Jenjie

When you say you have a confirmation email, do you mean the first email they send out or the second? The first looks like this (gigsandtours & seetickets are the same company) The second is the actual confirmation that the booking has gone through:

me, me, me, I haven't ordered my shirt yet. I have to work out what size to get. We measured me for my hoodie, and it was still too big :\ plus I've changed size since then just to confuse matters

If anyone's interested, current sales are: 23 yellow t-shirts 1 maternity t-shirt 4 messenger bags :D

the way they finished up, the Stig may well be revealing his identity every week! and sorry, but Porsche cockster makes me :laugh3:

hurrah for non-smoking venues :D

:D the only reason I know is coz I stumbled across it whilst hungry for lunch having walked through the park. and when you're hungry, a new york steak & cheese pannini is very difficult to resist :p

they do have a size chart on the site. from my experience last year, they are generous sizings. the size chart for tops is this: Fit Guide Size Chest (inches) Small 34-36" Medium 38-40" Large 42-44" X-large 46-48" 2X-large 50-52" I bought a large hoodie to be on the safe side, but a medium would have done me fine. As it is, the hoodie is great coz I can get a million layers underneath :lol:

not sure which hotels have rooms left. I know the travelodge is sold out. the Ibis website suggest they're full on the 18th & 19th. Premier Inn is down to its last few rooms on the 19th. £130 per night. Park Royal Travelodge only has family rooms left. £75 per night. ( would need to get tube to Wembley, but is pretty straightforward. we stayed there when we went to Wembley for the football) Hilton @ Wembley Park only has twin rooms left, and the price is now £186 per night.

if you're going to be staying over in a hotel, you could arrange to meet up with people staying at the same place. and the idea of the t-shirts is indeed to wear them to the gig. we hope to get as many as possible clumped together, or a complete front row spread, to make them stand out all the more

first one :D

I think the plan is to meet up in the queues. we'll have a better idea once we know our entry points.

Swiping playfully at the camera, it's hard to imagine she could be a danger to anything - except, perhaps, her favourite toy mouse. But to postmen, Illy the kitten might as well be a snarling rottweiler. They say that the six-month-old moggie once jumped up at the letterbox and delivered a painful scratch to a postwoman's hand. So fearful are they of a repeat performance that they have sent a strongly worded letter to Illy's owners - warning them to discipline her or face a delivery ban. Kenneth Ridge, 65, and his son Bradley, 30, yesterday spoke of their shock at receiving the note describing Illy's 'attack'. 'Reading this letter you'd think I had a rottweiler at home, it really was ridiculous', Mr Ridge Snr said. 'Illy is a kitten, she's very small and friendly and was just playing. 'We weren't here, but it seems some mail was put through the letterbox and the postwoman's hand was scratched. 'I would say Illy stands up for herself, but she's never bitten me, and if she did, really could not do much damage. 'I can't believe I could have my post suspended for this. If that happens I will be making a very strong complaint.' Illy, who weighs in at a mere 7lb, spends most of her time playing with balls of wool, chasing her tail or exploring the neighbourhood. Mr Ridge, who runs a greengrocer's in Clapham, South-West London, first heard about her snappy side when he received the warning letter from an office manager at Royal Mail. It read: 'I am writing to let you know that, on the 6th of June , our postman was attacked by your animal in your premises while delivering mail to your address. 'Animal attacks are a major cause of injury to Royal Mail staff and so I am writing to seek your co-operation in preventing a repeat of this unfortunate incident. 'I must advise you that, if any further incidents of this nature are allowed to take place, I shall have no alternative other than to consider suspending the delivery of mail to your home.' Mr Ridge, who receives many important letters and packages related to his business, urged Royal Mail not to over-react. 'Everyone I tell finds it so amusing that our little kitten has been mistaken for some savage beast,' he said. 'But, on a serious note, this is a very strong letter and if it was sent to an old lady with a cat I think it could be very upsetting. I think it's over the top, and I'd like to know what treatment to the postwoman was required.' A Royal Mail spokesman said it always treats animal attacks on postmen seriously, however minor they might appear. 'We record about 5,000 animal attacks on our postmen and women each year with the vast majority being dogs,' he said. 'The member of staff suffered a very bad cut to her hand while delivering mail through the letterbox of the address.' He said the injury was serious enough to 'require treatment'. http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1194164/Beware-er--kitten-Terrified-postmen-threaten-boycott-house-vicious-attack-month-old-kitten.html

