R#42 blog

I’m sitting on a road case, which says C O L D P L A Y, in spray paint across the top. On my right, is a label which says ‘Coldplay. Viva. Viva La Vida 2008/2009. Location: Warm-up room. Truck: Backline. Contents: Piano.’   It’s the ‘Dressy Piano’ case, ready for the band to warm-up for another show on their world tour tonight. Today, we have made it to Liverpool’s Echo Arena. It sits proudly overlooking the Docks, and this famous city of music. It’s also European Capital of Culture this year. A

22:45, 6th November 2008. Orlando, Amway Arena. The arena empties out. Orlando Magic 98 - 88 Philadelpiha 76ers. The court in the center is shiny. Smooth under all those squeeking sneakers. Giant figures leave the court. Sweatbands are off to be rung out. Cheerleaders bound off, with white toothed smiles across their faces. Scoreboard is flashing. Disco ball is rotating. Magic’s mascot is circulating. TV crew are out doing reviews of the game for the audience at home. Charles Barkley (NBA, Suns

It’s time for the B-stage. I heard a fan earlier talking about how ‘they do this techno bit on the catwalk’. He must have caught the show before.. but I wouldn’t describe this remix of ‘God Put a Smile’ as ‘techno techno..’ Each to their own.   New Jersey is a lucky place. Like LA, Chicago, Toronto, Paris, Stockholm, Rotterdam.. They all have one thing in common. Two chances to catch the Coldplay show, rather than one. For Oxfam, this gives us a chance for 40 lucky volunteers, rather than the no

Coldplay have just come off stage in the O2 Arena, Prague. I am sitting in the crew office, hearing the scurry of feet and the sounds of a thousand cases being loaded and wheeled off to the trucks (which still sit breathing heavily after their mammoth trip from Oslo over the weekend). Even on a day off, the tour does not stand still, as buses, trucks and crew make their way to the next city.   Prague is a beautiful city. A sight for sore (sleep deprived) eyes. Such a great place to recharge batt

I am peering out through the darkened windows of the tour bus into the Zurich night. Just tapping away a few lines, whilst perched in my ‘favourite seat’ at the front of the bus. I like this seat. You can see where we are going.. Even if it’s often just a dark motorway, with flashing cat’s-eyes sinking beneath the wheels. You can also recline quite well here, and even fall asleep, if my bunk seems too far to move. There’s a plug socket by my ankle too, which is handy for my laptop for midnight b

Here we are at the first of two nights at the Ahoy, Rotterdam, Netherlands. From what I hear, these shows sold out in minutes. Tickets snapped up in eager anticipation, of the Viva La Vida tour. The band have been wowing crowds right across Europe. It’s been a busy 4 weeks.   Oxfam Novib, the Oxfam group here in the Netherlands, will today and tomorrow, be bringing a different kind of campaigning to the show. Dressed as nurses, they will ask the fans to ‘hug a nurse’. Yes, you heard me right! Ox

Talking of roads, the buses and trucks are all literally parked beneath one, as this venue is right next to the motorway. We drove past it on the way from Milan to Rotterdam. It’s a big green building, feels like it’s seen a few sights over the years..   The crowds are already patiently waiting outside. Inflatable pillows for comfort and their backs against the glass doors, claiming thier spot at the front of the queue. That metal bar at the front of the stage must be the most sought after piece

Late arrival today. Some of the trucks got held up en route from Prague last night. Everyone is here safe now, so the show can get back on track. One thing is that it will make it a shorter day.   The arena is on the outskirts of Budapest. We are here for less than 24 hours, and won’t get to explore. I hope I will get another chance to follow the Oxfam volunteers advice, and check out this amazing city.. It’s strange to think we were in Oslo a few days ago, and will be in Vienna tomorrow. Tourin

Here’s one I penned earlier (when I didn’t have access to the internet..)   It’s oh so quiet. I just got to the hotel. All I can hear is the slight ringing in my ears (still popping occasionally due to the air pressure changes). Coldplay and Oxfam have landed. I caught the same plane as the band today, back over the pond. We’re back on tour. North America (part 2). Now we find ourselves in Ottawa, Canada. Well, just outside, to be precise.   Silence is a rare thing on tour. You know.. when you c

The first of two dates in Italy. The tour has come through the Alps, and stopped in Bologna. I have been told that the atmosphere will be incredible here. I hope so.   I’m working with UCODEP and Oxfam International in Italy today. Ucodep is an Italian NGO that since 1976 has worked in Italy and abroad to build a better world through activities aimed at fighting poverty, supporting health and education rights, promoting the values of diversity and solidarity, and assisting people in humanitarian

Half an hour until the Oxfam volunteers arrive for campaigning at tonight’s Coldplay show. I’m sitting outside catching (possibly) some of the last rays of summer, in sunny Zurich. It’s important to catch your vitamin D from the sunshine you know.. especially when you work in the dim light of these indoor arenas all day. I have to admit (as I squint at the glare of the screen), the weather is making me wish we had an outdoor stadium show today!   If I stand up and peer over the fence, I can see

That’s the choice some fans might have had to make for their Saturday night in Barcelona.   Today’s venue, the Palau Sant Jordi, is right next door to the Olympic Stadium. That is the home of Andorra today, for their game with England in the 2010 Football World Cup qualifiers. The atmosphere should be amazing outside later, as fans of both events converge on this hill overlooking the city, soaked in sunshine. It will give our volunteers a whole different crowd to speak to as well. I wonder which

