[31-Dec-11] Coldplay to headline New Year's Eve gig, Abu Dhabi, UAE

[Skuze23]

Grammy winners will also kick off the Volvo Ocean Race, which commences on December 31
Published Sunday, November 20, 2011

http://cdn-wac.emirates247.com/polopoly_fs/1.429165.1321781332!/image/2376025595.JPG

This New Year Eve just got even more exciting as seven-time Grammy award-winning rock band Coldplay have been pencilled in to ring in the festivities in Abu Dhabi.

The quartet also will kick-start the emirate’s historic hosting of the 2011/12 Volvo Ocean Race, followed by a concert that will certainly run to a packed house if their previous capital outing is anything to go by.

Presented by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), and Flash Entertainment, Coldplay will perform live on December 31 at a unique venue adjacent to the purpose-built Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village on the Corniche Breakwater.

Having last played to 20,000 fans in Abu Dhabi in 2009, the British band is relishing a return to the UAE capital to play for their tens of thousands of fans from across the region and beyond.

On the back of the band’s latest album “Mylo Xyloto”, which debuted at number one in 30 countries worldwide and smashed the record for the highest number of download sales in one week, ADTA is optimistic that Coldplay’s iconic status as arguably one of the biggest bands on the planet will significantly boost visitor numbers to the ‘Destination Village’.

John Lickrish, Managing Director of Flash Entertainment, said in a statement: “In 2009, Coldplay stunned Abu Dhabi with a phenomenal performance that left us in awe.

“They are a simply stunning live act with a global fan base of millions, rightfully hailed as one of the biggest bands on the planet.

“We all know and love their catalogue of hits, but with a hot new album to perform this year, Coldplay live in Abu Dhabi is going to be one of the most memorable New Year’s Eve you’ve ever seen.”

Meanwhile, the Volvo Ocean Race will run from December 31, 2011 till January 17.

Said Mubarak Al Muhairi, Director General, ADTA: “We promised a destination hosting like no other when we began our Volvo Ocean Race campaign and the confirmation of Coldplay’s New Year’s Eve concert signals our intention to live up to that commitment.

“With customised travel packages for both the concert and race, we are confident that Abu Dhabi will again raise the bar as a destination of distinction for international sporting events.”

Full details on the show will be announced shortly, including ticket prices, times, and race arena details.

http://www.emirates247.com/entertainment/coldplay-to-headline-new-year-s-eve-gig-in-abu-dhabi-2011-11-20-1.429164

[Mimixxx]

Hmmm, another corporate NYE gig...

[Mimixxx]

Was also tweeted by LiveNationME (thanks Denise who retweeted it)

LiveNationME: COLDPLAY LIVE IN ABU DHABI - DECEMBER 31, 2011

https://twitter.com/livenationme/status/138181045509042177

[Claire-Louise]

I bet Mr Petrolhead Berryman is happy about this gig :lol:

[busybeeburns]

I need to get UEA and UAE right. Damn all these acronyms!

[dansmasta]

http://www.volvooceanraceabudhabi.com/media-section/news/2011/coldplay.html

From the Volvo Ocean Race Website

[blue_girl]

wow that means that all rumours there was about a gig in Portugal for new year´s eve in Guimaraes are now ruined :(

[Mimixxx]

I need to get UEA and UAE right. Damn all these acronyms!

Yeah, be careful. Don't give poor Chelsea a heart attack :uhoh:

[lefter]

Aahh! Can't wait! Hopefully they come here on their world tour as well :D Last time was amazing, they brought the rain with them <3

[MichMoch]

If they won't come to Lebanon I guess that will be my christmas gift, just hope it won't have age limit.

[Tash]

http://coldplay.com/graphics/newsthumbs/festcrowd.jpg
New Year's Eve show in Abu Dhabi
20 November 2011 2:16 pm
Band to see in 2012 in the UAE capital
http://coldplay.com/images/news_line.png

Good afternoon. We're pleased to report that Coldplay will be performing in Abu Dhabi this New Year’s Eve.

Standing, Seating and VIP Tickets for the New Year’s Eve spectacular will be on sale soon at www.thinkflash.ae (http://thinkflash.ae/). Tailored travel packages will be available through www.volvooceanraceabudhabi.com (http://www.volvooceanraceabudhabi.com/).

Presented by the Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority and brought to the capital by FLASH Entertainment, the band will perform live at a unique venue adjacent to the purpose-built ‘Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village’ on the Corniche Breakwater – where the Volvo Ocean Race will take place from 31st December 2011 until 14th January 2012.

Anchorman

[lefter]

Yeah that's what I was worried about...last time there was no age restriction. I went to 30 Seconds to Mars which was organised by the same flash people and there was no age restriction. Abu Dhabi is pretty chilled :P but since this is new years..... :S

[Tash]

Coldplay will play a show in Abu Dhabi on 31 December - info / ticket links at http://cldp.ly/uaenye A

[Milfeulle30]

My sisters are there. Now I also hope I'm there to watch them :(

[Tash]

Coldplay Live in Abu Dhabi
Sat, 31st December, 2011

Seven-time Grammy award-winning rock band Coldplay will usher the New Year into Abu Dhabi, kick-starting the emirate’s historic hosting of the 2011/12 Volvo Ocean Race – the gruelling round-the-world yacht race, widely regarded as the ‘Everest of Sailing’.

Presented by Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA), and brought to the capital by FLASH Entertainment, Coldplay will perform live on December 31st at a unique venue adjacent to the purpose-built ‘Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village’ on the Corniche Breakwater.

Having last played to 20,000 fans in Abu Dhabi in 2009, the British band is relishing a return to the UAE capital to play for their tens of thousands of fans from across the region and beyond.

Full details on the show will be announced shortly, including ticket prices, times, and race arena details. Tickets will be available soon at www.thinkflash.ae (http://thinkflash.ae/). To keep updated, join our facebook page www.facebook.com/ThinkFlashAbuDhabi (https://www.facebook.com/ThinkFlashAbuDhabi)

Travel packages will be available at www.volvooceanraceabudhabi.com (http://www.volvooceanraceabudhabi.com/)

link (http://thinkflash.ae/event/2011-12/coldplay-live-in-abu-dhabi)

[coldplaymom]

If they won't come to Lebanon I guess that will be my christmas gift, just hope it won't have age limit.

This silly question just came to mind, do they allow alcohol in UAE? Just curious.

[Tash]

This silly question just came to mind, do they allow alcohol in UAE? Just curious.

Dubai has a burgeoning nightlife scene and even formerly straitlaced Abu Dhabi has loosened up and tried to catch up. Alcohol is available in alcohol stores, 5-star hotel restaurants and bars in all emirates except Sharjah, where you can only drink in your home or in an expat hangout called the Sharjah Wanderers. As a tourist, you are permitted to buy alcohol in bars and restaurants to drink there. If you are a resident, you're supposed to have a alcohol license (never asked for in bars) which also allows you to buy alcohol at alcohol stores (they do check).

During Ramadan, no alcohol is served during daylight (fasting) hours. Dubai and Abu Dhabi permit bars to serve alcohol at night, but bands stop playing, background music is off or quiet, no dancing is allowed and nightclubs are usually closed. On certain holy days in the Islamic calendar, no alcohol is served publicly in any of the UAE.

Do not under any circumstance drink and drive in the UAE. If by chance you are in an accident, this becomes a card for going directly to jail — especially during Ramadan. Taxis are widely available if you have been drinking and are a much safer and wiser option given the insane driving habits in the region.

link (http://wikitravel.org/en/United_Arab_Emirates#Drink)

[coldplaymom]

Interesting! TY.

[pafj]

O M GOD ! I've never been a Coldplay concert before :((( :(

If i want to go there from Iran i should pay at least 300$ only for a night , without the Ticket :(( ! :cry::cry:

[Tonsu]

So, Abu Dhabi gets as many 'proper' gigs this year as London?! :\

I would never, ever, risk travelling to the UAE, even in transit:

'Poppy seeds in food, common over-the-counter medications and traces of banned substances are enough to warrant four-year prison sentences in the United Arab Emirates, travellers were warned today.

...

Earlier this week, a 43-year-old from Middlesex was imprisoned for four years after 0.003g cannabis was found in the tread of his shoe by customs officials in Dubai.
...

The amount of the drug found on his shoe would not be visible to the naked eye and weighs less than a single grain of sugar.

