Jenjie

On Saturday I headed up to the Gorge Amphitheater in good ol’ George, Washington to see Coldplay in concert! We (Carol, Tony, Kara, Reid, Adam, Ty, Stacie, Joel, Dave, Adrianne and I) left Portland around 10:30am and we definitely took our time getting up there. I am not the most patient person when it comes to sitting in the car, but the drive actually wasn’t that bad. It was a little long, but I was able to see parts of Oregon and Washington that I’ve never seen before. Sometimes I forget how lucky we are to live in the Pacific Northwest. I don’t even think I’ve ever driven through Hood River and The Dalles before this weekend and I’ve lived in Oregon all my life. That part of Oregon was just gorgeous and I definitely want to take a trip up there and actually spend some time in the Columbia River Gorge! We got to the Gorge around 5:00pm, parked our cars and headed to the amphitheater to get our spots on the lawn. I had never been to the amphitheater before, but I’d heard some pretty amazing things about it. Let me tell you, it did not disappoint. It is truly out in the middle of nowhere and has the most amazing view of the river. I was just in awe of God’s beautiful creation, especially when the sun started to set. It was fairly full when we got there, but we were able to find a good spot about halfway up the lawn and to the left of the stage. Coldplay didn’t come on until about 9:00pm so we sweated in the sun for awhile and pretended to enjoy the opening acts. After being really anxious for Coldplay to take the stage, they finally came on and started the show off with Life In Technicolor! They played almost everything off Viva La Vida and their classic hits as well. We spent the entire show singing and dancing around on the lawn and it was an absolute blast! My favorite song they performed was probably Lovers in Japan. They shot off confetti and tons of paper butterflies during the song and it looked so cool. Politik was another one of my favorites, as well as the cover they did of Billie Jean. This was hands down, the best concert I’ve ever been to. Coldplay definitely knows how to put on a show and Chris Martin basically never stopped running around the stage. They even came out to the lawn and performed a few songs out there. The concert flew by and I was already wanting to see them again 30 seconds after it ended. We slowly filed out, grabbed our free CD and trekked back to our camp site. Everyone was pretty much starving by the time we got back so we ate some peanut butter and jelly sandwiches and set up our tents. I am horrible at sleeping anywhere but my house so I probably got about 3 hours of sleep, but it was well worth it! It was super windy the next morning so everyone woke up pretty early. We packed up and began the drive back that morning. After making a great hour long stop in Goldendale at Dairy Queen for ice cream and a quick stop for coffee in Hood River we made it back to Portland. I am seriously still in awe at how great the concert was. I really just want to see them again…right now. http://kelmaks.wordpress.com/2009/07/13/viva-la-vida/

oh, and when you're going to London, it also gives you the opportunity to buy a tube day travelcard for the day of your arrival too :D

trainline. usually get next day/48 hours delivery with normal first class post when you book from them too

book em now!!!!! I just got a ticket from Manchester to London on 18th September for £15 single.

looks like the prices have gone up coz Coldplay are in town :( just had a quick look at travelodge & all the saturday night prices ar ehigher than the nights either side. http://www.travelodge.co.uk/search_and_book/saver_search.php?action=search&tab=list&source=XX&search_for=PROM3&checkInDate=12%2F09%2F2009&locpostText=M23

don't worry, they quite often take a little while longer when you're not in the Us. the parcels have to clear the various customs departments.

I've only ever watched season 1, but I love it :) I have my eye on the complete box set. Its been reduced to £50 from £200

June 10, 2003 Cleveland, Ohio Away Day Cleveland was my first time to travel away to see the band. I had seen them around Texas, but I don’t consider that traveling. Traveling requires getting on a plane in my book. I had met Mary on the old Coldplay message board. We worked similar schedules so we were on line at the same times each day and became friends. The band was nearing the end of their AROBTTH tour and we wanted to try and go to a show together. Why Cleveland, a question we would ask ourselves after seeing Cleveland, but basically because it was a general admission show with tickets still available. We had to have a GA show so everyone that wanted to go could get their ticket and we didn’t have to worry about getting seats next to each other. We had people coming from all over to meet us there, me from Texas, Mary and Lulu from Indiana, Britney and her friend from Ohio, Abbey from Arizona, Todd from Vegas, and Leah from New Jersey. I rented a suite at a downtown hotel so we could all stay together. At work everyone told me I was going to be killed by “internet people”. Yes, those mad axe wielding psycho Coldplay fans, they are always on the news. We got into town the night before the show so we could have a look around and get to know each other but that is a whole other weird story. On with the Coldplay bits. Woke up early the next day and most of us went down to the venue at 8am. Ha! What we needed to be down there that early for I don’t know because the band wasn’t even there yet. Their crew wasn’t even there yet! We didn’t care. We got in line anyway. We had a walk around to the back to see where the band would be coming in. This venue was basically as Chris put it during the show, “a car park with a tent over it, next to a river, under a giant bridge”. At around 10am we could see the band’s buses up on the highway as they made their way in, so some people held our places in line and we ran to the back to greet them. Mary had made everyone a shirt with Will’s picture on it. I can only imagine what must have gone through their heads. They have been driving for hours from Chicago and arrive to find a bunch of crazy people all wearing the same Will shirt waiting at the venue at 10 in the morning. They start parking the buses and Rocky their security guy comes and tells us we need to stay on the corner across the street from where the buses are being parked. We wait and Mary gets up and does her “Clocks Dance” outside the band’s bus as they wait to park. I don’t even know how to describe it, but basically it involves her dancing while swinging her arms around like the arms on a clock. I am sure they are now too frightened to get off the bus. Finally all buses are parked and one by one they exit and go into the enclosed backstage area. Will is last off and he doesn’t go backstage but instead walks right over to us! He is wearing his now famous green Nike shoes and pink shirt. You can tell he is so embarrassed about his picture on all our shirts. It’s just so sweet. He signs stuff and takes pictures with us. He leaves and goes back stage. We hung around in the back for most of the day, but eventually went and got back in line. We could hear them sound checking later in the day. The played some of their stuff and some Smiths and then Happy Birthday. Happy Birthday? OK, that’s interesting. We soon discover that this venue is strange and security here is even stranger. Before gates opened some security dude comes out and gives everyone free water. Well that’s a first. I have never received anything free from a venue before. Then they make a no backpack announcement which sends some people into frenzy. They took a cab to the show and had no place to put their packs. There are signs on the fence which surrounds the venue stating the dangers of moshing. Once we get inside we all make it onto the first row and then security makes everyone sit down until the bands come on. Sit down like we are in kindergarten or something. There are enough security guards at the front to invade a samll country. Most shows have 3 maybe 4 at the front, they had at least 12. Well if that dangerous Coldplay mosh pit gets out of control, they will be ready! Stage at this venue is very high, around 6 feet. Who do they think will be able to jump up on that stage? Openers were again Mos Eisley and Ron Sexsmith. Eisley still not good. Why me? We could see the band sitting on this giant hill of dirt that was behind the venue watching Ron Sexsmith’s set, drinking beer. Between bands the security guard standing in front of me keeps telling me he doesn’t like Coldplay. What ever dude, leave me alone. After what seamed like an eternity, the band is finally ready to come on stage. Lights down, band on! Chris is his normal bouncy self. How can one person have so much energy? Jonny has a porn stash! It is beautiful. Politik still the opener. For a crappy tent venue, the sound was pretty good. Chris bounced madly on his stool, the crowd bounced madly in unison. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face up next with Guy’s fat bass line and Chris dancing with his guitar. A Rush of Blood to the Head. Finally! I had been so disappointed that they didn’t play it in Texas. Why they didn’t play Rush on the Rush tour until near the end of the tour, such is the Coldplay. It is so beautiful and worth the wait. Daylight with Jonny singing. Why don’t they let Jonny sing more! Trouble moved up in the show. Much better in this spot I think. The Security guard that told me how he doesn’t like Coldplay now comes over and asks the name of this song because he “knows it and likes it”. A feat he repeats several more times that night much to my agitation. Leave me alone dude, I am trying to watch Jonny! One I Love, rocking out. Man I wish they would play this one again. Don’t Panic. No throwing of the harmonica. There must have been some kind of riot for it so they had to stop throwing them into the crowd. But I was ready this time. Moses. More road tested now and sounding brilliant. Everything’s Not Lost. How does a guy that smashes drums like that have such a sweet angelic voice? Big crowd sing along. Pour Me. New songs are awesome. They played so many new songs on this tour. Yellow. Crowd goes nuts, jerk security guard again agitating me with questions. The Scientist. I remember watching Chris’ hands up on the 4 giant screens hanging at the back. He has really pretty hands. This song is just so beautiful. Encore Clocks. In the six months since I had seen them in Texas, Clocks was released as a single and it was huge. It got a bigger reception than Yellow I think. And the green laser is just awesome! Here’s s shocker, security dude loves this song too. In My Place. Chris’ dancing not improved but so adorable. Amsterdam! YES!!!!!!!!!!! Britney had brought a yellow helium balloon to the show and we wrote “Play Amsterdam” on it and floated in front of their faces all night. Ha! Amsterdam and AROBTTH, I could die in peace now. I can’t remember what all Chris said during the show, but I do remember him talking about the venue and Jonny’s sexy stash. We also found out the reason for the happy birthday sound check. Chris started coughing and their assistant Vickie Taylor comes out on stage to bring him a drink but he was just faking. He grabs her and announces it is her birthday and has the crowd sing happy birthday and Jonny gives her flowers. How sweet are these guys. The mystery of the Happy Birthday sound check solved. After the show was over, we met the Oxfam people on the way out and signed up. Bought some stuff from the merchandise stand. Then we all headed to the back of venue to wait for the band to come out. God I miss the days when they toured by bus. If the bus is there, they are still there. Huge crowd at first, but people started getting tired of waiting and started leaving. Finally around 2am Chris and Jonny were first out. They came out with Rocky. They walked along the line of waiting fans and signed stuff, people taking pics. Mary had brought the picture of them wearing the black afro wigs to get it signed. Chris had to ask which one was him so he could sign next to his pic. I remember that they smelled really good and how nice they were. Jonny’s porn stash up close is just a thing to behold. He looked so thin. And he didn’t have his then trademark red hat. Said he had lost it. But he did have a stripy shirt, so yah! Chris started walking down the street and the crowd and Rocky all followed him. Jonny was left behind with just me, Mary and Todd. Some drunk dude came out of nowhere and staggered into him and almost knocked him over. He didn’t get mad, just said something like whoa mate. We asked for a pic and he stood between me and Mary and Todd took the pic. Jonny smiled, Mary smiled, I smiled and gave his bum a bit of a squeeze. Best picture ever! Chris made his way back up the street, crowd in tow and they left and got on the bus. Most of the fans left after that. After a long wait, Will came out next. Rocky joked that his fan club was waiting for him. That made his ears turn bright pink. How can people think this guy is scary. Pink shirt, pink ears. He’s just a big old teddy bear. He signed everyone’s stuff and posed for pics. We waited and waited and waited for Guy. After what seamed like forever, he came out and walked straight to the bus and got on. Not even a wave. Meanie! The next day we found a store near the hotel that could develop film and dropped off the pictures. I can remember people staring and us as me and Mary jumped up and down screaming in the streets “JONNY SANDWICH” when we picked up the prints. Mary and I talked about how it would never be the same again. I saw how the popularity of the band had grown in that six months. They would be playing Madison Square Garden a few days after that. That was the last tour where they lived on the bus, where they sold general admission seats, where they hung out after the shows and met with fans on a nightly basis. At least I say I was there.

