Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the pap shots of the paps

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I have a new hobby folks. I've been pap papping. Here's a likely-looking fella who was hiding in the bushes as we left the hotel this morning. I had a lovely chat with him about what cameras he uses and how big his lens was (a whopping 600mm in case you're interested). He seemed distracted though and eventually a little huffy - almost as though he was more interested in taking photos of the band than talking to me. Looking back on it, I think I may have been in his way somewhat...

He had a jolly chum over the way. Another keen photographer. He's got a lovely scarf for his camera. All the rage when hanging out down the docks in Sydney...

NB: All images © www.coldplay.com - contact Roadie 42 for syndication. Unauthorised use strictly forbidden. ;-)

We waved them off to do their good work and headed to the gig. As we all know, there ain't no party like a soundcheck party and today, we had one. Things kick off with a jam over a bass groove that Guy has come up with. It's a slightly Peter Hook-esque thing that wonderfully walks the line between melancholy and exuberance. I expect we'll hear plenty more of that one...

After a request for Warning Sign, which takes all of us by surprise, the fellas head down to do some photos with the assembled competition winners. They then get their customary guided tour around the back of the stage by Jackie Jackson, our wonderful Venue Security co-ordinator. I'm finishing up when, behind me, I hear Franksy selling official backstage-tour merchandise.

He and Eric our Merch Executive have got this wonderful memento knocked up:

Reckon that and the "I am Roadie 42" t-shirts could sell a packet...

Right, I can hear the band doing their warm-ups through the wall (sounds like a bunch of very peculiarly amused monks from where I'm sat....). This means that I should probably be getting ready too.

Catch ya later.

R#42

After 3 years, the fans were hyped, ready and waiting for the return of their favourite lads from the UK - so there was plenty of energy and interest around what our Brissie volunteers had to say and show about Oxfam’s work on the Fairtrade and Close The Gap campaigns.

The sight of our Oxfam green t-shirted brigade flashed amongst the thousands who thronged both nights to Brisbane Entertainment Centre, for their first live dose of Coldplay tunes since 2006. Quite a few in the crowd were obviously back for more - what’s more, many also remembering their chats with us about Make Trade Fair from last time, which made us smile. These fans obviously love their Coldplay music - but they also follow what else the band are involved with.

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 enjoys a spot of Coldplay cricket

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

Well, it seems we're bringing the weather with us. Brisbane has been broodingly humid since we got here, threatening to release a cloudburst. Come the second show day, that's exactly what it did. Sydney is our last chance to catch some sun before we're out of Oz for another couple of years. Here's hoping.

The disappointing dampness is more than made up for, though, by the warmth of the audiences we've had over here. Amazing responses all around. Tonight's crowd were giving it the Mexican wave before the band went on and everywhere we've been in Australia they've given us the full-on mobile phone glowsticks over the Viva Remix. Singing too, has been excellent. Good on ya folks!

Being as we're in Australia, the fellas had someone run out and grab a cricket bat. Here they are giving it some in the car park on the first night in Brisbane. Quite idyllic - Mercury Rev's set floating out of the loading dock door, warm evening air and just the other side of the fence, a stream of traffic all coming into the gig. Apologies for the quality of the pics - but it was nearly pitch black by this time...

Also notable from Brisbane is the fact that Neill's new keyboard contraption got not only a mention, but a cheer on the C-Stage. Always a sucker for a moment of roadie-glory, I thought I ought to share it with you...

Neill, by the way, isn't a psychopath, he merely got a little possessed on Halloween and tried to saw off Chris's head during the gig....

Actually, talking of cover versions, the end of Yellow seems to have grown a new addition of late.

So that's the news from Brisbane. It's half four in the morning here, so I'd better get this lot uploaded so I can get a little time unconscious before we fly in the morning. Day off in Sydney - ahhhhh it's a hard life...

R#42

While Coldplay are busy rocking Australia, New Zealand is getting ready for the concert event of the year. Oxfam will be there next week to greet the masses for two sold-out shows. We’ll have 20 volunteers at Vector Arena each night, talking to people about Oxfam’s work to provide clean water and sanitation in some of the world’s poorest regions.

Keep an eye out for people carrying 20 litre buckets on their heads, and text us to enter the contest for great prizes. In the meantime, you can check us out here.

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and mini-bar masquerade

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks squareone13 & LittleMissMessy]

Despite blowing my new year's resolution almost immediately, I'm still looking for ways to avoid giving hotels all my money this year. To this end, I visit reception in Melbourne and lie through my teeth. "Hello, I'm a recovering alcoholic and I'd like my mini-bar emptying please - all of it". Then it's off to 7-11 to stock up on all the goodies they'd sting me a fortune for in moments of weakness. (If Jonny Christ is reading this, please rest assured that the Archbishop would not behave in such a way in NYC - oh no siree....)

With my precious pennies saved, I head out later to a lounge bar in town for CM's birthday. I bail after a few drinks, but it's enough to give me a drunken grin and a slight stagger when I wander back through reception. Busted...

There are many luxurious things about the way we live when touring. Nice flights, wonderful hotels and good food are all great perks. Given the recent time-zone pinball that we've been playing though, the greatest luxury of all is the simplest - time. The schedule on this tour leg is utterly wonderful. Every city has two, three or even four shows. Travel days are followed by complete days off. It's got recovery written all over it. Add to the mix some glorious sunshine and this truly is a payoff.