Palacio de Deportes, Madrid, Spain. Block 12, Room 8, Seat no. 3. 12:10pm.   The venue is a building site. There are hard hats, reflective jackets and hand signals across the floor. Stage trucks reversing in. Confetti cannons, lasers, fans, speaker stacks, motors, inflatable spheres, more lights and more speakers, all ready to be lifted above the stage when the rigging goes up. When a show gets this big, it’s a long time before you see any instruments! I can now see one of the catwalks being ass

It’s the end of the road in Toronto. We will soon cross the border back into the United States of America.   I’m in the production office, post-shower. I’ve packed the Oxfam road case. I’ve seen off the awesome Oxfam Canada volunteering team. Another 1615 signatures for the FOR ALL campaign. Signed. Sealed. Delivered.. (or something like that).   I took my shower in the dressing room (after the band had left). Paper butterflies still littered the floor. There are not many better feelings than a

Time for a breather.. time I caught up with the world.   I am in the production office at the United Center, Chicago. Home of the Bulls and the Blackhawks! Banners marking their history of success hangs from one of the highest ceilings on the tour.   This venue is apparently one of the ‘big 3′ (in terms of height at least). Got a bit of vertigo on the ‘noseblead’ seats when I took a wander earlier. There is history everywhere. I met tonight’s Oxfam volunteers a couple of hours ago, by a statue o

This one looks a bit like a giant turtle shell from the outside. Unlike many of the arenas we are doing on this tour, this was mostly standing, in one big oval hall, like a cake tin, with a few seats icing the edges. The standing masses gave a totally different edge to the atmosphere. More like a huge tent at a festival..   The waiting crowds always burst in and run to the front, as soon as they open, but here, the running kept going until the arena was half full. The fans are so passionate, and

The walls are shaking. The crew are checking the huge sound system. Both band and crew, are back in the USA. Canada behind us, until we roll into Ottawa, next time we cross the pond. A very sleepy crew left Toronto after 3 consecurive show days. We made the (slightly) bonkers border crossing back South.. (all off the buses at 4.30am, only to be sent back to our buses without checking out passports).   Oxfam America volunteers will be here in an hour. All geared up and ready to ask this Connectic

So here we are in Hamburg. The Color Line Arena. The rigging is going up. The morning is growing old. The Coldplay tour has rolled into town. ‘Oxfam’ (as some of the crew call me), is here too.   The show in Cologne, was another triumph for both the band, and Oxfam. 1472 was the number of Coldplay fans who gave their voice to our petition. Showing the German government that they care about unfair agricultural policies, which further marginalise small-scale farmers. Those people all pushing in th

Back in the office. Back at Oxfam HQ. Back in the UK. Back home..   Antwerp was the end of the road for the European tour. Coldplay, their Stage trucks, the Beat the Street tour buses, Roadies, Fans, and Oxfam, have all gone their separate ways.. for now. Coldplay closed out the tour with a fantastic show in front of 17,000 euphoric fans, a brand new song called ‘Glass of Water’ (acompanied by ”one of the coolest men in the world from 2 of the coolest bands in the world, The Strokes and Albert H

Oxfam had an incredible show in Vienna. Thanks to the amazing work of our volunteers, we managed to give 1587 people the chance to pledge their support for Health and Education For All. That’s incredible. Over 10% of a huge audience. The numbers are growing fast. More pressure for action from governments to give people what they need to survive. Thanks to our ’Clean Clothes Campaign’ volunteers!   It also looked like another great Coldplay show!   Read other blog entries at the Oxfam Blog websit

Bonjour, Nazdar, Hallo, Hello’, Salve, Hola!   After a few weeks to get some sleep, rest a bit and catch up on life at home (where I lay my hat..), i’m back out on the road again with Coldplay. The crew room has a strangely orange glow. Light fittings, chairs and floor are all a matching ’Dulux’ tangerine colour. That’s in keeping with the awkward-but-stangly-interesting-tango-tent-like structure that is the Strasbourg Zenith, home of tomorrow night’s show. It sort of looks like a pile of bright

Don’t worry. I’ve not been hurt (although I did take a tumble in Band v Crew football earlier..), and I have not gone mad after almost 5 weeks of touring and diminishing sleep levels.   The Oxfam Novib volunteers are busy hugging their way through the Coldplay crowd in the Rotterdam Ahoy arena. A few of them are having a coffee next to me, so I presume the tiredness means that it’s been going very well! Exhausted from hugging.. It must be a rare condition.   They have been a great group to work

Monday 1st September 2008, 22:30. Zenith, Strasbourg, FR.   I just came upstairs to write a little note to the world. It’s heaving down there. Will Champion just dropped the beat for ‘Politik’. I have 1411 signatures sitting next to me. The Oxfam France agir-ici volunteers just handed them in before they went in to enjoy the show. In just 3 hours, 1411 people in Strasbourg called for Health and Education FOR ALL. That’s amazing. When the numbers are added for the whole tour, world leaders will h

On the bus, on the way to the venue. The crew are all ‘fresh’ from a day off yesterday. The tram cables of Munich are strung up over the road. This is a one-off show today. The last show in Germany. It’s right next door to the Olympic Stadium, home of the 1972 Olympic Games. A little bit of history for you..   Yesterday, I took a chance to have a stroll around Munich. It’s Oktoberfest at the moment (despite still being September…), so the city was buzzing. After checking out the main tourist sig

I’m on the bus. Front top bunk. Driver’s side. I just marked my name on the mini-whiteboard that has the 11 other scribbled names for this bus. One of 5 on the tour. I can hear the set frantically being wheeled out case-by-case from the loading bay, onto the shining red trucks. Drivers eager to hit the road, and crew, ready to hit the hay. I’m fascinated by how fast that whole set gets boxed up and heads for another venue. That venue waiting for us this time is the MGM Grand.. Las Vegas.   I hea