4) TheAngie Jan 28, 2003- Houston, Texas Let’s Go Back to the Start It was my first time to see the band live. I was so excited when the tour dates were announced and was on line to buy my ticket the second they went on sale. I tried to get someone to go with me. “Who? Coldplay? Never heard of them,” was the response I got. Forget them, I will go alone! After months of waiting, finally show day arrived. At the time I was living about 100 miles from Houston, so I left out extra early because I wasn’t exactly sure of the venue location or what traffic would be like. I absolutely had to be up front. It was a general admission ticket, so if I could get there early enough, I should be able to be in the front row. I got to downtown Houston around 1pm and passed their tour buses parked on the street on my way to the underground garage. My heart was racing and I couldn’t park my car fast enough. I parked and asked some guy how to get to the Verizon and he said to take the stairs and it was right there. I go up the stairs and come out on the street just next to where the buses are parked and Jonny, Will and Guy are all on the street right there just walking around! I almost fainted. In my rush to get topside, I had left my camera in the car . I didn’t even have anything for them to sign. I said hi to Will first, then Guy and then Jonny. They were so beautiful in person. Will was very nice, not scary like in most of his pictures. Guy was so skinny; I just wanted to feed the poor child. Jonny was so tall, had the sweetest voice and the most beautiful eyes. I was in love. It amazed me that they were just so normal! And so shy and amazed that anyone knew who they were. They went into the venue and I rushed back to my car to get my camera, but when I got back, they didn’t come back out. People were starting to arrive for the show, so I went and got in the line. Some girls came and got in line and said they had come back out just after I had left. I wanted to cry. Anyway I was at the front of the line and was for sure going to be front row. At around 3pm, a lady from Capitol Records comes out and asks if we are there for the contest. They had a contest on their website for 10 people to attend the sound check. We said no and then she got all uppity and asked why we were there then. Well they are playing a concert here tonight you know. A few of us tried to talk our way in, but Miss Capital wasn’t having any of that. The radio station was setting up tables next to where we were standing and came over and told us that they would be interviewing Chris after the sound check right here next to us so that perked us up. Just before the interview started, they moved the tables inside the building and did the interview inside. We had to settle for watching Chris through the glass. Bummer! It took what seamed like for ever for gates to open. Once inside venue we had to stand in line again. Come on already! There was a mad rush to get to the front. Don’t run! Yeah right! Get out my way! Everyone ran to the center, I ran to where Jonny would stand. Front row baby, front row! Outside security was firm on the No Cameras rule. Inside security could care less. I could have brought my 35mm instead of cheap disposable I smuggled in. Mos Eisley and Ron Sexsmith were openers. I liked Ron, but thought he was a bit too slow paced for an opener. Sorry but I didn’t care much for Mos Eisley. Stage set up was pretty simple. Four large screens hung at the back of the stage. Chris’ piano facing toward Jonny. Will’s silver drum kit at the back Guy stage right and Jonny stage left. Small video cameras set up in front of each person. They had what looked like blue rope Christmas tree lights outlining the edge of the stage. Finally, house lights down. My heart is pounding! The crowd is screaming and whistling. Movement on stage, I see them! My pulse rate shoots up to about a million. Organ sounding music filled the room and a quick “Hello” from Chris and we were off! Politik starts, lights flashing, piano banging, Will beating those poor drums to a pulp, and the crowd bouncing along with the beat. Chris sounds awesome live. He’s bouncing on his piano stool like a mad man and I thought he might knock himself out at any second. When the song ends, we get a quick speech from Chris about being back in Texas then straight into Shiver. A definite crowd favorite and sadly the last time they would play it on this tour. Spies was next with this trippy sounding guitar opening from Jonny. Chris flubs the first line of the lyrics and gets the giggles, which gives Jonny the giggles. It’s OK because the crowd picks up the slack and sings it for him. He quickly recovers and the rest is just beautiful. Daylight and Jonny singing! What, Jonny sings! Eyes closed and singing, deep sexy voice, right in front of me….. “Slowly breaking through the daylight”. I might have fallen over if it had not been for the crowd to hold me up. Chris has a guitar malfunction and the crowd gets introduced to guitar tech, Hoppy, who looks a bit like Brian Adams according to Chris. Guitar repaired and Warning Sign started. What can I say? It’s one of my favorites off AROBTTH and sounds just so beautiful live. One I Love was next. What a great song. It allows them to totally rock out. Why it wasn’t included on AROBTTH I will never know. Don’t Panic up next with this U2 sounding intro guitar and quick time drum part. Jonny gets the harmonica solo on this tour. He finishes the solo, looks down, walks to toward me and throws it right at me. Some tall person standing behind me snatches it from the air just above my outstretched hand. I was gutted. Chris then dedicates next song to Destiny’s Child. Everything’s Not Lost is what happens if George Bush runs your country according to Chris. Will singing back up! Wow! He has a voice just the softest sweetest voice. Big crowd sing along. Chris then introduces a new song, Moses and informs the crowd that Jonny is more handsome than Justin Timberlake. I agree! The song is beautiful! This was back before songs appeared on the internet 10 minutes after the show was over, so we knew they were playing new stuff but had not heard it before the show. It remains a favorite of mine. God Put A Smile Upon Your Face followed and it is much better live than on the record and it’s pretty awesome on the record! Chris says it’s about not moaning when you got it all. Guy’s bass line is so great on this song. And Chris lets loose, dancing and jumping about. “Your skinnnnnnnnnnn. Your skinnnnnnnnnnnnn. Jonny.” Then the open notes of Yellow and the crowd goes ballistic! Matt was playing Chris’ guitar part during this tour so he could jump about and go insane along with the crowd and that’s pretty much what he did. I thought he might actually jump over his piano at one point. Main set ended with The Scientist which is so beautiful live it makes you want to cry. Jonny playing both acoustic and electric guitars. Chris’s voice is just so beautiful. Encore starts with Clocks. The laser, the giant green laser! There is just so much energy in this song. And I just love the piano riff. Will smashes the opening to in In My Place and Chris does his “climb the ladder” dance. Yellow and In My Place were the only songs where Chris didn’t play an instrument and he really let loose with the dance moves on both as only Chris can. Trouble complete with epic audience sing along followed. Chris announces one last song. A new song just written only a few weeks ago and its “good”, Ladder to the Sun. Yes it is. Wow two new songs at one show. After the show I went and hung around the back by the buses hoping to meet them again and after standing around for about an hour decided on plan B. I didn’t have a ticket for Austin. I didn’t have a place to stay in Austin. I wasn’t even sure how to get to Austin, but I knew I would regret it if I didn’t see them again. So off to Austin I went. An obsession begins.