Fair Trials International Chief Executive Catherine Wolthuizen said: "We have seen a steep increase in such cases over the last 18 months.

"Customs authorities are using highly sensitive new equipment to conduct extremely thorough searches on travellers and if they find any amount - no matter how minute - it will be enough to attract a mandatory four-year prison sentence."

And the list of banned substances in the UAE includes many products which are available over-the-counter and off-the-shelf in the UK.

These include medications such as codeine, a common ingredient in pain relief and cold-and-flu medication, and the common baking ingredient, poppy seeds.

Ms Wolthuizen added: "What many travellers may not realise is that they can be deemed to be in possession of such banned substances if they can be detected in their urine or bloodstream, or even in tiny, trace amounts on their person.

"We even have reports of the imprisonment of a Swiss man for 'possession' of three poppy seeds on his clothing after he ate a bread roll at Heathrow."



http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/middle-east/dubai-tourists-warned-over-tough-drug-stance-779910.html

[lefter]

When will tickets go on sale?

[Tash]

http://coldplay.com/graphics/newsthumbs/kidscologo.jpg
Under 1 Roof pre-sale at 9am / Abu Dhabi on sale
23 November 2011 8:23 am
Get tickets for Coldplay's two new shows in December
http://coldplay.com/images/news_line.png

Good morning. Our 48 hour pre-sale for Coldplay's Under 1 Roof charity show (http://www.coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=857) for Kids Company at London's O2 Arena on 10 December begins at 9am this morning - click here (http://www.gigsandtours.com/gat/event.asp?n|showname=coming&showcode=604298&e|promoter=372&resultsperpage=50&orderby=date%2Ctime&filler1=gigsandtours&filler2=604298) to access it.

Also, tickets for Coldplay's Abu Dhabi show on 31 Decemeber have gone on sale this morning. Go to www.thinkflash.ae (http://thinkflash.ae/event/2011-12/coldplay-live-in-abu-dhabi) and Virgin Megastores outlets across the UAE to purchase tickets, which start from 325 AED. Travel packages will be available at www.volvooceanraceabudhabi.com (http://www.volvooceanraceabudhabi.com/) if you fancy a bit of a new year's eve adventure.

Anchorman

--------

According to the the thinkflash website tickets go on sale 28 November

--------

Edited update:

Also, we've just been informed that tickets for Coldplay's Abu Dhabi show on 31 Decemeber will now go on sale on Monday 28 November (sorry - not today, as originally posted).

[Tash]

Ticket Categories information:

- Fan Pit Early Access (Standing) @ 995 AED
o Standing section at the front of the stage
o Limited availability

- Fan Pit (Standing) @ 695 AED
o Standing section
o Limited availability

- General Admission (Standing) @ 325 AED
o Standing section behind the Fan Pit area

- Grandstand (Reserved Seating) @ 495 AED
o Reserved seating on a raised platform behind all standing areas
o Limited availability

VIP table information:

- VIP Silver Tables of 15 @ 15,000 AED
o Includes: 2 VIP parking pass
o Table service
o A selection of beverages

- VIP Gold Tables of 15 @ 20,000 AED
o Includes: 3 VIP parking passes
o Table service
o A selection of beverages

- VIP Platinum Tables of 15 @ 25,000 AED
o Includes: 4 VIP parking passes
o Premium table location
o Table service
o A selection of beverages

All tables located to the side of the Fan Pit section on raised platforms. Prices set to reflect closeness to the stage as well as the beverage package included with the table.

link (http://www.bi-me.com/main.php?id=55486&t=1&c=33&cg=4&mset=)

[Tash]

Tickets are for sale now!

https://www.eticketing.co.uk/thinkflash/details/event.aspx?itemref=1270

[lefter]

Ugh! Every ticket is so expensive!! I bought the general standing ticket though :) hopefully us die hard fans will be in a good spot behind the rich snobs! :P

[jayjay55]

I WANT THE SET LIST FOR THE CONCERT IN ABU DHABI :( im going :D

[Tryptophan]

What the fuck Coldplay?

I understand fans from that area should be able to go to one of their concerts. But why choose to play at an event with prices ordinary people can hardly afford? Are they really falling for the oil dollars? This is merely UAE rich man's propaganda, an event fueled by hubris (ύβρις) Coldplay are taking part in. I don't understand. I'm disappointed once again.

[busybeeburns]

http://www.thenational.ae/deployedfiles/Assets/Richmedia/Image2/al19de-COVER.jpg
Chris Martin and Coldplay return to Abu Dhabi for a New Year’s Eve concert that the singer hopes will bring more forgiving weather than their last visit in 2009, when their outdoor performance was joined by a shower of rain

Chris Martin talks about Coldplay's Abu Dhabi New Year's Eve concert

Chris Martin opens up in a rare one-on-one interview, as Coldplay returns to Abu Dhabi on New Year's Eve.

Being the lead singer of arguably the world's most popular band is hardly a suitable occupation for a man who cherishes his privacy, but Coldplay's frontman Chris Martin has never been one to conform to stereotypes.

Described by some as moody, by others as aloof and by a few as downright rude, Martin is a long way from being the self-promoting egotist revelling in the spotlight that comes with the global success his band has generated.

That he is married to the Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow makes the mystique surrounding the 33-year-old lyrical genius even more intriguing, yet he offers barely a hint of a bite when he grants The National this rare interview.

As Martin and Coldplay prepare to return to Abu Dhabi for a New Year's Eve gig that is certainly this season's hottest ticket, he has been persuaded to become a reluctant participant in the publicity bandwagon promoting Coldplay's addictive new record Mylo Xyloto.

It hardly bodes well when his advisers request that "certain questions" be avoided in our interview, before I am asked to remove my shoes to protect the newly polished wooden floors in Coldplay's rented recording studio in north London.

"I have been told there are certain questions I'm not allowed to ask," I inform Martin as we meet, to ascertain whether it is just his minders who are the protective ones, rather than the star himself.

"You can ask me what you want," he responds. "I might not answer everything, but whatever you want to know, go for it."

With that, the atmosphere in the room clears a little to allow room for a less formal chat. The character that emerges is one clearly concerned by his image as music's "Mr Bland", as he admits Coldplay's many critics have a persistent habit of getting under his skin.

"There have been times when it felt as if we had become people's worst enemies just for producing a song they don't like," says the singer, whose popularity in his own country is often shaded by a host of sceptics.

When your first five albums have topped the charts in the US, the UK and virtually every other music-buying nation in the western world, criticism should matter little. Yet Martin admits it unsettles him.

"It takes some getting used to, that kind of pressure, as well as the stories that our record company is relying on us to keep the share price up," he says. "Then you feel the pressure, but you have to get over it. The positives outweigh the negatives in this job big time."

Martin acknowledges that success does matter to him. "I worry about being successful, of course I do. I have two kids now who have made me more driven than ever to be successful, but then you get to the point where you have to give up worrying. There is enough in this world to be miserable about, so enjoy any success you can get."

His mention of his two children, Apple and her little brother Moses, offers an opportunity to probe a subject that we have been told is off limits. While some interviewers find Martin's evasiveness frustrating, his determination to keep his family life separate from his work could be viewed as admirable.

"I am famous for Coldplay and being married to someone who is more famous than I will ever be, but the truth is none of us in this band see ourselves as anything other than four guys trying to make music people might like," says the singer, who has used his fame to promote a range of charity projects over the past decade.

"We don't set our sights too high. It would be great if someone enjoyed our record while they are driving down the road. That is all we can ask for really, and if some people don't like what we do, then I guess they won't buy our record or come to watch us in concert."

Speaking of, his band's forthcoming return to Abu Dhabi prompts memories of their first appearance in 2009 at the Emirates Palace hotel, where the audience was drenched in a surprise downpour.

"I didn't think I'd be doing a version of Singin' in the Rain when we did a show in Abu Dhabi," adds Martin, a smile breaking out across his face. "It was weird to be in the desert and the rain lashing down. Weird, but kinda cool I guess. Yeah, Abu Dhabi was cool."

A dry sense of humour evident in quirky and nervy answers to the most polite of questions confirms Martin's status as an icon still struggling to come to terms with the worldwide phenomenon he has become.

Young men hailing from his native UK county of Devon tend not to have dreams that end in music-industry domination. Martin and his bandmates have beaten the odds to achieve that and much more.

"Will Coldplay ever be cool? I don't know," he says.

