Unstaged show – live build-up

Tonight’s American Express UNSTAGED show tonight will be webcast live in countries around the world at www.youtube.com/coldplayVEVO. The show starts at 10pm Spanish time / 9pm UK time / 4pm ET / 1pm PT (click here to find out what time that is where you are). This our build-up blog.

10.45pm: Hopefully you’re enjoying the show. Those of you in countries who can’t see it, don’t forget you’ll be able to listen to tomorrow night’s Norwich show live on BBC Radio 1’s website, wherever you are.

Here are a couple of pics from the show…

And with that, we’ll bid you goodnight (the band are doing a runner to the airport straight after the show). Enjoy the live stream. And we’ll see you tomorrow in Norwich…

10.16pm: OK, the show has now begun. It sounds like there were a few load issues with YouTube, which we’re told are now sorted. So tune in at www.youtube.com/coldplayVEVO now!

We’ll leave you with the traditional pre-gig huddle…

9.55pm: Final preparations…

9.53pm: Here’s Will

9.30pm: Here’s Jonny*

* Yes, we do that same joke every live photoblog. Apologies.

9.22pm: Here’s Mr Christopher Martin doing keepy ups in the dressing room just now (speaking of football, there’s talk of several very famous players coming along to the show tonight…)

9.11pm: "At what time will the stream on youtube start?" asks Colin to anchorman@coldplay.com. Not sure, actually. The show starts in 49 minutes, but not sure when they’ll be turning on the stream. Guess we’ll have to wait and see…

9.08pm: And here’s a slightly wider shot of Fedde doing his thing (the venue is filling up now).

9.05pm: So, 55 minutes until stage time and Fedde Le Grande is warming the crowd up in some style (he was playing Missing by Everything By The Girl when this picture was taken).

8.54pm: Natalie has asked how long the band are playing for tonight. Well, we’ve just a setlist and there are 19 songs on it…

8.48pm: Lots of the Coldplaying massive have been asking for a photo of the band giving them a shout of. And so here is one. Sort of.

8.42pm: We spotted some new items on the merch stand – which, we’re told, will be going into the Coldplay Online Shop very soon.

8.41pm: Update on the band’s whereabouts. Will is playing a football game on his phone. The others are not in the dressing room. Here endeth the update on the band’s whereabouts. (Sorry.)

8.37pm: Take all this in and you’ll be fine…

8.36pm: Apologies for the delay – we got a new blog from Roadie #42 – so we obviously had to post it.

8.14pm: Just been for a little wander outside the venue. It’s a stunning old building.

7.52pm: There is a cricket bat in the band’s dressing room. We haven’t seen anyone playing with it, but it’s nice that it’s there.

7.43pm: A few of you have been emailing anchorman@coldplay.com from countries which won’t be able to watch tonight’s show online. We are genuinely sorry about that – it’s not something in our control. But you will all be able to listen to tomorrow night’s Norwich show live on BBC Radio 1’s website, wherever you are.

7.39pm: Two of Mylo Xyloto’s three producers in one picture – it’s Dan Green and Rik Simpson! (Don’t think the third, Markus Dravs, is coming tonight. He’ll be watching online. Probably.)

7.38pm: Lots of you asking anchorman@coldplay.com what the band are up to at the moment. Last we saw, they were just chilling in the dressing (it’s been a very busy few days/weeks).

7.35pm: And we’re back. Here’s what was on the menu:

We had the soup (warming) and the pork (tasty). The "eggs in green sauce" seemed to be going down well with others.

7.05pm: Right. Meal voucher has just arrived. Off to grab something to eat (taking camera…). Back soon.

7.03pm: Leticia has emailed anchorman@coldplay.com to ask how many people Coldplay will be performing in front of tonight. We’re told 16,000 are expected (and that came from The Oracle, so it must be true).

7.00pm: Here’s the view Chris will have tonight (well, it’ll a bit darker – as the sun sets in 21 minutes, according to a sign on the wall in the office we’re in).

6.58pm: And the first person with the correct answer (which was, amazingly, Hurts Like Heaven) was Laurie Maine. Well done Laurie! 🙂

6.47pm: QUIZ: email anchorman@coldplay.com if you can guess which song this will be used on tonight…

6.41pm: A sign which confused us considerably earlier (which way? How about an arrow?)

6.38pm: Here’s Coldplay’s soundman (and Mylo Xyloto co-producer) Dan Green during the rehearsals.

6.31pm: And here’s a photo of the band during rehearsals. As you might gather from their attire, it is *properly* chilly in Madrid today.

6.24pm: Phil Harvey – Coldplay’s fifth member, and the subject of some kind words from the band in today’s press conference – has just sent us this photo of Anton Corbijn directing the rehearsals for tonight’s show, which have just been taking place.

6.18pm: After the press conference, the band were presented with gold discs for Mylo Xyloto by the Spanish label (which is pretty impressive given that it only came out this week). They’ve certainly set a high bar for the label in other countries to follow with the quality of their presentation – the spray can is a particularly nice touch.

6.16pm: Having arrived from the UK this morning, the band went straight to a hotel in Madrid, where they held a press conference for the world’s media. It looked a little like this…

6.12pm: We’ll only be blogging until the show starts, by the way. As then you’ll be able to watch it online. But that still gives us almost four hours of live photoblog fun. If you’d like to say hello, we’re on anchorman@coldplay.com.

6.09pm: Hello! You join us backstage at Plaza de Toros de Las Ventas in Madrid, where Coldplay’s American Express UNSTAGED show tonight will be webcast in countries around the world at www.youtube.com/coldplayVEVO. The show starts at 10pm Spanish time / 9pm UK time / 4pm ET / 1pm PT (click here to find out what time that is where you are). It will also be available to watch live on mobile devices via VEVO and YouTube apps for iPhone, iPod touch, iPad and Android. And if you’re in New York, you can watch it on big screens in Times Square.

The Unstaged show be available to watch in the following countries: Argentina, Australia, Brazil, Canada, Czech Republic, France, Hong Kong, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Korean Republic, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Poland, Russian Federation, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, United Kingdom and United States. (Apologies to those of you in other countries, there will be other big events which you’ll be able to watch soon.)