Publications
Partners
Johannesburg - It took Big Concerts 10 years to get the British alternative rock band Coldplay to perform in South Africa, its CEO Attie Van Wyk said on Monday, in announcing two shows, in Cape Town and Johannesburg, in October.
"After 10 years of knocking on the door, we are incredibly excited that they have finally confirmed two stadium shows," he said.
"It can take any artist of that calibre to negotiate for that long... South Africa is very far from any of their other territories...," he said.
"But now, for Coldplay, it's the first opportunity to look at the South African market."
Best selling album
The first concert would be held at Cape Town Stadium on October 5 and the second at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on October 8.
The concerts would be held in the same week that Coldplay released its fifth album, said Van Wyk.
The band's fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, was released in 2008.
Coldplay's other studio albums are: Parachutes in 2000, A Rush of Blood to the Head in 2002, which spawned popular singles The Scientist, In My Place and Clocks which won Record of the Year at the 2004 Grammys.
Its third album, X&Y became the best selling album of 2005 with world-wide sales of 11 million.
'Soft market'
Van Wyk said there were no indications yet what the concert would be dubbed, but it "may just be named after the new album".
The band includes the musicians Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin.
In a recent interview with BBC radio, Martin said the new album was about "love, addiction, OCD (obsessive, compulsive disorder), escape and working for someone you don’t like". It would also have "a lot of uplifting stuff".
Durban would not host a show as "it's a soft market", said Van Wyk.
"We run the numbers, and in most cases artists say it's not worth our while. We very seldom play in Durban and Port Elizabeth. The money one can make doesn't justify the tour."
Tickets go on sale at Computicket on Thursday and will be priced from R270 to R635.
"After 10 years of knocking on the door, we are incredibly excited that they have finally confirmed two stadium shows," he said.
"It can take any artist of that calibre to negotiate for that long... South Africa is very far from any of their other territories...," he said.
"But now, for Coldplay, it's the first opportunity to look at the South African market."
Best selling album
The first concert would be held at Cape Town Stadium on October 5 and the second at FNB Stadium in Johannesburg on October 8.
The concerts would be held in the same week that Coldplay released its fifth album, said Van Wyk.
The band's fourth album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, was released in 2008.
Coldplay's other studio albums are: Parachutes in 2000, A Rush of Blood to the Head in 2002, which spawned popular singles The Scientist, In My Place and Clocks which won Record of the Year at the 2004 Grammys.
Its third album, X&Y became the best selling album of 2005 with world-wide sales of 11 million.
'Soft market'
Van Wyk said there were no indications yet what the concert would be dubbed, but it "may just be named after the new album".
The band includes the musicians Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin.
In a recent interview with BBC radio, Martin said the new album was about "love, addiction, OCD (obsessive, compulsive disorder), escape and working for someone you don’t like". It would also have "a lot of uplifting stuff".
Durban would not host a show as "it's a soft market", said Van Wyk.
"We run the numbers, and in most cases artists say it's not worth our while. We very seldom play in Durban and Port Elizabeth. The money one can make doesn't justify the tour."
Tickets go on sale at Computicket on Thursday and will be priced from R270 to R635.