3) walkryfe They Call It “Coldplay Karma”: I’m a Believer! I have to start writing this down before I forget; and these past few days, i want to remember. There is more to the story, but I’m going to go with June 9, 2009 as a starting point. The first thing that happened as i started on my journey, was that I ended up on this long, winding road behind a truck with the word “YELLOW” written across it! The journey continued, and through many a confusing exit and traffic jam, I eventually found my way to the motel I was going to stay in, in a town called “Battle Ground.” I checked in, then decided to drive to where the amphitheater was so I wouldn’t end up getting lost on my way to volunteer for Oxfam the next day. I was also very hungry! I noticed a mini-mall with a grocery and such, and decided to stop on the way back. I found my way to the amphitheater, figured out where the box office/Oxfam meeting point was, and headed back to find dinner. In the mini-mall, there was this Thai restaurant, called the Golden Tusk? While I like Thai food, I’d pretty much convinced myself that I should just go with the granola bar in my purse when this group walked past on their way into the restaurant saying, “Yeah, Guy says this place is ...” -um, lets just say that the rest of the sentence was a compliment! So as silly as it sounds, I took it as “a sign” (and anyone reading this now thinks me a lost cause and a complete nutter). Hey, I really did want that food, but was reasoning against the expense. As it was, it was good for me to get a warm meal into myself. I bought this wonderful tofu curry with rice! I did decide to do some grocery shopping, and bought some veggies and water/juices/etc. for later. Parked outside of the grocery store was this funky silver car with British flags on its doors! Back at the hotel, I started downloading my travel log “thus far” and to my anguish, though I thought everything was okay and saved, somehow the videos were never really downloaded! It would have been okay, except that I’d already deleted almost all of the videos I thought had transfered! Including this really cool side of a mountain that looked like a face --like Rock Biter from the Neverending Story! I was very sad and upset to have lost that image! Anyway. I was also disappointed to discover that the Internet from my room was dial-up and was not “secure” which meant there were certain things I wouldn’t get to do! Downstairs, I found that the “business office” computer was secure, but practically all my favorite haunts were blocked! Annoyance upon annoyance. I tried getting other work done, but couldn’t sleep for the longest time! I finally did. The next day, I discovered the Fred Meyer store. As I walked around, I saw groups of excited people buying flowers, food, etc. chatting... about Coldplay! I looked all around and realized... that all these people were headed toward the same experiential context... literally thousands of people! It was so strange, to feel that sense of unconscious unity, that unseen link. Now, as i found out later at Oxfam, just because Coldplay fans agree on Coldplay, doesn’t mean that they agree on everything else . . . or anything else! But I’m getting ahead of myself. Upon arrival at the Clark County Amphitheater, I was directed to the VIP parking zone. I explained several times that I wasn’t sure this was the right place, but everyone but me seemed certain; then the head security guy decided to agree with me! I think because hot on my heels were several other carloads of “Oxfamily” that were just as lost! We were redirected to parking lot B (I think, already forgetting details!), then finally told to go to parking lot K. (the “K. ‘Stena’ James” parking lot, obviously). I walked to the meeting point, no Soha yet, but volunteers started gravitating together; it was amazing! Canvassing is hard. You would think it easy, because of the goodness of our cause, but many people just “--don’t want to be bothered.” Some were receptive, not all. Others are more than receptive! Oxfam training tells you that most people won’t want to talk to you, but everybody seemed to have something to say to me! I nearly lost my voice with all the discussion! Soha is so great though. As was Alexis, our local coordinator! Amazingly calm, secure, kind, brilliant women! We volunteers all knew well in advance that we would be sitting space available on the lawn, so it was an incredibly strange, unreal, and fantastic happenstance to be given tickets for seating near front and center! Whooohooo!!! I remember just sort of standing there, in shock, wondering at it all. As challenging as it was, I’d do it all again. (Soha, you ever need some help and I can get there in time, you got my number!) The show was magnificent. Everything was perfect! Although i nearly killed myself falling off of a chair I was standing on during The Hardest Part. The reason I fell, was because my back was to the main stage, and I forgot that Will would be harmonizing from there! I heard his voice and I reeled around so fast that I lost my balance! I’m not sure, but I think he saw me and gave me a little smile. After my brush with “death by awkwardness,” I was gently asked to please stay off of my chair for the rest of the show. I think I was lucky not to get evicted altogether though! I’m certain my ecstatic dancing and screaming made me a total nuisance to everyone around me! I tried to capture some of the show on video and in pictures, but to be honest, I don’t know how anyone manages this! My head may tell me to keep still, get clear footage, and focus on one thing, but my feet wouldn’t listen! I was spinning around, looking at all the cool stuff there is to look at, video globes, projection screens, people, the band, floating yellow balloons, and rainbow butterflies! It was just impossible for me not to dance and sing and yell and spin about! Everything was so perfect, I never wanted it to be over; but half-way through “The Scientist” was the prearranged cue to go back to Oxfam tent. When it’s time to go, it’s time to go. It was so great to work with everyone on the Oxfam team! We gave each other hugs, and then for me it was back to the motel, to try to get a couple hours of sleep, before I had to be up and away again to get to the Gorge show. “What!” you say? “The Gorge show too?!” I had gotten a ticket to that show before I found out about the Oxfam/Coldplay alliance, and this particular volunteer opportunity. When i did find out about this, I signed up for the Portland show, not actually expecting to get to participate, but thinking that at the least Oxfam looked like a wonderful organization. When I got the mail asking if I still wanted to volunteer for Portland show I was on the moon! I immediately said YES. Then I realized the marathon I was in for. Let’s go back to the night after the Portland show, day before the Gorge. It took me until almost 1 a.m. to get through the traffic back to my hotel room. I lay down on the bed and wept strange, happy/sad tears; that’s really not like me. Part of it was being tired, but part of it was that it had been such a perfect experience. How many of those do you get in life? Where you really feel like “Hey! somebody up there likes me!” Yeah, i know. One should feel that way about every day, but. . . one doesn’t; or I don’t. I even thought, “Maybe I shouldn’t go to the Gorge, because, like, nothing could ever be better, right?” Then I further thought, “Nah! Coldplay will be awesome whatever!” As it was, my seat was “Section C, Row 42, Seat 3” which had made me laugh originally when it was my random selection from Ticketmaster! As i wrote in my journal: “Section C, Row 42, Seat 3 = Crazy Answer to the Ultimate Question of Life, the Universe, and Everything <3 (the number three with a less-than sign in front of it: a heart emoticon meaning love). Given the novelty, I was okay with whatever view “C 42 3” would happen to be. The morning of July 11, 2009, I wasn’t thinking very clearly. I got lost straight away for about half of an hour before finding a way to proper direction. I was running on 3-4 hours of sleep that had been had 34 hours previous. I nearly ran off the road or into road barriers three times, because I would fall asleep at the wheel with my eyes wide open. It wasn’t like nodding off, it was as if I suddenly wasn’t awake or seeing the road anymore, then I’d be “aware” again. One moment I’d be driving and keeping everything in line, the next i’d realize I was headed for a cement barrier! Very scary. I did make it back to my parents’ home though, for to rest a couple of hours; a short break before continuing on to the Gorge show. Recumbent at my folks’ home, I’ve rarely been so tired, yet so wired that still couldn’t sleep. I wrote a couple of blip and twitter updates, then lay down on the bed. The next thing I knew, I was awakened by my cell phone ringing! It was Soha? She had phoned me mistakenly! She was answering my message from yesterday. It was providential, though, because I would’ve probably overslept! As it was, I had just enough time to make it to the Gorge and see some of both of the guest artists’ shows! Sorry, getting ahead of myself again. It was easier traveling in general, but the line of traffic to the Gorge itself, which is a two lane road, is arduous. I arrived, and started toward the venue, eventually meandering through this entrance where all these limos were parked; “VIP” camping? I tried to visualize what that could mean: gold-plated tent stakes? Le Cordon Bleu chefs roast your marshmallows for you? I moved to exit to the venue entrance, and the lady usher standing at the “VIP Camping” exit gate, said that technically she should turn me away and I should have to walk all the way around this other direction, but she was very kind and just let me go through. Those that have been, will tell you “The Gorge is the most beautiful, breathtaking, amazing venue on the planet,” but until you go and see it, you are incredulous. Having been, I have to tell you: “The Gorge is the most beautiful, breathtaking, amazing venue on the planet!” As I meandered though the crowd sitting way up on the lawn ridge of the venue, I realized how lucky i’d been to get a ticket in the seated area at all! There were about 24000 people at the Gorge July, 11, 2009. It was a long journey from the ridge top to the seated area. When I got there, there was no seat where mine should be! I was worried, but then this man came, looked at my ticket, looked at me, said “You’re alone?” and yes, I was. Then with a little smile, he flipped through a stack of tickets and gave me a complimentary ticket, pointing silently to the section, row, and seat; it was for SEC C, ROW 6, SEAT 15! Brilliant! Even if I did get reprimanded for dancing in the aisle during the opening sets. Again, I proved a terrible nuisance to everyone around me! Hands in air, swinging my minicam around, yelling, singing. The show seemed more intense to me than it had the night before, for some reason; or perhaps many reasons. And I should say, that while I got some footage, I had a lot of technical difficulties --like dropping the camera when I nearly fainted at one point in the show (lack of sleep, slight dehydration, and “the nearness” are probably responsible). Also, I ran low on battery power, camera memory, and the minicam just didn’t seem to “feel like” functioning! I’d press the “rec” button, and nothing happened! Most of the time after that, I just surrendered to the experience and accepted I would not be able to capture every moment. I just felt badly, knowing that there are Coldplay fans out there that would love to have gotten that close, and might never ever have the opportunity! I would’ve liked to be in a better position to share that experience with them. Of course, out of 24,000 people in attendance I know I’m not the only one that was filming! Somebody out there is bound to have gotten excellent video! It was so much good all at once. I’m not used to that; feeling like there is someone or something on my side. I guess I don’t know where I am right now, heart wise. I think, that I’m a little depressed? Some sort of “Post-Concert-Traumatic-Stress-Syndrome,” maybe? I miss it all! “It” . . . that frantic getting between new places, feeling a part of something interesting and beautiful, even if it's only for a day! Don't let me give the impression that I'm not grateful for my “normal” life; for what I do have in life, because I am! Yet clearly, I want things to be different; less quiet, less routine, less in my head all the time, less on my own. Which occurs to me is one of the things an excellent concert can do for the heart and head; make them start listening to each other. Many thanks to any patient reader that has made their way through my story, and many thanks to Coldplay, for “such a perfect day,” times two!

