Story

Coldplay visited Sydney on their ‘Twisted Logic’ tour during June, 2006. I’ve always enjoyed their music since their beginnings and always felt that Chris Martin was a very down to earth and honest, kind hearted person. When I had this painting ready, on the night of their second Sydney show I waited outside the venue for their arrival for about 4 hours. First to arrive alone was Jonny Buckland, I remember standing behind a metal railing fence as Jonny got out of his mini van on the other side directly at the rear entrance to the stadium, I called out to him holding the painting up for him to sign, but sadly management surrounding him said that he could not stop to sign autographs, I remember hoping he would deny them, but he looked at me apologetically and was whisked inside to the stadium.

Then a venue security guard came out a while later to escort in the arrival of Will Champion and Guy Berryman. As I once again held up my painting, the venue security stopped the van far shorter than where Jonny had been allowed to get out, and then had the boys ushered into an entry that was too far from the cries of the waiting fans. I was so annoyed and couldn’t understand why security had to be so unfair to us, after all we where behind a metal fence!

So I chose to run to the other side when the cars were driving into the venue from, I waited for Chris Martin, and by now there were only a handful of fans. As he came around the corner, he had his window open and he waved and smiled but didn’t stop for us.

The show went on, and at the end I waited in the same spot where I had seen Chris earlier. First out was Will, he stopped and got out of the car for a couple of quick photos and signed my painting and then left, I was happy I’d finally caught one of them. About an hour later Chris Martin was being driven out, I watched the car coming towards me & held up my work. The van stopped and a window opened to which a bodyguard said to me “hurry up”. I ran over and inside the back of the van was Chris Martin. He said he’d seen me waiting and he signed very quickly as I thanked him kindly, he smiled and said ‘your welcome’. Terrific! I’d now got 2 of the band, I was half way.

It was again about another hour before Johnny and Guy came out together in the back of a van. I was waving around my painting for their attention but alas, the van just kept driving and left us all standing their in an instant of disappointment. They were all gone! So the painting is yet to be completed by the rest of the band, we will try again the next time they’re in town.