit those places and they feel very comfortable. Tours get bigger than this, of course they do. I feel somehow, though, as if we're past some kind of milestone and have passed some kind of test. The shows can get better and more ambitious, but the venues and the size of the audiences don't really get significantly bigger than this. They've planted a flag. They've been here and they've done it - and they've nailed it.

I remember a quote from Phil Harvey as we left the production rehearsals a few weeks ago at the site of the first of these big outdoor shows. "I'm totally happy that we've got all the tools in place now to do something amazing". I'll combine this with a comment from Chris at the end of the X&Y tour. "It's not about getting bigger now, it's about getting better". Watch this space folks...

I'll not write a great deal about the Wembley shows themselves, as they were so excellently covered by Mr Anchorman in the liveblog. If I were just to recount my personal memories, they would include turning around during the encores to see a crowd gathered behind the Video department's control world, all dancing to his monitor speakers. Is that Jay-Z? It most certainly is! Who's that with him? Clear Channel rep, Julie Metway - and bugger me, Phil Harvey is trading moves with Mr Z!

The Scientist is the penultimate song in the setlist. Normally, this means people start getting ready for load-out. Tonight, though, roadies all around are man-hugging and telling each other it's been a pleasure - and it has. It's been a very long tour and without a shadow of a doubt, I've never seen anything so demanding upon the spirit - nor a bunch of people rise to the occasion with such grace and style. Join me then, in a communal group hug to all those here in the "team photo" and indeed all those (at least another fifty percent again) who slept through it or couldn't stop working…

The aftershow, as I've mentioned, took place in the lobby of Wembley Arena. Out on the concourse, there's a posh food van serving bacon sandwiches, which inevitably is where the roadie contingent ends up, arriving in waves as the trucks get finished. It's too early for it to actually feel like it's over. I spend most of the night saying to everyone "yeah, but it feels like in ten days we'll all be back at the airport." I wander about and find I lack the necessary wristband to get into the "VIP" section. In all honesty, I'm too pooped to be much bothered. I head back out through the loading dock looking for a runner vehicle back to the hotel and stop only to grab a "Coldplay: Everything This Way" sign off the wall for my office door at the new studio. (Sorry Marguerite, I'll bring it to Argentina...)

The exhaustion continues the next day, when myself and Mrs. 42 fail completely to get our shit together enough to make the last Sunday train home from London. We decide to admit defeat and book another night in the hotel for a chance to collapse in a heap properly. We wander through the posh reception and I ponder the fact that really, this might be some slightly sad attempt to cling onto the touring experience. Above me there is a pianist playing classical pieces for the diners below. I wince as I recognise what he's playing.

It's the Erik Satie piece that Chris always plays at the close of Politik.

I couldn't escape even if I wanted to...

R#42

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, the experience is a little more subtle...

I'm writing this from my sofa at 42 Towers, some two weeks after the Wembley shows. It's only really in the past couple of days that I've really come out of hibernation. You don't really learn how exhaustion has affected you until you begin to recover. It's like being in a room with the heating on way too high. You just feel a bit worn out, but you're too tired to actually work out why, or open a window and get a glass of water.

So, the tour has finished, the window has been cracked and gradually, I've returned to feeling something approaching human. Somewhat predictably, finally accepting that the tour is at an end and escaping the feeling that we were all going to be back at the airport in a few days, was accompanied by a new set of dates appearing on the website. This is pretty much the roadie equivalent of the bat-symbol appearing in the skies. Dates in Latin America have been on the cards for a long time now, but nobody knew whether it would definitely happen, or more importantly when. Never believe anything until it comes from Anchorman...

The band are also returning to work in the studio after scattering to the four winds for a spell of "not being Coldplay". (Well let's face it: as I type, Chris will be sitting somewhere with a furrowed brow and an acoustic guitar but you know what I mean...) Exciting news is that the band have found a new space in which to work on the new material. Just as the Bakery was at its birth, this place is currently no more than a broken down shell, which will become a warm womb in which to grow the next little member of the album family.

I'm told that my services will be required this time during the recording process. This means that once the break is over, I will indeed be back to work. No rest for the wicked, indeed...

I had started writing a blog to wrap up the Wembley shows, but the sofa won by two falls and a submission, so it never got finished. If you'll forgive me the fact that it refers to events from what in internet terms, is ancient history (i.e. two weeks ago) I'll give it a spruce and post it tomorrow.

R#42

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 true. England won a world cup here! Just last week, English football rubber stamped a place in next years show piece in South Africa. The last time I was here, my team, Luton Town, won the Johnson’s Paint Trophy, on a glorious Spring day. Anything that happens here is a spectacle, and I’m sure the next two nights will follow suit.

Coldplay will have support from the incredible Jay-Z, pop stars Girls Aloud and the impressive White Lies. OXJAM, Oxfam’s month-long music festival, will have the support of Coldplay. Buskers will again show how easy it is to put on a gig, to share your love of live music, and raise some money for Oxfam. Our OXJAM acts ‘Mr Newell’s Breakfast Club’ and ‘Bowjangles’ will add another dimension to an already eclectic line-up.