2) lucyb123 I have been a die hard Coldplay fan for the last 8 years. Indeed, when we were emigrating to Australia from England, we planned our emigration around a Coldplay concert. We had tried to get tickets for the concerts in London in December, 2005 and were heartbroken when they sold out. However as our Visa application to move to Australia was well underway, when their Australian tour dates were announced, and a July 5 concert in Adelaide was promised, we knew that we would have to say goodbye to England and be in Aus by that date. We somehow managed to get through to Ticketek from the UK and then our fate was sealed! So, you can imagine my disgust when the 2009 tour was announced and Adelaide was NOT on the schedule. I am not ashamed to admit that I cried. I immediately created a Facebook group 'Petition to get Coldplay in Adelaide 2009' (which I have since left as the event has passed) and set about contacting our local press and radio with quite a bit of success. Chugg Entertainment, however, were not interested in little old Adelaide, and it also transpired that High School Musical the frigging ICE SHOW had booked the Entertainment Centre for the dates that an Adelaide show would have perfectly fit in the schedule. Imagine my irriration when the HSM tour was cancelled due to poor ticket sales! By that stage the Coldplay dates were set and it was too late. Believe me, I tried and was even speaking to the manager of the Adelaide Entertainment Centre at this stage! However, every cloud has a silver lining. I became great friends with a girl called Talia who joined my Facebook group. She was in a similar state of distress because of the Adelaide bypass and we quickly became friends . One day, when she was out my house for dinner and we were watching the Live 2003 DVD, she mentioned that Channel V were running a competition. The winner would be flown to meet the band, then attend the soundcheck and concert! Well, I knew that this was fate! We had to say, in 25 word or less why we were Australia's biggest Coldplay fans. I entered EVERY DAY for 3 weeks solid. IT KILLED ME! I remembered reading this article about this woman who won every competition she entered by writing some catchy and witty jingle. So that's what I set out to do. Every day, without fail, I killed myself thinking of some funny jingle that would hopefully spell out to Channel V that I was the most deserving winner. For example: Id run naked through streets of Sydney just to prove to you my undying love of Coldplay Is that what you want me to do? Most were much better than that , but I cannot share my secrets...I may need them again one day! Anyway. I had the WEIRDEST feeling that I'd one for about a week before the comp closed. After it closed, I was so convinced that I'd won, that I was even taking my BlackBerry into the toilet at work. It closed on a Sunday, and at 6PM the following Tuesday, my phone rang and it was an 02 prefix for Sydney. I KNEW. This was it! My hands were shaking as I answered! 'Hello?' I said! 'Hi this is Jon calling from Channel V' 'Are you calling about the Coldplay competition?' I asked...clutching on to the kitchen counter and gazing at my mother in law who was visiting from England with unseeing eyes. 'I might be' Jon said! 'HAVE I WON?' I said in a slightly hysterical voice! 'How would you like to fly to Perth and meet Coldplay?' Jon said. At this stage I'm afraid I went beserk! My mother in law says I was screaming and shrieking on the phone like a hysterical banshee. I'm afraid I cannot really remember. My children were sitting on the sofa looking mildly concerned at this stage. Fast forward about 2 weeks, and Talia and I are together the night before we leave Adelaide trying to get some sleep. It's not easy. Tomorrow we are meeting the best band in history. We are so desperate to look halfway decent when we meet them that we have a hair appointment booked one hour after landing in Perth, and we have also tracked down a professional make up artist. We were told that we would get our own photo op, which turned out to be a lie as we only got a group one in the end (My avatar is closely cropped, lol) Anyway, backtracking slightly, we get to the Burswood Dome in Perth for 2PM. We are to be meeting some chap from Chugg Entertainment, who turns out to be one of the most miserable old buggers on the planet, FYI. Anyway, he's late and eventually we are ushered into the lobby of Burswood with 9 other prize winners and their plus ones. All of a sudden we hear in the auditorium 'Glass of water' and Talia nearly wets herself. Jackie Jackson, head of security comes out to greet us to lay a few ground rules, but she is lovely. She reminds us not to get to close and then we are on our way to meet Coldplay! OMFG! We all creep in and there they are! Coldplay are RIGHT IN FRONT OF US! I cannot describe this feeling to you, other than to say, it really was probably the best experience of my life (Other than the day my two children were born) I mean...look! Coldplay are RIGHT THERE! As we walk in, Chris breaks away from the piano and greets us all by saying, 'Come on in, don't be shy!' I am shaking and reaching for my camera. Initially we stand about 30 feet back, but then I think, sod this, and start inching closer and closer. By the end Im right at the front of stage barriers, which funnily enough is where I am also lucky enough to be for the concert later that evening. They play a bit, then stand around chatting while the sound guys do their thing. Jackie is with us and is lovely....answering our questions and not treating us like idiots at all! Then, Chris says, 'Well we are going to do one more song, so shall we play you something that you'd like to hear that we wont be playing tonight?" OMG I think! 'Amsterdam!!' I scream at him. He looks at me and I fully know he's heard me "sorry, what was that? Trouble? OK . Ill play Trouble!!' Naughty boy! So the soundcheck was unreal. During the photo op, Chris stood next to me and I gave him good natured grief about not coming to Adelaide and we had a good 5 minute chat and I also mentioned that I was coming to Melbourne for 2 of their shows the following week. (If you look on my signature below, there's a link to my Facebook album where I have put all of my fave pics from the concerts.) Afterwards we are given a backstage tour and meet all of the crew. Embarrassingly my husband rings at that stage when there's a lull in the conversation. My ringtone is 'Clocks' and everyone has a giggle. I ask Jackie if we can just stay inside so that we can be front row for the concert and she says sadly not. So we run outside after we say our goodbyes and line up. Now, it's hot, it's summer and we are EXHAUSTED as we have been up for hours by this stage. Talia has had knee reconstruction and cant yet run, so we are discussing tactics for when the dorrs open. Several hours later when they open I am first in. OMG. then my ticket doesnt scan as the machine is jammed. The old trout at the gate says to me, 'wait there' I tell her in my most polite way to get stuffed and run like I have never run before for the stage. My heart is pounding and I feel like Im about to pass out. Im the first person inside the venue. I slow for a second and then hear footsteps running behind me so pick up the pace. I get to the front..dead centre in front of Chris' microphone. Holy crap, I think! How lucky am I? I am holding a space to my left for Talia who cannot run. People are trying to push into her space, but I hold my ground. She finally arrives and we CANNOT believe we are dead centre and front row! So, as you can imagine, the concert is unreal. It's like our own personal performance , we are so close! Drenched in butterflies, we head back to the hotel. ( I probably shouldn't reveal the name for security reasons) So Talia and I have eaten nothing more than a bag of chips in nearly 24 hours. We are faint with hunger and a bit drunk after a few glasses of wine on an empty stomach. We get in the lift to go to bed. As we get out I say to her, 'you know what? Let's just go downstairs just in case they are there'. I just had this feeling. So we get back in the elevator and as the doors open downstairs, Talia clutches my arm and whispers 'Holy F*** it's Chris Martin' and he's standing 10 feet away from us with Kelly looking sexy as hell and exhausted in a black hoodie. 'NO PHOTOS' commands Kelly, Chris' bodyguard (we were never anything but polite and courteous to him and Chris and it annoys me that he is so aggressive towards the fans) We are not even holding our cameras. Chris looks at him, then us, and says , 'nah man it's cool' then he says, 'You're the girls from Adelaide, I saw you rocking out in the front row, did you enjoy the show?!' Then some American girl came and asked him what was the 'piano tune' he played after Hardest Part and me and my friend immediately yelled at her 'Postcards from far away' (DUR!) and he smiled at me and said to her, 'see, only the super fans would know that!!' I nearly fainted, lol. Oh and then he said to me, 'Ill see you in Melbourne next week' as he fully remembered the conversation we'd had at soundcheck. He also signns a gorgeous photo of them that Talia had printed for me.... 