REVIEW: A world away from the rest of Australia I entered Coldplay's universe for 90 minutes in Perth in 35 degree heat.
It’s where I now wish to exist.
The band had been rehearsing this Music of the Spheres Tour for 119 shows before us and frontman Chris Martin had us believing the best was being saved for this neck of the woods.
The crowd, connected by light-up wristbands, spent 22 songs inside an Optus-sponsored glow worm cave that started hypnotising us from the first song.
Not only that, but being the eco-warriors of the music world, Coldplay wanted sustainability on show alongside their hits. Most intriguing of their efforts - the fit, energetic fans on the ground floor jumping on dance mats and biking to literally power the lights.
On behalf of us unfit attendees sitting in the seats - thank you.
It was hard not to feel positive.
Songs that felt more like anthems melted into the starry night one after the other.
Then, Chris plucked young cancer survivor Jasmine out of the crowd and together they had the crowd in awe as they sung 'Everglow'.
Coldplay had me hooked.
That was until a purple puppet came on stage and I began rapidly spinning out of control into a new world. Literally a muppet singing a ballad - a duet - while Chris Martin lovingly looked into its cartoon eyes.
Like any journalist, I had questions.
Who was she?
Why was this happening? What the eff was going on? And where was the opening act Amy Shark?
Could it have been her?
Many started chatting to each other trying to understand what was happening.
Then something just as strange happened next.
Out came aliens - suspiciously dressed in similar clothes to Coldplay, suspiciously sounding similar to Coldplay, but briefly playing a style of music not many would associate with Coldplay.
I was back to my original question: What the heck was going on?
We were being transported into a world not too far from a festival at 2am. Some might know the one - when the doof doof tent is still alive and the creatures still raving inside barely are.
I was questioning life.
But then our wristbands glowed yellow, we were guided back home into the warm embrace of Coldplay's songs that we all know and love.
It's quite hard to explain.
You feel like you're part of this once-in-a-life time experience. The one you'll tell grandkids about when you're 80.
Although many may struggle to believe me because it was at this point Chris asked us to enter incognito mode.
By now, without realising, we had actually been so hypnotised into such a trance we willingly went against all we know as a human race in 2023 - and all turned our phones off.
A stadium of 67000 wrists lit up.
'Fix You' came on.
While I'd put a lot of money on the fact most Perthonians there can't sing a note in tune. At that moment, with just Chris on the keys, the crowd on vocals, we combined to create a harmonious sound that you can't buy on Spotify.
It was that pinch yourself, goosebumps kind of sound.
A lot of shitty things are happening in this world at the moment, and for 90 minutes Coldplay gave us a ticket to a world where we could forget it all.
Frozen at the end, standing, staring at the sky wondering if we’d just witnessed history - one the greatest shows of all time.
As one woman at the airport said: "I'm almost 80, I've seen a lot in my life, and that was one of the best yet."
She will definitely tell her grandkids about it today.
Check back in a few decades and I'll let you know if I'm still doing the same.