I can’t quite believe I’m inside England’s national stadium. Walking past kit rooms, dressing rooms, changing rooms, I felt like I was 11 again, dreaming of playing in the FA cup final. I’m writing to you from the crew room, which oddly is the drug-testing room.. It all feels slightly surreal. As I walked into the venue, I glanced across at Wembley Arena. That of course, is where the VIVA tour all started, with production days and rehearsals to make this the best show it could be. Millions of fans have flocked to see Coldplay, and hundreds of thousands have take action with Oxfam, in the 16 months it has taken the tour to cross the road, to this world-famous stadium. The home of football, and for two nights only, the home of Coldplay.

Looking back over my shoulder, I have failed to mention the huge success of the past few days. We left Manchester with 163 people planning to get involved with Oxjam in October, and with funds raised for Oxfam’s work to overcome poverty. Making our way to Dublin, we were greeted with another stunning late summer’s day. Oxfam Ireland’s outreachers helped an incredible 2100 people to sign postcards to their prime minister, urging the government to stop cutting aid, and to hold firm on aid commitments. This was part of the We Do Care coalition.

Elbow were the second support in Dublin. They are surely one of the best bands around at the moment, and a real treat for any music lover. If you get the chance to check out an Elbow live show, or failing that, any of their albums, I totally recommend it.

We then wound our way to Glasgow, for Coldplay’s biggest ever show in Scotland. Over 30’000 people cheered them to another triumphant show in the national stadium, Hampden Park. There was a great atmosphere and another beautiful night (seriously, we’ve had amazing weather!). As the crowd entered the stadium, they were treated to some of the best musicians they would see all night at the Oxfam tent. Pure Brass came out in support of OXJAM, and played 4 great sets in the evening sunshine. As the trumpets, French horns, tubas and trombones belted out some great Coldplay covers, the donations started raining in. It was a perfect night. Thank ‘you so much to our Oxjam volunteers from Edinburgh and Glasgow and further afield. Thank you again to the incredible ‘Pure Brass’. Amazing.

So, back to the end. Wembley will welcome 140’000 cheering Coldplay fans by Saturday night. Oxjam will be here to entertain them on Level 2. It’s the end of production day, i’d better go and get some rest for show day.. If you get the chance, come and find out about a great opportunity to use your love of music, for positive change. See you there. Pete

Read more blogs online here at the Oxfam Blog website now.

Photos of Coldplay at Wembley stadium, London, UK (18th September 2009):

Pictures by busybeeburns

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 song).

There's also talk that Jay-Z will be up to do his bit in Lost tonight, so I'm busy under the stage fiddling about extending Will's Hip-Hop drum loops in the middle section. Three shows to go and still making changes. I'm sure it'll all settle down by Sunday... After soundcheck, there's a little acoustic session to do in the dressing room to go with the live broadcast of the show. It's been a while since they've done anything like this, so it's a bit of a roadie scramble to work out what's going to be required to make it happen.

It ends up being a gloriously lo-fi affair. Mr. Champion notably spends some time modifying his egg shaped shaker as it seems too bright and loud for the song in question. Two paper napkins is deemed to be the correct amount of acoustic damping (along with a towel around the tambourine).

When I slip into the recording, they're giving Shiver a try, which is a bit of a blast from the past. Chris points out, "We're on gig one hundred and fifty something and we haven't played this song at any of them.

It's a bit of a nervy start. Not only have they not played the song for a long time, but they haven't done an acoustic thing for a while. Initially, there's lots of nervous laughter and joking about forgetting how to play it. They make it through one version, fluffing only the ending. They jump back into it playing another ending that can be edited on.

Straight away though, Chris suggests doing it once more. Suddenly things snap into place and it's clear that this is the one. Every head in the room is nodding and it's pin-drop quiet besides the band. They finish to a round of applause from the few of us assembled and Phil Harvey immediately jumps up and suggests that it should make a return to the setlist.

There's a single beat of silence from the band that's enough to say that it's very unlikely. Suddenly, we're back to laughter again and it's all over.

Cutting to the show now, we're in front of another huge and roaring crowd. Glasgow has long had a reputation for rowdy crowds and with good reason. They're in fine voice from the off and there's people on shoulders and flags a-plenty.

So yes, Lost. It says on the set-list that Jay-Z is coming up. We're off into the second verse and I still can't see him. I'm starting to worry that it's all going to fall on its arse. With mere seconds to spare, he emerges up the backstage ramp and wanders onto stage like he owns the place. Pretty soon, he does. My other strong recollection is of watching the butterflies. Tonight, the heat of the Glaswegians means that rather than fluttering downwards on the heads of the crowd, a good deal of the butterflies are floating up on the warm air out of the stadium roof. It genuinely looks as though thousands of them have been released and are making a break for it into the night sky.

Pretty soon we're doing the same.

R#42