Hey Jack, just seen the thread. Sorry to hear about your Dad. Glad everything seemed to work out for you yesterday.

if we're able to make it to the park, I bagsy a bench space :D

Unfortunately there are 2 issues with that: 1) we only have a basic shop (its very free with no charges to us!), so are only allowed one version of each product. 2) cafepress offer the bag in a choice of yellow, yellow, or yellow :P great for Wembley, but not very helpful for you :(

European tour support acts announced June 19, 2009 9:30 am Flaming Lips and Bat For Lashes join a stellar cast Good morning. We're very pleased to announce the stellar roster of opening acts who'll be joining Coldplay for their European stadium dates this summer. As well as the previously-announced Jay-Z, Girls Aloud and White Lies, the band will also be supported by Flaming Lips, Bat For Lashes, Datarock, Killians, Howling Bells, Ministri, The Sunday Drivers, Moi Caprice, Miss Montreal and Pegasus. The full support bills for the band's 17 European dates across 12 countries are as follows: AUGUST 16: Herning, MCN Arena - White Lies & Moi Caprice - tickets 19: Bergen, Koengen - White Lies & Datarock - tickets 22: Stockholm, Olympic Stadium - White Lies - tickets 25: Hannover, Hannover Stadium - White Lies & Killians - tickets 27: Dusseldorf, LTU Arena - Howling Bells & Killians - tickets 29: Munich, Reistadiun Rien - Howling Bells & Killians - tickets 31: Udine, Stadio Friuli - White Lies & Ministri - tickets SEPTEMBER 2: Bern, Stade de Suisse - Howling Bells & Pegasus - tickets 4: Barcelona, Estadi Olimpic - Flaming Lips & The Sunday Drivers - tickets 7: Paris, Parc de Princes - Flaming Lips & Bat For Lashes - tickets 9: Nijmegen, Goffertpark - Flaming Lips & Bat For Lashes - tickets 10: Nijmegen, Goffertpark - White Lies & Miss Montreal - tickets 12: Manchester, Lancs Cricket Ground - Jay-Z & White Lies - tickets 14: Dublin, Pheonix Park - White Lies & TBA - tickets 16: Glasgow, Hampden Park - Jay-Z & White Lies - tickets 18: Wembley Stadium - Jay-Z, Girls Aloud & White Lies - tickets 19: Wembley Stadium - Jay-Z, Girls Aloud & White Lies - tickets Bring. It. On. Anchorman http://www.coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=427

Flaming Lips, Bat for Lashes to Open for Coldplay At this stage of the game, it certainly seems like a bad with the Flaming Lips' following is too big to open for anyone, but of they haven't reached the mega-stadium level of Coldplay. That's why The Flaming Lips will be opening for Coldplay for a few dates of their European tour later this summer. Other artists inlcude Bat for Lashes, Jay-Z, Girls Aloud, and White Lies. Coldplay must be pretty confident in the level of their stadium spectacle, if they're comfortable following all of these other performers', well, stadium spectacles. http://www.prefixmag.com/news/flaming-lips-bat-for-lashes-to-open-for-coldplay/29837/

