Last Tuesday, the dream came true! I met Coldplay for the first time in my life! And it was so awesome, beautiful, extraordinary. I was like a child in a luna park!
I went to Fleet Road at 9.30 am with my fellow Gabriele (the webmaster of Coldplayzone) and his wife. According to our sources, the guys are used to go to the Bakery/Beehive around 10 am, but we wanted to be sure to meet them and thus we decided to go in Fleet Road in time.
Just some minutes before 10, Matt McGinn crossed the road going from Bakery to Beehive and obviously I stopped him during his way and I said: 'Hi Matt, nice to meet you, i'm Patrizio, the one who had an interview with you for Coldplayzone.it' and he replied 'oh, yes man! How are you?', seeming he has recognized me! We talked just two minutes, he was too busy for sure to stay there for more, so i had just a couple of minutes to make a request: an autograph on my copy of 'Roadie - My Life On The Road with Coldplay' and to say 'Hey Matt, our interview was really appreciated by Coldplay fans' and he stated 'Really? When I've written it, i was completely drunk!'. Laughs! He left saying 'the guys will arrive here just in one hour, go and take a coffee, it's too early' opening Beehive door (it's a just ticket saying 'main bell' on the door bell - it seems it was written by Chris) and vanishing in a while.
I decided not to go nowhere in the meanwhile. I deeply wish to stay there, I have had only one chance to meet my heroes and moving in another place was too full of risks for me!
Around 10.30, I paid my attention to a man crossing Fleet Road from Bakery to Beehive. It was a simply guy, running from one side to another and bringing coffees, milkshakes and muffins, apparently for everyone who stands in the two rooms.
At 10.40, a Smart car reached Bakery. I didn't properly see who was the driver, but after 5 minutes I have discovered the identity: he was Guy! Guy Berryman, clothed with the usual chessed red-and-black shirt. And I soon said 'A Smart Guy!'. Laughs! I met him saying 'Hi Guy! How are you?' and he was too kind to be real. He replied 'I'm very good!', smiling all the time. He seemed to be in hurry, we have asked nothing at all, but we said we were coming from Italy, and he was really surprised to know that a simple fan could reach London just to meet them! Before taking a pic, I have given to him some gifts: a book with all the meanings of their songs, written in Italian (it was released one month ago and we promoted it via Coldplayzone), a letter from an italian fan (a user of my website) and he signed my Viva Special Edition copy on the artwork. His autograph left no space for the others!
Then, Gabriele (who brought some Sicilian chocolate for the guys) asked to Guys to pick the favourite piece of chocolate: he picked the one filled with almonds. And, at the end, the photos! We did one for each of us and, before to go, Guy said to Gabriele wife 'Don't you wanna take a pic with me?'. She isn't a Coldplay fan, but she decided to, yes, to have the pic. And I understood in that moment about how Guy are used to take the pics with the girls! He laid his left hand on her shoulder, and Gabriele said 'Hey, Guy! She's my wife!'. Laughs!
After this moment, he want in the Beehive, thanking us for the gifts. The first one was done!
After restoring our emotions to a normal level, we waited some minutes... again! And at 11.05, the heaven! Jonny was approaching at the horizon! With my arms open, I've said 'Jonny! You're my hero', replied by Gabriele. He looks a bit shy but he sincerely smiled! He signed my Viva copy on the artwork, picked the chocolate piece filled with hazelnuts and then I've asked 'How's going the new album?'. He confessed 'good', and he seemed he was really sure to say the truth: the album is going good indeed! I replied saying 'We're waiting for it with great expectations' and he replied saying 'Me too, man! Me too'. He seemed to be in hurry like Guy (the night before, they were in the studio until midnight - we saw the lights coming from inside walking in Fleet Road, so we deduced it's a very busy moment of the recording sessions!
Anyway, I took two pics with Jonny: the first one - as you can see - was dominated by a great sense of humour after seeing (me and Jonny of course) a very beautiful girl walking behind Gabriele (who was takind the photo) and Jonny said 'Hmmm, look there' and I laughed! The second one is the 'standard' one!
Two out of four! In the 'waiting for the next one', we saw Miller coming at the Beehive, but he was too fat to be real and we didn't want to say nothing. He seemed angry and very busy!
And, eventually, at 11.30 Will came there. Just to acknowledge you: Mr. Champion is the most clever, polite and nice Coldplay member. We said 'Hi Will, can we have a chatter with you?' and he said 'Yes, sure!'. We talked about the country we're from, and I've said we will meet again in Venice for the next Heineken Jammin Festival. He picked the chocolate filled with green pistachios and he smiled and smiled again. In the hands, he had some books and one ahd the first page showing a duck. Something relating with LP5? I don't know!
The, we asked 'Could you please tell us something about new album?'. A normal artist could reply with 'It's good', 'Everything is O.K.' and so else, but he asked to us 'What do you wanna know?'. Absolutely fantastic! And here the most interesting part of the day: we have asked if it's true that the LP5 will be a concept album. He said 'So, you know, it is and it isn't. It's hard to explain: in a sense, it's a concept album, but not in the same way we're used to. Every song has a story behind, and all these stories come into a final one all together. So, it's not a unique story coming out, but a mix of stories linked to a final one'. Sounds awesome! And we finally asked when it will come out, and he said 'This autumn', suggesting that the autumn is more than a simple deadline. Before to go, we talked about Elbow. He said 'Hey guys, this night at O2 Arena there's a concert of a band, Elbow. Do you know' and I said 'What? What the hell? Elbow in London! Absolutely amazing' and he replied 'Yes, that's true!' I absolutely love Elbow (especially The Seldom Seen Kid) but i didn't have a chance to go and see them that night... too stuff to do! But i'm pretty sure Will attended that show!
Here the pics:
Before leaving Will, we asked him for Chris. He said he was flying back from USA and he would be there the next day.
Talking at phone with Davide Rossi, i knew Chris wasn't so good in those days (maybe he's was ill or indisposed). Davide also said he has finished his sessions with Coldplay and we were lucky to meet them. In this latest period the weren't in the studio together everyday, he said '3 out of 4 is a very good average! Well done!. Laughs! He eventually said this was a very busy period, a lot of things to do, to order, to manage, one of the most difficult session to bear 'cause they're finalizing some important tracks and they had to remain concentrate every second they need.
Anyway, hats off! Last tuesday was the day I've painted the sky with stars, touching the clouds with a finger...