LFDianne

Holy crap…again...today was the 24th time I've seen Coldplay. Small shows, club show, stadium, large arenas, radio station shows, tv shows. But today blew everything else away. We ended up in almost exactly the same front row seats we had yesterday. And I was more than fine with that. There were a few stationary cameras, but no cameramen walking around unlike yesterday. Maybe I didn't notice it, but they projected the audience on the screen a few times. THey also had a 3d camera on during Oceans, I think but not 100% sure. Other than adding The Scientist after Paradise and Clocks, the opening bit was the same. They left the stage, then came back for Ghost Stories. Only played Always in My Head once today. I paid more attention to the songs today. Hope I can remember… Ink - fast-ish song. Ink refers to tattoos. LOL True Love - slow ballady Love song. Oceans - kind of haunting with a "ping" sound throughout, like a sonar. Lovedi it. A Sky Full of Stars - my favorite I think. Starts off kind of slow, and builds to a total dance number. So so fun. O - medium song about "flying away." Will plays electric guitar. Liked it a lot. After GS, they left the stage and came back for Viva, Fix You and ETIAW. When they started Viva, Chris said "you can all come closer" !!! So we all went right up to the stage. Like Will was about a foot away from me, banging on the Viva drums and bell. You all know me, and I was having the time of my life. Chris kept laughing and walking around the stage stopping to dance with people. It was by FAR the most personal show I've been to - just with the interaction. The crowd was SO cool - a chill room full of true fans and everyone had a great time and was super enthusiastic, without being obnoxious and it was like being in a room with 500 friends, all enjoying the best afternoon out, ever. Everyone was singing, clapping and rocking along, even with the new songs. I love Fix YOu, but it's not like my favorite song, but I was just so overcome with the emotion and intensity of that situation that I was tearing up. And ETIAW was just one huge dance party. The room was so freaking small, they didn't even have mics on the drums. It was amazing to be able to actually hear the drum beats and cymbals and all truly live - Will plays the shit out of those drums. No delays obviously. The sound was fabulous, loud enough, but not too loud in such an intimate setting. The speakers were in the round, too, so it's not like they were blasting from a stage straight back to an arena. Clear, perfect sound. Every show I go to, I think is outstanding and can't be topped, only to be blown away by the next. I am fully blown away by Ghost Stories. Obviously there are songs I like more than others, but I think this album is incredible, and in my opinion, should make everyone happy. Chris looked right at me after Midnight and blew me a kiss. I can die happy now, well, no, I'd need Will to blow me that kiss. LOL

