I was at Glastonbury Festival in June, packed elbow to elbow with thousands of other excited sardines as Coldplay lit up a cold and muddy English field.
Q&A: Windswept fans blown away
Who are Coldplay and why would anyone spend up to Dh25,000 (US$6,805) to watch them live?They are a seven-time Grammy award-winning alternative rock band from the UK. They have played once before in Abu Dhabi and blew away an already windswept and rain-drenched crowd.
Who makes up the band?Chris Martin is the lead vocalist and plays the keyboard and guitar. Guy Berryman plays the bass guitar, Jonny Buckland lead guitar and Will Champion bangs the drums.
Why are they playing in Abu Dhabi? They are opening the Volvo Ocean Race, a round-the-world yacht race generally deemed an extremely hazardous endeavour. The band has also just released their latest album Mylo Xyloto,which has received mixed reviews.
Where can I buy tickets? TA range of tickets are available from Dh325 to Dh25,000 for the big spenders. Go to www.thinkflash.ae.
It was the best gig I have seen. I repeatedly tell everyone so at every opportunity.
And fortunately for us all living in the UAE, the British foursome is set to ring in the New Year with a headline concert on Abu Dhabi's Corniche on December 31.
If you hate their songs, or you think the lead singer Chris Martin is only good for writing birthday cards, I urge you to think again, because Coldplay are superb live.
The concert will be a curtain-raiser for the Volvo Ocean Race and will take place in a setting called Destination Village near Marina Mall.
If you are feeling particularly frivolous and want to watch and listen with your feet up, there are exclusive tables close to the stage available for a big-ticket price.
General admission for the common sardine is Dh325 (US$88), but the starting price for a table is Dh15,000, which is the silver option and gets you and 14 friends into the centre of the action. You also get drinks and some parking spaces for the designated drivers.
There are also Gold and Platinum tables, which are even closer to the stage, offer more drinks and more parking spaces. The Gold table is Dh20,000 and the Platinum Dh25,000.
Now, before you baulk at the price tag, the cost of a standing ticket at the front of the stage is being sold for Dh995. That is nearly Dh15,000 for 15 people anyway, and there is certainly no comfy seat in the pit.
It may sound like twisted logic, but it does not take a scientist to work out that for 15 people, a silver option table is quite reasonable.
Top 5: Five more music acts coming to the UAE in the near future:
1 Creamfields – December 8 and 9, Yas Island.
2 A R Rahman – December 9, Dubai International Cricket Stadium.
3 Sade – December 16, Yas Arena.
4 Culture Club, December 29, Dubai Tennis Stadium.
5 Kasabian – February 10, Dubai Sevens Stadium.
The band are sure to play songs from their latest album, released last month and called Mylo Xyloto.
Just a Warning Sign: make sure you do not have Green Eyes on New Year's Eve and instead, Viva la Vida, call Flash Entertainment and let them Fix You a ticket.
The Quote: "Coldplay fans are the best in the world. If you like Coldplay then you're obviously very intelligent and good looking and all round brilliant." Chris Martin, lead singer, Coldplay
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