"We still have a long way to go before we can be called the best band in the world or be compared to some of the greats of this business. Getting better is a good motivation for us."

http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/chris-martin-talks-about-coldplays-abu-dhabi-new-years-eve-concert?pageCount=0

[busybeeburns]

http://www.thenational.ae/deployedfiles/Assets/Richmedia/Image2/al19de-secondary_2.jpg
Chris Martin and the Coldplay lead guitarist Jonny Buckland onstage in Cologne last week.

Live performance puts life into Coldplay

It's not often the words "Coldplay" and "surprising" inhabit the same sentence. After all, even if some of the criticism they endure is unfair, Chris Martin's band is widely dismissed as being as safe and efficient as stadium rock gets, pushing the buttons of the masses in time-honoured but clichéd fashion. So it's a genuine pleasure to report that there is something so magical, so unexpected and so innovative about the opening minutes of their current world tour that it is almost a plot-spoiler to reveal it. So, I won't, save to say that it involves lighting and audience participation - and it will be fantastic if they repeat the trick on December 31 in Abu Dhabi.

If not, well, it won't be a serious issue. Perhaps Coldplay's main problem on record is a lack of personality - it is difficult to congratulate Martin on such insightful lyrics as "I turn my music up, I got my records on", as heard on their comeback single Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall. But played live, as the kick drum thuds around the arena, that particular song not only makes perfect sense, but everything Coldplay does is ramped up, energised and, with Martin's enthusiasm bordering on the tiring to watch, imbued with character and charisma.

In short, they pull off the not inconsiderable task of making their live show massive and intimate in almost the same instant. In Manchester recently, back-catalogue anthems such as Yellow and Fix You were blasted out in the manner of a band who perhaps are sick of the constant jibes that they are insipid and bland. But at the same time, Martin went well beyond asking the crowd if they were OK. He thanked them profusely for buying tickets, for giving up their evening to come, for joining in. He changed the lyrics of songs to speak directly to the audience. When he messed up a few chords, he stopped, apologised, and started again - as if he were performing in a tiny bar venue rather than an arena. Perhaps such antics are all part of the act, but they're hugely endearing. It means that even those who, quite bizarrely, watched proceedings from behind the open stage felt involved. I should know. I was one of them.



Of course, such stagecraft has been honed over a decade of filling arenas and headlining festivals. It means Coldplay is canny enough not to scare the audience with loads of new songs from the band's fifth album Mylo Xyloto - in Manchester they played roughly half of it. But what they do showcase reveals exactly why the record is so uneven. Live, the raucous Major Minus sounds unhinged and ragged - and is all the more interesting for that - but the tracks that display a hitherto undiscovered love for R&B and chart pop (specifically Paradise) are indistinguishable from a million other chart acts. There's the sense that, five albums in, Coldplay is not quite sure what kind of band it would like to be.

Undoubtedly, when Martin is hammering away behind a piano during fantastically epic versions of Politik and Clocks, Coldplay makes perfect sense. It is then that they make the job of being in a multimillion-selling pop band seem like both the most normal and the most amazing thing in the world. With Grammy nominations and sell-out tours in prospect for 2012, it's likely to be a happy new year for Coldplay - in more ways than one.

http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/on-stage/live-performance-puts-life-into-coldplay

[Denise]

Out of the cold

As Coldplay prepare to take on the elements in the UAE again, Chris Martin and Guy Berryman say not much has changed, apart from the thicker skins they've developed

By Kelly Crane Senior Reporter and Daisy Clarkson, Radio 2 Presenter
Published: 00:00 December 26, 2011

http://gulfnews.com/polopoly_fs/coldplay-members-jonny-buckland-chris-martin-guy-berryman-will-champion-1.933949!image/1699306077.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_475/1699306077.jpg

You heard it here first.

More than 50 million records sold, tours selling out in seconds and stadiums full of adoring fans, it's hard to believe the only thing that's changed for the boys from Coldplay is what they eat backstage.

"We're getting older, so we can't eat as many Mars bars as we used to be able to," joked lead singer Chris Martin.

"Kentucky Fried Chicken and Hob Nobs was our main sustenance in those days," he continued, his voice with an edge of longing. "If you keep that up, you have to waddle or be rolled on stage. Now it's more like celery sticks," he said before immediately taking back the lie just told. "It's definitely less fried chicken."

Bassist Guy Berryman was in full agreement. "It used to be all burger, chips and lager to get us through a show," he said.

It was just 15 years ago Coldplay burst onto the scene with the single Shiver. Little did the boys know the rock 'n' roll world of the music industry would mean giving up the good stuff.

"You think it's what you need to sustain the high energy levels, but it doesn't last long. As you get older you have to look after yourself," said Berryman, who gave up alcohol three years ago.

That, a love of "true music" and the fact they play side by side in the same band is about all the two band mates and friends first appear to have in common.

Spotlight

But while they lead different lives — Martin constantly in the spotlight, partly due to his marriage to actress Gwyneth Paltrow, and Berryman still able to walk the streets relatively undetected — the boys are more alike then even they know.

Berryman lives the life Martin wishes he could. He gets to express himself creatively, take home a hefty pay cheque — split equally four ways — but rarely has his life dissected by media outlets the world over.

Scheduling interviews for Coldplay's management first means a day of negotiation to find houses willing to interview anyone other than Martin. "Chris acts as a shield for us," said Berryman, gloating a little. "The three other members of Coldplay are quite private and that's the way we like it. Chris gets 90 per cent of the attention but he also has to deal with horrible s**t that it brings too."

"It's only because I'm friends with people who are much more talented than me," pipes up Martin. "Life keeps you humble. The internet keeps you humble. No matter how big your head gets, you just have to look on the internet and someone makes it small again for you."

Martin is often described as a slippery fish when it comes to the media, avoiding questions, storming out of interviews are just a few of the incidents reported over the years. Yet a conversation with the Brit boy reveals more an unexpected shy side rather than attitude.

He says his energetic antics on stage are down to "no confidence in your songs", and five albums which have all topped the US and UK charts credited to "a lot of luck and good marketing".

Tension

Coldplay seem to winningly fuse the tension between not wanting to be one of the best bands in the world and having to settle for being one of the biggest, almost perfectly.

"Everything has changed and nothing all at the same time," said Martin. "We're just people having just as much fun, maybe more."

It's true they love what they do, even if they don't love the attention. In 15 years the group has enjoyed just four weeks off in total.

"We've never really stopped to look back," said Berryman. "It would be great to take some time soon and live a little. We're always looking ahead at what we're recording, but it just comes. We carry on while we're all happy. I think we're in the best place we've ever been in. Everyone is very happy and content. Maybe soon we'll stop to look back and see what we've achieved."

From the start, Coldplay have been very much a foursome. Martin, the main songwriter, calls it "musical democracy" with each member taking home a 25 per cent share of earnings.

Martin, Berryman, 33, from Fife via Canterbury; Buckland, 33, from London via north Wales; and Champion, 33, from Southampton, met in their first year at University College London, in 1996. The current line-up was formalised in late 1997, and in February 1998 they played their first gig in a Camden pub, pausing briefly to take their degrees — Martin, ancient history; Champion, anthropology; and Buckland, maths and astronomy. Berryman had dropped out of engineering.

Clearly a match made on long nights over essays and dissertations, but one which has resulted in one of the strongest collections of songs of the past decades.

Martin's insecurity is a funny thing. He simply can't fathom a band with him in it currently outsells Radiohead, U2, REM and Oasis. He still seems almost embarrassed by his status as one of the planet's most recognisable rock stars saying, "If anyone's there we'll definitely be greeting people," talking about his upcoming gig in Abu Dhabi on New Year's Eve.

‘Shattered'

"The UAE is a gig we'll never forget," said Berryman. "I got lost a few times in that Emirates Palace. It was the longest walk back to my room I've ever had. I was shattered," he laughed.

Promised sun, sea and sand, Coldplay went down as one of the most memorable concerts in UAE history with sheet lightning, rain and bursts of thunder as the guys belted out Viva la Vida.

"They said, ‘If there's one place in the world you don't have to worry about rain, it's Abu Dhabi,'" Martin recalled. "We weren't prepared for it, but I'll also never forget it."

Berryman is a busy boy, always in need of entertaining. Running marathons, restoring First World War aircraft — namely a Tigermoth and Spitfire — he is also learning to fly.

"Maybe one day you'll see me buzzing over the UK skies," he laughs.