Staticblog officially begs for those transatlantic comp flights: The Flaming Lips will open for Coldplay on three dates: Sept. 4 in Barcelona, Sept. 7 in Paris and Sept. 9 in Nijmegen, Netherlands. Those last two gigs, the Lips are paired with Bat For Lashes, which essentially means that I’d be fine swimming there if necessary. http://blog.newsok.com/staticblog/2009/06/19/flaming-lips-and-bat-for-lashes-open-coldplay-european-dates/

ooooooh pre-show parties!!!!! :o My sister invited me to go to a Gucci party at Hotel arts. We didn't know what to expect other than free booze. So we went. The party was a little dull but the balcony looked down at a party that looked a lot more fun around the pool. So we were gunna head down and crash the party, but as we were heading on our way out, two of the guys from down stairs were coming in the room and invited us to come down. When we got there we found out it was a party for Coldplay, Snow Patrol and the Howling Bells because they were playing the next night. So that was pretty cool. Then one of the guys from the howling bells told my sis that he would put us on the guest list for the concert the next night! It was super nice and they were side of stage seats which were amazing. After he came and found us and took us back stage. We met the guys from Coldplay and we suggested we go to hifi to dance and party. So we all went down there and had so much fun! Once the clock struck twelve it was my birthday. Chris Martin bought me a bunch of flowers from the guy who sells single roses in the clubs in Calgary. Everyone should check out the Howling Bells! They are amazing and so sweet. Happy day everyone! http://youareawonderfulcreation.blogspot.com/2009/06/guccihowling-bellscoldplaylove.html