The first day in Brisbane is marked with a soundcheck party. It's all the usual stuff, but notable for a request for Swallowed In The Sea from the assembled competition winners. I've not heard that one since the X&Y tour and it's good to see it getting an outing. Maybe we'll see a few more forgotten tracks coming back over the year. It's a long, long tour this one, so a setlist shake-up is pretty much inevitable.

Eric, our head of merchandise is getting some new things together too. Being as the puppets are travelling with us, he's trying to get some shots of them and has asked me to give him a hand. The "out and about" shots of the puppets are all the work of Dan P, the band's personal trainer, so we have him drop them into us in Melbourne and get cracking.

As with most creative endeavours, it becomes a good deal more involved than first anticipated. Dave Fav, the band's lighting crew chief lends us a couple of lamps which we stand on cardboard boxes. We're then into the business of trying to make the puppets stand up. We employ fishing line, initially around the necks and then through the jackets. Still, the band's mini-mes are refusing to stand up straight. "RF Stef", who looks after a mountain of radio gear used in the show comes up with the idea of sticking the radio antenna from a walkie talkie up a trouser leg. It's silly enough to try and it works a treat. I find myself continually apologising to the puppets for the discomfort, but they behave themselves well and shortly before showtime, we're done.

The next day sees Chris bring in a new song he's been working on with Rik at the Bakery. We're fiddling with sounds and doing some programming ready for the whole band to have a crack at it. Then he flies up the steps to the tiny C-stage at the back of the arena. Keyboard tech Neill Lambert has come up with a wonderfully bonkers invention to replace the Casio keyboard they were using for I'm A Believer. At the top of the steps are two ladies in security jackets. I'm pretty sure that one of them recognises Chris, but the other asks if we're in the band or "just technicians". Chris quickly jumps in and explains that we're just the roadies. The job's ok, he says, but the band are arseholes. Hoppy and I agree before pondering, "Well actually, it's just the singer....." I wonder if they were still working up there a few hours later when the fellas ran up and sang to the screaming arena from close-up?

Right, normally I'd have peppered a bunch of photos in amongst all this. They've just called our flight for boarding though, so I'd better finish my cuppa and get going. Promise I'll send you some nice stuff from Brisbane.

Oh - this just in... Chris has pulled his iPod earbuds out next to me and asked me to tell you all that the Bat For Lashes album is incredible. Go check it out...!

R#42

On the latest leg of their mammoth world tour Coldplay have hit the shores of sunny Australia. First stop was Perth, Western Australia, where the four lads from England were welcomed by thousands of excited fans at Burswood Dome for two nights of crowd pleasing awesome music! Oxfam Australia volunteers were there too.

A sizeable hop skip and jump took the Coldplay lads across to the opposite side of the country where they performed for three nights at the Rod Laver Arena in downtown Melbourne. Again, at each concert, we had twenty Oxfam Australia volunteers on the ground chatting to Coldplay fans about fair trade and the Close the Gap – Indigenous health equality campaign. Over the three nights more than 1 800 people signed in support of Oxfam’s campaigns work, what an impressive number!

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: The weather's sunny, and so is #42

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

Sunshine. God's own medicine... Suddenly the whole world feels like a different place. Hardly surprising, I suppose, given the distance we've travelled. I'm sure we must have been somewhere sunny in our summer last year, but I absolutely cannot remember it. I expect we were rushing around working out how to make the gig work. Getting a second chance at a summer then, is an utter gift. Even seeing the light through the production office window and feeling the warm breeze changes my mood beyond measure. I have a feeling we're in for an excellent few weeks

I remember this place. It's called the Dome, although it looks more like a very large maggot from a distance. Its white moggotty roof is like a huge lilo supported purely by air pressure inside the venue. I'm sure there are other buildings in the world like this one, but I've not been in any of them. The downside of this particular structural system is that to open two doors at once in this air-pressure-supported building is asking for trouble. Getting around backstage involves a series of airlocks (I'm not making this up), to prevent hapless roadies from being cycloned off like Dorothy in the Wizard of Oz (obviously kind of fitting, given the location). Even leaving one door ajar when opening another can leave you permanently maimed or at least short of a finger or two.

Indeed, it seems the local staff have been at the mercy of this insane air-lock ritual for many years, but still get caught out. You can actually tell how long a person has worked here by the amount of damage they've sustained. The longest-standing employee is one Bruce "Stumpy" Smith. He's not missed a day in fourteen years. Finds it mighty tricky to keep his watch on though...

Just before the sun goes completely, I decide to go outside - for no other reason than to soak a little up. I bump into Phil as I go (although he's clearly had quite enough sun already...), then wander round the front of the building as the sun sinks and squeezes its last over the crowds coming in. The sounds are of laughter and the smells are a mixture of suncream, perfume and beer. You pretty much forget what going to a gig as a punter is like after a while and milling about with folks out the front has put a totally different slant on the day.

I wander in through the turnstiles and catch Mercury Rev finishing up. They're dreamy, majestic and an exceptionally good choice.

I'd better go readers, I actually feel almost chipper...

I shall leave you with a portrait of a couple of jetlagged mates.

Roadie #42

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42's latest missive comes from a land down under

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

I hope you've packed your Sudoku, folks. After the somewhat demanding past couple of weeks, we find ourselves staring down the barrel of a pretty extensive bit of travel to get down under. We're leaving London on Tuesday at 10pm and not arriving in Perth until 2am on Thursday. Now, even with a half hour to change planes in Singapore and a chunky time difference, there's time enough to twiddle your thumbs to stumps as the world slowly slips past below us.