Rounding off another successful year and after much deliberation Coldplay performed live on the final of this year's UK X Factor, a live final at Wembley Stadium, London.

"We ummed and ahhhed about it actually," admitted Berryman. "We couldn't decide if it was cool or not," he continued. "We eventually remembered we lost the ‘cool police' an awful long time ago and went for it. Many of the people who watch X Factor think guitars are some kind of mythical instrument. It was great to show our music to a completely new generation of people."

Being married to Paltrow and somehow becoming a member of the Hollywood super league — Steven Spielberg is now his godfather-in-law — Martin has come a long way in developing a thicker skin.

"Eventually, whatever you do you become comfortable with the fact that someone will hate your guts," he said. "That's okay with me now."

Don't miss it
Coldplay perform at the Volvo Ocean Race on New Year's Eve at the Abu Dhabi Breakwater. Fan pit early access tickets are Dh995; fan pit regular is Dh695; grandstand reserved seating, Dh495; general admission standing, Dh325. There are also VIP tables with varying packages available, starting at Dh15,000. Call 800-FLASH. There is a park-and-ride service from Abu Dhabi Corniche, and a bus service from Dubai to the venue, Dh85 return. Organisers Flash recommend wearing sensible shoes and dressing up warm.


source: http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainment/music/out-of-the-cold-1.956726

[busybeeburns]

http://www.thenational.ae/deployedfiles/Assets/Richmedia/Image/SaxoPress/AD20111227183348-Jonny%20Buckland%20.jpg

Jonny Buckland: Coldplay likes to make people feel good

It's not only the UAE that remembers Coldplay's 2009 performance at the Emirates Palace hotel.

The guitarist Jonny Buckland says the group still holds vivid memories of the rain-soaked show, which was punctuated by a thunderstorm that short-circuited some of the stage lights.

While the band took it all in good spirit - they even broke into impromptu renditions of Singing in the Rain and Raindrops Keep Falling on My Head - Buckland says his onstage grin masked some serious concerns.

"I remember the Abu Dhabi show very strongly," he remarks drily. "It was scarily rainy and there was lightning. I could feel the metal in my belt pack - on stage you wear one - and I could feel it rumbling as the static was going off it."

Despite the unexpected fireworks from above the stage, Buckland describes the group's two-day stay in Abu Dhabi as "a wonderful time", in which they spent their downtime sampling the opulence of the Emirates Palace hotel. "It was just simply unbelievable. I never stayed anywhere like that and probably never will again," he says. "It made Buckingham Palace look like a two-bed semi."

While their last UAE show was at the tail end of their wildly successful Viva la Vida world tour, this time they return at the beginning of a new global jaunt performing songs from their number one-selling fifth album, Mylo Xyloto.

With a bunch of American and European shows under its belt, Buckland says the band is satisfied with the performances thus far - although there is always room to fine-tune certain parts. "We are always tweaking the show, even today we're discussing what the songs will look like," he says. "But of course, this time the songs are very different, there are more new ones but there are also some old ones that we're going back to."

Buckland is speaking from Belgium during the first leg of their European tour, which saw them revive the old Coldplay classics Shiver and Daylight (from the albums Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head respectively) among a healthy smattering from Mylo Xyloto.

The group also retained the two-stage set up from its previous tour, with a small "B Stage" placed deep in the auditorium where the group would play a handful of songs for the benefit of those sitting in the back-rows.

Buckland says that while each tour retains its own vibe, the deeper changes had been among the band's members, who must now juggle their careers with raising families. "As we go along, we enjoy ourselves even more. The older you get, you realise how lucky you are," he says. "We all have kids now, so everything is more arranged … It's not the same as back when we were 22, when we would be on a tour bus for four months."

While the shows are now bigger and the group is travelling and staying in more plush surroundings, Buckland is proud the group has never lost the euphoric element of their live shows. Making people happy is something Coldplay takes seriously, he says. "We want people to go away from our gigs feeling good. Because sometimes it's quite an effort coming to a show with all that traffic and queuing up, we just want people to feel like it's worth it."

The Abu Dhabi show also marks the second time Coldplay is performing on New Year's Eve after closing off 2010 in Las Vegas. Buckland hints that a Coldplay New Year's Eve show could become a regular feature, with the setlist reflecting the celebratory nature of the evening.

With Coldplay set for a fully fledged American and European tour in April, Buckland says he will be going straight back to the UK to spend time with his family, as opposed to prolonging his visit to Abu Dhabi.

However, he wouldn't discount the possibility of frontman Chris Martin's spending some time in the capital, given his love of the beach and watersports. "Chris loves surfing but I am a bit of landlubber myself," he says. "Actually, to be honest, the ocean kind of terrifies me."

http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/on-stage/jonny-buckland-coldplay-likes-to-make-people-feel-good

[ColdplayFanatic16]

hello! Is there anyone going to this concert? :D

[teernabh5]

^am asking the same question?

[lefter]

I'm going! :dazzled:

[zea]

My family's in the UAE, while I left to study in Bangalore. Thank god for the winter break, I came back just for this.

Saw them when they came in 2009 too, so incredibly stoked! :lol:

Ooh I hope I can get a setlist.

[busybeeburns]

enjoy!

[Cris_Santos]

Have fun! :nice:

[trinest]

Any Streams?

[LifeInTechniKarel]

Found some pictures of the stage on Twitter. Don't know if they're allready posted.

http://distilleryimage10.instagram.com/f03c49fa31f211e1a87612313804ec91_7.jpg

&

http://p.twimg.com/Ah0KhVECEAArxmG.jpg

Wish I was there :)

[Coeurli]

:awesome:

[vanessa]

Wow, nice view!

[augustorc]

Wish I was there too! Would it be the best New Year's Eve gift!














follow me on twitter: @augustorc (i follow back)

[Coeurli]

^I wish I was there too :awesome:
Welcome btw :nice:

[lndnsky]

oh to be there...

[filiprasmusson]

Any Streams?

this ;)

[not-the-scientist]

Amazing view, love the body of water surrounding the stage! I really don't care much for NYE, but if I was at that gig tonight I would :P I envy those going.

[jeremyy]

http://thinkflash.ae/

you can vote your fav Coldplay album on this site, also you can buy your tickets, maybe a little bit late :P i don't know why are we choosing our favorite album :lol:

[jeremyy]

COLDPLAY to kick off VOLVO OCEAN RACE &amp; New Year Celebrations Abu Dhabi - YouTube

[mkardol]

I'm going... if it works I can try to upload some live pics tonight and some vids later when I'm back. Live streaming is not allowed in the UAE :-)

Marcel

[filiprasmusson]

Is there any streams at all?

[teernabh5]

I'm going... if it works I can try to upload some live pics tonight and some vids later when I'm back. Live streaming is not allowed in the UAE :-)

Marcel

will you please please please update/blog what is happening there in this thread during the concert? I mean, the fans will get to know how coldplay rings in the new year then!

[Denise]

Is there any streams at all?

The person above you just wrote
Live streaming is not allowed in the UAE :-)

Everyone going, enjoy the gig..wish the gig I'm going tonight was this one :nice:

[filiprasmusson]

The persone above you just wrote




sorry mate, just saw that :)

[mkardol]

U used to use Qik live streaming back in the Netherlands and share concerts with remote friends, but unfortunaly it doesn't work in the UAE... things like VoIP and vid streaming are blocked, so it's a no go. Will post whenever I can.
Marcel

[MeriCri]

beautiful!! ;)

[fieke]

What a way to end 2011 and to begin 2012!!! Wish i was there :rolleyes:

Anyway, happy 2012 everyone!!!!

[ilovechriss]

Ah, no stream :\ Enjoy everybody who is going! :nice:

[Yellow la Guy]

Hope to see some very high quality movies on youtube later on in 2012! :))

[busybeeburns]

is twitter fecked for everyone else?

[MX&Yellow]

Those who are gonna be there tonight : YOU ARE GOING TO HAVE THE BEST NEW YEAR EVE EVER ;) HAVE FUN :)

[lndnsky]

is twitter fecked for everyone else?

apparently their system crashed.

"Users may currently be experiencing some site issues; our engineers are working on resolving this issue."

From twitterstatus on tumblr.

[teernabh5]

I hope it comes back fast as without twitter i cant keep track! And this crackdown is due to too many new years wishes i guess! Bdw happy new year coldplayers!

