“Essentially, the word around here is grateful…” Chris Martin at his piano, backed by the Royal Academy of Music, opening the encore for the night with a cover of “White Christmas”. I’ve written quite a few articles about Coldplay in the past, so any who have read them would know that they are one of my favorite bands (along with Depeche Mode and Pixies). I hadn’t seen them live since their show in San Jose in April of 2012, so it has been a while. They took 2013 off as far as performing live goes, and have been in the studio working on new material. The band has always used their gifts and successes in music to help others, and one of the organizations that they’ve been a big supporter of is Kids Company in the UK. And, as per tradition, they tend to do a special show each year for Christmas and/or New Year’s, so this year it was another of their “Under 1 Roof” multi-artist events. Sharing the bill with them this year was Lily Allen, Ricky Gervais reprising his character from The Office performing as David Brent and Foregone Conclusion, magician Dynamo, and Rizzle Kicks, with Fearne Cotton hosting the evening, along with some surprise guests like Robbie Williams and Tim Rice-Oxley from Keane.
Special Charity Holiday Concert Event December 19th “Kids Company and Coldplay Present: Under 1 Roof” (Coldplay, Ricky Gervais as David Brent And Foregone Conclusion, Lily Allen, Dynamo and Rizzle Kicks)
As is somewhat of a tradition, it was announced this month that Coldplay will be doing a special charity concert in London to benefit one of their favorite organizations, Kids Company, who provide practical, emotional, and educational support to vulnerable inner-city children and young people in London and Bristol. The special event, “Under 1 Roof: A Night For Kids Company”, will be held on December 19th at Eventim Apollo in Hammersmith, London. Joining Coldplay on stage will be Ricky Gervais, in character from The Office’s David Brent as David Brent and Foregone Conclusion, Lily Allen, magician Dynamo, and hip hop duo Rizzle Kicks, all hosted by Fearne Cotton. [Read more…]
“Blacky”: The Vintage Fender ’72 Thinline Telecaster Studio and Stage Used By Coldplay’s Jonny Buckland for “X&Y” and “Viva La Vida”
Some reading the England Journal series of articles are probably interested in knowing a little more about my appreciation of Coldplay, and why I would travel thousands and thousands of miles by car, plane, and train to attend a few concerts in another country. As such, I thought I would explain a little more in this supplemental article about my love for the band and their music, details about a charity auction one year ago, and the prize of my pop culture memorabilia collection. [Read more…]