I ALMOST TOUCHED CHRIS MARTIN FROM COLDPLAY That’s the subject line that was screaming at me when I opened my email yesterday. It didn’t happen to me but to my gal pal Patti (a.k.a. Miss P), which is pretty much the next best thing. Actually, probably better because her account of almost touching Chris Martin? It has panty soup written all over it. She is definitely a way bigger fan than me. I thought her story would get all the lucky Vancouverites going to tomorrow’s concert all jazzed up so here it is. As for me, I’ll be cross-border shopping with Karolina for the thing that gets my knickers in a knot… new shoes. Woo-hoo! Have a great weekend! ._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._._. Hello from Calgary to all of Kasia’s loyal readers! I’m thrilled to be a guest blogger for the very first time. My bestest, bossom friend is one amazing gal; she not only listened to my very extended and detailed account of having seen Coldplay live in Calgary this past Wed, June 17, but she then asked me to blog about the life altering experience. I couldn’t say no. Thanks Kasia! I hope some of you are lucky enough to have tickets to this weekend’s shows in Vancouver! My weekend began so ridiculously amazingly, that I have to tell you all about it…. This morning as I rushed out the door to work (late, of course), I was feeling amazingly alive and happy (not my natural state in the mornings), and I’m 100% convinced it’s a lingering feeling from Wednesday night’s concert. As I climbed into my Hyundai, turned the key and my stereo kicked in, I was instantly transported back to Wednesday night, when I saw Coldplay live at the Saddledome in Cowtown. For the entire 20 minute drive to work I shamelessly adjusted my bass a few notches higher, and blasted the live LeftRightLeftRightLeft live CD that each person at the concert got for FREE. Talk about paying it forward. Traffic was bad this morning; cars at a standstill, everyone with their dreary I-hate-this-rat-race-and-my-job faces, and then there was me. Windows rolled down, huge smile, rock-star sunglasses, bass thumping in my seat (and probably in everyone else’s buttocks too), proudly singing every memorized word as back-up to the riveting vocals of Chris Martin. It was the best drive to work I’ve ever had. I mean EVER!! I think I might start doing this every morning. Coldplay just has a way of writing the best damn singalong anthems, with the best darned lyrics, and heart-wrenching melodies. I cried several times at the concert (seriously), and this is not new for me- I cry when I hear their music. Songs like Fix You, Viva La Vida, and Yellow to name just a few, hit an emotional chord with me. Great music has the power to do that, and Coldplay is right up there with the classical music that also has the power to make me shed tears in public. I sat by myself at the concert; my boyfriend and I couldn’t even get two tickets beside eachother because we slept 15 minutes past 10am when the tickets went on sale weeks ago. We decided it was worth it to go even if we had to sit separately. I’ve never made a better decision in my life. Although it would have been fantastic to live the moments with my Love wrapped around my waist, I made the experience worthwhile anyways. Not even the lame couple on my right, who sat and golf-clapped through 95% of the concert, dampened my spirits. Thankfully, the two girls to my left were just as bent on having the time of their lives as me. We bonded over the deafening screaming, clapping, waving, and singing. We jumped up and down when our band came on stage, we clapped our hands high in the air, we bumped the gigantic yellow balloons that floated down on us during Yellow, we swayed and sang every gut-wrenching word to Fix You, and we all died and went to heaven when we realized our unbelievable luck…. I was three seats away from the aisle in section 114, row 8, and in the same row across the aisle, there were a handful of covered seats, with what I believed to be an audio set up, something uuber-geeky technical that was part of the show. There was a 5’-0” tall security girl standing there as people took their seats, casually making sure nobody tried to climb over the covered area. The concert began and I was happy as a clam, when halfway through the starry night, a few of the tech crew began shuffling around by the covered area to my left. My instinct was that it was an audio issue they were trying to quickly fix and avoid an embarrassing disaster. I crossed my fingers it was going to be OK and I kept on singing and screaming. A few minutes later I looked over, and they had a platform out…. then a guitar stand on top of it…. then a guitar, then a bass, then… a microphone!!! I felt my heart jump into my throat, and I’m pretty sure my eyes bugged out of my head as I turned to the girl on my left and screamed like a 12 year old tweeny girl, “Oh my GAAAWD!!! Are they going to play RIGHT HERE?!?!?!” We almost hugged each other as we bounced up and down in sheer delight. Then it happened… they finished a song on the stage (don’t ask me which one, because by now I was in another world), and the entire band put down their instruments and started walking to the edge of the stage… the spotlight followed them…. then they came down to the edge of the floor section…. and continued walking single file…. right towards us!!! They were just a few steps below us now, walking up, the spotlight on them, people in section 114 going absolutely crazy, a few steps higher… and CHRIS MARTIN WAS 2 FEET AWAY FROM ME!! We scrambled to reach our sweaty hands out, and I almost fell over when he HELD the hand of the blonde beside me! I have never been so envious in my entire life. Lucky bitch ;) So there I was, twitterpated beyond reason and heart racing, hardly believing my luck as Chris, Guy, Jon, and Will climbed onto the tiny satellite stage that had been kept such a great secret throughout the concert. The sipped some water, wiped the sweat from their foreheads, and grinned as they looked around the fans surrounding them 360 degrees. Looking back at it, it was probably a really cool experience for them too- to be on a tiny makeshift stage, barely big enough for the four of them to stand on, right amidst the crowd. Then, they began to play Green Eyes (from Rush of Blood to the Head). Now, you have to know this because it’s absolutely no coincidence- MY eyes are green. Holy $&^! HE KNEW IT ALL ALONG! That was the best performance of Green Eyes ever, in the entire history of Coldplay’s existence. Now, brace yourself, because what I’m about to tell you is no made up fairytale, but pure fact; Chris sang the ballad (dedicated to me), as I listened and watched intently….. this was my moment… and then it happened…. our eyes met and we locked gazes for a few wonderful seconds…. Sigh. Double sigh. In case you’re wondering- his eyes are a sparkling, ocean blue. When I recounted this story to Kasia, her response was ‘duh, of course he stared into your eyes…. you look like Gwyneth and then he realized she’d kick his ass if she was there, so he had to look away!” I love her for knowing just what to say. Now, I admit, the only time during the concert where I was utterly content to be standing alone without my wonderful boyfriend, was at that moment. I had the utmost joy in experiencing a pure, teenage-like trance of a girl in love with her rock star, and being so close to him that her eyes connected with his. It was the sweetest thing… I felt so happy, so young, so totally carefree and innocent. It made me remember the bliss and agony of being a teenager discovering the aching feeling of a crush, of a first love, of dreams that couldn’t be touched by any realists and cynics. I truly haven’t felt that emotionally elated and carefree since I let my guards down after many disappointments with the opposite sex, and fell in love with my boyfriend. Ahh, the sweet, pure emotion of true love and uninhibited, unedited happiness. It’s obvious: Coldplay is Love. So if you have any doubts that a live concert can do that to you, grown women, doubt no more. Music has the power to change things, to inspire, to elate, and to make one discover passion and organic happiness all over again. Going back to the concert recap: after my almost-famous moments during Green Eyes, they improvised and hammed it up with the audience as they played a humorous and lighthearted cover of I’m in Love. Wow, Chris Martin is such a talented musician and captivating performer! He really did blow me away. The entire band did. For the rest of the concert I felt high as kite on endorphins and the stunning visual effects, the music, the Viva La Vida ‘ooow, ooooh, oooow, ooooh , owwwwhhhhhhhhh oh’ madness, the piano solos that morphed into classical pieces, the butterflies in the air, the energy and raw talent in front of me… it was so incredible, that I’m still reliving the moments, blasting the live CD, and clipping articles. I’ll be honest with you- I want to put up posters all over my bedroom. I considered this, but decided that my man might not share my brilliant decorating ideas. I did, however, put up an 11 X 17 color copy of a photo and interview from the Calgary Sun above our tiny desk. I call it research for my very first blog post ;) http://goodfinking.com/2009/06/19/i-almost-touched-chris-martin-from-coldplay/

