Coldplay: La Vida and death

Coldplay has been compared to bands like U2 and Oasis, both of which come from the UK. The comparison is easy to understand since the music and subject matter can be similar. Coldplay shares the same political convictions of Bono and the rest of U2 and the melodic and hauntingly abrasive rock songs of Oasis.

Coldplay got the world’s attention with the release of their first album in 2000 titled Parachutes which shot through the top of the Albums Chart in the UK. It was nominated for a Mercury Music Prize and earned the Best Alternative Music Album award in the 2002 Grammys. It bore their most recognized single “Yellow”.

The second album, A Rush of Cold Blood to the Head was released two years after in August 2002. It won 2003 Grammy Award for Best Alternative Music Album and the single “Clocks” was named Record of the Year. Coldplay’s second album was both critically and commercially acclaimed and was full of passionate themes of love and longing.

It opens with the thoroughly political song “Politik” written in response to the 9/11 New York bombings. It follows with the hauntingly sad “In My Place”, “Scientist” and “Clocks”. Although the songs can be very vague in terms of what they want to tell their listeners, the melody helps in delivering the message.

Now recognized as a serious band that can sell out shows as well as records, in 2005 Coldplay released X&Y which become the best-selling album of the year. Itchalked up almost 4 million record sales worldwide and debuted in the number 1 spot in 22 countries. The single “Fix You” became the theme song for the hopelessly in love while “Speed of Sound”, with its upbeat tempo was a commercial success.

The current album, titled Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends was released April of 2008. Coldplay continues to dominate the charts and record sales with the album selling 302,000 copies in three days. It has since been tagged as one of the “fastest-selling records in UK history”. Its carrier single, “Violet Hill” earned a place in UK’s Top 10 and the US Top 40. “Viva la Vida”, based on download sales alone became the UK number 1.

Coldplay are about to tour UK, Europe and North America this year to promote their latest album. A number of fans were able to win free Coldplay tickets for their free shows in New York and London. Coldplay are set to perform in more than 90 shows this year and Coldplay tickets for July to September shows in the US and Canada are already available online.


Click here for the best deals on Coldplay concert tickets

Coldplay Hit Number One

Coldplay have reached the top of the charts this week, not only in the US, but also in the UK and Australia. Even before hard copy albums are on sale in the US and UK, they were still the most downloaded artist, giving them top berth. Tickets can be found at www.concert-ticketdeals.com

The British rockers are preparing for a world wide tour over the summer, and you can catch them in Chicago on 22nd and 23rd July 2008.

Neil Diamond plays New York: tickets still available

Neil Diamond has added an additional show to his New York section of his tour this summer. It will be another Hot August Night, here in New York City, as one of our favourite sons returns to perform his magic. His tour across North America begins on July 19th in St. Paul, MN and takes him to 37-cities. In New York City, his shows are playing at the Madison Square Gardens, Tuesday 12 August, Thursday 14 August, Friday 15 and Saturday 16 August. Great tickets are still available from www.concert-ticketdeals.com but they are selling fast.

Neil Diamond Tickets New York, Tuesday, August 12, 2008 at 7:00 PM – View tickets here!

Neil Diamond Tickets New York, Thursday, Aug 14, 2008 at 7:00 PM – View tickets here!

Neil Diamond Tickets New York, Friday, August 15, 2008 at 7:00 PM – View tickets here!

Neil Diamond Tickets New York, Saturday August 16, 2008 at 8:00 PM - View tickets here!

Neil Diamond Tickets Albany, New York, Wed, August 20, 8:00PM - View tickets here!

Neil is certainly one of the most popular songwriters and performers of the modern era. With hits from the 1960s to the 1980s, and still recording albums, he has a loyal army of Diamond fans that reminisce with him.

He opened his European leg of the tour on 25 May 2008. His Rotterdam set list included:

One More Bite Of The Apple/Holly Holy (from Home Before Dark, 2008/
Touching Me, Touching You, 1969)
Street Life (from Beautiful Noise, 1976)
Beautiful Noise (from Beautiful Noise, 1976)
Lady Oh (from Beautiful Noise, 1976)
If You Know What I Mean (from Beautiful Noise, 1976)
Cherry Cherry (from The Feel Of Neil Diamond, 1966)
Thank The Lord For The Nighttime (from Just For You, 1967)
Hello Again (from The Jazz Singer, 1980)
Love On The Rocks (from The Jazz Singer, 1980)
Home Before Dark (from Home Before Dark, 2008
Don't Go There (from Home Before Dark, 2008)
Pretty Amazing Grace (from Home Before Dark, 2008)
Crunchy Granola Suite (from Stones, 1971)
Done Too Soon (from Tap Root Manuscript, 1970)
Forever in Blue Jeans (from You Don't Bring Me Flowers, 1978)
Brooklyn Roads (from Velvet Gloves and Spit, 1968)
I Am I Said (from Stones, 1971)
Solitary Man (from The Feel Of Neil Diamond, 1966)
I'm A Believer (from Just For You, 1967)
You Don't Bring Me Flowers (from You Don't Bring Me Flowers, 1978)
Song Sung Blue (from Moods, 1972)
Man Of God (from 12 Songs, 2005)
Hell Yeah (from 12 Songs, 2005)
Sweet Caroline (from Brother Loves Traveling Salvation Show, 1969)
Cracklin' Rosie (from Tap Root Manuscript, 1970)
America (from The Jazz Singer, 1980)
Brother Love's Traveling Salvation Show (from Brother Loves Traveling Salvation Show, 1969)