'Hi Lucy, Love Chris Martin' with a funny face which now has pride of place in our study! So we are buzzing and finally manage to get some sleep. The next morning we wake up and open the curtains. It's a beautiful day in Perth. Luckily we have a poolview room. I keep winding Talia up by saying, "OMG Jonny's at the pool' or 'OMG here's Will with his family' She runs to the window each time but soon realises I am teasing! And then, wait, what's that...holy crap CHRIS MARTIN HAS JUST WALKED DOWN TO THE POOL!!!! I race for my fancy new camera to turn it on and THE BATTERY DIES! Luckily I bought my old one as a back up. I had taken hundreds of pictures at soundcheck and the concert the night before...I guess in hindsight, packing the charger would have been smart. Anyway, I am ashamed to say we were crouched like paparazzi on the floor by the window with our eyes popping out of our heads. Chris appears to be wearing a pair of speedo's? Now I know I posted some pics of this shortly after I got back, but removed them as felt it was an invasion of Chris' privacy. Some of you doubted that it was Chris. But I can promise you that I was there, saw with my own eyes and it was 100% him! (Any wanyway I recognised his shoes, lol...we all know what bad taste in shoes he has!) His mobile rings constantly and he has ants in his pants. He does not sit still for a minute. Then he starts rolling around and doing all sorts of weird yoga moves. And then, Guy rocks up with some blonde chick. He sits awayfrom Chris but seems very relaxed and content to just chill out on a sun lounger. At this point we are in danger of missing our flight back to Adelaide so we reluctantly make our way down to the lobby to check out. Some people asked why we didnt go down to talk to them? Well I feel that they were on their days off and relaxing, and I thought it would have been terribly rude and obnoxious to invade their privacy. (So I just took photos from our hotel window instead )! So we are back in Adelaide, but know it's only a few more sleeps until we head to Melbourne, so we dont feel that depressed. Incidentally I also win a competition on Video Hits for the Melbourne show, but sadly not the sound check this time, just 2 normal tickets. I sold them on EBAY and used the money to upgrade to a better hotel, which proves to be the smartest move ever, as my hunch pays off and guess who happens to also be staying there?!?!?!?!?!? We were on the early flight out of Adelaide to Melbourne. Talia heads straight to Rod Laver to scout out the best place to line up for the day, and I head to the hotel to check in. Imagine my surprise when Kelly walks past me! he does a double take and says 'Hello again!' 'Im fully NOT stalking', I say, 'I just like nice hotels!' and then I add, 'Are you guys staying here?!?!?!?!?!?' to which he hold his finger to his lips like shhhhh. Like Ill keep that one to myself? There's a white Tarago people mover outside the lobby with the doors open, waiting for I wonder who. I hang around for a bit, but dont want to look like stalker so hail a cab to Rod Laver where I break the news to the gathering super fans. Very exciting! We have a great day lining up. There are about 20 other die hard fans and we have a great time swapping stories and generally getting punch drunk on our mutual love of Coldplay. It was a great experience. Now anyone who has had general admission to a concert at Rod Laver knows what a bloody joke it is. It doesnt matter really if you have been there all day, as when the doors open, all bets are off. You have to run like hell to gate 15 to exchange your ticket for a coded wristband which proves that you have the right to be down the front. I swear I nearly collapsed I was running so fast. All of us who have been there all day make a pact to look out for each other and make sure we all get front row. WE DO! However this time I am between Jonny and Chris, but it's still a fantastic position to be in. We joke around with the security and the camera man who gives us water and takes great care of us. We are sadly subjected to our second performance of Mercury Rev. They really were terrible. All of the audience members looked as bemused and amused as we were the previous week in Perth. The lead singer appears to be off is tits on something. The guitarist is hilrious....Id chatted to him in Perth in the elevator and he LOVED himself. He's trying to eye f*** all the girls in the front row and we are in hysterics for most of their show. So at last we hear Strauss' Blue Danube Waltz and it's game on again! I still smile at the thought of Chris spotting me during In My Place and smiling at me. Quite a few people were like 'OMG he just smiled at you' that was bloody awesome! After the concert we, along with Josh and Adam, 2 great guys we had met head back to our hotel, just to see who's about and wouldn't you know it, but there's Phil and Guy Berryman in the lobby. Now Im an ex smoker, however I suddenly rediscovered the need for a ciggie when we spot Guy leaning against the railing out front of the hotel. He is such a lovely , excuse the pun, Guy. So I cant remember the whole conversation but I did say to him 'Guy, you look sooo serious when you are up on stage' and he smiles and replies (probably thinking you're a f*ckwit) 'Well, it's a very serious job I have to do!' LOL. We chat about how he likes Australia and I also ask him if he remembers Adelaide in July 2006 and how shit the audience was. He has no clue....venues all blur into one for him. He really was very sweet. He still had his sexy black jeans on and red shirt, girls. I was standing 2 feet away from him for several minutes. I regret not asking for a photo, but I just didn't want to piss them off and was content just for the chance to chat to them whenever I encountered them. How many fans ever get that chance? Oh before I forget , we also saw Will several times in the hotel lobby pushing his children in their pushchair and with a woman who I presume was his wife. So after all of those experiences, we just didn't think things could be better than that....we were wrong! We went back upstairs to our room...and by the way the hotel they stay at is now my absolute favourite hotel in Melbourne...so gorgeous! We were sad that there was only one more concert left, especially as we didnt have general admission, we had seats...the atmosphere is never as good in the seating areas, I dint care what anyone says to the contrary. Talia had general admin and was right by the piano for Hardest Part so I was super jealous! But I suppose it was interesting to see the show from a different angle, but we missed out on the butterflies! Towards the end of the encore just as they started playing The Scientist, we legged out out of Rod Laver Arena and hailed a cab back to the hotel so that we could beat the band back and be waiting there for them when they came back. It was so funny as when we got back, all the hotel management were waiting in a line on the step to greet the band, and I said 'oh for me, you shouldn't have!' as we ran into the lobby. We plonked ourselves in the comfy leather tub chairs and waited for no more than 2 minutes. Jonny was in first and walked about 3 feet past me. He is very cute and so shy in person. I called out to him 'Great show, Jonny' (Like a dork!)and he smiled and started walking towards me. Now this is where I FAILED! Rather than talking to him, I briefly turned away from him to see if I could see Chris, so he carried on towards the elevator. My husband said he was fully coming over for a chat. SHIT!!! So we went to grab a bite to eat quickly and then later my husband had to collect something from reception that had been delivered from his office. So about midnight we went down to reception. Phil was there and came and said hello to me. He asked me if I had enjoyed the show and I said not really as it was nowhere near as good for me, atmosphere wise, as I was up in the nose bleed section! He then said, 'Oh have you met Anthony? This is Chris' dad'. Well of course we hadn't! Now it turns out that my husband and The Martins are from the same part of Devon. It also turns out that my husband's younger brother used to play against Chris at hockey in school. My hubby and his brother went to Millfield, the rival private school to Sherborne and they are the same age. Anthony was travelling with an old family friend who as it happens was looking to move to the same village that I lived in before I moved to Australia and was friends with the vicar who had baptised/Christened my son! What a small world!!! So the four of us had a great time talking about this and that, and before I knoew it, we had been chatting for over an hour! By this stage it was well past 1AM, so Anthony asked us if we would like to join him for coffee the following morning! Out of respect, I will not write about the things we talked about regarding their grandchildren and his daughter in law. But I will say we were so impressed by what a loving, level headed and close knit family they are. We laughed at how he addressed Chris always as 'Christopher' and he is so proud of him. He says it's surreal seeing his son on stage, adored my thousands! And he was telling us how much he HATES Chris swearing! He said 'The Scientist' was his favourite and he also liked the 'piano song', which I informed him was 'Postcards' and played it off my phone for him! We spent a lovely 2 hours with them and then sadly it was time to go to Melbourne airport for our flight back to Adelaide. I really enjoyed meeting him and have a huge amount of respect for him. He is a lovely man! Overall, you have to remember that Coldplay are just 4 normal men with an extraordinary musical talent. All I can say is that the week that I spent travelling to concerts and meeting the band was the best week of my life. I feel honoured to say that I have met them all. They are charming and down to earth. I hope that one day soon I will have the chance to say all of the things I so badly wanted to say until I got tongue tied with excitement.

