Coldplay fans put heat on mayor

If he's not careful, Auckland Mayor Dick Hubbard will be getting a rush of blood to the head from thousands of Coldplay fans.

A website has been set up where fans can sign a petition urging Mr Hubbard and the Auckland City Council to fast-track the completion of the 12,000-seat Vector Arena in time for the band's June concert.

The Great New Zealand Coldplay Petition also targets the managers of the arena who oversee its construction.

If the indoor venue is not finished by June then the concert by Chris Martin's band, on the 21st of that month, will almost certainly not go ahead, says promoter Manolo Echave.

But Mr Hubbard said the law prevented the council from hurrying the contractors along, even though a band with the pulling power of Coldplay would be the perfect act to open the arena.

"I'll be talking to people just to see if there is anything that can be done. I'm doubtful that there can be, but let's just check it out."

Another possibility would be using the venue if it was "nearly ready" and safe.

The petition was set up by promoters Michael Chugg Entertainment and Coldplay's record company, EMI NZ.

Morgan Donoghue, from EMI, said the company received many calls from fans after the Herald reported last month that the band might not play Auckland because the completion date of the arena had been put back to late July, or early August.

"We thought we could just let it slip by and New Zealand would miss out on this amazing concert," Mr Donoghue said, "but we thought, 'Nah, let's do something about it'."