Our first rock concert

Johan and I went for a (rock) concert - Coldplay. It was my birthday gift from him and I have to say, this gift is going to be a winner for a long time. Coldplay, the one band whose music I listened to as I stepped into adulthood. And when Johan and I got together, we continued to enjoy their music together. Ha ha. I know, I'm getting sentimental here. So anyways, when I found out that Coldplay was performing a one night concert in Abu Dhabi, I didn't hesistate to drop the biggest hint, well actually declaration to Johan that "We Are Going!"

So we arrived at Emirates Palace, Abu Dhabi, after a long two hours drive. The excitement in me started to build up once we entered the concert grounds. We headed straight to ticketing booth to collect out tickets, and got them exchanged for wrist bands. It was a strange, almost cosy feeling, hanging out with the other 15,000 people who had also gathered to listen and see Coldplay perform. I mean, aside from our similar music taste, we found ourselves lining up at the food stands, to purchase overpriced hotdogs, falafel sandwiches and cold beer just before the concert started. Talk about homogenity huh.

And under the same skies, even before the concert started, all of us felt the first droplets of rain! Johan went in search of the trash collector to swipe some bags from him, out of which we made very handy ponchos. Soon after, people were running up to us, deperately asking us where we got the bags from. Now, how funny was that? The trash collector really could have had his windfall that evening selling the bags! But he (and his colleagues) were smiling and happily handing out the bags to people who gratefully approached them. Aside from Coldplay, they were probably the most sought after men for the night.

So it rained, the winds came and the lightning electrified the skies above. I have to say, it only added to the excitement of the night. We were all in high spirits.

The concert started at 9pm. We were in the second standing section so basically the people on stage were tiny one-inch figures. Not that it mattered really. The two videowalls were gi-normous and the audio was simply superb. It continued to rain during the first half of the concert and our 'ponchos' did help a little though the rain felt like it was pelting from all directions. In any other time and situation, we would probably have felt miserable and even ridiculous. But that evening, it actually felt just right and even liberating. I would turn back to check on Johan every few minutes and get a glimpse of him encased by the garbage bag, his face all wet and shiny from the rain, himself sandwiched with all these equally happy strangers but on his face was the biggest grin ever. Ahh, I think to myself, what a guy huh!

Eventually Johan squeezed himself to where I was standing (on a manhole actually) and we got to enjoy the rest of the concert with his arms wrapped around me. I didn't want the concert to end ... it was almost magical. It gave us a few hours of not having to worry about our two girls (though they were very safe in grandma's care), his work, the coming morning, the oh so many worries that have been dogging us these past months. My heart sank a little and I sighed a little when the concert ended ... BUT eventually I turned around, gave him a hug and a kiss because I was even more grateful that I had this experience with him, to see Coldplay live in concert. Our first ever rock concert together!

We were looking silly ...

... but there were many who wished they had this 'fashionable' poncho

Midway in the concert, Coldplay performed on a small stage in the middle of the crowd. So this was how close we got up to Chris Martin. Ha ha

Gone are the days when the audience lit up their lighters during a concert. In the 21st century, the audience whip up their mobile phones!

Fans of Coldplay ...