The shower of confetti around me was bliss! As I spun around to recreat the effect of the video! Enjoying the moment, for I knew it was surreal! That is when Chris came back upon the catwalk with his Japanese paper umbrella in hand dancing and twirling it around in the never ending amounts of butterflies. Until he turns to leave, but before doing so walks up to me and gives it right to me, smiles and runs back. A moment I will never forget, even though I am sure he has. For that moment, I was the happiest I could ever be. That night could not get any better, no way no how. We watched, smiled and sang along to the last four songs. The perfect night was capped off with a setlist from a friendly security guard. For me, I have called June 2008 – June 2009 the year of Coldplay. Not only have they begun to dominate the world music scene. They are dominating the soundtrack of my life. Many people made fun of me for going to two Coldplay shows. Yet I will never change them. If they do release Live 2009 Live at Vancouver, I know I was at both shows. I would never have seen and heard Coldplay live. Never would have met Andy and been so close to the guys that have helped me through the difficult times in my life. The three nights I saw Coldplay, I will never forget. To live the music, to feel it go through you, as it is coming directly from that band, its something magical. You feel transported, when I saw them, nothing in the world mattered except the music, the band and the thousands of others there for the exact same reason of me, the love of the music and Coldplay. Pemberton, wasn’t the best show, yet the two Vancouver shows made up for it. Coldplay put on the best show I have ever seen. I think any band will be hard pressed to ever surpass them. My dad is a hardcore U2 fan, and made fun of me for seeing Coldplay. He said U2 are an amazing live act, he said the best he had ever seen. I replied, “I am seeing Coldplay, at the begging of what will likely be their prime, when they are the best live act on earth. Not once, but twice; three times in one year. I will look back in 20 years and tell my children about how amazing Coldplay was live. How those four British blokes, had forever changed my life. Coldplay are the best live act, go see them, feel them, embrace the music. They are two hours you will never forget, I know I sure wont forget when I saw them in 2008 and 2009. Viva La Coldplay!