It's been a few days since I went to the Coldplay concert so the ringing in my ears has stopped and the proverbial high that everyone gets after a concert has finally warn off. My dear friend Margaret joined me in our floor seats where we enjoyed an amazing concert with some great music. The show first started with the Howling Bells from Australia who were not bad, but Margaret and I both agreed that the lead singer had an amazingly sexy voice. Perhaps it was the accent. Anyways, the second opening act was Snow Patrol who I would be more than willing to shell out good money to see in their own concert. Some of the highlights from their set list included Chocolate, Hands Open, Open Your Eyes, and their stand out hit Chasing Cars, which we have all butchered during Sing Star. Coldplay hit the stage at around 9pm with sparklers shooting and the band's shadow slowly emerging into view as they sang Violet Hill. Soon the backdrop revealed the painting from the Viva La Vida album with a woman with bare breast who shared a striking resemblance to Vivian Lo. Later on, the band performed Yellow where the audience was appropriately bathed in yellow lights and yellow balloons were bounced around like giant volley balls by the fans. Some standout performances included some of my favorite songs including Fix You and Lost! The band then ventured on to the side stage where they got extremely close to the audience and Chris Martin performed The Hardest Part alone on stage with just a piano. He soon joined the rest of the band again on the main stage to perform a lively rendition of Viva La Vida, which got the entire crowd buzzing from excitement and it was truly a spectacular experience to witness live. The band then moved to the back of the Saddledome to transform some of the worst seats instantly into the best seats of the house. They performed Death Will Never Conquer and Chris even managed to name drop the Calgary Flames into the song, which made the fans go wild! They completed the set in the back stage with a cover of I'm A Believer, which the entire stadium gladly sang along. Finally, Coldplay moved back to the front stage where they preformed songs such as Lovers In Japan, with Japanese images flashing on the screen and a sky of butterflies falling on the audience. It was amazing!!! Thankfully, before the concert ended, the band also performed The Scientist which is one of my absolute favorite songs and I was extremely worried that I would not be able to see. The song was definitely worth the wait and I'm so glad that they left it till almost the end. Finally, Coldplay finished the evening with The Escapist and the curtain fell to reveal Viva splashed across the screen. The concert was simply outstanding and the band didn't need to rely on over-the-top stunts to keep the crowd entertained. It was just wonderful music and the charm of four guys from the U.K. that had 15,000 people hanging on to every note. http://thisiscoop.blogspot.com/2009/06/cool-coldplay.html

ordinarily I'd love to but I have flying issues right now :cry:

Found some reviews :D Thursday was a good day. Got my rental vehicle from Enterprise and was on the road by 12:00 which is what I wanted. Drove up to Edmonton to see Coldplay. Got to E-town in about 4.5 hrs which was great time. Missed one turn off in town to get to Rexall Place but quickly recovered and pulled into the parking lot 30 minutes prior to the doors opening. Got my ticket from the Will Call booth with 10 min to the doors opening. Finally 6 PM rolls around and the doors are open. I make my way to the merchandise stand and get myself a shirt. Seeing as I didn't eat anything before I left, I grabbed some food at the concession stand and made my way to my seat. Found it and anxiously awaited the opening acts. 7:00 - 7:30 PM 1st band was a band from Australia called Howling Bells. A female vocalist fronted band, the had a very soothing, and a nice rich sound with echoing (<----- love that word !!) guitar riffs. For an opening act, I'd give it a solid 8.5 out of 10. A break until 8:00 PM for the 2nd band. 8:00 - 8:40 PM Snow Patrol came on and performed. I'm not a big fan of their music but they played well and thanked the crowd a lot. Overall I'd give them an 8 out of 10. They almost seemed to try too hard. But they, along with Howling Bells, knew that everyone was there for Coldplay. The transition from each opening act to the headliner was good though. Each bringing slightly more of that stadium sound. Just before Coldplay cam on, the intermission music got really loud for 3 songs. Probably were checking the limits of the frequency ranges for when Coldplay was to play. 1st song was a U2 track off the new album, 2nd was Jay-Z - I'm a Hustler and 3rd was the Blue Danube waltz. 3 very different styles. At the playing of the last note of the waltz, the lights went out, and the crowd roared. Showtime !! 9:00 PM Coldplay did their intro song off the Viva La Vida album, Life in Technicolor, and came out waving sparklers and twirling fire batons or something of that nature. Then they kicked it into high gear playing 2 very recognizable songs, Clocks and Yellow right off the hop ! For Yellow, giant balloons came down and the lighting was all in yellow. Then the intermixed new tracks from their most recent album with others off their older ones. They performed a couple sort of acoustic tracks just off stage but the best was yet to come. Nearly 2/3 of the way through their night, they left the main stage, walked all the way to the back of the arena, and performed on a set stage IN the stands. Amazing ! Just enough room for the 4 of them, and a few guitars and such. 3 song acoustic jam. The last being a Monkees cover of I'm A Believer. Then when they finished, the audio tech, played a dance remix of Viva La Vida as the band made their way back to the main stage to finish off the night. The last song had the confetti machines blowing confetti, in the shape of butterflies, all over the place. Of course there was an encore of 2 songs which concluded a phenomenal evening. To wrap it all off they handed out a special 9 song Live EP of some of their favorites. Truly an honor to attend this show. I can't wait until the next one, where I will get a better seat. Got back in my vehicle and left Edmonton to drive all the way back to Lethbridge. At one point, I was tailing a guy, and was doing 160 KM/hr. Fastest I have ever driven. I did see 3 RCMP over the course of the drive home, but made sure to be cautious. http://djfakir.blogspot.com/2009/06/been-semi-busy-week-for-me.html ---- Coldplay on Thursday night was amazing. Go back and re-read that first sentence because there is no amount of italicization I can use to express how good that show was. It surpassed all expectations I had and thoroughly impressed me. It was more than a concert, it was a truly passionate performance. I always considered myself a Coldplay fan. I own all of their albums and enjoy what I hear. They are my 30 most popular artist (which surprised me, I thought they would be top 15) according to last.fm but after last night there is no denying how much I enjoy this band. If they ever return to Edmonton I will not hesitate to see them live, and you would be wise to do the same. The energy, crowd interaction and stage presence were outstanding. This reminded me of how good a concert can be. Older songs were performed with new intensity, favorites had a twist of techno beats, new songs from the album sounded brilliant and subtle things like the addition of beach balls during “Yellow” helped separate this show from others. I have nothing but accolades to give to these four guys from London. They seemed to genuinely enjoy themselves and the Edmonton crowd let the guys know how much their effort was appreciated. There were many memorable moments, like the fierce and high energy batch of songs to start the show, a techno version of “God Put a Smile on Your Face”, a set list that feels like it was made for me or the climactic end with confetti. However