Munich brings us a rainy start to this European leg. Nevertheless, it’s a beautiful stadium and Germany has a history of some superb Coldplay audiences, so nobody’s grumbling (much!).
I begin the day by giving my camera bag a clear-out. Aside from the usual camera paraphernalia I discover that I’ve been carrying round enough confetti from the last leg to do a nice sideline as a wedding planner.
It takes a good twenty minutes of tipping, shaking and finally a Dyson to fully clear it. I vow to never leave it open during a show again in a bid to keep it tidy and light.
Proof positive that Munich has no intentions of letting the weather spoil the enjoyment comes at showtime, when the smell of beer and Bratwurst fills the stadium.
Openers Femme Schmidt and AlunaGeorge get things underway in fine style and see off the last of the rain. By 8pm things are drying up and with an early showtime, the intro tape is rolling by 8.15.
The highlight of the show, of course, comes when Chris notices a sign at the B-stage from a fella asking if he can come up and play Everglow.
It’s too good to pass up and he’s pretty soon up there flexing his fingers. He played an absolute blinder, too! I was only reminded later by the audio crew that the time delay between the speakers and the B-Stage is so off-putting that the band have to rely on their in-ear monitors to stay in time.
Quite how Ferdinand coped with only hearing himself half a second after he hit each key is beyond me – but fair play, he nailed it!
The show powers on and pretty soon I get down into the pit for Hymn For The Weekend and change lenses. The confetti cue hits and I turn to check that I’ve remembered to close my camera bag. I have not. The confetti grins back at me as it dives into every crevice.
We’re officially back…
R42