A New Star is Born In the Heights

It was a blockbuster-free zone when the Tony awards arrived this year with all the usual red-carpet excitement and promise. The winner of the Best Musical was “In the Heights”, a joyous celebration about chasing the American Dream and lottery winnings in Upper Manhattan Latino families. With its salsa-inspired rap numbers, and dynamic dancers and music, the show has been a hit amongst theater goers and critics alike.

Written and conceived by 28 year old Lin-Manuel Miranda while he was in college, the show features Miranda taking center stage, bounding around dynamically and punching out the rap-dialogue in a style many musical goers may be unaccustomed. And when taking the stage to accept his award he continued the style telling the audience “I used to dream about this moment, now I’m in it,” “Tell the conductor to hold the baton a minute.” And with a nod to Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim, Miranda raps: “Look, Mr. Sondheim, I made a hat where there never was a hat and it’s a Latin hat at that.”

Miranda’s show is a window into modern Latino culture, perhaps with a positive spin, but a window nonetheless. His first Broadway show, Miranda wrote the score and all of the songs, as well as playing the lead role. He simply lights up the stage with a dazzling display and draws the viewer in. The show played off-Broadway for a season. The music is bright and vibrant and very modern. “In the Heights” also won awards for the score, orchestrations and choreography.

With no major blockbuster show taking all the awards this year, the prizes were shared around. Winners in the recent past such as Jersey Boys and Wicked are still playing to packed houses around Broadway. The revival musical “South Pacific” picked up seven wins including best revival and best actor — for the lead, Paulo Szot — in addition to four design awards and an award for best director, Bartlett Sher.

Other winners were:

Best play: August: Osage County
Best revival of a musical: South Pacific
Best performance by a leading actor in a musical: Paulo Szot, South Pacific
Best performance by a leading actress in a musical: Patti LuPone, Gypsy

The 62nd annual Tony Awards was hosted by com0edian and talk show host Whoopi Goldberg. Around 790 people from the theater industry -- from actors, to directors to journalists -- vote for the Tony Awards. The Tony Awards were established in 1947 and are named after Atoinette Perry, whose nickname was Toni. Perry, who died in 1946, was an actress, stage director and philanthropist.

Spamalot tickets available in New York

Delivering in the spirit of the much loved “cult” movie “Monty Python and the Holy Grail”, Monty Python’s Spamalot has been delighting the crowds on Broadway since its first show in March 2005. The story takes a lot of licence on the legend of King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table, and the spoof musical parodies all and sunder in its quest to bring the crowds to their knees in laughter. It pokes fun and laughs at the Arthurian legend and quaint old English mannerisms, and has a go at that great tradition that we love dearly: the Broadway musical!

There are lots of familiar references to Python offerings from the seventies that make it to the stage including ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life”, with nods to “the Lumberjack Song” and “Ministry of Silly Walks” sketch and the “Dead Parrot” sketch. Monty Python fans will love it and will relive some fond memories, and new audiences, unfamiliar with Monty Python, will gain a new appreciation of the peculiar British humour that is Monty Python.

Further lampooning targets in the show include a Lloyd Webber-esque power ballad “The Song Goes Like This” and a “Boy From Oz” style dance number “His Name is Lancelot”. Yentl and The Producers get an honourable dig the song “You Won’t Succeed on Broadway”.

Monty Python’s Spamalot received 14 Tony Award nominations, more than any other show in the 2004–2005 season. It won three awards:
• Best Musical
• Best Performance by a Featured Actress in a Musical (Sara Ramirez)
• Best Direction of a Musical (Mike Nichols)

All ages will love this show and you are not going to want to miss the chance to see this musical! It has recently finished a successful season in Melbourne, Australia, and the final date is already scheduled in London’s West End for early 2009. Whether you are a Monty Python fan and will know all the jokes within this musical, or if you just love a good night of laughs and great music, then this is the show for you! Make sure you get your friends and family together - because you always need someone to rehash a joke with you!

Monty Python’s Spamalot is showing now at the Shubert Theatre, 225 W 44th Street ,New York, NY 10036