Holy crap. We already were insanely close. But when they came back for Viva, Chris said we could come closer. We were AGAINST THE STAGE. I touched wills viva drum. We stayed there for viva, fix you and etiaw. Every time I think it can't get better, it does. Unbelievable. I was in the exact spot as yesterday. Crazy how that worked out. Chris looked right at me and blew me a kiss. Too hard to type much on my phone but it was by far the most incredibly special show ever. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Ok. It was surreal. Beautiful. Truly spectacular. Kelly (kspillers2) came from Chicago to go with me last night. She and my husband are going today, as well. We arrived at about 11am to the parking lot, told the attendant we were there for the video shoot and he said it was too early "Go have lunch and come back in an hour." We knew it would be a long day, so we did. Our tickets said the parking garage opened at 5:30, but there was no way we were arriving that late! Had lunch, came back, and there was a crowd - 2 lines, priority and general. The line kept growing and growing. We figured we'd just hang out, find some friends and talk until their lines went into the studio. Which we did for about 2 hours. The video people were all let in, finally, it was about an hour long process, then we could see if anyone else was waiting for the evening show. There was one person, Lynne, there so we went to a bench and just sat. The 1iota people, I thought, were fantastic. They maintained the crowd very well, were friendly, and I was very impressed with this group. The line kept growing and growing, again 2 lines. Every once in a while, 1iota would take a group inside the studio for bathroom breaks. Finally, about 5pm, they started scanning tickets, checking id's and issuing wristbands. We were standing from them on. We had to leave our cell phones in the car, so I am not clear on the timing from now on, not having a phone to tell the time! Everyone complied without complaint. There were about 10 of us who had been there the longest, and were in front. We started to get a little panicked when VIPs/guests started arriving, and were let in before us. There were maybe 30 of them? We'd been waiting for 5 hours, they show up 5 minutes early and were let in? But 1iota assured us we'd be in the front, and not to worry. Finally, we were let in in groups of 75 - we went through security one by one, and they counted us off and took us back to the studio group by group. We were held just outside the studio for a few minutes, allowing for another bathroom break, and Kelly and I played Spot the Roadie - we saw Phil about 30 yards to the left, Dan Green walked by us (we called his name and said hi and he waved and smiled) We arrived to the studio, but weren't led to our seats yet. We spend a few minutes inside the studio, but in a holding area, that was decorated like a forest, leafless trees, strings of star lights draped on them, flameless candle holders scattered around the bases of the tree, and netting hanging down to line the walkways. The lighting was all dark blue, to simulate nighttime. Finally, finally, we were lead to the studio. The ViPS had been led to the left, but Lynne had been there the night before, and knew the stage set up, and asked to be led to the right. And we were right there. The stage was round, raised about 6 inches. I saw Will's drums and Chris's piano with a little space between them, so I stopped in front of the seat I wanted, and let others pass me because they wanted us to filll in all the seats in a row. OMG. It was gorgeous. The room was round, there were video screens lining along the top of the ceiling, all the way around the room. The ceiling almost had a dome-like look, and there were video screens almost covering the dome, with hanging equipment in the middle, lights, camera hanging down. And our little group just couldn't freaking believe our luck. We were RIGHT there. Chris piano faced Will's drums, so I had a totally clear view of Chris's face as he played and a totally clear view of Will and his drums. Will is my favorite, duh, but he's always stuck at the back with his drumkit, so I wanted to actually be able to watch him for once! We just took it all in while the rest of the fans filled the rows of seats. There were maybe 3 rows in a circle around the stage, then maybe 4 rows high of bleacher type risers. It was truly in the round. The room was decorated with more trees, starry lights, stars on stings hanging from the ceiling. So pretty and mellow. A 1iota rep addressed the crowd with safety info, a producer addressed the crowd to explain reaction shots, cheer, clap, etc. There were also some technical issues that needed to be resolved, something with the hanging camera and the light standard. We were joking about How Many Roadies Does it Take...Took about 30 minutes to get whatever it was working again, as the crowd continued to file in. And finally Chris came out and spoke. Thanked us all for coming. He apologized that they weren't as good looking as One Direction and their hair wasn't as good. Thanked us for giving up our Saturday night, he understands the hassles of traffic, waiting, giving up our cell phones, his usual talk. Then he told us that they'd be starting with a couple of old songs and then we'd hear Ghost Stories. Then the boys came out, smiling and took their spots. So the stage was round, Chris and Will were in front of me, Guy was on the other side of Will and Jonny was on the other side of Chris. And Guy was smiling a LOT. He was wearing a purple tshrt, the others were wearing grayish shirts, regular trousers and their trainers. All very casual but amazing looking. Chris sat at his piano and started the first notes of Paradise and the whole place was on their feet singing along. Happy band/VERY happy crowd. And me, I was freaking dying, so was Kelly. Chris made eye contact with us many times, dying. LOL After Paradise, they launched into Clocks. Clocks and I have a very specail relationship, its the song that brought me to Coldplay in 2005. And is my favorite song of all time. Bits of swirly fog, lasers, singalong with 800 of my besties. How can it get any better? Then Chris walked to the other side of the stage, and got hooked up to a harness. He said they were going to play Always in My Head Twice, did we mind? They filmed him "flying" from a Pink-like harness, he did some spins/flips while the band played. He was lowered and said he had to go change his trousers now because they were not very comfortable due to the harness. Less than 5 minutes they were back. And played Always in My Head again. Now there were camera men walking around the circle, with steadycams. Filming the crowd, filming the band. I'm standing there, could NOT stop smiling, singing along to AIMH, and then there is a camera aimed at my head, like 12 inches away from my face. OMG. Awkward. What do I do? I sure as hell wasn't going to look INTO the camera, so I just ignored it, continued to sing along (probably badly because I suck), and wondered if my makeup was still ok. And Im so sorry Coldplayers. I can't remember all the songs. I was in awe. They played a slow ballad after AIMH, the video graphics were so cool. I really tried to just take it all in and live in the moment and just flat out enjoy the magic unfolding in front of me. I didn't want to really focus on trying to pay attention to lyrics or titles. I wanted to be in the now, and just absorb the new songs. They got a great warm crowd reaction from the new, first-time-heard songs, but honestly, I can't remember many details about them. I had glanced at the album tracks, but haven't really paid attention. After AIMH came Magic. then the 2 new songs, Ink and True Love. Then Midnight, oh Midnight. When it was released online, I liked it, but it was just so different. Then I saw iTunes festival, and I totally fell in love with this song. There was a space between the piano and drums. For those of you who've watched iTunes festival, Chris sits on the edge of the stage during hte beginning of Midnight, totally lost in the song. Um. He sat right in front of me, on the stage, I could have reached over and hugged him. Will was playing the reactable, so cool. And Chris was losing himself in the music in front of me and I was trying not to lose my shit. THEN Chris stood up and some rainbow lights went on. CHRIS was playing the laser harp thingie, RIGHT THERE, in my face. Oh it was gorgeous. Guy was playing one too. After Midnight, came Another's Arms. And Oceans. A Skyfull of Stars? Gonna be a massive hit. Upbeat, sounded so awesome, Chris vocals were spot on and a happy song. The place was rocking. And confetti, 2 shapes of star confetti dropped down. And then O, where all the boys sat on stools, and the lights dimmed and there was a light spot on Chris at his piano. He played alone for a bit, then the others joined in, still sitting down. Will played the guitar, no drums for that song. So cool to see Will play guitar. Loved it. And then, and then it was almost over. They left for a few minutes, and then the viva bell and drums were wheeled out. That space in front of me, where Chris sat for Midnight? That's right where they put the bell and Wills big drums. OMG. Once again, I was dying. Viva got the place totally rocking, so cool for me to be right next to Will for that. And then the final song, Fix You. Massive sing along. And then it was over. They did their crowd appreciation claps, and then the Bow. On the other side of the stage, They turned 4 directions, doing their usual 3 bows. And some waves and they were gone. Everyone sat down. blown away by what we had just seen. 1iota came back and explained the exit procedure. I saw Bash, he'd been sitting at the end of my row to keep an eye on Will. I'd seen him pull up Wills setlist, fold it and put it in his pocket. So I walked over to him, asked if he knew if today would be the same setlist (He said he didn't know) then I asked if I could have Will's setlist. He said he wasn't allowed to hand them out because they were "secret" Boo. I thanked him and we filed out. We were handed our envelope with the buttons and note and that was that. Truly stunning show. I can't wait to see it again today and I wonder if anything will be different...And there you have it. Oh, and I saw several Coldplayers! Katie, GCJohnson, Oz, Heide, McKelle, Erick. Always a treat to meet friends!

