No winners, when you play stupid games
Coldplay have been termed by influential musical guru, 'Afisha's' Sergey Stepanov, as 'This century's equivalent of the Beatles', having sold over 100 million albums, reached an audience of 90 million Spotify listeners and stayed relevant to the 'pop' genre for almost forty years. From hard rock, through soft rock, their romanticism has kept them at the forefront of the performing arts and made theirs the 'go to' concerts, especially during the summer. It's where you would take the one you love, the one close to you and surrender to the romance that Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Will Champion and Phil Harvey inspire.
Ironically for Byron and Cabot, they were 'snapped' by the 'Kiss Cam', rocking gently, romantically, lovingly, as Martin chatted to their audience between gentle romantic melodies. Their slowly dawning awareness, his darting for the cover of darkness and her realisation of what had just occurred before turning away, distraught yet with much more dignity than her 'beau' at least offered her more class than his 'rat deserting a sinking ship' imitation.
Anyway, I'm not casting stones, or passing judgement, but I found it ironic that my favourite Coldplay song is 'Viva La Vida', a song and lyrics inspired by the illusions of power and success; and how quickly they come and go, poetic, introspective, provocative, the lyrics echo the Frida Kahlo painting of the same name, an image of the death of Louis XVI. It's portrayal of his struggle to be heard by the baying mob as he faces the realities of life and death, may be interpreted as our own needs to Viva la vida, or 'live life', as nothing is permanent.
Certainly, for Byron and Cabot, their lives will never be the same again and it's just as well they both have independent means, although Byron's bank balance will surely be battered by his cuckolded wife, who, along with both families, will surely exact her own form of retribution. It's difficult to see the 'canoodlers' staying together either... I mean, he 'got out of there and left her to 'face the music, didn't he? What a bounder, a cad, a rogue, rascal and scoundrel, of the first order!
And I wonder if they will ever be able to 'park' what happened? Probably not, as few of us could ever see them again the cuckolds suppress either a smile at their being 'outed', or our anger at their betrayals. As much as the pair probably don't deserve our sympathy as such, I do hope they are supported, their suffering can be mitigated to some extent and they don't do anything even more stupid!
Oh, how must the aggrieved 'other halves', and their families feel? In the face of a barrage of mirth and the very public betrayals, a groundswell of sympathy may not be enough, as they feel their own intense disappointment and seek ways to put this all behind them. Hurt comes in so many guises and comfort in so few. I hope they have faith and friends to help them navigate the difficult times ahead, as, rest assured, though smiling at the mirth inspired by the 'Kiss Cam' episode, most of us will feel a far greater measure of genuine sympathy for those betrayed.
History hasn't been kind to 'couples' throughout history, has it? Right from the beginning Adam and Eve departed from their script and nothing was the same after; and while Romeo and Juliet is an eternal Shakespearean tale in which the star-crossed young lovers tragically perished together, the capricious and notorious Bonnie and Clyde died in a hail of bullets... and that list is endless.
We like nothing more than to see the rich and famous stumble... well, these two did.
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Observer
6 days ago
- Observer
No winners, when you play stupid games
Andy Byron, the fifty-year-old CEO of Astronomer, a data and AI giant in Cincinnati, Ohio and Kristin Cabot, the company's HR chief have, in a perverse sort of way, achieved global notoriety after they were 'caught out' by the 'Kiss Cam', at a concert in Boston, Massachusetts last week. Coldplay have been termed by influential musical guru, 'Afisha's' Sergey Stepanov, as 'This century's equivalent of the Beatles', having sold over 100 million albums, reached an audience of 90 million Spotify listeners and stayed relevant to the 'pop' genre for almost forty years. From hard rock, through soft rock, their romanticism has kept them at the forefront of the performing arts and made theirs the 'go to' concerts, especially during the summer. It's where you would take the one you love, the one close to you and surrender to the romance that Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, Will Champion and Phil Harvey inspire. Ironically for Byron and Cabot, they were 'snapped' by the 'Kiss Cam', rocking gently, romantically, lovingly, as Martin chatted to their audience between gentle romantic melodies. Their slowly dawning awareness, his darting for the cover of darkness and her realisation of what had just occurred before turning away, distraught yet with much more dignity than her 'beau' at least offered her more class than his 'rat deserting a sinking ship' imitation. Anyway, I'm not casting stones, or passing judgement, but I found it ironic that my favourite Coldplay song is 'Viva La Vida', a song and lyrics inspired by the illusions of power and success; and how quickly they come and go, poetic, introspective, provocative, the lyrics echo the Frida Kahlo painting of the same name, an image of the death of Louis XVI. It's portrayal of his struggle to be heard by the baying mob as he faces the realities of life and death, may be interpreted as our own needs to Viva la vida, or 'live life', as nothing is permanent. Certainly, for Byron and Cabot, their lives will never be the same again and it's just as well they both have independent means, although Byron's bank balance will surely be battered by his cuckolded wife, who, along with both families, will surely exact her own form of retribution. It's difficult to see the 'canoodlers' staying together either... I mean, he 'got out of there and left her to 'face the music, didn't he? What a bounder, a cad, a rogue, rascal and scoundrel, of the first order! And I wonder if they will ever be able to 'park' what happened? Probably not, as few of us could ever see them again the cuckolds suppress either a smile at their being 'outed', or our anger at their betrayals. As much as the pair probably don't deserve our sympathy as such, I do hope they are supported, their suffering can be mitigated to some extent and they don't do anything even more stupid! Oh, how must the aggrieved 'other halves', and their families feel? In the face of a barrage of mirth and the very public betrayals, a groundswell of sympathy may not be enough, as they feel their own intense disappointment and seek ways to put this all behind them. Hurt comes in so many guises and comfort in so few. I hope they have faith and friends to help them navigate the difficult times ahead, as, rest assured, though smiling at the mirth inspired by the 'Kiss Cam' episode, most of us will feel a far greater measure of genuine sympathy for those betrayed. History hasn't been kind to 'couples' throughout history, has it? Right from the beginning Adam and Eve departed from their script and nothing was the same after; and while Romeo and Juliet is an eternal Shakespearean tale in which the star-crossed young lovers tragically perished together, the capricious and notorious Bonnie and Clyde died in a hail of bullets... and that list is endless. We like nothing more than to see the rich and famous stumble... well, these two did.
