I Went To A Coldplay Concert Alone
I keep forgetting to write a post about this. It’s late, but here it is. This is me trying to recall that experience with my questionable memory. This was a year ago.
I still can’t believe I did it — I went to a Coldplay concert alone. Its the first real concert I attended as well if we’re not counting the Parokya ni Edgar concert I watched in school. I had no idea what to expect and where I got the guts to attend it by myself. But here we are. All I know is that I really want to go.
I think I first discovered them in high school. Then in college, I would download all the soulful music I could find and listen to Coldplay along with The Fray and The Kooks during my commutes. My favorite songs from Coldplay back then were Fix you, Viva la vida and SHIVER! During an event I attended at school, I remember a band playing “Everglow,” and that’s when I started liking that song too.
The tickets sold out fast on the first day so I though I wouldn’t be able to attend the concert. I also missed my chance to book for the second day because I wasn’t aware of it. But then, in a twist of fate (or pure luck), I found a listing on Carousell, and the seller happened to be nearby. The universe wanted me at that concert, I thought. After securing the ticket, my next challenge was figuring out how to get there.
On concert day, I felt relieved that everything was well-organized. I didn’t get lost or have an internal meltdown. Standing in line was… awkward especially when you’re alone and there are groups of people around. I brought food, but eating while waiting for the line to move felt weird. I feel like a peasant who was just handed a meal. But of course, I still ate after sitting down. Hunger always wins.
The concert opened with Jika Marie. I love her hair. She’s so cute, and her song “Balang Araw” stayed with me. And then Coldplay started, and suddenly I was being spiritually cleansed by sound waves.
I had this internal battle about recording during the concert. Initially, I didn’t want to. I wanted to live in the moment, not through my phone screen during this what might’ve been a very important time of my life. But while waiting in line, I overheard someone saying how they regretted not recording their previous concert. So I recorded but tried not to look at my phone, not caring if my jumping or movements would mess up the video.
For “Sky Full of Stars,” I only recorded when the song was about to end. I wanted to actually feel it. And it was everything! I don’t want to write down cliche phrases describing the Coldplay concert experience like it being like a sensory overload or comparing it to having an orgasm, but I can’t find another way to describe it. It’s really what it is.
I was already walking to the parking lot when they played “Fix You.” The song was drifting through the night air, and suddenly I was crying while walking alone. I was singing along having my main character moment: “Tears stream down your face and Iiiiiiiii… lights will guide you home and ignite your bones. I will try to fix you.” Thankfully, there was nobody near enough to hear my tragic, off-key singing.
How am I supposed to recover from all that? 😭 It was so magical. The experience was more than worth its price.
Despite the emotional ambush, going alone and surviving the night was incredibly satisfying. On that same day, I read a quote about solo travel and not waiting for other people to see the world. It wasn’t about concerts, but it pushed me even more to just go for things, even if I have to do them alone. I hope I get to attend another Coldplay concert—and this time, I’ll stay till the end. And hopefully, I’ll get a chance to hear them play Shiver and afford the VIP ticket 🥹🙏