[postcards]

While we wait to hear something. Happy New Years coldplayers. :vuvuzela:

[mkardol]

Should start soon. Network coverage sucks big time, but it looks good to go :-)
Marcel

[Tash]

Exciting! Have fun everyone! :nice:

[Tash]

Waiting for #coldplay to rock our #NYE in Abu Dhabi!

https://p.twimg.com/AiAvvBoCQAItnRz.jpg

link (https://twitter.com/#!/DrTubaBuyukozer/status/153174872263114752)

[Tash]

Theres at least 30K people so far at coldplay's concert in Abu Dhabi.

http://s1-03.twitpicproxy.com/photos/large/485918626.jpg

link (https://twitter.com/#!/mzaher/status/153170875473068032)

[Tash]

I think it's @GwynethPaltrow and kids sitting up there.. Pre @coldplay concert

https://p.twimg.com/AiA3n0iCIAEN5R9.jpg

link (https://twitter.com/#!/McReemy/status/153183544582217728)

[Tash]

Coldplay opening!!! Bongga!!

http://i41.tinypic.com/973d4g.jpg

link (https://twitter.com/#!/gianni_bandiola/status/153186999652716544)

[ilovechriss]

A happy new year, everyone! :kiss::vuvuzela:

[ilovechriss]

Oh, it has begun! :dance:

[unique]

yaaay! I soooo want to be there!

[hoover751]

Set list?

[Tash]

PERFECT #nye @coldplay

https://p.twimg.com/AiBENUZCMAEFhki.jpg

link (https://twitter.com/#!/victoriaaa_/status/153197382933295104)

[LauCH]

is there a live stream?EDIT : nvm, I just saw that there isn't. Well ! still hope to get the setlist

[Tash]

^ no

[Tash]

Stuck in reverse. I will try to fix you #coldplay

https://twitpic.com/show/large/81cd25

link (https://twitter.com/#!/claraclaraday/status/153200968857681922)

[Tash]

At NYE Coldplay concert in Abu Dhabi, fantastic location (band borders on boring though)

https://p.twimg.com/AiBMYghCAAA8U8x.jpg

link (https://twitter.com/#!/DermotKehoe/status/153206371255451648)

[mkardol]

It's done, what a great concert!!! Setlist...Hurts Like Heavennn, Yellow and In My Place
Major Minus, Lost.... The Scientist, Violet Hills, God Put A Smile, Up In Flames, Us Against The World, Viva La Vida, Charlie Brown, Fix You, Clocks... Paradise, Every Teardrop and... Fireworkssss

[Tash]

Thanks for posting the setlist :)

[Tash]

https://yfrog.com/Himg878/scaled.php?tn=0&server=878&filename=bsrug.jpg&xsize=480&ysize=480

link (https://twitter.com/#!/J_uicee/status/153216749603536897)

[Cris_Santos]

Thanks for the pics, Tash! And thanks for the setlist, mkardol :)

[Tash]

Too bad I couldn't find a lot of photos : (

[Tash]

Gwyneth Paltrow (https://twitter.com/#!/GwynethPaltrow)
Happy New Year everyone from Abu Dhabi! Hoping 2012 is your best year ever.
9:25 PM

[postcards]

Thanx for the photos and the setlist. :nice:

[Cris_Santos]

"Coldplay live now in abu dhabi :))))) "
http://s1-03.twitpicproxy.com/photos/large/485985399.jpg

[Tash]

https://yfrog.com/Himg616/scaled.php?tn=0&server=616&filename=39gxx.jpg&xsize=480&ysize=480

link (https://twitter.com/#!/vimalsethi/status/153228672139145217)

https://d3j5vwomefv46c.cloudfront.net/photos/large/486040397.jpg?Expires=1325368809&Key-Pair-Id=APKAIYVGSUJFNRFZBBTA&Signature=VeL5-v2h2mL-g7DJLKlk-mkPnIwHOHmxabfk3XM36j-wKSdawqcPbbjJvNbbeub7Xjre4vD98tTc683QylXnZnr1KMJTR FKzB~bAKsGp~uD3O6v-3rGhEU3eTkdI1D751Q8b5gxQH4MdUtZwItMxwgykcizA2bV9Zz dvanQewuM_

link (https://twitter.com/#!/SarahAziz_/status/153226279527776257)

[CharlyBrown]

great pictures Thanks

only 15 minutes to go, HAPPY NEW YEAR @ ALL

[TracieMorgan]

Wonder what time it is there now. I'm guessing they're on soon if not already?

EDIT: So it's 3am Jan. 2st there already. Happy New Year, Coldplay!!

Can't wait for info on the gig. :D

[chuck kottke]

HAPPY NEW YEAR COLDPLAY in Abu Dhabi!!!!
KEEP ON PLAYING TILL THE STARS FALL DOWN FROM THE HEAVENS!!
===============================================

[Safy]

Hope you had a great time... I am sure they rocked Abu Dhabi & the whole middle east..
There was no rain this time, right??

[Tash]

There was no rain this time, right??

Right! :)

[chuck kottke]

And were the crowd dancing in the sand??:):sunny:

[Tash]

http://www.thenational.ae/deployedfiles/Assets/Richmedia/Image2/na01ja-Cover02.jpg
Coldplay's lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, left, and singer Chris Martin usher in the New Year amid a torrent of confetti at their concert in Abu Dhabi.

http://www.thenational.ae/deployedfiles/Assets/Richmedia/Image2/na01ja-Cover01.jpg
Members of the audience cheer during the Coldplay concert in Abu Dhabi for New Year's Eve, 2011.

In Abu Dhabi, revellers were ringing in the New Year with a Coldplay concert at the Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village.

The band opened with Hurts Like Heaven, from their newest album Mylo Xyloto. Giant yellow, green and blue balloons sailed across the crowd as the band played Yellow, from their 2000 debut album.

Afterwards came In My Place, the lead single from their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head.

Adam Dunne, 27, from the UK, came with his wife.

"To celebrate New Year's Eve at a Coldplay concert is just amazing. The atmosphere and the crowd has really made it," he said.

Flash Entertainment estimated there were 20,000 fans ringing in the new year at the concert.

During the afternoon, the sounds of the band warming up were an added excitement for visitors who attended the opening day of the Corniche's Destination Village.

The band was rehearsing during a sound check at a stage adjacent to the village, where visitors milled about, listening in anticipation of the New Year's Eve concert.

"It's exciting to hear them practise; I just can't wait to hear them properly tonight," said Rachel Freeman, a UK expatriate who was exploring the village with her family before the show.

link (http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/happy-new-year-a-country-parties)

[Clairounette]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3nQX4dKa-GQ
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pKsxbkA8pAY

[lefter]

The concert was amazing! The best possible way to spend a new years eve :) I was quite close to the stage on Guy's side. Guy was even better looking in person and his bass was quite loud. He wa really smiley and kept laughing at Chris and Jonny's bromance. Chris was brilliant as usual and his guitar smash during GPASUYF was hilarious. He kept sprinting up and down the ramp or just lolling on the floor. Jonny was on fire and shined during In My Place :) will was adorable! He sang the end of UATW and the crowd bellowed his name :) what I really love was that each membe of the band had their moment to shine. The grafitti background during Paradise was incredible and the video on the screens had that pink and blue Studiofeed effect. After Fix You, Chris counted down to new year. They then played ETIAW and fireworks erupted. They then bowed and left :( the crowd sang the viva chant for a good ten minutes! We noticed their families sitting on top by the left of the stage although the lights didn't go on them too much, we just assumed. Chris dedicated UATW to his family. Overall a wonderful night: will as adorable as ever, brilliant during GPASUYF; Jonny on fire during Charlie brown (the lights were fucking amazing! Best song of the night); Chris was charming beyond belief and The Scientist was beautiful; Guy was really enjoying Major Minus! He looked unbelievably handsome. I love this band so much :dazzled: sorry for typos!