Luckily for us, the springs on our body clocks pinged spectacularly out of place some days ago now. Time is now viewed through the hall-of-mirrors eyes of the truly knackered. I wander about dazed in London Heathrow and a familiar voice jolts me out of my bubble. It's Mr Berryman. I would have walked straight past him. He greets me with a warm smile and I explain that I'm slightly adrift, still a bit on the pooped side. He agrees and between us we try to work out what time it is where we're going. Guy's iPhone tells him around 6am. It feels much more like the middle of the night to me right now than it does the 8pm that the clock above us reads. Perhaps I'll be ok....

Not only are my mental and physical conditions beginning to appear well worn, so too are my travel accessories. My suitcase saw me right the way through the X&Y tour and really should have been retired after that. They're such uninteresting things to spend money on though, that I've been struggling on. It's pretty much had it now and no amount of black PVC tape is going to see it through. Every handle is one baggage handler away from being gone for good. Every zip has lost its tag and requires careful coaxing to open or close. I decide to take a look in the Duty Free shops for a bargain. Anyone else think six hundred and fifty quid for a bag is a bit much?

My passports are also almost at the end of their tether. I did say passports - it's perfectly legal to have two and also completely necessary. Whilst you're in one country using one, the other is often away having Visas installed and so on. The two that I have now both came into service when I started working for the band in 2002. One is now completely full, but cannot be replaced, as it holds my American Visa. The other, which I am travelling on today now has only two blank pages. My latest installation is a New Zealand visa and a letter from the Australian government letting me into the country.

On closer inspection, this folded computer printout is a Temporary Entertainment Visa (Subclass 420, no less). Apparently, I am to be granted entry as an entertainer, provided that I "not cease to undertake the activity in relation to which the visa was granted".

This would appear to be saying that I must be entertaining for the entirety of my three weeks in the country. They don't ask for much, do they? I'm going to be double knackered after this. I'm thinking that I'll have to get some kind of comedy mask, or some of those glasses with wobbly eyeballs on springs - if only so that I might get a chance to sleep...

The truth is though, that for all the travel, the jetlag and the missing home, I do utterly adore Australia. Visiting here is the best pot of gold at the end of a jetlagged and exhausted rainbow that there is. (With the obvious exception of home and the ones that you love.) I was last here when the X&Y tour finished. Myself and one of the world's most naturally gifted photographers (Miss Penny Howle) changed our flights back home from Tokyo and snuck down to Brisbane into a hired camper van for a month of waking up on the shore in Byron Bay and driving round the mountains up in Cairns. We both decided we could and probably should live here.

To be honest, I'm not sure why we don't....

Roadie #42

A week has gone by since Coldplay performed in Saitama and Kobe, and we are certainly feeling the impact here at Oxfam Japan. We have inquiries from people who saw Oxfam’s booth, to those who have expressed interest in future campaigning. We are also hearing voices from those who have read the tour blog!

712 people signed up for the FOR ALL campaign during the Japan tour. We will continue to collect the sign-ups and for those of you, who missed the opportunity to sign up at the shows, please visit us and sign up on line! Behind the scenes at the show, it felt like watching a video on fast forward – but I am sure it was even busier for the tour staff. They came to Japan after the Grammy’s and fighting against jet lag is certainly not easy, but I am sure the warm welcome of the fans kept the band going.

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here

So we were out there again in the lobby and entrance area, distributing flyers and talking to Coldplay fans about the FOR ALL campaign. 18000 people came out to Saitama, despite it being a weekday!

Hundreds more of those fans, signed the petition. Oxfam Japan was also interviewed by the TV crew from Channel 4’s evening news program, NEWS ZERO. The main focus of the program was about Coldplay’s charity work, and how it has made an impact on the lives of so many people. All those fans that stopped by our booth will make an impact on Oxfam’s work. Eevery one of you can make a difference. A big thanks to the Tokyo volunteer team, and now the team in Kobe will take over the campaigning!

Read more blog entries at the Oxfam Blog website here

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

Discuss this blog entry here onwards [thanks sirhc]

I've been robbed, readers. Nothing's been taken from my luggage, nobody has held me up at gunpoint. I'm missing no money (apart from what I've wasted on room service - trampling another New Year's Resolution into the dirt). So, what's happened? Well, I've had 24 hours of my life whipped away from right under my nose. That's right, an entire day - stolen.

You see, following the Grammys, our schedule had two blank days before the first Japanese show. Granted, one was a travel day, but that still left a glorious day of recovery in Tokyo. As we leave the hotel at 9am for the flight out of LAX, I casually enquire as to the time difference between LA and Tokyo. "They're sixteen hours ahead". Slowly, the wheels whir in my head. "Wuh?? That means it's already tomorrow there, then?" ....and with that, the thief vanishes into the night.

Tokyo, as anyone will tell you, is an amazingly intense place. The sheer urban density is astounding. It's very much as though Manhattan, London and Berlin have been caught getting swallowed into a black hole and you've been dumped at a freeze frame just before the last suck gulps down the whole concrete lot for good.

Mix this in with the fact that the language is impenetrable, plus an alphabet that is quite simply the most baffling thing imaginable and you have a recipe for feeling upon arrival that you're not just in another country, but you've quite possibly landed on another planet. The woozy confusion of jetlag serves only to round things off with a nice dreamlike glow.