Times of Oman
20-07-2025
- Times of Oman
US tech CEO resigns after Coldplay concert video
The chief executive of a US tech firm whose apparent affair with a board colleague was exposed on a video screen at a Coldplay concert earlier this week has resigned. New York software company Astronomer confirmed on Saturday that Andy Byron had tendered his resignation after being caught on camera during the concert in Foxborough, Massachusetts, on Wednesday with his arms wrapped around a woman. In footage that quickly went viral, Byron, who is married, can be seen ducking down in panic while the woman, who internet sleuths swiftly identified as Astronomer's chief people officer Kristin Cabot, turns away and shields her face. "Either they're having an affair or they're just very shy," joked Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who usually dedicates a few lines of a song to whoever the camera picks out in the crowd. What have Astronomer said? "Astronomer is committed to the values and culture that have guided us since our founding," the company said in a statement shared on LinkedIn on Saturday. "Our leaders are expected to set the standard in both conduct and accountability, and recently, that standard was not met." Videos of the incident have garnered millions of views on TikTok and other social media platforms, giving rise to memes discussing everything from the folly of having an affair at a high-profile concert, to the hypocrisy of an HR representative seemingly caught in a workplace relationship. "The craziest thing is about the Astronomer CEO cheating scandal is it was the HR lady," wrote one X user. "The person who would warn you against fraternizing with coworkers." According to research by tabloid papers including the New York Post and the Daily Mail, Cabot, who has also been placed on indefinite leave while Astronomer conducts an internal investigation, is also married. Tech CEO Byron: internet victim or asking for trouble? "They probably would have got away with it if they hadn't reacted," Alison Taylor, a clinical associate professor at New York University's Stern School of Business, told the Associated Press (AP), explaining the global schadenfreude by saying the viral incident hit a classic nerve around "leaders acting like the rules don't apply to them." Most concert and event venues do inform visitors either in terms and conditions, on tickets or on physical signs at the location that audience members could be filmed. "When you visit our location or attend or participate in an event at our location, we may capture your image, voice and/or likeness, including through the use of CCTV cameras and/or when we film or photograph you in a public location," reads the online privacy policy of the Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, which hosted the Coldplay gig. Nevertheless, the incident has also highlighted just how quickly and easily almost anybody can be identified on the internet, especially given the prevalence of social media and artificial intelligence. "It's a little bit unsettling how easily we can be identified with biometrics, how our faces are online, how social media can track us and how the internet has gone from being a place of interaction, to a gigantic surveillance system," Mary Angela Bock, an associate professor in the University of Texas at Austin's School of Journalism and Media, told AP. "When you think about it, we are being surveilled by our social media. They're tracking us in exchange for entertaining us."
Times of Oman
04-05-2025
- Times of Oman
Organised live events sector in India grows 15% in 2024, adds Rs 13 billion in revenue: Report
Mumbai: Organised live events segment in India expanded by 15 per cent in 2024, generating an estimated incremental Rs 13 billion in revenue, according to a whitepaper report presented during the ongoing WAVES 2025 in Mumbai. The whitepaper on India's Live Entertainment Economy, presented by EVENTFAQS MEDIA, added that 2024-25 period marked a critical turning point, highlighted by the successful return of global icons like Coldplay, who performed sold-out concerts in Ahmedabad and Mumbai. These shows, among Asia's most attended and technologically sophisticated, illustrated India's readiness to host world-class events, reinforcing its position as a pivotal destination on global touring routes. The document added that the event tourism has surged dramatically, with nearly half a million fans travelling between cities specifically to attend live music events, signalling the rise of a vibrant music-tourism economy. Premium ticketing categories such as VIP experiences, curated access zones, and luxury hospitality packages saw a year-on-year growth of over 100 per cent, demonstrating a maturing, experience-focused audience willing to spend significantly on premium event experiences, as per the whitepaper. The whitepaper further adds that tier-2 cities Chandigarh, Lucknow, Gandhinagar, Vadodara, Shillong, Jamshedpur, and Bidadi experienced substantial growth in event participation, propelled by multi-city tours and regional festivals that expanded audience bases and boosted local economic activities. These developments reflect a dynamic shift towards a fan-centric, experience-driven economy, transcending traditional ticketing models. Indian consumers are increasingly travelling inter-state, and investing substantially in hospitality, merchandise, and F&B, creating robust micro-economies around live entertainment. The whitepaper stated that strategic investments and platform consolidations have accelerated growth. Zomato's acquisition of Insider and the launch of lifestyle-oriented platforms such as District and Warner's investments in Skillbox exemplify a growing convergence of entertainment, technology, and consumer engagement. International labels and domestic stakeholders alike are actively investing, highlighting global confidence in India's live events sector, as per the whitepaper.
