Oxfam Europe Tour Blog: 29 September 2008
From WikiColdplay
A peek inside the tour bus.
I am peering out through the darkened windows of the tour bus into the Zurich night. Just tapping away a few lines, whilst perched in my ‘favourite seat’ at the front of the bus. I like this seat. You can see where we are going.. Even if it’s often just a dark motorway, with flashing cat’s-eyes sinking beneath the wheels. You can also recline quite well here, and even fall asleep, if my bunk seems too far to move. There’s a plug socket by my ankle too, which is handy for my laptop for midnight blogging.
Outside I can see a sea of moving white hard hats and beanies. Road cases being pushed into queues for their space on one of the ‘Stage Trucks’ carrying all of Coldplay’s gear (and Oxfam’s hamper). Another two trucks just reversed into the venue for loading. There are flashing hazard lights. Fork lift trucks. Roadies pulling luggage towards their buses. The support band walking past onto their bus. Outside every big arena in a major city, is probably where you find most of the activity on a Sunday night..
Strange. You lose track of days on tour. Sunday. Feels like it could be any day. I guess it’s another work day. Some days blend together when you are awake so long. Hang on a minute, it’s Monday now… Chris Martin said from stage yesterday.. “thanks for joining us on this Saturday night.. Wait a minute.. Is it a Saturday?”
Inside the bus, I can see a hard hat labelled with ’McGoo’, for Jonny’s guitar tech, Matt. There’s a tray full of remote controls for the big TV and all it’s buttons.. Two seats and a couch (none as good as this one), a fruit bowl, containing snack bars, apples and pears, a cooler (perhaps containing a variety of beverages), a DVD of ’The Kids Are Alright’ by ’The Who’, a copy of ’Mojo’ magazine with the faces of ‘Queen’ band members modified with sharpie pen moustaches, our driver Steffan, eating a banana, ’Woodsy’ eating a sandwich, a toy car (?!) and tomorrow’s day-sheet pinned to the wall.. (Woodsy wasn’t eating a toy car and a daysheet).
There’s just a peek inside the tour bus. Most of the backline crew from my bus, are still in the crew room, relaxing after another sold out show. The trucks are starting to leave for Bologna. Ken and Eric from Merch just walked on the bus. I think we’ll be off soon. Which means I’ll be off to my bunk. Bring on Bologna.
A great job by our Oxfam volunteers tonight. Over 1500 more Coldplay fans joined the other thousands we’ve already seen, in making the Health and Education For All pledge. Some volunteers were from ‘Clean Clothes Campaign‘ here in Switzerland. They work on fair trade clothing. Obviously this relates closely to Oxfam’s Make Trade Fair campaign. Remember the = sign on someone’s hand??
Here they all come. Matt. Hoppy. Neill. Bash. Tony Tiger’s in bed. Woodsy. Eric. Ken. Me. Steffan. 10. ‘We’re a bus’. Bye Bye Zurich! (says Matt)..
There go the cats-eyes..
http://www.oxfamblogs.org/coldplay/?p=68
Bologna.
The first of two dates in Italy. The tour has come through the Alps, and stopped in Bologna. I have been told that the atmosphere will be incredible here. I hope so. I’m working with UCODEP and Oxfam International in Italy today. Ucodep is an Italian NGO that since 1976 has worked in Italy and abroad to build a better world through activities aimed at fighting poverty, supporting health and education rights, promoting the values of diversity and solidarity, and assisting people in humanitarian emergencies. It will be great to work with the volunteers here. I’m sure it will be another successful night.
http://www.oxfamblogs.org/coldplay/?p=69