Still processing what happened tonight. I really have no words yet. It was beautiful and perfect. Somehow I ended up in what I thought was THE perfect location, very front row between Chris piano and wills drums. Omg. Chris sat in front of me for Midnight, crazy. Chris plays a laser harp thingie too, right in front of me. They wheeled out the viva bell and drums, right in front of me. Made eye contact with Chris many times and he laughed, I also got the googly eye thing. Lol. Stage was magical, performance was gorgeous. How can I ever top this tomorrow? And Ghost Stories is stunning. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've been asked to go to the shoot, but it overlaps with check in for the show tonight so I had to pass. :(

Crap. Don't even get me started on that man and his fuzzy head. I can't wait to see him tomorrow!

They're filming for a DVD.

You had to be 18 to win tickets but can go with parent if you're under 18. I've been texting with a couple people who were there. Sounds absolutely incredible and I can't wait for tomorrow!

finally... Enjoy! :) Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Well…so Coldplay just tweeted this Watch the live performance of Magic from tonight's @sportrelief (http://www.sportrelief.com/donate ). http://youtu.be/M5zF_m6He-4 A I would bet just about anything they did this earlier today from the sound stage at Sony.

When I've gone to see tv shows, like American Idol, Dancing with the Stars and Ellen, we have to check our cell phones and go through a metal detector. Pretty standard for tv shows/recordings. Although for Jimmy Kimmel Live outdoor mini concerts, we've been able to keep our phones, but they don't allow cameras. But if you watch shows like SNL, or other shows inside a studio, no one has phones or cameras either.

