Coldplay
Tampa, FL
It all started off so well. I had been looking forward to it for so long. Not just another Coldplay show, but a Coldplay show with friends. I was sick of working, but each night I would just say to myself.....just hang in there, just one more night and then off to Florida to see Coldplay with Mel and Lori. Lori and I had gone to several shows over the last few months, but I hadn't seen Mel since last year. And Mel hadn't seen Coldplay since last year. As excited as I was about seeing them again, I was even more excited to see Mel and for Mel to see them. I was even going a day early so I could see her and her beautiful family. We had plans to make banners and plot all our moves for the next day. She had invited one of her friends to go with us and we would have to prepare her for (a) what to expect at the show and (b) the fact that she was going to be hanging out with a bunch of nutters.
So when I set off early Saturday morning I was on cloud nine. I got to the airport and sent Mel a text that I was on the plane and would text her when I landed. The flight was completely full. Mel lives just outside Orlando so most of the plane was full of families on their way to Disney. Who cares about that rat....Coldplay, now that's a vacation! My flight left Houston at 7:45. How things can change in such a short amount of time. I landed in Orlando at just after 11am Orlando time, turned on my phone to text Mel that I was there. Before I could even start to press buttons I started receiving several inbound messages. I just stared at my phone in disbelief.
"Show canceled, and I am not joking!" was what Mel had sent. WHAT! I just stood there. This is so not funny Mel! Screw the texting, I call her. Not a joke, it was announced while I was in the air. It took a few minutes for me to snap out of it and make my way out of the airport to meet her. The show had been "postponed" due to some medical reason. She had her iTouch to show me the band's message posted on their site. It was indeed no joke. The show that we had all been looking forward to was not going to happen. We were completely gutted.
This wasn't my first experience with shows being moved/canceled. The show for Houston was canceled during the X&Y tour due to Hurricane Rita. Last year I spent three days in Phoenix because the band had moved their date after I had paid for a flight, hotel and car....all of which were nonrefundable. That show was moved because their tour just wasn't ready yet. WTF! I wasn't very happy about that kind of reason at all! When I met Jonny and Guy in Chicago, I had told Jonny, actually I think I kinda bitched at him, about me having to suffer in Arizona for 3 days without them. He was so cute, he apologized and wrote "Sorry you had to go to Arizona" on my AROBTTH CD. And now, here it was again. Oh well, what can you do. If someone is sick, they are sick.
So Mel and I are driving to her house and we start talking about all the people that are coming to Florida for the show and how many of them, are en route and totally unaware of what they will soon find out. We call Lori and deliver the bad news. Lori says she has a nonrefundable ticket and she checked with the airline and to change her flight to another date is almost as expensive as a new ticket so what the hell, she will just go ahead and fly in and join our pity party. We send Kelly a text to tell her about it but she is also in the air and doesn't find out until it's too late. Unfortunately, she's flying into Tampa and will be stuck there on her own. Turned out to be OK because she ended up hooking up with some other people that arrived there to the bad news.
Saturday night Mel has a cookout at her place. This was already planned so that I could have a chance to meet her friend Carrie, who would be going with us to the show. Mel's hubby has family that makes bourbon and he has quite a supply. WIN! Yes, let me just sample all the many types you have in stock thank you very muchly. Got a text from Kelly, she was also drowning her sorrows in alcohol in Tampa.
So Sunday morning, Mel and I head back to the airport to collect Lori. She hasn't slept all night so instead of heading out for Tampa to see Coldplay, we all go back to Mel's and take naps. Woo hoo aren't we all bad ass concert goers! LOL Carrie was as bummed as us and since they had already planned on leaving their kids with the hubbies, we decide the 4 of us should go out. We went to an Irish Pub and had some food and drink. Then back to Mel's were we watched Coldplay videos and gave Carrie a taste of what nut jobs she has gotten herself involved with. LOL. Lori and I drowned our lack of Jonny sorrows in Patron Silver. OK Lori sipped her sorrows, I drowned mine.
Monday, day three, poor Mel's third trip to the airport. I am bummed that we didn't get to see the band, sad that Mel doesn't get to see Elbow, but I did get to see Mel and Lori and got to meet Carrie so it's all good.
We are one month away from London. So whom ever is sick in the band, rest and get well. Christopher if it is you I am positive that it is that bloody hair that is making you sick so get your ass down to the barber shop and get that poof off your head! Just know that you owe me another apology Mr Buckland and I am coming to London to get it.
