That was paradise

The youngest and I went to our first stadium concert together on November 20, flying across the country to see Coldplay in Perth.

I was pretty panicked in the lead up to the gig, as I’d made the bold decision to fly in the day of the concert. And we all know how unreliable airlines are lately.

A few days before the concert, Virgin made headlines by cancelling its flight from Adelaide to Perth, leaving fans unable to get across the country. Eeeek. Then a group of Brisbane fans had their flight cancelled too. Double eeek.

Fortunately we arrived in Perth without a hitch. Thank you Qantas.

We had booked the tickets ages ago as a post-HSC mother-daughter treat … little realising the youngest would not be doing the HSC (a story for another day).

Both of us went online when ticket sales opened to increase our chances of success. The frenzy saw hundreds of thousands of people join the virtual queue.

I got to the front of the queue first, reserved the tickets, added my credit card details, pressed pay and stared in mounting panic at the wheel turning endlessly on screen before a message popped up apologising and saying it wasn’t me, it was them and I’d need to join the queue again.

Noooooooo!!!

By that stage there were 100,000 people in the virtual queue trying to buy tickets.

But the youngest was still in with a chance. She got to the top of the queue and discovered there were only hotel and ticket packages available … at vast expense. I’d gone into crazed “get them at any cost” mode by that point, so we forked out her inheritance in exchange for two general admission tickets and a room for the night.

And then she was sent to the deputy principal’s office for using her phone during maths class.

While she was talking her way out of detention I got to work securing frequent flyer flights.

Fast forward to the Coldplay gig, which marked Coldplay’s first performances in Australia since December 2016.

It was such a spectacle, with planets floating around the stadium, confetti cannons, shooting flames, fireworks and delirious singalongs. All attendees were also issed with LED wristbands for the two-hour set, which lit up in choreographed colours throughout the show. Totally magic to see.

I was a bit surprised by the fireworks, as Coldplay are very environmentally focused, but they apparently use a new generation of sustainable pyrotechnics that have less explosive charge and new formulas that greatly reduce harmful chemicals.

Plus all confetti used is 100 per cent biodegradable.

Adding to the fantasy element was a life-sized singing muppet who stepped in to replace Selina Gomez for a duet called Human Heart. And for a few songs the entire band donned giant illuminated alien heads.

The band played all the big hits, from Paradise to Yellow to A Sky Full of Stars.

Chris Martin also improvised a song about his friend Shane Warne.

I hadn’t realised the pair had been friends, but apparently Warne even joined Coldplay on stage once to play the harmonica alongside Martin.

Shane’s daughter Summer was in the audience to see the tribute and posted a video of it on social media, saying, ‘The most amazing song dedicated to Dad. Thank you Chris, so beautiful. Love you dad xx’.

By the time the lights came up after the magical gig I’d been standing in the mosh pit for almost six hours and was sooo sore. I am too old for standing gigs. But the youngest absolutely loved being amongst it all.

I could have also done without being jostled by gangly, drunk teenagers swigging from contraband hip flasks. I will be sticking to paying for seats in future.

I woke up the next morning to a text from DD, who said I would never guess who’d announced they were touring Australia. And I thought: Coldplay had better bloody not be playing in Sydney in the next few months.

Just hours after wrapping up their two showstopping performances in Western Australia, the band announced they will be bringing their Music Of The Spheres World Tour back to Australia next year, with dates at Sydney’s Accor Stadium on November 6 and 7.

I can cope with that. I might even go again. While I didn’t cry during any of the songs, it was a totally awesome show.

And, bless them, they’ve giving free tickets to everyone who missed out this time because their flights were cancelled.

Song of the day: Coldplay “Paradise”