I have been insanely lucky. And I'm grateful for every single show I've been able to attend. I just pay attention to the contests and follow the rules and then just cross my fingers. Determination and persistence can pay off too. I only won tickets for tomorrow from a radio station. I bought tickets for Sunday from Ticketmaster. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've seen Coldplay do some really small shows during MX and it's surreal. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I've heard from someone with 1iota that they're recording for an MTV-like Unplugged, but not "unplugged." I can't imagine they'd do all this for private use only. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

They did all the early/pre-album MX shows in Europe Summer 2011. This time they're doing the pre-album shows in the US. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I know 2 people who were rejected for Friday, then got "yes" emails. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

EVERYONE is on the waitlist. It's a lottery, just like it was for the free shows. Crossing my fingers for 3 out of 4! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Thanks for posting this! I did some of my best begging. Lol Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

No age limit for Sundays show. The only time the age limit came into effect was that 1iota or radio winners had to be 18. But their guest could be under 18 as long as it's a parent/guardian. These are the 1iota rules: Age Minimum age for winners is 18. Winner’s guests must be 18 or older, unless the winner is the parent or guardian of the guest. Everyone must present a valid state/government issued ID or passport (with a visible date-of-birth) to attend the show. Parking You MUST park and check-in inside the Sony Pictures Overland Garage. The Garage will open at 5:30PM. Check-In Location After parking, go to the first floor and look for the 1iota Check-In Table (next to the visitor center). Don'ts: No solid white clothing, shorts, t-shirts, hats or attire with large logos. We reserve the right to deny entry to anyone dressed inappropriately. Personal Items and Security Cell phones, cameras or recording devices will NOT be allowed. Please be aware that all audience members will go through a metal detector upon entering the studio. Please downsize any purses or bags you are bringing with you. Firearms, drugs and alcohol are strictly prohibited on the lot. Dress Our dress code is NICE CASUAL (Dark Colors) as if you are going to a great restaurant! Don'ts: No solid white clothing, shorts, t-shirts, hats or attire with large logos. We reserve the right to deny entry to anyone dressed inappropriately. (BTW, my 15 year old daughter just hit 6'0" - we are so in trouble. LOL)

Overland Structure. For Saturday, they are saying the garage won't open until 5:30, with check in at 6. I don't know how it will work with Will Call on Sunday. I will ask around and see.

I've been to a lot of music tv show tapings, American Idol, Duets, etc, and I saw Coldplay perform on Ellen. All the sound stages are pretty small. I looked up the sound stage specs at Sony, can't even begin to speculate which one they would use. But all the shows I've seen have a capacity of less than 300. That's why I think more people didn't get tickets from 1iota. They are also having to count the radio station winners, I think KROQ had 40 or so on-air winners and also some online, plus guests for Friday night. 98.7 and KIIS-FM gave away tickets to Saturday, not as many as KROQ. I received a note from 1iota (they handled the radio station winners, too), that said if you are not planning on attending, to please let them know because they need to notify more wait-listed people 24 hours in advance. So there may still be some last minute tickets released. However, I'm not holding my breath (for my husband who entered the 1iota lottery). I'm so beyond excited :dance:

They're filming Friday and Saturday's shows at Sony too. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Did they say the parking lot opens at 5:30? I have priority tickets for Saturday, and we were told the lot opens at 5:30, and our ticket pickup starts at 6. I've looked at the map, and trying to decide how early to get there,because there doesn't seem to be anywhere to really hang out and see. When I saw them at Jimmy Kimmel, we also had priority and arrived at 10am, for a 6:00 door. But there were thousands of people, not just a couple of hundred, like I"m expecting this one to be… What are you going to wear? LOL

Congratulations! I'm so excited for Saturday! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

[21-Mar-2014] Coldplay @ Los Angeles, USA (venue unknown) My husband, 2 friends and I all received our rejection emails for Friday, too. I think there were a lot of radio station winners for Friday. KROQ gave away at least 30-40 pairs for Friday. Other radio stations didn't seem to have as many for Saturday. Doesn't seem like they've started with Saturday notifications yet. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk