Coldplay Newcastle Tyne Theatre 20 Dec 2010
I was lucky enough to score a ticket to this “secret” gig which Coldplay were playing for Crisis, a charity for the homeless. The two gigs, one in Newcastle and one the night before in Liverpool, were announced around one month ago. The venues were kept secret until 24 hours before the gig; all we were told was that it would be an intimate (1000 seater) venue in Newcastle. Tickets went on sale online: a small for local residents, some for general sale and some for auction. By the time I managed to get through to the website (a few minutes after they went on sale) all that was left was single seats. So I bought myself a ticket; although I am not a massive Coldplay fan, I quite fancied seeing them in such a small venue.
As the day of the gig drew closer, I’d sort of figured out that the venue was likely to be the Tyne Theatre. There aren’t many venues of that size in Newcastle and they was a break in the Pantomime run on 20 December! Others on the Coldplay Forum seemed to be of the same opinion. And sure enough on Sunday, I received an email from Crisis telling me that the venue was indeed the Tyne Theatre and instructing me to go along to the Metro Arena to collect my ticket.
So on Monday night I got the train through to Newcastle for the gig. A short walk through the snow to the Arena and I picked up my ticket: Row S in the Stalls! Not a bad position, and to be honest any seat in such a small venue would be fine. Another short walk to the Tyne Theatre and time for a quick drink before time for the support act. Our comperes for the evening were local guys Ant and Dec, who did a great job warming us for the main event. The support act was The Choir With No Name, who are a London based choir of homless people. They aren’t great singers but did a grand job of covering some favourites and got the crowd singing and clapping along with them.
There was a wonderful atmosphere in the theatre. The crowd was made up of Coldplay fans who had come from far and wide. Hearing people around me talking I could see that some had come from all over the UK and Europe. I saw one guy arrive during the interval without a ticket. He explained in a German accent that his plane had been delayed four hours, and that he had just been to the Arena to pick up his ticket and it was closed. The guys on the door seemed to let him in without too much discussion.
After a short break and a build up by Ant and Dec, Coldplay came on stage, starting with Yellow. By now I’d realised that this was a pretty special event. I also realised how many Coldplay songs I actually knew. Lots of singing along in the big choruses (Vida la Vida in particular), and the band looked like they were very much enjoying playing in a small venue. During the encore Chris Martin annouces that they is someone who wants to come on stage and say something. A guy and his girlfriend come up on stage and he kneels down and proposes to her (quite a few people shout “say no!”). The band finish with Christmas Lights, accompanied by and Ant and Dec who are both dressed as Elvis and are playing voilins.
All in all a pretty special event, which I feel lucky to have experienced. Perhaps I am a Coldplay fan after all.
Time for pattie and chips from the corner fish shop and then I catch a metro home.
Setlist: Yellow; Lost!; God Put A Smile Upon Your Face; Cemeteries of London; Trouble; Glass of Water; Til Kingdom Come; Shiver; In My Place; Lovers In Japan; Death And All His Friends; Clocks; Viva La Vida; Fix You
Encore: Politik; The Scientist; Christmas Lights
Coldplay website: http://www.coldplay.com
Choir with no name website: http://www.choirwithnoname.org
Crisis website: http://www.crisis.org.uk
ticket
badge given out free at the gig
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