[Tash]

Countdown
Countdown to New Year 2012 with Coldplay Live - YouTube

MX/HLH/Yellow/part of IMP
Coldplay abu dhabi 2012 opening ( intro ) NEW YEAR EVE - YouTube

part of Yellow
Coldplay performs Yellow in Abu Dhabi concert - NYE - YouTube

[Tash]

Coldplay is spot-on in Abu Dhabi

Group gives memorable New Year's eve performance at the Abu Dhabi Breakwater

http://gulfnews.com/polopoly_fs/coldplay-perform-on-new-year-s-eve-in-abu-dhabi-1.959592!image/2527631047.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_475/2527631047.jpg
Coldplay perform on New Year's eve at the Volvo Ocean Race in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

http://gulfnews.com/polopoly_fs/coldplay-perform-on-new-year-s-eve-in-abu-dhabi-1.959602!image/3057314444.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_475/3057314444.jpg
The four-piece group, led by Chris Martin came onstage just after 10pm.

http://gulfnews.com/polopoly_fs/coldplay-perform-on-new-year-s-eve-in-abu-dhabi-1.959605!image/3852513544.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_475/3852513544.jpg
Chris Martin's voice wasn't the strongest at times, but the band were pitch-perfect in every other way.

http://gulfnews.com/polopoly_fs/coldplay-in-abu-dhabi-1.959604!image/338123878.jpg_gen/derivatives/box_475/338123878.jpg
Fans enjoy Coldplay's performance on New Year's eve at the Volvo Ocean Race in Abu Dhabi on Saturday.

When Coldplay last performed in Abu Dhabi, many remember the gig as being amazing and memorable. When pressed, they say it's because of the massive lightning storm that took place as the British alternative rock band performed.

After their New Year's Eve performance at the Abu Dhabi Breakwater, people will still remark how memorable the band were - and this time, it's thanks to the music.

The four-piece group, led by the boyishly handsome Chris Martin (perhaps many in the crowd wondered, as I did, what his wife Gwyneth Paltrow was doing for New Year's Eve), came on just after 10pm and put in a solid set until just before midnight, perfectly timing what we thought was their last song to segue into a 20-second countdown to the New Year.

"We're so happy you're spending your New Year's Eve with us," said Martin as giant timers ticked down and the crowd chanted along with him.

He'd had the 20,000-strong audience eating out of his hand since the moment he stepped on the stage, and sat down at his signature upright piano to play the songs that have brought the band worldwide fame, from their first hits such as Yellow - one of the biggest sing-alongs of the night—and Fix You, the huge Viva La Vida, and finally the current radio hits, Paradise and Every Tear is a Waterfall.

With five studio albums, the band - comprising alongside Martin bassist Guy Berryman, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, and drummer Will Champion - had more than enough material to do a two-hour set, and so after a short break for fireworks to the left of the stage, they returned, a surprise to the audience - I'd expect things to be wrapped up after the sparkles in the sky faded. In fact they came back to play another hit, and to douse the crowd with glitter and confetti.

It's as they had done earlier in the night, shooting neon paper into the air, matching the colours on the Mylo Xyloto album (the band wears these colours too, and the stage background featured the yellow, green and pink in hypnotic swirls).

Martin's voice wasn't the strongest at times, but the band were pitch-perfect in every other way - in fact, it was comparable sometimes to hearing them on the radio, so spot-on were they.

link (http://gulfnews.com/arts-entertainment/music/coldplay-is-spot-on-in-abu-dhabi-1.959573)

[ramzinriko]

Coldplay was as ever, AMAZING. Although it was PAINFULLY short:cry: but at least we got to spend new years with them so I shouldn't complain. Chris was bouncing up and down the stage like we know him to. He didn't talk as much as he did the last time he was here though. It felt like he was little sad. I don't know, just a general feeling I had.
I was front row, Guy's side so I couldn't really see johnny and Will from my angle a lot but from what I did get to see was an electrifying Will drumming away. Unbelievable energy, incredibly talented.
Johnny was so NICE. His usual self, what can I say. He cheering us on whenever we belted a tune. All of them did actually. But he was absolutely amazing. Especially on In My Place cos that's the part were he moves up the MX stage and does his"solo".
Guy completely shocked me with how sweet he was and not at all what I pictured him to be, cold and un-phase. He was smiley all the time laughing at us and cheered us all the way especially when we were singing The Scientist. I was completely impressed with how loud we were especially with that song. Chris even said at one point, "I can't believe it took us this long to come here".
But If I had to narrow it down to a special moment, then I have got to say it was Charlie Brown. It got every one on their feet everybody was dancing like CRAZY to that song. I remember thinking if only they can play it again!
A group of girls came prepared with their elephant props (elephant hand-made bow-ears) and Charlie Brown lyrics and Paradise signs. They were so cute. Chris looked twice at them to read what they had written and smiled at them. A roadie even took a picture of them dancing with their elephant gear on. So here's to hoping they making it on the Roadie 42 blog.

Butterfly and MX confetti were BEAUTIFUL. I'm not even sure there were balloons at the concert=( Didn't get any bouncing off of my head. No xylobands, like Chris said. Some ppl got their own version of glowing wrist bands with them. Fireworks at the beginning of Hurts Like Heaven and at the end of the countdown. It was....magical. One of the best moments of the concert.

Chris said that their families were here. So we assumed they were the ones at the balcony waving at the crowd the whole time. It was funny. Knowing that Gwenyth was there but not being able to see her was a funny feeling. Chris dedicated ETDWF for his "baby".

Overall, one of the best experience(s),of my life. Every single moment that lead up to last night's concert was worth everything.

Happy new year to everyone! And to all of you guys here on coldplaying.com, you guys were definitely on my mind :) Hope you guys have the best year coming!

Till next time;)

[ramzinriko]

The Abu Dhabi New Year's Eve Concert


Hurts Like Heaven
Yellow
In My Place
Major Minus
Lost!
The Scientist
Violet Hill
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
Up In Flames
Us Against The World
Politik
Viva La Vida
Charlie Brown
Fix You
Clocks
Paradise
Countdown*
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

[ramzinriko]

http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/ramzinriko/DSC03283.jpg
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/ramzinriko/DSC03296.jpg
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/ramzinriko/DSC03288.jpg
http://i1178.photobucket.com/albums/x377/ramzinriko/DSC03282.jpg

[4everColdplay]

Wow. Looks (and sounds) like last night was an amazing night for Abu Dhabi and the people there. Can't explain how much I wish I'd been there too!!!

A big thanks to everyone who's sharing videos and pictures. :)

Happy New Year!!!

[busybeeburns]

thanks! was there an encore or was the countdown it?The Abu Dhabi New Year's Eve Concert


Hurts Like Heaven
Yellow
In My Place
Major Minus
Lost!
The Scientist
Violet Hill
God Put A Smile Upon Your Face
Up In Flames
Us Against The World
Politik
Viva La Vida
Charlie Brown
Fix You
Clocks
Paradise
Countdown*
Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

[lefter]

There was no encore, it was just the countdown

[ramzinriko]

No Encore, sadly =(, and the countdown to 2012 was right before Every Teardrop. I'm posting the video of that in a while

[busybeeburns]

thanks everyone for the updates :D
Wiki latest: http://www.wikicoldplay.com/31_December_2011:_New_Year%27s_Eve_gig,_Abu_Dhabi, _UAE

[teernabh5]

Did you guys record in my place where jonny was the star of the performance, Us against the world and gpasuf????

[Tash]

^ part of IMP
Coldplay NYE concert in Abu Dhabi - In My Place (confetti shower) - YouTube

[Dany93]

^ I've found this:

In My Place @ Abu Dhabi (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JOHmudfQu14&feature=youtu.be)

[Tash]

VLV
Coldplay - Viva La Vida live Abu Dhabi 2011 - YouTube

UIF
Coldplay - Up In Flames Live (New Years Eve 2012) - YouTube

UATW
Coldplay - Us Against The World Live (New Years Eve 2012) - YouTube

[teernabh5]

Is everyteardrop available in full yet?

[Tash]

ETIAW (almost complete)
Coldplay Live in Abu Dhabi on NYE 12.31.2011 - YouTube

[Tash]

Video of the queue (an insanely long one!)
the waiting line for Coldplay concert in Abu Dhabi - New Year's Eve 2011/2012 - YouTube

[jeremyy]

VLV
Coldplay - Viva La Vida live Abu Dhabi 2011 - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A6slbJ05zqc&feature=related)

UIF
Coldplay - Up In Flames Live (New Years Eve 2012) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAu6Dd82du0)

UATW
Coldplay - Us Against The World Live (New Years Eve 2012) - YouTube (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ey0yYPREkd0)

oh, insane crowd.
thanks for all reviews + photos everybody, happy new year :smug:

now, we have to wait until 17th April....

[CPRani]

amazing with the countdown, thanks for posting all the videos and interviews :nice:

[Tash]

http://www.chartsinfrance.net/style/breves/0/photo_1325233885.jpg

link (http://www.chartsinfrance.net/Coldplay/news-77411.html)

The article is in French, can someone translate it?

