War Child benefit concert
Monday 23 February 2009
It's not often you get to see a 'once in a lifetime' performance. But the Warchild benefit gig at the newly renamed O2 Shepherds Bush Empire was out of this world!
Chris Martin and his band Coldplay managed to persuade The Killers, Bono from U2 and Gary Barlow to take to the stage and sing the Killers track All These Things That I've Done. It was the ultimate boy band performance!
Before coming back out for an encore Chris Martin told the crowd: "This is going to be the best encore you've ever seen." And he wasn't wrong...
Before the all star performance Take That's Gary came out and sang Back For Good with Coldplay! The audience was celebrity central too!
I was just a couple of feet away from Gwyneth Paltrow who sang along to Back For Good and bit her lip with excitement when Bono walked on. Sienna Miller and Bond Girl Gemma Arterton danced side by side.
Anna Friel and partner David Thewlis looked exceedingly sweaty as they raised their hands and rocked out whilst nearby supermodels Sophie Dahl and Erin O'Connor shook their heads with delight.
Courtney Love ran in late on and chatted to The Edge throughout the Coldplay section. It was a truly mind blowing evening!
To see pictures from the mammoth gig click here.
But my evening wasn't all good! I had a wee run in with Gemma Arterton. I fear she may need to come back down to earth! After being initially lovely at the swanky O2 bash she refused to pose for a picture with me!
And told me: "There's no way I could do a photo with you. Everyone called me fat a few weeks ago - and I can't do anything with magazines like Closer. My publicist would kill me."
The sad thing is I actually have always liked her and I was thrilled to meet her! And she's far from fat in real life. Gemma told me she missed the Brits as she was filming on the Isle of Man.
"I hopped on a plane to get back to make the Coldplay and Killers gig," she explained. "I missed the awards but
wanted to come out."
Gemma has a bright future - what with Prince of Persia coming out soon - but she needs to remember the mags and sites that have helped her out on the way up and will continue to!
I watched the Killers perform next to lovely Radio One DJ Edith Bowman who was enjoying a night out after giving birth to her first child eight months ago. Edith was over the moon that Girls Aloud won their gong.
She said: „Seeing them scrambling up to the stage like excited little girls made the Brits for me this year. It was much deserved."
I couldn't agree more Edith! It was about time the UK's biggest pop band got a Brit Award!