the one that stands out, and will rival any other moment at a concert I have attended was the performance of “Green Eyes”. This was our first dance song at our wedding, so hearing it live was a treat. The way it was delivered made the song amazing. The band walked off the stage, to the rear of the arena and was escorted right in front of us. Then they walked up the aisle about twenty feet and performed the song acoustically. The larger than life band had brushed right by us and performed our song. Something like that is tough to top. While the night belonged to Coldplay, they had a great supporting team. Snow Patrol, who I saw headline several years ago, was perfect in their middle slot. They played many popular songs and got the crowd nice and warmed up. I was surprised at how little they played from their new album, instead they opted to play songs that most in attendance had heard and it worked. Both times I have seen this band live I have never been disappointed and would be pleased to see them again. The first opening act, Howling Bells, was another pleasant surprise. I knew nothing of their catalog and found myself getting into a groove and enjoying their music. This is a band I will have to listen to more of because they definitely caught my attention. When the lead singer, Juanita Stein, stated a few facts that she learned while researching Edmonton I thought that was a nice touch, certainly better than the “your city is the best we have played in” standard talk bands say. Something Juanita said in her facts of Edmonton was brought back up during Coldplay’s acoustic set when they performed an impromptu song and name dropped Michael J. Fox. Just like a good Arrested Development joke, you have to wait until the end to get the punchline. The Coldplay website was updated with a blog post from Edmonton, and said that they suffered a bizarre incident involving a windshield. Seeing these thoughts of an outsider to our city on events like that or the show itself was interesting and I hope the band returns in the near future for another memorable performance. http://blog.seangursky.com/2009/06/my-death-and-his-friends ---- I felt kind of (okay, more than ‘kind of’) excited about this one, moreso than most of the concerts I’ve been to in the past, just because Coldplay is really special to me. I am going to seguay this review with a story (because it’s my blog and I can rant if I want to). In grade 11, my high school heads to Vancouver island for the cirriculum’s marine biology unit. On that trip, I ended up seeing wild orcas breaching about 75 feet away from our little motor boat. And we did all these interactive labs about seaweed, anemones and sea stars. It was a really fun trip and one of my life’s many highlights. Anyway, prior to that trip, I listened predominently to 90’s dance music, techno, remixes – you know, club stuff. I don’t even know why, really. But I was drawn to the music at that time mostly through the television show Queer as Folk and all the great thumping dance tracks featured. And another big influence on my childhood music tastes, Friday night’s Electric Circus on much music (they should bring it back… but I digress). When I went to Bamfield, I doscovered (well re-discovered, I guess) two discs that propelled me more into rock and even into indie music; one being Matchbox Twenty’s sophomore, ‘Mad Season’ and the other being ‘A Rush of Blood to the Head’ by Coldplay. The latter intimidated me for some reason prior to this trip. But someone had a mix CD that we listened to in our van and it included the then-latest single from the album, Clocks. It sort of became our totem song during the trip and because of that, one night, I decided to put the album on. And that was the moment I fell under its spell. Each song came alive and separated out, speaking a bunch of love notes and messages to me. I could see the lyrics spinning around like glistening, like moving constellations. It was one of those rare moments in which we discover a life-defining album, an object that becomes sacred to us as individuals because it seems created just for that moment of personal, individual discovery. Not any album can do that to anyone; the album chooses the person and the moment in which to come alive. And the moment must be exactly right for the discovery to ripen. But by the oceasn, under the sky, the air smelling like salt, kelp and cedar, me sitting on my top bunk alone, nestled in a cozy-lit room, this was my moment. And I never forgot it, never will. From that moment on, I loved the band, though all of their albums have taken a while to grow on me (and I can’t really figure out why that is). There are very few bands whose entire body of work speaks to me, and since that moment in Bamfield, Coldplay is definitely one of them. And sometimes I forget really how much I love them, until I put on a song like ‘White Shadows’ or ‘Green Eyes’ and then I’m reminded again. Well, last night I didn’t need