Coldplay have had quite a few surprises during their little Aussie stint over the past few weeks, such as covering Nick Cave and filming a music video in the streets of Sydney, but guess what else was almost on the Coldy-cards? Why, a guest performance at none other than Hobart’s DARK MOFO Festival.
That’s right, Chris Martin and Co., who were in the country in support of their ‘shit more so than hit’ sixth studio record Ghost Stories, were in last minute communications with MONA (Museum of Old And New Art) owner David Walsh and DARK MOFO organiser Leigh Carmichael to perform a surprise show at the Tasmanian art and music extravaganza which fell apart as swiftly as it was built, as FasterLouder reports.
“They wanted to play a surprise, free gig at Dark Mofo. I was excited too. It looked like quite a coup,” reveals Walsh, writing on the MONA blog yesterday.
“Apparently they wanted me to show them around when they came down for the gig, a problem because I was planning to be at a party in Austria at the time. I quickly reorganised my schedule, leaving my friends in Europe in the lurch to get the gig,” he continues. We’re scratching our heads over here, what’s so wrong with The Spirit of Tasmania?
Despite frantic efforts by organisers to get the British boys south of the Tasman sea, which Walsh cemented was “signed and sealed”, the plans hit a bit of an 11th-hour logistical snag, ending the Coldplay dream of performing at the Winter Solstice.
So what’s the problem, you devastatingly ask? The band roll with some pretty hefty music equipment, Walsh explains, meaning the four demand that they must not travel on anything less than a Boeing 767. The drama here according to Walsh is that “767s can’t land at Hobart airport,” putting an end to the proposed free set by the band. (A ferry crossing on The Spirit of Tasmania be damned.)
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Moreover, just how pissed off where the fastidiously working organisers of DARK MOFO? Leigh Carmichael reportedly sent Walsh a fairly unabashed and carefree text message of the situation, “didn’t need those Coldplay cunts after all.”
Ouch! Clearly Carmichael didn’t need Coldplay to put a smile on his face, he must have been too busy digging five of the most incredible performances native only to DARK MOFO, which took place last weekend to double the attendance of the 2013 edition (with or without Coldplay).
We’re scratching our heads over here, what’s so wrong with The Spirit of Tasmania? Or what about that old school Coldplay passion, perhaps they should have swam across or at least jumped across for you?
Although the quartet were a no-show for DARK MOFO, the secret gig would have perfectly rounded out Coldplay’s “back to basics” approach implemented in Australia, the band having already played an intimate sold-out gig at Sydney’s Enmore Theatre, with a surprise cameo from Kylie Minogue for an encore of ‘Can’t Get You Out Of My Head’ and Nick Cave duet ‘Where The Wile Roses Grow’.
The concert coming days after the band reached out directly to fans to help then march through the streets of Newtown, filming a guerilla music video with 250 residents as extras for ‘A Sky Full Of Stars’. You can view the results below.