1) Malcolm-Edge It is the morning of May 9th, 2008. I awaken at 4 am Pacific Time to be one of the first to download the new Coldplay song “Violet Hill”. It is the song I have been waiting for since late 2007, and was only supposed to hold me over until the new U2 single and album were released. Little did I know that this track and day would be the kick start to the most music filled year of my life. I got to see the biggest band in the world, not once or twice, but three times in one year; once at a newly born music festival in the heart of beautiful British Columbia, and twice in the loudest arena in the world. These are my experiences of seeing Coldplay, three times in one year on the biggest tour they have embarked on to date. May 9th and 10th, 2008 saw the release of two brand new songs off the new Coldplay album, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. Those being “Violet Hill” and international super hit “Viva La Vida”. I remember first hearing Violet Hill at 4 am, listening through my headphones to the newly downloaded track, which the world and I both got free. I thought to myself after the first listen “Coldplay are back. It’s hard, edgy. Is that a overdriven guitar and solo I hear? I like the new Coldplay”. I was ready to praise Brian Eno as the greatest musical mind of our generation for yet again recreating bands sound, but not overhauling it that they lose who they were. The next night iTunes release what would then become the most downloaded song in history, and super hit “Viva La Vida”. After hearing that, I knew that this album wouldn’t just hold me over until the then untitled No Line On the Horizon, it was going to win me over. It was in the next few days after those songs were released to the world, the first tour date was announced to the world. Coldplay would headline the newly born Pemberon Festival, in the farms of a small town just outside of Whistler site of the 2010 Winter Olympics. Luckily enough I live close enough to be able to go and see what was slowly becoming my new favourite band. I never got the tickets, and thought the prospect of seeing Coldplay had long since passed me. I waited with these two songs and a few 30-second previews until June 17th, when I finally heard Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. The album blew me away at first listen. The fun happy opener of Life in Technicolor, to the edgey, dark and mysterious 42, they had me hooked. Coldplay were maturing, going down a different path, which I loved. I knew I needed to go to the Pemberton Festival, but still couldn’t get anyone to go with me. Not until four days before the Inaugural festival, was I blessed with free tickets to the Sunday night. It was my opportunity to see Coldplay, a sign that it was meant to be. It was to good to be true. I had to work the day of the concert. I wasn’t going to be able to work and make the hour and a bit drive to see them. I made a deal with my boss, I was to work twenty two hours and spend another 4 in traffic to see Coldplay. When all the pain of work, festival traffic, the dust and poor planning of a new festival finally settled in, “Through the Lights and Veins” played through the festival speakers. I was in fairly satisfactory position to see the boys, not the best though. Yet when the Jon Hopkins instrumental played, (better known as the opening part of instrumental of Life in Techincolor) it all set in. The chills went down my spine as Coldplay took to the stage and 50,000 people began screaming in unison. They quickly got settled in, and played through “Violet Hill”, in which everyone enthusiastically sang the chorus “If you love me wont you let me know!” After the song had ended, Will Champion, smashed his symbols, snare and kick drum to begin the hit and crowd pleasing “In My Place”, Jonny Buckland’s simple, yet striking riff lead to a strong start. It was as the opening notes the lights went upon the 50,000 fans crammed onto a lonesome potato farm, under the dark night sky did the level of this gig set in for everyone, including front man Chris Martin, “Wow! You all stayed?” As Jonny lead the outro of the song with his soaring riff through the open night sky and mountains as the backdrop, perhaps the most amazing live song I’ve ever seen preformed kicked in. More breathtaking and surreal then The Police playing a full concert together again in 23 years, more so then the hometown crowd singing along to Bryan Adams super hit Summer of ’69. The opening notes of Viva La Vida were blasted through the loud speakers. “Ooooooohhhhh ohhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh”, the crowd sang along, each and every person seemingly singing at the top of their lungs to produce the most surreal experience of my life. Coldplay then moved on their stage to play a remixed version of “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face”, which has become a staple of the live shown on this tour. After which playing a song “That seems like Bryan Adams wrote himself”, the opening chords of “Yellow” rang out. Martin then asked “I would lie you all to help me sing this one, the song that is the reason we are here tonight”. We all sang the words to the all but familiar song. “Look up at the stars” never had as much meaning, as Martin was singing that line, I did look up at the stars in the night sky, the millions upon millions of stars, shinning for me? After “Yellow” and new song “Lost!”, the boys made their way out to a stage they had setup about 50 yards from the stage, and 3 yards from me. The boys sang my second favourite Coldplay song, “The Scientist”. Chris was singing to what it seemed like a few people surrounding the stage, getting close to the fans, giving out high fives. After which the drummer with a “voice of an angle” as Chris Martin explained to the fans. Will Champion sang the newly released-side “Death Will Never Conquer” After the song, they thank us for being a “great audience, putting up with the hours upon hours of traffic. For having great patience while dealing with a new festival to see us [Coldplay]” The lights went out, and a techno version of X&Y hit “Talk” are played through the loud speakers. Until finally, we all hear the thrashing opening chords of “Politik”, accompanied with the bright flashing lights, the best Coldplay song is played to perfection. For me, that single song made the entire experience worth it. I could feel the passion of the song from 50 yards away; as Chris’ soaring vocals filled the entire valley and the thousands of fans were jumping along with the heavy song. The second last song of the night then begins, “Lovers In Japan”. The thousands of paper butterflies flew into the night sky, as the band seemed to be playing together like friends of years, they gelled together nearly perfectly. For the last song Chris said “Once again thank you all for coming and staying to see us. We thank you so much. This is our last song, goodbye and goodnight”. He then began to play “Death and All His Friends”. Little did I know when they bowed on stage I would be seeing them do that again in less than a year. This time no more than ten feet away from what would become, a band that changed my life and helped me through some of the hardest days of my life. Over the next 10 months, many things happened in my life. I had previously lost my mother to cancer. I had a fight within myself. Coldplay helped me win that battle, because of them and their music I have prevailed in the fight for myself and my happiness. Over those 10 months, I sat and waited for another show. A proper show in Vancouver, the Festival was an amazing experience. One I can barley put into words. Everything I did, just to see my band play for an hour and a bit, yet to me it was still completely worth every second, every moment it took to get there. I would say penny as well, but the tickets were free. Well I sat there as Coldplay announced a new EP, Prospekts March, and a new North American tour, then again another North American Tour. Still no Canada, let alone Vancouver, I was in agony. Reliving the moments in my head everytime I would listen to a song like “42”, whenever I heard the soaring piano of “Clocks” I would be transported back to that magical night, one that I will never forget. I then logged onto my RSS feed, oh the age we live in, to see that they had announced a Canadian Tour! I looked once then three more times, there was no Vancouver show. At this point I was distraught, and upset. I would once again have to travel either south to Washington state, or east through the Rockies to Alberta. Until they did it! Vancouver appeared in their announcement. They were finally coming back! After the show nearly sold out in presale alone, they added another show for the next night. I got tickets through the Live Nation Presale, but got the shaft, I was stuck way up in the nosebleeds. For the second show, I got fairly good seats, 3o feet and slightly elevated from the boys. I was more excited to see Coldplay! I upgraded my seats when I found better ones, but still not the best. Four solid months of waiting, of anticipation and of pure excitement, all mounted day by day. It went from months, to weeks, to days, to hours. All before I knew it, I was in my seat the first night waiting. Part of what added to the excitement was the fact my third favourite band out of Glasgow, Snow Patrol were opening for the boys. Could it get any better, two of the best bands in the world in one night? From the moment Snow Patrol hit the stage to “If There Is A Rocket, Tie Me To It” to the last note of Coldplay’s “Life In Technicolor ii” the whole night was that of pure enjoyment, happiness and entertainment at its best. Snow Patrol rocked the house with their radio friendly alternative rock songs. They were by far the best opening act I have ever seen. The entire house was in their seats, until Gary Lightbody and snow Patrol rocked everyone onto their feet. “I would like to thank Coldplay for letting us take this stage. This is our second last show with them. It has been amazing, as have their crew!” Coldplay was next! The excitement was boiling over now. I was so excited I sat right still. I was buzzing, ready to explode in an ode to Coldplay screams at any moment. Until once again “Light through the Veins” played and they came on to perform “life in Technicolor” an “Violet Hill” which at the ending of Chris announced to the arena “I hope this is the greatest show we ever put on film!” They were filiming the show, at first I thought I misheard him and shook it off. Yet it was still in the back of my mind, “Holy! I may be able to rewatch, and relive this show again and again for years to come. I can show my kids and say “Daddy was there!”” “Clocks” was the next song played. It really showed how confident the band was, until “Viva La Vida”, this song was likely their biggest hit to date. They knocked it out of the park. The lasers of the song that went all through the stadium, the co-ordination of the lights and the amazing musicianship of all four made it an amazing high energy song that got the crowd up on their feet. Once they were up, they never sat back down! Once again right after the closing piano improvation of Chris, Will Champion began to smash the opening of In My Place. The building shook as he lead the band into the arena rock song! In came Jonny with the soaring riff, simple yet mind blowing. Guy Berryman and Chris got up on a ramp on stage left and began some awesome interaction, in which Jonny Buckland then joined in on. The newly formed crowd moved about, Chris down his catwalk into the audience to lead the soaring chorus “Yeeeeeeahhhh” 16,000 fans sang at the top of their lungs to help the band through the chorus. Martin and Buckland then went to another ramp on stage right and proceeded to show their love for each other. Jonny lead the soaring interlude with his riff and Chris hung off of him, dancing around him, smiles about and the crowd going nuts as their seats became front row. For the song that brought them to Canada and the world, they lead out giant yellow ballons into the audience, for fans to bounce around, play with and have a good old time. When these giant balloons would pop, confetti flew out of them. This made the song “Yellow” even more special. They rocked through, new songs “Glass of Water”, dark and moody “Cemeteries of London” and new found crowd favourite “42”. Chris shows his abilities in “42”, singing and playing a guitar melody, to helping Jonny rock out the middle of the song providing rhythm on an acoustic and then quickly moving back to his piano for a breathtaking, literally outro of the song. “Lights will guide you home”, the crowd helped Coldplay through hit song “Fix You”. From which they went into the happy, summer song of “Strawberry Swing”. “Now my feet won’t touch the ground’ the lynch pin lyric of the song. After this the show gets a lot more interesting for a few luck fans. A stage, complete with light up floor comes up at the end of the stage left ramp. Where they prefome a techno remix version of “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” and “Talk”. Everyone digs these tracks, and they are dancing along to them. God has truly put a smile upon my face, I still couldn’t believe I was there seeing them again! The band then leaves Chris to his lone piano, a spot light shinning upon him. “I would like to thank you all for coming out tonight and staring in our DVD.” The crowd erupts into a cheer, one that must have cracked the very foundations of the building. He then makes sure everyone knows that William Champion will help him sing the next tune. “The Hardest Part” and classical piano song “Postcards From Far Away”. After which, Chris leans back and mega hit begins. “Viva La Vida” begins, and the place only gets louder at this point. Everyone in the building singing along to the song we all wanted to hear. To see Will strike the Jerusalem Bell, with such fury and might. The passion of the song transferred to everyone in the building, even the lost soul in the back. The crowd only gets louder and louder during the interlude of “ohhhhhh ooooooh” Once again leading into new song “lost!” a crowd pleaser at this point. Then to most people’s surprise, the band walk off the stage into the audience and perform songs on a stage erected in the stands at the back. The acoustic set includes “Green Eyes”, Will Champion singing like an angle once again to “Death Will never conquer” and crowd sing a long “Im a Believer” a cover of the Monkies hit! “Guy, are you a believer?” asks Martin, Berryman replies with a delightful “ohaaooohhh”. “Will, are you in love”, to which the heavily voice replies, “oooooooooohhhhhhhhhh” “Jonny, I know you are shy. But everyone is here to find out the answer to this eternal question. Are you in love?” To which the guitar player deeply replies “ooooooooooooooooooooohhhhhhhhhhh” Coldplay lead the Coldwave and proceed back to the change rooms once again through the audience. Which they come back to perform loud passionate, “Politik”, as a hardcore fan I know this is Chris’ favourite song, and I can see it in the passion of the performance, which I can feel all the way from my seat. They then go through “Lovers In Japan”, paper confetti to spice it up. Then a soulful “Death and All of His Friends”, after which a sight I had not seen in nearly a year, Guy Berryman, Will Champion, Jonny Buckland and Chris Martin, bowing, center stage to thousands of screaming fans. They then come back, at first Martin to talk to the audience “tonight we are giving you the free album LeftRightLeftRightLeft which retials for $300,000,000. Luckily you all get it for free!” He then looks around stops and looks to the upper bowl, where I was sitting, “Holy ****, you guys are high up. Those are like the suicide seats. We better not play anything sad or depressing, someone might jump.” They closed the night with “The Scientist” and “Life in Technicolor ii”. I couldn’t believe I had just seen them again. I was buzzing to see them again, luckily the wait wouldn’t be too long, only tomorrow! I do it all over again the next day. My girlfriend and I arrive fairly early and are in our seats close to the floor. We talk to a nice security guard who tells us he had met Martin playing Ping Pong back stage. He explained we were in for a great night, but he didn’t need to tell me. As we were in our seats, out of nowhere comes a friendly British man in a VIVA polo. He gives us a Viva La Vida pick, “only a thousand were made”. I was very excited. I then talk to him, he is Andy the Video manager, in charge of all the video footage they put on the screens. I then ask him about Roadie 42, and Phil Harvey, both of which he seemed very surprised I knew. We then talk if its our first time seeing them. I tell him I have seen them twice. Then tell him my first story of Pemberton. Unfortunately he got dragged away, duty calls, a DVD is in production after all. We sit through the opener Hollowing Bells. After which I turn to my side and I see Andy coming straight for us. That is when I know what is happening, I was about to get upgraded. “For being such amazing fans, I just talked to Chris and he told me to give you these.” He hands me two brand spanking new tickets. Row 4 on the floor, right next to Jonny and Chris’ catwalk. Coldplaying Karama had payed off. I hugged Andy and bid my eternal gratitude. I then made my way to see Snow Patrol and Coldplay from my new, amazing seats. Snow Patrol once again knocked it out of the park, remaining the best opener of all time, getting the crowd truly warm for Coldplay. They played hit after hit. At one point I decided I’d be that guy who screams. “You guys ****ing rock!” Lightbody then turns to me smiles and gives me a thumbs up. I must also mention, Im the only guy wearing a Snow Patrol shirt admits of thousands in Coldplay shirts. The bass player and I trade a lot of looks and thumbs up. At this point I am already in heaven. Nothing could make this night better! I am centimetres from Wayne the break dancing roadie. I am ready for Coldplay and to hear Jon Hopkins play again. When it does happen, I as well as every other soul in the place scream the arrival of the sparkler wielding bands forte to the stage. I am meters from my two biggest musical influences, Jonny Buckland and Chris Martin. “Violet Hill” right through to “In My Place” are a blur of pure ecstasy! Until the point in which Jonny and Guy are within my arms reach, and their interaction during “In My Place” becomes more personal than ever for me. Tonight I am in the middle of the balloon fun during “Yellow” I could feel the envious eyes from a top in the suicide seats. Balloons are popping everywhere, confetti is flying to the arena rock song. Once again they go out and perform the techno remixes. Chris reminds the crowd of the DVD. The crowds is a lot louder, crazier and more enthusiastic then the night before! It’s a true stormer. Not until “Viva La Vida” do I get close to the guys again. When Chris Martin collapsed right in front of my eyes, where he lead the crowd in the ”ohhhhhh oooohhhhhh” The image of my hero, etched into my memory, right infront of me. He looked at me and gave me a thumbs up, and ran back for “Lost!” They once again moved into the back for a quick acoustic set. When they came back and preformed “Politik” I truly realized that the lights that flash with the beat of the song are truly blinding from that close. It is truly a magically moment, meters away from my favourite band, passionately performing, my favorite song. “Lovers In Japan” then begins after “Politik” concludes. This is a song I will never forget, not in my life.

