It was June of 2008, the weather was cold, and my thoughts were as dark as the clouds that continuously lingered over town. I was home for four weeks for my holidays from my first year of university, and I was one unhappy child. It was during this time that I happened to hear a certain song called "Violet Hill" on the radio. It took just one listen for me to become completely hooked. Coldplay. I'd heard of them, I'd listened to them, and I'd liked them, but I'd never loved them. They had never even been one of my top ten bands. Oh how things were about to change! I listened to Violet Hill about 40 times within a week. Just before returning to varsity after the holidays, I heard Viva La Vida for the first time, and I loved it almost as much as I loved Violet Hill. I'll never forget saying goodbye to a friend at 4am, as she left for good, the line "be my mirror, my sword and shield, my missionaries in a foreign field..." coursing through my head over and over and over again. It was an eerie feeling. By now I had acquired all of Coldplay's albums, and had taken a shine to "The Scientist". What line could express the emotions of a young, lost first year better than "nobody said it was easy, no one ever said it would be this hard, oh take me back to the start" ? It sounds horribly corny and cliche, but this song got me through many tear-filled days. So, I think Coldplay were the first band that I actually fell in love with properly. I'd always loved music, but I think they were the start of my passion for it.
Flashforward to May 2011. Throughput all of Big Concerts' announcements, I'd never once let myself believe that one could actually be Coldplay. I'd said it jokingly, I's told Lauren to hold thumbs that it was them, but I'd never actually believed that it would be. So when, through extensive creeping, I found out that there was an announcement coming soon, and that it was probably Coldplay, I could not contain my excitement. I'm sure my friends were slightly offended by the fact that I kept losing track of our conversations, getting a glazed look upon my face, and beginning to mutter "Coldplay". As as result, I thought that I'd be an absolute mess the day the announcement was confirmed: I expected to jump, scream, squeal, and perhaps cry an actual tear or two (cue shock and horror). Instead, I calmly sat in my bed, smiling slightly and immediately checking up on flights to Joburg. I am going to see Coldplay. My life will officially be complete after this. It hasn't hit me yet, I think I'm in shock. Tickets go on sale on Thursday at 9am. Oh. My. Goodness.
