WHEN it comes to landing a big break, it’s not just about what you know, but who you know. Vocalist Matt Forder, 27, will vouch for that simple philosophy after meeting up with one of the biggest groups in the world in a kebab shop.

Now, the Billericay singer and his band, the Domino State, are gearing up for a once-in-a-lifetime gig as support to heavyweights Coldplay at the 20,000-capacity O2 Arena, in London.

“It was a celebration for the Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland,” explains Matt. “He’s got a family connection to our guitarist Tim and invited us to his birthday party at a kebab shop.

“That might sound weird, but it was a posh kebab shop. Yes, there is such a thing. And there were loads of bands playing. I think I ate a kebab, but I was quite drunk. Well, you have to be, don’t you!”

At the party, Matt was also introduced to his opposite number in the super group, Chris Martin, who is married to American actress Gwyneth Paltrow.

“It was quite an intimidating moment to be honest, meeting this big superstar,” laughs Matt.

“Chris was a really nice bloke, very complimentary and polite. It was only a brief chat, but Chris went out of his way to tell me he had heard good things about our music and my singing, which was great to hear from somebody like him.”

The Domino State share the stage with Coldplay on Sunday, December 14, and Matt says the whole band were understandably shell-shocked when they were informed about their supporting role at such a prestigious venue.

“Jonny from Coldplay had come to see a few of our gigs in London, but we hadn’t expected anything like this,” says Matt, who names Echo and the Bunnymen and My Bloody Valentine among his biggest musical influences.

“We were just sitting around together and we got a text message telling us Coldplay wanted the Domino State to support them in London. It was an amazing and very exciting moment.

“We’re really looking forward to the gig.

He adds: “I don’t know how full it will be when we play, but it’s a great chance to perform in front of a new audience and let them know all about our music.

“I’ve been to the O2 to watch Prince and it is a very big place, which could be worrying if I think about it too much. But we are just looking forward to going out there and showing what we can do.

“We’ve played in front of big crowds before – a few thousand people – at festivals like Wireless and Bloom, so we won’t be intimidated. It’s going to be a great night for all of us.”

The Domino State recently supported French electronic group M83, who are now on tour themselves with the Kings of Leon across the UK and in Ireland.

But their main focus, after the big gig, will be getting back into the studio to finish off their first album for the AC30 indie label, as well as playing a string of new-year gigs in London and Germany.

“We really want to crack on with our first album,” adds Matt. “We’ve got a lot done, again with a little bit of help from Coldplay.

“They let us use their studio in North London to record a few of the tracks we already had written. It’s where they worked on their latest album, Viva la Vida. To say they’ve been good to us is an understatement!”

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/the dominostate