UPDATE: 30TH SEPTEMBER 2009 <p><b>Win a festival-themed radio show for Coldplaying! Vote for <u>David Sheppard (coldplaying.com)</u> in Absolute Radio Live Stories FINAL now!</b> <p> <b><a href=http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/music/live/stories/final.html target="_blank">http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/music/live/stories/final.html</a></b> <p> <a href=http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/music/live/stories/final.html target="_blank"><img src='http://www.coldplaying.com/html/mailout_template/10325330.gif' alt='Win a festival-themed radio show for Coldplaying! Please vote for David Sheppard (coldplaying.com) in Absolute Radio's Live Stories FINAL now!' title='Win a festival-themed radio show for Coldplaying! Please vote for David Sheppard (coldplaying.com) in Absolute Radio's Live Stories FINAL now!' /></a> Voting for DAVID SHEPPERD (for Coldplaying.com) in the Live Stories FINAL begins on Monday 28th September... Win a festival-themed Absolute Radio broadcast for the forum! Voting will be taking place at http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/livestories The voting will be open from tomorrow (Monday 28th September until Friday 2nd October), and the winner will be announced on Monday 5th October. The winning forum will get to create a festival-themed radio show from Absolute Radio’s live music library. This will then be broadcast on Absolute Radio. There's nothing like being prepared and the whole Coldplaying community will need to be on top form in this final, you may remember that we did our best in the Rock off semis and got pipped by less than half a %! Maybe someone (who still has an account) could post at greendaycommunity.org to canvas for some votes (if they accept and we win we could donate one song from the broadcast line up to Green Day live! :)) Anyone up for contacting Debs, Anchorman and RSVP about a shout out on the Coldplay.com page? Please don't all spam them though! :) Each day share the voting links with all your friends on Facebook, Twitter etc. RT ColdplayingHQ's tweets and Facebook messages would also be a great way to spread the word! :D Put the voting banners in your signatures, blogs, myspace pages etc - there's a whole host of them at http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/music/live/stories/resources.html - but keep an eye out for some Coldplaying ones if someone can help make them :) I have asked Julie if she minds making some Coldplaying-specific Live Stories banners and buttons but in the meantime if anyone is able to combine these banners with these with Dave/U2 somewhere in it then please let me know, the more the merrier :) If anyone else has any ideas on how to get as many votes as possible please let everyone hear about them. Lets get this bloody thing won! :D -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE: 7TH SEPTEMBER 2009 New competition open prior to the Live Stories final. Win £1500!! Don't forget to add http://www.coldplaying.com in your submission or we won't be able to help promote your entry!!! ENTER NOW: http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/music/live/stories/competition.html -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE: 11TH AUGUST: KITE (DAVE) WILL TAKE THE TICKETS TO SEE U2 AT WEMBLEY AND WILL REPRESENT COLDPLAYING WITH A REVIEW FROM THE 1ST ROUND!) UPDATE: 7TH AUGUST: Congratulations to Chavi Vanna from the Coldplaying.com forum who wins a pair of tickets to see U2 at Wembley. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- UPDATE: 5TH AUGUST 2009 1ST ROUND VOTING NOW OPEN: COLDPLAYING ENTRANT: CHAVI VANNA (CHAVI) VOTE FOR CHAVI & COLDPLAYING (BLUE BUTTON, 2ND OPTION) NOW! vote >> http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/music/live/stories/voting.html I met Carla on the Coldplaying.com forum last summer and we always wanted to go to a gig together, despite the fact she lives in The Netherlands and I live in France. Then a fellow forum member said she had two tickets for Coldplay in four days. On Friday I travelled to Rotterdam after finding out my sister had gone into labour and was about to give birth. In the queue I was 20 people behind Carla, but after swapping seats in the stadium I was in the second row behind Carla. And then after the gig Chris Martin came and signed things for us, including my ‘you make me shiver’ banner – the next night he recognised it from the stage. Full live review at: http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/music/live/stories/chavi_vanna.html Voting will stay open until 5pm on Friday 7 August and Geoff will then announce the winner on the Hometime Show. <a href="http://www.absoluteradio.co.uk/music/live/stories/voting.html"><img src="http://i.absoluteradio.co.uk/images/pages/8010.1/728X90.gif" alt="Live Stories" width="728" height="90"></a> -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Here are all the entries for the competition. Please vote for your favourite. The 4 with the highest number of votes will be our entries to the competition. :D All the entries can be found below, in the same order they are listed in the poll. Good Luck everyone :D Easy find guide :) 1) Malcolm-Edge Part 1 http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3230069&postcount2 Part 2 http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3230070&postcount3 2) lucyb123 http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3230074&postcount4 3) walkryfe http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3230076&postcount5 4) TheAngie Part 1 http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3230078&postcount6 Part 2 http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3230083&postcount7 5) guyluvsliz Part 1 http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3250682&postcount8 Part 2 http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3250698&postcount9 6) justjess http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3250706&postcount10 7) strawberryfields http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3250712&postcount11 8) but a dream http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3250721&postcount12 9) Zeya http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3250729&postcount13 10) Chavi http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3250739&postcount14 11) Jizo http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3250743&postcount15 12) Late Entry ImLovingGuyBerryman http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=32562678&postcount24 13) Another Late Entry Cobalt Part 1 http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3263084&postcount37 Part 2 http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?p=3263090&postcount38

not me :P

say hi from us :D

Ian, you're such a stalker :P

this I know, but he's still pretty good when he's fit last season he played 1898 mins and racked up 86 points, scoring 8 goals and conceding 37. therefore, if he plays the same amount of time this season, he should score higher because Man U let in loads less goals than Newc U and if he proves crap, then he's one of my free transfers :D

awesome :D I saw it had completed, but it doesn't tell us when they dispatch them

may I join you, ladies?

that a rumour you've just started this very second? :p

Thanks to Bob (our very own OxfamAmerica) for helping to set it up :D

I was thinking more about language, ie sentences & grammar. rather than txt speak, smilies etc.

just finished Gone Tomorrow by Lee Child. I love Jack Reacher :) and now re-reading The Friday night Knitting Club.

I don't think the last bus home is usually all that quiet on a fri :P