On Thursday 3rd October, Sonic Hub attended an event for the release of Coldplay’s newest album Moon Music. This took place at St Michael + All Angels Church in Shoreditch, London. Along with others that had won tickets in the ballot to attend, we were granted the opportunity to listen to the album a day before its release to the public.
Upon entry to the event, everyone was provided with some goodies before finding the place they wanted to sit in the church. Attendees each received a booklet with details about the album and event, a gift ticket (our personal favourite freebie), a pen, and blue and purple square pieces of paper. We were encouraged to write our thoughts, whether these be about the album or anything at all, or any messages that we wanted to say to people, onto these pieces of paper, and keep hold of them until after the listening event had ended.
The venue itself had been transformed. The central piece of the event was a large moon installation in the very centre of the space. Undeniably being shown because of the title of the new album Moon Music, many admired the moon as they entered the church and throughout the event. Surrounding the installation, all facing towards it, were yoga mats, bean bags, and benches where people were able to sit or lie down for the event. These, along with the colourful lights and projections of Coldplay’s name that were displayed throughout the church, truly provided a magical and cosy atmosphere for the event.
Once everyone had found somewhere to sit or lay, the event began with a voice note from Chris Martin, Coldplay’s lead singer, being played. He thanked people for attending the event and explained a little about the album and the messages behind it, before leading into the beginning of the first track. The album is an incredible mix of upbeat, emotional, and alternative songs, with features from artists including Lil Simz, Ayra Starr, and Elyanna. We were able to fully embrace the emotions of the album, listening to it song-by-song whilst admiring the moon installation, the lighting that changed every time a new track began, and the venue of the church itself.
Bringing the listening event to an end, the last song on the album called “ONE WORLD” is particularly special, because it features the voices of “137,204 special guest singers from 207 countries”. This feat managed to score the band a Guinness World Record for the “most fan voices to feature on a music single”. The band extended the invitation to fans to have their voices included on a song on the album, through their email newsletter and social media pages. Hearing the result of this was awe-inspiring, especially in such a heart-warming atmosphere surrounded by other Coldplay fans.
After the event finished, we all were asked to bring our written-on blue and purple squares of paper over to a side of the church. On the wall was a mural titled All My Love, named after one of the songs on Moon Music. This mural consisted of a rainbow heart made up of all of the notes that people that had attended the listening events had written on. In turn, we all added our squares onto the mural, creating the outer layers and finishing the piece. It was a very sentimental and loving thing to see and be a part of, especially when reading some of the notes that attendees of the events had left.
Overall, the event was an amazing thing to be a part of, and we are so grateful that we got to attend and listen to Moon Music early. From the venue to the incredible staff, it was a fantastic experience, and we wanted to thank everyone that took part in creating it. Coldplay’s 10th album Moon Music is out now, and is available on most music platforms.
WORDS GRACE PATIENT
PHOTOS ANA PINTO
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