Coldplay: More tours coming up
Three days before the Coldplay’s first-ever concert in Manila Tuesday night (titled A Head Full of Dreams
Tour, inspired by the band’s seventh album released in 2015), a rumor was circulated on social media that the concert was cancelled for the same reason that James Taylor (or the producers) scrapped his Manila concert last February. Perhaps to lend credence to the yarn, the rumormongers used the logo of an international newscast as backdrop. Naturally, Coldplay diehards were alarmed (especially holders of the P22,500 most expensive tickets) until they realized that it was April 1 and the “fools” were merely playing tricks.
The Coldplay guys flew in safe and sound from Singapore where they did a show two days earlier, and eager to entertain their fans who filled up the huge stages (two wings were added to the main stage) of the MOA Grounds. Lead vocalist Chris Martin arrived on a Singapore Airlines (SQ) flight Sunday night while the three other members — Jonny Buckland (lead guitar/piano/ keyboards/backing vocals); Guy Berryman (bass/piano/keyboards/ backing vocals); and Will Champion (drums/percussion, piano, keyboards/backing vocals) — arrived Tuesday on a chartered flight also from Singapore.
There were Chris “sightings” the day after his arrival. Monday afternoon, he was spotted in Intramuros, maybe for a leisurely stroll incognito, until he stopped at a McDonald’s outlet (near the Lyceum of the Philippines) where a girl recognized him and asked to have a selfie with him. Click!!! To avoid being “mobbed,” Chris told the girl to keep quiet... until the girl couldn’t help it and posted the photo on social media.
That same night, Chris (Gwyneth Paltrow’s ex-husband with whom he decided to do a “conscious uncoupling” in 2014; they have two children), “gate crashed” an event at the Sofitel where he was billeted and it turned out to be the birthday party of Ria Atayde (daughter of Greatest Love star Sylvia Sanchez). Chris didn’t have an idea what he had accidentally “graced.” Of course, he was very much welcome.
That was how Coldplay’s arrival went viral which was an added promo for the band’s concert produced by Music Management International Live (MMI Live, headed by Rhiza “RP” Pascua) and Globe. Tuesday afternoon, Rhiza posted on social media a picture of Chris when he visited his fan named Ken Santiago who had bought a ticket but couldn’t watch the concert because he was in the hospital diagnosed with Stage 4 cancer.
Four hours before the start of the concert, The STAR sat down with Guy and Will for a one-on-two, after which they agreed to pose for souvenir shots. The four members were divided into two groups, with Chris and Jonny assigned to the other media guys.
How has your concert (that was kicked off in October last year) been so far?
Will: Amazing! We did two shows in Singapore, and from Manila, we are going to Bangkok for one show, then to Taiwan for two shows, to Seoul for two shows and to Tokyo for another show.
Did you know that some Filipino fans went to Singapore purposely to watch your show? (Among them: Kean Cipriano and wife Chynna Ortaleza, and Angelica Panganiban with Glaiza de Castro.)
Guy: It’s wonderful; it’s a long way!
How do you reciprocate this fan adulation?
Will: What we can do best is to