As well as the timezone-induced disorientation, our first gig days in Tokyo are the first ones back on the job for a while. It's a little strange to be standing under the stage in my familiar bunker again after a lengthy break. I know that I know what to do, but it's all coming a bit slower than it usually would...

The tiny crappy plastic keyboard that made its stage debut at the Neil Diamond tribute gig is clearly suffering from jetlag somewhat more seriously than the rest of us. It makes it to the first chorus of I'm A Believer in Tokyo before falling asleep. It turns up for the Osaka shows, but even the screams of fifteen thousand eager fans won't wake it from it's slumber. Lightweight...

Japanese shows tend to be early ones, which has been a blessing for a bunch of tired and dazed westerners. You have to love being back in the hotel for 8.30... The crowds too, have been a huge lift. I've said it before and I'll say it again - Japanese crowds have this reputation for being silently pin-drop polite which I just don't really see. I guess it's true that they do quieten down when the song starts, but in all other senses, they're one of the louder and more enthusiastic crowds on the planet. They're cheering and clapping along in time to the intro tape, they've got their arms in the air (quite literally like they just don't care) through In My Place and they go off in grand style for Viva.

In all honesty though, the entire Japanese run has passed in a hazy blur of feeling tired and not-quite-right for me. The Grammys certainly seems like a long time ago now, but I'm having a hard time recalling what went on in the days since. We're flying west now, back towards London. In amongst recovering from our third major timezone shift in ten days, we have a couple of rather heavy days coming up trying to get the band set up simultaneously at the Brit Awards and at a War Child charity show in Shepherd's Bush the same night. It's difficult not to wonder whether somewhere, someone is trying to break us. As ever though, when there's a challenge, everyone will rise to the occasion with only a modest portion of grumbling, bickering and moaning. And hey, there's a glorious few weeks of sunshine in Australia to look forward to...

Right then, it's 3.30pm where I've been, which means it's 6.30am where we're going. I might have a go at a couple more hours sleep.

R#42

So the excitement continues in this part of the world.. After attending the Grammy’s in L.A., Coldplay arrived in Tokyo last night, to kick off their tour of Japan. It’s hard to believe their energy levels, despite all the travelling!

The Japanese crowd gave Coldplay a warm welcome - 16′000 crammed into the Saitama Super Arena. Fans had waited 2 and a half years for Coldplay to tour Japan. Hundreds of people were there, outside the venue, two hours before the doors even opened.. The crowd had a special night - on top of a great concert, many of them learnt about Oxfam’s FOR ALL campaign. 12 Oxfam Japan volunteers were in the arena, signing people up for the campaign.

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here

The crew have flown out, to wipe the jet-lag from their eyes, in time to get the stage up tomorrow. Yesterday morning, Coldplay flew out to join them. Tomorrow, Tokyo will see the start of the Coldplay tour in 2009. Oxfam Japan will be there waiting for them.

With that, comes a new blogger. Oxfam’s Akiko Mera, has worked tirelessly to get things ready for the show tomorrow. She will be there, at the first drop of another rollercoaster ride on the Coldplay tourbus. The Saitama Super Arena will be the first stop. This year, the band have already confirmed shows in 20 countries. The stages will be bigger than last year, and i’m sure, that after what I have learnt about them in the past year, the show will match it.

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here. On behalf of everyone at Coldplaying.com we look forward to more Oxfam blogs and with them all the success in this year's campaigning!

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 sends his Grammy report

Discuss this blog entry here onwards [thanks coldplay12]

Now, I'm not a huge fan of awards shows. For a roadie, they're basically a monumental pain in the arse. If you're a bloke who earns their living plugging gear in and telling the band that it's going to work, then they're by far the most stressful thing that you can get involved with. The gear flies from the loading dock to the stage at terrifying speed and you get the length of a commercial break to hook it all up and test it. If it ain't working when the stage manager shoos you away out of camera shot, you're sending your band out to look stupid in front of millions of viewers on live TV.

If you sat down with a pencil and paper to design the ultimate roadie nightmare, I can pretty much guarantee you'd end up here.Yet here we are - and for some strange reason, I'm loving it. Don't get me wrong, the stress level is through the roof. Fuck this up and I could never look the fellas square in the eye again - ever. There's something else going on here, though. We walked into the building for rehearsals yesterday and I crossed the stage behind Stevie Wonder playing Superstition. Radiohead are here and quite honestly, they're the single act in the world today that keep me deeply in love with listening to music. If it weren't for them, I'd have lost faith long ago and become one of those horrid cynical, jaded old roadies who "can't stand pop music any more".

And what's this? It's only Paul McCartney. And - no way! Dave Grohl is playing drums with him! At first, I wonder if Dave will be too loud for an old balladeer like him. Come Macca's rehearsal slot though, I'm utterly blown away. It's an hour long blast of pure Rock and Roll and out in the arena, it's pinning me to the wall.

In the touring world, the soundcheck can be one of the most tedious things imaginable. All of the passion, magic and power of a full performance are missing as songs start and stop, artists play half heartedly and fuss over the details of what they can and can't hear, or whether to add another four bars to the bridge.

Here, though, it's like a gang of blokes up there on stage beaming like kids who've just got their first proper loud amplifiers - cranking it out and getting their rocks well and truly off. I have never, ever seen so many people crowd around to watch a soundcheck. There are folks all around the edges of the stage and filling up the seats on the arena floor. Someone's little girl is jumping and dancing excitedly throughout - a wonderful visual expression of what everyone's feeling.

It just goes on and on. My tech world is located beneath the stage in the underworld bunker that is acting as a Green Room, from which those presenting the awards emerge up the steps and onto the stage. Al Green and Duffy come down and stand three feet to my left, working out who will take which harmony when they sing Bridge Over Troubled Water. To my right, through the drape, I can hear Adam Clayton's bass rig rumble through the riff from the new U2 track. You can't move for musical talent.

Now, I still maintain enough cynicism to know that the Grammys broadcast is a huge marketing exercise for the performers involved. I expect that the accusations that the awards voting can be a very political thing mightn't be without foundation. For the first time though, I can see what's great about it all. This is a huge celebration of amazing music and outstanding performers. Maybe it's the first time the line-up has been this compatible with my own tastes, or maybe I'm just in a temporary lull in grumpiness. (If that is indeed the case, rest assured normal service will be resumed shortly.)

So, that's a lot of talk about the event and of the other artists. What of our fellas? Well, if it's stressful for roadies, I can only begin to imagine what it's like for them. Time after time, they've been very unhappy with their TV performances. The pressure to excel today, when surrounded by so much talent is utterly enormous. Predictably (and completely understandably), despite a good rehearsal, the band are very nervous. They are working over every minute detail of the performance in attempt to ensure that they don't walk away disappointed with themselves.

The tension ratchets up with each tick of the clock towards showtime. In a wonderful stroke of good fortune though, our little dressing room is right opposite Dave Grohl's. He's been a good friend of the band since almost the very beginning. I also have to say, that I've never ever met anyone in the business even close to his equal for all round top-bloke-ness. It's nigh on impossible to be in the same room as the guy for thirty seconds without breaking out into a wide smile and remembering that taking things too seriously is not really the best idea. He pokes his head through the black drape doorway at regular intervals and provides probably the best vibe-support-system a band could ever hope for.

Now, you'll doubtless all have seen the show, so I don't need to tell you that the guys utterly nailed it. From where I sat under the stage, it looked completely majestic on the TV monitors. Chris alone in the spotlight for Lost? was perfectly powerful in it's simplicity. The guest appearance from Jay-Z could so have easily just been a showbiz device, but his nonchalant and understated entrance worked wonderfully to give him the impact of a wrecking-ball.

I must say also, that given some of the utter nonsense the guys have had to put up with recently, (including the filthy and frankly despicable publicity stunts that had been threatened for today) Jay's words about the uglier experiences that large scale success can bring, could hardly have been more pertinent to the day.

From this somewhat melancholy beginning, the signature string riff to Viva kicked in to announce that it was about to become a joyous celebration - which is exactly what it was. It's clear immediately that all the stress, all the worry and the fretting have become a tightly packed rocket that's going to explode beautifully over the three minute performance. The utter elation as they come down the steps into the green room marks possibly the happiest I've ever seen the four of them. Phil Harvey joins them, beaming and speechless. All there is for it is a hug. The boys done well. I believe they even won a few, too.

R#42

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 and the London Monkees

Discuss this blog entry here onwards.

Well, it would appear we've brought the weather with us. As we sped up the freeway tonight to the hotel, the heavens opened. Los Angeles is far better at clear blue and hot - but it's certainly demonstrated the breadth of its repertoire today. Perhaps the British-style downpours are a good omen for the Grammys? Let's hope so, eh?

But the Grammy Awards aren't until Sunday. We've come out early for a show next door in honour of Neil Diamond. Now if the mere mention of this guy's name doesn't set you involuntarily singing at least a couple of tunes to yourself then you're missing out. One of the songs you might be singing is I'm A Believer. Made famous by the Monkees, it was written by Mr Diamond. This is the tune that the fellas are doing tonight. The show is a charity event and takes place before a huge roomful of diners. Both the relaxed nature of the show and the kooky-ness of the track mean that the fellas have taken a sharp left turn some distance before the signpost marked "slick". It's supposed to be fun and they're treating it exactly thus.They soundcheck with a somewhat hilariously shambolic run through the track. Will and Jonny have acoustic guitars, Guy is tambourine-ing like a demon and Chris has the cheapest nastiest home keyboard we could find. It's chaotic, silly and completely wonderful. Words get lost along the way, but it all comes together on the "Woooooh! - I'm a believer, I couldn't leave her if I tried" and the guitar riff. Hell - it'll be fine...

Come showtime, they bound on, Chris opening with the line "Hello, we're Neil and the Diamonds and we're from London, England". They dive into it and it all falls into place. The crowd - or at least those who've been paying more attention to the wine waiters than their Blackberrys - join in enthusiastically for the refrain.

I reckon they played a blinder. Good to know, I guess, that if the pop stardom ever wanes, they can still earn a good living as a Monkees cover band - available for functions nightly.... ;-)

R#42

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 is our mole in the studio

Discuss this blog entry here onwards [thanks marie/pims]

After touring's "ying" of constant motion, noisy crowds and repetition, studio work's "yang" brings stillness, quiet isolation and a torrent of creativity. I've been in the corner of the control room at the Bakery for the past couple of weeks watching the first foundations being dug for the next batch of songs.

Regular readers will remember that whilst we were in Miami a couple of months ago, Chris spent some time in a studio putting down new song ideas. Well, for the past couple of weeks, the fellas and Brian Eno have been working their way through these sketches.

When I say "the fellas", there is one person notably absent from these sessions. Chris has been banned from the studio for these first two weeks. Now, before the rumour mill cranks its way excitedly into life, this does not indicate any kind of split in the camp. This is an experiment of Brian's (a phrase I feel I may have a hard time not over-using as the project progresses). Rather than have Chris's demo recordings come in fully-formed, leading the songs in a particular direction, Will, Guy and Jonny are constructing their own musical underpinning with little idea of what Chris had in mind. For many of the tracks, they hear nothing but the vocal track.

The fact that this is such a crazy way of going about things seems to encourage them to go off in deliberately strange and adventurous directions. Often, they come in first thing in the morning and listen to Chris's idea once, before going out into the live room and working up something based purely on how the song "felt" to them on first listen, paying little heed to what chords he chose or how the melody sat.

The absence of the immediately recognisable piano and voice makes the sounds coming through the speakers seem very fresh, new and exciting. When Brian makes the move to his laptop and brings Chris's voice back in, the familiar Coldplay melodies and emotions are loud and clear, but the canvas they are set against has become wider, more vivid and even more daring.

Will, ever the multi-instrumentalist is all over the studio. He spends a good deal of time at his laptop (indeed, one of my favourite tracks from these sessions comes from a drum loop he brings into the studio early on. It's like the backing track from Lost! has been struck down with a very heavy fever and has taken off on safari through a surrealist painting). He's also on the pianos and Chris's guitar for much of the time. Occasionally, he'll even have a go on the drums.

Guy too, is clearly loving the creative playground that the studio offers. As bass players often do, he seems to have a great overall view of the songs from the inside out. His innate sense of what might work or what might be required allows him to contribute a huge amount by way of ideas for directions to head off in. Jonny has dug up the old Moog synth that Guy used to play on the X&Y tour and has hooked it up to his guitar rig. The sounds he coaxes range from the bizarre and the ugly to the most downright gorgeous things that you'll ever hear.

Everyone is away from their assigned roles and it's as though playing the "wrong" instruments has given them the freedom to play fearlessly like kids - like a new band that's just got together. The results are quite astounding.

So what of Mr Martin in all of this? Somewhat predictably, he's not slouched on a sofa in front of daytime television. He's up the road at another studio pouring out songs in a writing project with another artist.

As if to underline the point that despite being apart, the band vibe is as strong as ever, a phone call comes towards the end of the first week. Chris has a song that's not quite coming together and what he really needs is a kick-ass rhythm section. The fellas decide that Friday afternoon shall be a field trip and they all troop off up there for a nosey at what he's up to.

This little section of recording marks the first time I've been around whilst the chaps are working with Brian Eno. Watching things progress is most interesting. I remember on the first day, looking through the glass from the control room as they all played in the live room. Here are four guys, one of whom first became known in the seventies, yet looking around the room we have Jonny at a Moog synth, Will playing a Fender Telecaster and Guy on a vintage Bass. Brian is sat at a fold down table with a laptop and a tiny keyboard looking for all the world like some hip laptop DJ - whilst the others could be from any band in the last thirty-odd years.

As things progress though, it becomes clear that the laptop is merely a convenient tool. Brian's instrument it seems, is upon his shoulders. His ears and his brain are the things which resonate most strongly when the music begins. He can listen to a short section which shows promise and cut directly to what needs doing to untangle the mess and allow the ideas to shine.

The role of a producer can be a little unclear to those outside the studio. Watching them work though, it's clear that he's not pushing or pulling them in any one direction - he seems far more interested in encouraging maximum exploration. He seems though, to be in some kind of helicopter that allows him to make some very erudite suggestions as to when it might be best to plot an alternative route around an obstacle, or when pressing on is going to lead to somewhere quite extraordinary.

Oh yes - and singing. He loves the singing. They've been singing up a storm in here. Four part harmonies stacked upon each other over and over. Standing five foot from four voices harmonising with such joy and skill is quite simply a treat.

I've no doubt that there will be vast amounts of work done between what I'm hearing right now and what is released as the finished product, whenever that may happen. What I do know is that there is enough fuel here to make it one hell of a ride.

R#42

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 is back in business

Discuss this blog entry here onwards [thanks Lore]

It was always inevitable that the Christmas break would vanish before we'd had the chance to get nearly half the lazing about done that we'd planned. Sure enough, here we are again heading off to do a TV show. I set off this morning in the belief that we were going to do the German equivalent of the Grammy awards. Somebody asked me yesterday where that would be. I told them I was fairly sure that an event like this would be in Berlin, but really I had no idea - I'd find out when we got there. My first surprise then, comes when we land and the passport inspector greets me with a cheery "Bonjour". Odd, he thinks I'm French.

No, apparently, we're going to Offenberg today and the nearest airport is in France. Once we get to the venue, it becomes clear that this is also not an awards show. This is some kind of rather cheesy but hugely, hugely popular German gameshow. That's a personal best. Less than an hour back on the road and I already don't know where I am or what's going on.

The guys are performing Viva today, so the regular layout of the keyboards, the TV, the bell and so on bring us back onto more familiar ground once we get into rehearsals. The studio is huge and the set is really quite fancy. The fellas themselves are clearly enjoying being back together. The first day back after a break is always a joy. Everyone is bouncy and enthused and today is certainly a case in point. They're clearly enjoying being a gang again and spirits are high through the rehearsal.

I've written a couple of times about the treatment that Will dishes out to the poor old bell on a nightly basis when touring. Well, it would appear that it's spent the Christmas break plotting revenge. Halfway through the first chorus, Will strikes the bell with an almighty clout and the soft beater breaks away from the stick flying off behind him. The balance of the stick is now completely off and Will smacks himself in the face with it. The camera cuts briefly to Will to show a small pool of blood gathering just beside his nose. He's damn lucky not to have removed an eye live on television.

In typical Champion style, he steams ever onwards, refusing to be swerved from course. He throws the errant stick over his shoulder and grabs another without dropping a single beat.

With only minor injuries, we're back on the road once more...

R#42

From buses to desks. I’m sitting in Oxford, England, at a desk in the Media Unit of Oxfam House. I’ve been around the UK, North America and Europe on buses with Coldplay’s crew for the past 7 months. The desk in front of me is covered with files, newspapers, tapes, contact cards, campaigns pins, a gnawed pen, a rubber band, a coffee cup and a spoon.

It’s not mine. I’m borrowing it. Outside I can see the ‘arctic snap’ frost and yesterdays snow on the street and people bustling along to get where they are going at the start of school terms, semesters and working weeks. It’s been 14 days since the last Coldplay show of 2008. Just 7 hours after the show ended in Belfast.. I was in bed at home. A large part of the past two weeks were spent asleep. Now we are into 2009, a fresh year for campaigning, an important year for Oxfam’s Climate Change and Essential Services campaigns. Oxfam unwrapped donkeys, goats, camels, mosquito nets, school books and latrines, donated as gifts for people who need them most, will soon be put into action. The last mince pie crumbs will be swept away, and the baubles, stars and tinsel will come down. Remember to do that today everyone.. I hear it’s bad luck not to.

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here. On behalf of everyone at Coldplaying.com we wish Oxfam and Pete the best for 2009 and all successes in this year's campaigning... Oxfam and Coldplay crossing paths again couldn't come again soon enough!

We are nearly there. It’s a couple of days until Christmas. Time for the holidays and to welcome in a new year. Soon we will be travelling home. Getting over coughs, colds and extreme sleep deprivation weirdness. Just one more Coldplay show to do this year. The pillows are in sight.

I hadn’t seen much of the set for a while. Tonight, I stood, stage-left, with some of the Oxfam volunteers, to watch the amazing show. OK, so most of the songs may be the same, but I love seeing the crowds every time. People jumping around, singing the words, clapping at every opportunity, stamping their feet, holding their heads in disbelief, watching the show through a mobile phone - when the band are right there.. Stamping their feet - (whether they’re out of time or not.. Who really cares?) It’s great to see how captivated people are when seeing the show for the first time. It reminds me how great it is, that Oxfam is on the tour. How great it is that the volunteers get to see the show. How much people love this band. How awesome it is that the band want these people to be involved with Oxfam’s work. 1348 people joined Oxfam tonight. That’s 2319 people at the two Dublin shows. 1 in 7 people across the two nights. That’s a great response, and something for our volunteers to be proud of.

There were a famous pair of sunglasses in the audience tonight too, which caught the eye of a few of our campaigners.. I saw you there Bono.. bobbing your head and singing along to ‘Viva’ at the Coldplay show.

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here

It’s quite a spectacular sight to see 8′500 Coldplay fans on their feet in Dublin, singing the final few lines of ‘Yellow’. I came back here into the crew room to write, and heard a similar roar of noise at the end of ‘Fix you’. ‘Viva’ has just struck up as well, and I can already hear the chanting starting.

971 of those people, on 1942 feet, all signed up with Oxfam tonight. They all now have the chance to be active campaigners for Oxfam in the years to come. 2009 will be a huge year for Oxfam, and Coldplay as well. They will be back here for a massive outdoor show in September. Maybe some of those people who signed up, will be volunteering as campaigners themselves next year..?

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here

I’m sitting in the newly revamped O2 Arena, Dublin. Last Tuesday, this venue was re-opened. Coldplay is only the third show to pass through. 8′500 people will pack into the arena tonight, and again tomorrow. There is only three days to go on this tour. I thought I was going to escape the strange illness that has been doing the rounds in the crew. Unfortunately, it got me in the end. I’m on the kiwi fruits and orange juice today..

Yesterday, I visited the famous storehouse of Arthur Guinness. The cobbled streets and darkened passages around the old factory buildings was quite a sight. Real atmosphere. You could just imagine the barrels rolling down the streets and a huge workforce piling in and out. The black gates through the streets guarding the special secrets of this ancient brew.. As we pulled up on the open-top bus tour, it felt a bit like Charlie the Chocolate Factory for adults. Sadly.. I didn’t see any umpa-lumpas..

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here

Just went past the Odyssey (which will be the last stop of the tour). Heading for Dublin, the second last stop on the tour. The band are still on stage, entertaining the 8000 strong crowd. Foot-stomping and singing was in full force, as I packed up the Oxfam road case in the dressing room hall. The night is still young. The bus pulled out at 10:30pm “on-the-head” as the driver put it. This must be what it feels like to be in one of the vans that does a runner straight after the show. I’m off early, with the ‘Eat to the beat’ catering team, beating the traffic and heading for the hotel, in the hope of a ‘regular’ night sleep..

Belfast was a fun city. I’m glad we’re heading back before it‘s over. Oxfam volunteers were signing up the crowd to become campaigners. The sheet simply said. “Coldplay. Sign up to use your power”. In the new year, Oxfam Ireland will update them on the Climate Change campaign, which will be a massive part of Oxfam’s work in 2009. For now, they can just sit back and enjoy the show. Or.. Alternatively.. Stand up and stamp their feet and enjoy the show.. Why not eh? It’s Friday!

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42 tells you about tour fatigue

Discuss this blog entry here onwards.

Tour Fatigue, Road-burn, Knackered-ness, "Ready for Bo-Bos", it's called many things, but all describe the same thing. I've shied away from describing some of the less enjoyable aspects of touring because - well, lets face it, the job we do is amazing and I can't even bear listening to myself moan about it, let alone imagine how little anyone else would care.

It is, however, an intrinsic part of the touring experience. Just as seaside summer holidays always smell strongly of sun-cream, so too is the entire touring experience often viewed through the soft focus lens of exhaustion. Timezones have a lot to answer for. So too does the fact that the working day produces a ninety minute adrenaline rush that ends around 11pm - making early nights rare, despite all best intentions.

Touring is also a hugely social environment. There are just short of 100 people travelling with this particular circus. Myself, when I'm tired, I'm grumpy. I've been doing this long enough to know this, so I tend to pull myself inwards like a tortoise when I'm not at my best. I'd rather not inflict myself on anyone. In this environment though, that can be difficult. Every area in a venue is a communal space, so sitting on your own and wallowing isn't really an option.

Luckily, when one person is down, another will be up and the natural balance of the tour-vibe ecosystem is maintained. It only takes one person to say one thing that makes you smile, or to do something that makes you laugh uncontrollably to turn your day around completely. It sounds utterly cheesy to say that of course, but cliches at their simplest, are just oft-repeated truths - and this happens to be true.

A strange thing happens when you go beyond heavy tiredness though and that's the very distorted and strange world of sleep deprivation and complete exhaustion. Myself, I actually find this stage easier to deal with. Everything seems very slightly ridiculous and amusing for no apparent reason. Work days get boiled down from a huge mass of jobs to do to two simple priorities that are your only concern between opening your eyes in the morning and getting back to bed again:

1. What do I have to do to make the gig happen and not let anyone down?

2. How soon can I sleep?

The other thing that is reassuring about this feeling is that you pretty much know that your body will refuse to let you attempt anything with your next day off but collapsing and recovering. I can happily report that I got the tube home from the last O2 show and have spent little of the two days off that followed doing anything more strenuous than snoring.

I can't tell how long it's going to last, but I can honestly say I'm heading off to Belfast today feeling a good deal more alive than I have for some time after a good rest. The end (well, a break at least) is in sight. The London crowds were awesome and the Irish know a thing or two about having a good time, so I reckon we'll make it to Christmas just fine.

Roadie #42

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

Discuss this blog entry here onwards [thanks mimixxx]

I note that on the X&Y tour, there were three "Big London Shows" at Earls Court on the 14th, 15th and 16th of December. Three years, an album and an EP later, here we are with three "Big London Shows" on exactly the same dates. Hometown shows around Christmas make perfect sense really. If it's supposed to be a time for getting together with family and friends and celebrating, then what better way could there be?

This feel spreads further than the simple fact that much of the touring party is based here in London. The show itself has a family vibe through and through. The opening acts on all three nights have deep friendships and history with the band stretching way back. Having friends and family about them even extends to a guest appearance from Mr Simon Pegg. The man is obviously a star in his own right, but when you see the band beaming from ear to ear and cracking up as he adds harmonica to the C-Stage, you can see that he's here primarily because he's their mate.

His contribution on night one is solid, although it's clear the fact that he's standing in the spotlight in front of 18,000 people hasn't escaped his notice. The second night, he's positively on fire and appears to be loving every minute of it. By the third night he pretty much owns the place. Top fella.

With hometown shows of course, comes complete and utter guest list meltdown. I am reliably informed that by the time the box office closed, the guest list had exeeded twelve hundred people over the three shows. That's enough folks to fill a decent sized theatre show. If you count on the fact that at least a quarter of those will have undoubtedly had phone numbers for either Vicki and EJ, the band's PAs or Marguerite in production, you can pretty much imagine how many phone calls have been fielded beginning with "I just wanted to check...".

You can bet that their phones will be well and truly off for the days off before Belfast! (that's if they haven't melted first). The guest list ranges through from old schoolfriends to A-list celebs to Mr Paul McGuinness (also known as "U2's Manager") to my Mum and Dad. I'm pretty sure that Ma and Pa #42 enjoyed it and I may finally have convinced them that I do have a proper job....

Obviously, the final piece of the puzzle in all of this is the crowd. I can say without hesitation that if you were there you can be justifiably proud of yourselves. London can be a tough place to play for any band, but it's been a real celebration and that's one hundred percent down to the energy that gets fed onto the stage when 18,000 people go berserk. Nice one folks!

Roadie #42

The Coldplay tour, along with it’s Oxfam rep, has now travelled to Belfast City, and I have not even talked about the last show in London yet.. so, just to recap, here’s a note from London..

1200 people made the Health and Education For All pledge tonight. That’s almost 4000 for the London shows, great stuff. The UK tour has seen an incredible number of people giving their support on this Oxfam campaign. It also saw Simon Pegg, join Coldplay on-stage for some memorable harmonica moments..

The third London show was the final concert in England & Scotland for 2008. Oxfam GB was there, with a group of volunteers at every show. A massive 18′350 Coldplay fans made the Health and Education For All pledge over the 12 shows! That’s the equivalent of a capacity crowd at the Birmingham NIA, plus the Liverpool Echo Arena, and all of their staff and security, standing up at once, and pledging their support. A truly incredible level of support, to add to the global movement of people speaking up about Health and Education For All.

Read the full blog entry at the Oxfam Blog website here