a reminder. I needed a strait jacket, actually. Because the band hit the stage and I actually couldn’t calm down. I was screaming uncontrollably like the most massive tool on earth and I might have cared, except I couldn’t control myself. I was trying to calm myself down because my excitement was distracting me from watching and savouring the show. And the people around us were judging me. But I’m used to that. Basically, the concert started with ‘Life in Technicolour I’ and then we just got more intense then there. The band pulled out all kinds of REALLY fun tricks (which I don’t really want to give away to those who are planning on seeing an upcoming ‘Viva La Vida’ tour show). And while watching, I thought, here’s the difference between a band who uses tricks to enhance what they do well, rather than using tricks to cover up what they can’t do (such as using backup dancers to distract from lip-synching), or using tricks needlessly and senselessly (example: Mariah Carey’s numerous costume changes at her show back in 2006). When you have about 10,000 people screaming for you and wanting to get closer and closer to you, you don’t need lasers and confetti and gritty black-and-white jumbotron images. But… it only enhances the Coldplay experience in that the music takes on a kind of electrified, magical, whimsical dynamic that makes it both look and feel truly alive. What the band did really well though, was demonstrate top-quality showmanship, fan appreciation, humility and professionalism without being TOO professional and TOO polished. Example: I saw Bryan Adams at the beginning of 2006, which is admittedly lame anyways, but it was like he just slept through a two-hour set; it was identical to the set on the DVD included in the greatest hits package, and so any uniqueness was kind of lost and I ended up enjoying the opener, Daniel Powter, a lot more who chatted with the audience and faltered a little bit, despite his piano-playing skills and pandering to an audience who had NO idea who he was, or cared really. Coldplay played this gig like it was their first-ever big break. The band members seemed to share a strong friendship and brotherhood, no one seemed to have a bloated ego and there was no ‘tension’; they were just a group of friends who love playing music together, and that’s just what they did, and did VERY well. Christ. The set was a kind of predictable but great collection of songs that lasted about two hours; while ‘Parachutes’ was largely ignored, the band played their best material from their later three albums and tossed in a few moments from their ‘Prospekt’s March’ EP (which by the way, includes some of their best-ever material). I would have liked to see a few more of my personal favourites, but with a stadium of thousands and thousands of people, a set should be about soaring crowd-pleasers. The band did some really cool things though, including the ‘cell phone wave’ which is one of the coolest things you’ll ever see. As well, they walked through the audience (I high-fived them – totally epic conquest) and played a little acoustic set in the stands at the back of the stadium while throwing in a little ditty about Edmonton that was so cute and funny I, standing on my chair so I could see from the floor, almost fell over. They also played ‘Green Eyes’, one of my all-time favourite songs, and then a harmonica made an appearance and I screamed out loud, “THIS IS THE GREATEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE!” and meant it. And it was. Really, it was. There’s such a joy in seeing a favourite band live. But that joy is amplified when that live show is so incredibly good, it puts even some of the best shows you’ve seen in life to shame. I can’t talk today, and I feel like I have whip lash in my neck. But this show was worth the money and the pain. I know that there are a lot of people who are cynical about the band and regard them as bad and repetitive and self-indulgent. I disagreed completely already anyways, but I REALLY believe that seeing the show that I saw last night would turn around ANY of those cynics. Some people go to shows and say that every one of them is amazing, but for me only a select few get to be shelved among the elite, special gigs that really are amazing, and this gets the number 1 place of honor. http://newyorkfruitstand.wordpress.com/2009/06/19/coldplay-the-viva-la-vida-tour-concert-review/

it is the one I'm thinking of :) walked through it a couple of times in the sunshine in April, and it was gorgeous. we'd probably want the Buck Palace end though, because the Piccadilly end had diggers, workmen & hoardings working on the tube station (improvements? adding a lift? i forget what) :laugh3:

looks awesome :D don't worry :) it ships quicker in the US, because cafepress are there. takes a while longer to the EU as it has to go through customs and be checked for taxes. we ordered our VLV stuff about 3/4 weeks before the Dec shows and got them in time.