[TMJ]

[QUOTE=ramzinriko;5151709]A group of girls came prepared with their elephant props (elephant hand-made bow-ears) and Charlie Brown lyrics and Paradise signs. They were so cute. Chris looked twice at them to read what they had written and smiled at them. A roadie even took a picture of them dancing with their elephant gear on. So here's to hoping they making it on the Roadie 42 blog.

Coldplay were amazing!! each and everyone of them they gave it their all! They Rocked the whole city. Song's never get old and it was more like a theater.
I'm glad we came prepared we had our hand made elephant ears head bands and had posters with two sides one of the sides says " Para Para Paradise" and the other "Light a fire without a spark light a fire a flame in my heart we'll run wild" we divided them to 8 posters as we were a group of 8. We carried them in a separate bag at the airport and all the way from home to Abu Dhabi. A roadie came and took pictures of us when the band were playing paradise so I truly wish we make it to the blog and they've actually noticed us ;P
We've been preparing for this night for 2 months. After the concert we saw a bunch of other girls walking out with our posters and ears!!!!

I can honestly say it was the best night I've ever had and it was worth waiting for it 8 years!!!
Thank God we made it this time.
Thank you Coldplay for sharing YOUR NYE with us and thank you for a wonderful show. And Of course special thanks to Flash events for a perfectly organized event.

xoxo

[Tash]

Coldplay numbers floor fans in Abu Dhabi

Concert a resounding success and a hit among the band's followers

Abu Dhabi: Despite serpentine queues, heavy traffic and a long wait for those who had chosen to arrive at the venue early, the launch event of Abu Dhabi hosting the 2011-2012 Volvo Ocean Race — and the capital's main New Year's Eve party — was a resounding success.

Walking amongst the 20,000-odd concert goers as they crossed from the city to the purpose-built arena, Destination Village, behind Marina Mall, one could see that the crowds had come prepared for cold weather — some, going by Coldplay's previous visit to the UAE, were even prepared for rain. But, the evening was, instead, characterised by the warmth of the group and its entourage.

The audience lapped up the dazzling laser show, the sophisticated giant screen graphics, the glitter, smoke and giant balloons that pervaded the arena.

The show was interspersed with short bursts of fireworks. It culminated with another magnificent fireworks display on the Corniche.

Listening intently to a mix of Coldplay favourites, some from their most recent album, the lively crowd got into the spirit of the evening thoroughly and swayed on their feet for most part of the concert.

There was much screaming, cheering and applause as this top-notch rock band showed why they are renowned for their hardcore concert-style entertainment.

With a digital countdown to the start of 2012, the final song, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, got under way to tumultuous applause.

After the Coldplay members left the stage some 20 minutes into the New Year to celebrate with their families, some of whom are resident in the UAE, those remaining in the audience were treated to a live DJ whose eclectic tunes ensured the party was on until 1am.

"This is one of the most memorable New Year's Eve celebrations," Daniel Gottlieb, a British student visiting his dad in the UAE for Christmas, said. "It was great to be part of an audience with such a diverse cultural background. I celebrated the start of 2012 surrounded by people from every continent, listening to great music. It was really special. Thanks, Abu Dhabi," he said.

Once inside the security barriers, the audience had access to a well-organised array of food and drink outlets. Although the grandstand was several hundred metres back from the stage, visibility was excellent. Flash Entertainment, the concert's promoters, provided Abu Dhabi with an evening to remember — and an excellent start to the New Year.

link (http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/leisure/coldplay-numbers-floor-fans-in-abu-dhabi-1.959797)

[nancyk58]

^^^ A quick translation of the article in French - (from French to English) with a little help from Google Translate:


Coldplay: A big / grand concert in the Middle East!

Despite being in the middle of a pause in their tour, the group Coldplay have made a small exception. They performed yesterday in the Middle East, in Abu Dhabi on the Eve of December 31. Convinced by the Prince, who was able to find the right words, Chris Martin’s band sacrificed this evening ... for the modest sum of 1.2 million euros!

Coldplay is one of the groups that was very active last year (many events) with the release of the album "Mylo Xyloto". Chris Martin's band was passing through our capital, Paris-Bercy, to defend the colors of that album. In full break in their tour, the group nevertheless made an exception. But not at any price! On the occasion of the "Volvo Ocean Race," the group performed last night in Abu Dhabi. But to make Coldplay make this sacrifice, Prince Mohammed bin Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahya paid a little over 1.2 million. Astronomical amount enough to pay the place of this concert - over 5000 euros! Something to complete the (Christmas) bonus of the rock band ...

The group is riding the wave of success. With 200,000 copies sold in France and one album in pole (top) position in the charts, the group always attracted the audience of the Hexagon (= France). As proof, they will renew the stage experience in Paris, but this time in the vast arena of the Stade de France, September 2, a show that is already sold-out.

--

Something very much like that (had a little help from Google Translate) - Nancy

[Tash]

Thanks Nancy :)

[Yellow la Guy]

Thanks so much for your work to give us all the updates of pics and movies! :))
Great to have so one on the board!! :)

Amazing show - and 1,2 Mio.€ :O

Amazing late christmas present :D

[Clairounette]

over 5000 euros the place ? :O Really ?

[Coeurli]

^Not really: the article says that since they were paid around the equivalent of 1.2 million €, it's like the ticket cost 5 000 €,....which actually doesn't make sense since 1 200 000 / 5000 = 240...and there were more than 240 people there :thinking: Do I suck at maths so bad ? :thinking:

[Tash]

^ Normal tickets were DHS 995/695/495/325 (approximately €209/146/104/68)

[Coeurli]

OK, so the article wasn't talking about the actual price of the tickets. Still, it's not even like the tickets were 5000€... :thinking:

[Tash]

Maybe some VIP tickets were that expensive :\

[Coeurli]

^ Maybe, but the way the French journalist writes it, it would mean that since they were paid 1.2 million €, it was like all the tickets cost 5000€...So either the journalist exaggerates, or he sucks at maths, because it's not equivalent :thinking:

[nancyk58]

Thanks Nancy :)


You're most welcome. :)

[vanessa]

Pictures I found on Flickr

Coldplay in Abu Dhabi - 31 December 2011

[Coeurli]

^Amazing pics :awesome:

[Blue Nails]

Thanks for all stories/pics/vids/updates everyone!

[mazin coldplayer]

no encore
only 1 hour 15 minutes expecting 2 hours
bad sound
traffic and horrible venue

when i feel the disappointment i just check my mobile shots to remember how a great performance it was by my all time favourite band

ColdPlay live in Abu Dhabi - 2012 countdown + every tears is a waterfall - YouTube

[Mimixxx]

http://www.thenational.ae/deployedfiles/Assets/Richmedia/Image/SaxoPress/AD20120102358102-1-Coldplay_s%20Chri.jpg

Coldplay's rain-soaked 2009 performance at Emirates Palace has become part of modern UAE folklore, with drenched Chris Martin crooning Singing in the Rain remaining a lasting image.

This time, however, the group returned to the capital to ring in the New Year and were met by a crowd of more than 20,000 who didn't mind crawling through hours of snail-pace traffic at Corniche Road before going through the greater struggle of getting through concert gates.

The quartet waltzed on to the stage to a short burst of fireworks. The celebratory mood was set with the ethereal instrumental opener Mylo Xyloto before launching into pop-static Hurt Like Heaven.

One begins to appreciate the number of hits Coldplay has notched up in their 15-year career when they are now able to perform former concert closer, the shimmering Yellow, as the third song of the set.

It also gave the audience their first chance to warm up their singing voices as they drowned out Martin's falsetto during the chorus.

Next up was In My Place, which saw Martin race through a blizzard of star-shaped confetti to the group's second stage; a small space near the edge of the Fan Pit, a barrier that the band could access courtesy of the T-shaped design of the main stage.

While the group's old hits such as the piano-led Science and the noxiously sweet Fix You still left many in the crowd a tad misty-eyed, it's the new dancier material from Mylo Xyloto that went down a treat.

Major Minus confirms the suspicion that the group may have been listening to early Kasabian during their recording sessions, as it gave the group's congenial live persona a new dimension: strut.

In the folky Us Against the World - which Martin explains tells "the story of the band" (don't know about that, as NWA these lads are not) - the whole group performed in intimate mode on the second stage, with Martin and drummer Will Champion singing mournfully and movingly.

