Coldplay - The Viva La Vida Tour 2009

Coldplay - The Viva La Vida Tour
Location: Singapore Indoor Stadium
Date: 23nd March 2009
Ticket Price: S$88, S$158, S$188, S$248
Nearest MRT: Kallang

Coldplay, the multi Grammy Awards band performs live in Singapore for the third time on Sunday, 22nd March, 2009 at the Singapore Indoor Stadium.

See the band perform their hits including the 51st Grammy Award winner Song of the Year, Viva La Vida.


A warm welcome for Coldplay's concert


Three times a charm. And that charm has ensured Coldplay will receive a very warm welcome for their third performance in Singapore on Monday.

Back in 2001, Coldplay, then an up-and-coming alternative rock group, paired up with Scottish quartet Travis for their first Singapore gig to promote their debut album Parachute. Playing to a modestly sized audience, the young band - Chris Martin on vocals, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion - gave a memorable performance.

Five years later, the band's "Twisted Logic" tour swung by our neighbor's shore for the second time. Having by then recorded three albums including A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) and X&Y (2005), the band's concert featured much more snazzy elements including laser shows, a sleek stage set with fancy visual designs projected on a digital screen stretched across the stage background, and a shower of big yellow balls bouncing above the sea of fans. Quite a number of Indonesian A-list musicians and celebrities were spotted in the audience.

It is hoped that on their third visit, Coldplay will raise the bar. While their first "bundled" gig carried a price of S$100 for the most expensive entry, tickets were priced at S$248, S$188, S$158 and S$88 this time around - and sold out in less than two weeks. The additional seats that the organizer released were snatched up in no time. And you can see people updating their Facebook status to "I can't wait for 23rd March".

Just like other high profile gigs in Singapore, fans are flying in from Jakarta. Lusi, a 20-something lifestyle reporter bought herself a S$188 ticket on the first day they went on sale. She'll be flying in on her own without a confirmed place to spend the night, yet.

"I'm a huge fan of their Viva La Vida album, so I'm really gung ho to go to this concert". A Singapore-based Indonesian student, Rama, was also lucky to get hold of pair of the additional tickets for S$88. "Even though my friend and I will only be able to see the sides of their faces, I can live with that."

One week before ticket sales opened in Singapore, Coldplay's popularity was boosted by their prestigious wins at the Grammy Awards, which included clinching the awards for Song of the Year and Best Rock Album, named for the song, "Viva La Vida". BBC called it "one of the fastest-selling records in UK history" when the album topped the UK chart three days after it was released.

The band's other "cult" singles include "Yellow" from Parachute, "In My Place" and "The Scientist" from A Rush of Blood to the Head and a ballad from X&Y, "Fix You".

More than a decade after the band was formed during their student years at University College London, all four members are now dads. The 32-year-old Chris Martin is a proud father of two with Oscar-winner actress Gwyneth Paltrow, 31-year-old Jonny Buckland has a daughter with his long-time jewelry-maker girlfriend, 30-year-old Will Champion, who was the first to get married, has daughter and twin boys, and 30-year-old Guy Berryman has a daughter from an earlier marriage.

In terms of wealth, MSN UK named bassist Guy Berryman the fourth richest man under the age of 30 in the UK last year. So you can do the math for the other band members - Coldplay have not been left out in the cold.

For all their worth, fans should be sure to catch them live next time the band stops nearby. Tickets will sell fast so don't let people from other countries beat you to it. Like me.


Source : http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2009/03/21/a-warm-welcome-coldplay039s-concert.html