Coldplay to play sunrise and sunset shows in Jordan

Coldplay will be in Jordan this month for two special concerts. The four-piece have teamed up with YouTube to perform two shows in the capital, Amman, on Friday, November 22. Both gigs will be streamed live on the platform. At present, there is no news of where the shows will take place and whether tickets will be available to the public. If you are planning to catch the broadcast in the region or in Europe, be prepared to set your alarm clocks. With the concert date being the release day of their new double album Everyday Life, the band aims to recreate the album's sunrise and sunset concept. This means the first half of the 52 minute album, titled Sunrise, will be performed at 8am UAE time (which is 6am Jordan and 4am GMT), before the band returns at 8pm UAE time (6pm in Jordan and 4pm GMT) to perform the Sunset portion of the album. “These two broadcasts have been our dream since we first started work on this album,” said the band statement. “It’s a bit impossible and a bit scary, like all the best dreams.” As part of the announcement, Coldplay dropped a YouTube video of a fake, and rather unhinged, press conference that does provide some details into the album. "Our album, Everyday Life is an attempt to convey the fact that there is a lot of shared experience and things that affect us all," said drummer Will Champion. Guitarist Jonny Buckland also explained the album's cover art - which has the band members faces super imposed on top of a black and white photo of a vintage music ensemble - is in fact a family affair. "The [original photo] are actually my great grandfather's band," he said. "They were called Big Buckland's Dance Orchestra." The “press conference” then moves into more humorous territory as the group comments on their supposed rivalry with U2 ("We don't really feel competitive with any other artist," Martin chimes) and the skincare routine of bassist Guy Berryman. True to his "quiet one" persona, he replies: "It is kind of a secret, I make my own stuff." All jokes aside, this latest move by Coldplay is another indication of the Arabic influences of their upcoming album. While we are yet to hear any of the new songs, the regional outlook is already prevalent all over the Everyday Life . In addition to their latest press release having their name phonetically spelled in Arabic, the album cover also has the Arabic translation of the title: Al Hayah Al Yawmeya. The track list also features song denoting the region such as Arabesque and Bani Adam . The latter is also presented in the album cover in Arabic script and it translates to 'The children of Adam', but the title can also be used as a rallying cry, similar to 'yalla'. In this context, it can also mean something like 'let's go, man'. Coldplay’s announcement also marks another win for Jordan's entertainment industry; 2019 has been a stellar year for the kingdom as it hosted a number of high profile events. The biggest of which was the Middle Eastern film premiere of Aladdin in May, which saw stars Will Smith, Mena Massaoud and Naomi Scott arrive for a gala screening. This was followed a month later with the red carpet premiere of Netflix's Middle Eastern production Jinn , part of which was shot in the ancient city of Petra. Here is hoping that Coldplay’s fascination with the Arab world means a return to Abu Dhabi. And why not? The boys simply love it here as they have already performed three memorable shows in the capital. The first was on March 28, 2009, in Emirates Palace - a rain soaked gig that went down in Abu Dhabi folklore as the band and crowd enthusiastically battled the elements. This was followed by New Year's Eve gig in 2011 at the Abu Dhabi Corniche as part of the Volvo Ocean Race, while their last gig was the same occasion in 2016 at du Arena.

Coldplay to play sunrise and sunset shows in Jordan

To promote their coming double album, 'Everyday Life', both concerts will be streamed online