Charlie Brown was the concert highlight. It is here you see how the band may not be far off from knocking U2 down from their perch as the biggest concert drawcard.

Where the latter rely on the chemistry between Bono and The Edge, the trance-ish Charlie Brown is a brilliant display of the band's virtuosity, with each member upping his game.

Led from the back by the group's underrated rhythm section of (the increasingly theatrical) Champion, and understated bassist Guy Berryman, the group soared in the chorus on the back of guitarist Jonny Buckland's signature spidery riffs.

The follow-ups, which began with the propulsive Clocks performed at 10 minutes to midnight, began the anticipation for the New Year's Eve countdown; and the cinematic Paradise was neatly finished with one minute to go. However, for a group who so brilliantly captured the moment in 2009, they seemed uncertain what to do with the midnight countdown, with Martin merely strolling back down the stage as the clock struck midnight.

The anticlimax was underscored by the group seemingly hurrying to finish off the set closer Every Tear Drop Is a Waterfall before brusquely leaving the stage without an encore - not a crime if it had been a regular festival appearance, but for an NYE occasion, it seemed abrupt. Playing a little longer would have been a nice touch in what was otherwise a supremely polished performance.

As for the organisers, perhaps the concert would also trigger a fresh New Year resolution: stick to hosting concerts in the Yas Arena on Yas Island, as the tight two lanes leading up to the Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village on the Corniche Breakwater proved testing for even the happiest of revellers.

http://www.thenational.ae/arts-culture/music/coldplay-rings-in-an-abu-dhabi-new-year

[busybeeburns]

More piccies!

Coldplay Abu Dhabi NYE

[ilovechriss]

Photos are awesome! :wacko:

[TMJ]

Someone took pictures of us standing at the queue with our signs and ears? If you know who it is or it's you please post the pictures.

Thank you.

[busybeeburns]

Did he look like this?

http://farm7.static.flickr.com/6185/6152220720_d355ed5d6b.jpg

[Cobalt]

^ Normal tickets were DHS 995/695/495/325 (approximately €209/146/104/68)

Converting these to local currency makes me think 'sweet baby Jesus, we might need to sell you to get up close next time'

[busybeeburns]

Coldplay concert transport tangle 'won't be repeated'

ABU DHABI // A lack of public transport at Coldplay's New Year's Eve concert meant some fans had to walk almost three hours to find taxis when the event ended just after midnight.

The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) said that such problems would be avoided at future events. Both the Abu Dhabi Police Department and TransAD were not available for comment.

Shuttle buses and taxi drop-off points will help ease traffic to the venue during the rest of the two-week stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race, however, ADTA said.

"The Coldplay concert aside, we are confident that the transport options in place - taxi, the park-and-ride complimentary shuttle bus from the Corniche and the amount of parking available around the Destination Village vicinity - will be sufficient to handle the level of traffic coming to the village," an ADTA representative said in a statement.

The Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village opened on Saturday.

Additional taxis were on hand and shuttle buses were provided from the Corniche car park adjacent to the Hilton to the concert site, but it was not enough for the estimated 25,000 attending.

"We walked the streets for almost three hours and no one would pick anyone up," said Michelle Leboutte, who had travelled from Ras Al Khaimah with her husband for the concert. "We finally got a taxi after 2.30, and then we realised our hotel was a minute away and we'd walked all the way from the Breakwater to our hotel."

The concert promoter Flash said security and safety were top priorities.

"Flash does acknowledge there were delays on the night," a Flash statement said. "As with all major events in Abu Dhabi, a thorough security system was implemented at the doors. Whilst this did ensure no major incidents on the night, it did lead to some delays for people entering the venue. However, immediately prior to the band performing at 10.45pm, more than 25,000 people were inside the venue with no queues outside."

Taxi drivers said there was no incentive to go to the Corniche.

"The Corniche had too many crowds," said Umar Ghani, a driver. "Yas Island is good, there is no crowd, they don't waste our taxi time. On the Corniche we will sit there for three hours. I would not go to the Corniche - too many people, too many crowds."

Zulqarnain Khan, a driver from Pakistan, said he made seven trips to the venue after being instructed to do so by his company, despite the low fares and heavy traffic.




He went home shortly before midnight after a 13-hour shift.

"My customers told me to stop the car and go to sleep or I would have an accident," he said.

Kawthar bin Sulayem, 27, an Emirati, fared better in her own car and quickly found parking in the Marina Mall basement car park about 8pm. "But on the way out, it was a bit crazy," she said. "It was too busy because, you know, when they were getting people in they were letting them in batches but they released everyone at once."

Saleem Khokhar, 40, from the UK, paid a man Dh100 to give up his parking space at Marina Mall. His return journey to Al Raha Gardens took four hours, including an hour and a quarter to go 1,000 metres from the Marina Mall car park to the Corniche after the concert. The two-lane road is the only road on to the Breakwater.

"We didn't use public transport, but from what I saw, that wasn't much better," Mr Khokhar said.

But he said it would not deter him from returning. "I would go back, it was a very good concert, it was worth it at the end of the day. Everybody was quite patient; it was all good natured. That made it bearable," he said.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/coldplay-concert-transport-tangle-wont-be-repeated

[tamunia]

Did he look like this?


:D

[coldplaymom]

Coldplay concert transport tangle 'won't be repeated'

ABU DHABI // A lack of public transport at Coldplay's New Year's Eve concert meant some fans had to walk almost three hours to find taxis when the event ended just after midnight.

The Abu Dhabi Tourism Authority (ADTA) said that such problems would be avoided at future events. Both the Abu Dhabi Police Department and TransAD were not available for comment.

Shuttle buses and taxi drop-off points will help ease traffic to the venue during the rest of the two-week stopover of the Volvo Ocean Race, however, ADTA said.

"The Coldplay concert aside, we are confident that the transport options in place - taxi, the park-and-ride complimentary shuttle bus from the Corniche and the amount of parking available around the Destination Village vicinity - will be sufficient to handle the level of traffic coming to the village," an ADTA representative said in a statement.

The Volvo Ocean Race Destination Village opened on Saturday.

Additional taxis were on hand and shuttle buses were provided from the Corniche car park adjacent to the Hilton to the concert site, but it was not enough for the estimated 25,000 attending.

"We walked the streets for almost three hours and no one would pick anyone up," said Michelle Leboutte, who had travelled from Ras Al Khaimah with her husband for the concert. "We finally got a taxi after 2.30, and then we realised our hotel was a minute away and we'd walked all the way from the Breakwater to our hotel."

The concert promoter Flash said security and safety were top priorities.

"Flash does acknowledge there were delays on the night," a Flash statement said. "As with all major events in Abu Dhabi, a thorough security system was implemented at the doors. Whilst this did ensure no major incidents on the night, it did lead to some delays for people entering the venue. However, immediately prior to the band performing at 10.45pm, more than 25,000 people were inside the venue with no queues outside."

Taxi drivers said there was no incentive to go to the Corniche.

"The Corniche had too many crowds," said Umar Ghani, a driver. "Yas Island is good, there is no crowd, they don't waste our taxi time. On the Corniche we will sit there for three hours. I would not go to the Corniche - too many people, too many crowds."

Zulqarnain Khan, a driver from Pakistan, said he made seven trips to the venue after being instructed to do so by his company, despite the low fares and heavy traffic.




He went home shortly before midnight after a 13-hour shift.

"My customers told me to stop the car and go to sleep or I would have an accident," he said.

Kawthar bin Sulayem, 27, an Emirati, fared better in her own car and quickly found parking in the Marina Mall basement car park about 8pm. "But on the way out, it was a bit crazy," she said. "It was too busy because, you know, when they were getting people in they were letting them in batches but they released everyone at once."

Saleem Khokhar, 40, from the UK, paid a man Dh100 to give up his parking space at Marina Mall. His return journey to Al Raha Gardens took four hours, including an hour and a quarter to go 1,000 metres from the Marina Mall car park to the Corniche after the concert. The two-lane road is the only road on to the Breakwater.

"We didn't use public transport, but from what I saw, that wasn't much better," Mr Khokhar said.

But he said it would not deter him from returning. "I would go back, it was a very good concert, it was worth it at the end of the day. Everybody was quite patient; it was all good natured. That made it bearable," he said.

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/coldplay-concert-transport-tangle-wont-be-repeated

One wonders how long it took for the band and crew to get out of the venue then.