Q Magazine article-'The Passion of Chris'

[coldplay_steph]

I hope this hasn't been posted already, it took me ages to type up! Hope there aren't too many typing mistakes.

Here you go.... :)

_________________________________________________________

 

THE PASSION OF CHRIS

 

15,000 satisfied customers, one troubled frontman.

 

 

IN THE RECENT US comedy smash movie ‘The 40 Year-Old Virgin’, there is a scene in which two men taunt one another. “You know how I know you are gay?” one asks. “You like Coldplay.” As far as Chris Martin, the entirely heterosexual singer from that band, is concerned, this is conclusive proof that Coldplay have now become part of the furniture. But, as his follow-through frown would suggest, he does not consider this good news.

“We’re pretty much ubiquitous now, aren’t we?” he muses. “It’s like we’re Manchester United, and everybody, but everybody, has an opinion about us. It used to be U2, Bon Jovi; now it’s us.” He shakes his head. “But because of that ubiquity, we’re starting to get a lot of flak. It concerns me.”

This is a fairly typical reaction from the 28-year old, a man whose worry lines are well earned. Five years into his band’s existence, and with worldwide sales of third album X&Y already nudging 6.5million since it’s June release, he is more aware of the flak than he is the fawning.

“I’m proud to be in the biggest band in the world,” he assures, “but it means that everything has to be fucking perfect now, if only because we have no many people watching. The pressure is huge.”

Tonight’s show in front of 15,000 savvy New Yorkers is therefore of vital importance. The city’s two leading newspapers, The Times and the Post, have criticised their purported blandness of late, and the singer now wants, desperately, to impress.

This would be easier were he not suffering from a temporary crisis of confidence: he says that the last time they played Manhattan they were dreadful, and that he is still brooding over their recent summer tour of the UK, in which he feels they failed to dazzle stadium audiences the way U2 do. “We are not a stadium band,” he says. “Not yet anyway. It took U2 14years to become a stadium band. We’ve only been going five.” To fully prepare for the enormity of Madison Square Garden, then, he will spend the hour before showtime doing yoga in an attempt to achieve total focus. “Wish me luck,” he says.

 

 

THE YOGA CLEARLY works because, 80minutes later, he bounds onstage as if to bowl the world’s biggest cricket ball while, around him, his band are similarly emboldened, each member imbued with something that strongly smacks of new-found virility. Politik and God Put a Smile Upon You Face are thunderous and apoplectic, drummer Will Champion seemingly under the assumption that Coldplay have morphed into the Foo Fighters. Clocks pounds away until it is nearly heavy metal. Even X&Y’s most polite moments (Speed of Sound, Talk) are given the required rougher edges.

Their U2-style acoustic interlude halfway through, in which all four members stand squished together at the front of the stage and busk, remains eminently charming, not just for their upbeat version of Johnny Cash’s Ring of Fire, but because Till Kingdom Come (arguably X&Y’s best track) needs absolutely no bluster at all.

By the encore, the crowds are ecstatic. Chris Martin is delivering In My Place on top of the mixing desk in the middle of the arena, his pose that of an all-conquering hero, and as he then delivers a tip-toeingly delicate finale of Fix You, somebody attempts to blag backstage by offering $100 for my Access All Areas pass.

Afterwards, while wife Gwyneth Paltrow and her actress mother Blythe Danner clink glasses with supermodel Christy Turlington and at least one Stroke backstage, Chris Martin is in his dressing room, still brooding. He says that tonight’s set was marred by technical hitches, and confessed that huge success is getting him down. He wants Coldplay’s next move to be markedly different, and this may or may not involve Missy Elliott’s producer Timbaland, whom they met recently and greatly admire.

“I can’t say anything more because it’s a secret,” he beams, “but even if what he do next loses us some fans, it will mean that we can die happier.”

His wonky grin melts, and his eyes grow serious. “And that’s what important here, right?”

___________________________________________________________

 

COLDPLAY-MADISON SQUARE GARDEN. NEW YORK

Tuesday 6th September 2005 ****

(FOUR STARS OUT OF FIVE)

 

Setlist:

Square One

Politik

Yellow

God Put a Smile Upon Your Face

Speed of Sound

Low

Rush of Blood

Amsterdam

White Shadows

The Scientist

Till Kingdom Come

Ring of Fire

Green Eyes

Clocks

Talk

Swallowed in the Sea

In My Place

Fix You

[I.Am.Will.Obsessed]

Excellent story, Steph! I particularly liked that part about Will... :lol:

[laura84]

thanks a lot steph! :kiss:

[Li_cold]

thank you a lot steph!!!! :) :) :)

[coldplay_steph]

You're welcome :) There is quite a cool pic of chris at the piano but if i scan it and post it it will be huuuge so i dont know whether to?

[chlorofit]

the article is kinda sad, don't you think?

[coldplay_steph]

Yeah parts of it are. I thought it was quite telling when it said about how after the MSG show everyone was celebrating but Chris stayed in his dressing room and wasnt happy because there had been technical problems. He's far too criticising of himself and his work. Bless him, he needs to know that we all love him whatever! :)

The last part worried me slightly! :/

[alyssa]

Wow...

 

...is he clinically depressed or something?

 

Poor guy!

[Marie]

Thanks for the article!

I thought it was a bit harsh to say that you are gay to like Coldplay.

[coldplay_steph]

No i dont think he's depressed, I think he just thinks way too much, if that makes sense. Being a deep thinker isnt always a good thing, you can think things over until it drives you nuts. He needs to relax.

[alyssa]

Chris needs a hug...

 

...from his fans that love 'em no matter what. :D

[coldplay_steph]

^very true. :) *send Chris a big hug in her head* haha im nuts :lol:

[mandymcnabb]

the article is kinda sad' date=' don't you think?[/quote']

 

I thought so too.

I wish I would have skipped over the last 3 lines. :(

[Li_cold]

hmm, you guys are right..chris need a big hug!!! :idea2: and he can't be happy for losing some fans! :o :/

[chlorofit]

you know..these days i'm kinda doubting between chris-i-am-the-man-and-i-am-on-diet-because-my-wife-told-me-so-and-i-have-become-a-total-snob and chris-from-this-article...

 

i like second chris more

[stevemah]

thanks for posting that article :)

[coldplay_steph]

As i continued reading Q magazine i also found that Chris is number 7 on the list of 'The 25 Most Pathetic Rock Stars', :angry: !!!!

[chlorofit]

who's first?

[Sienna]

i found this article to be very sad, specially when chris said these words:

"I’m proud to be in the biggest band in the world but it means that everything has to be fucking perfect now, if only because we have no many people watching. The pressure is huge.” it almost made me cry.... i guess chris is really stressed out, he probably wants to spend time with his familiy, and although he loves touring and making music, it is putting a weight on him. :cry: :cry:

[putainfromage]

he needs to chill out. he's making me worry. :cry:

[coldplay_steph]

It must be sooo hard, i really feel for him. Well for all of them really, but Chris is so sensitive and seems to take it the hardest. :(

 

dajrekshn, - Lou Reed was at number 1.

[Coldshaped]

Wow Chris! Are you allright? :O *feels at Chris's forhead* Oh man... :cry: He's such a deep thinker... just like me. His thoughts are way too heavy. Who ever those fans he thinks he's going to lose are, it's not me!

 

Poor him :)

 

*Gives hug*

[Alex22]

Thanks very much for your work. Your poor little fingers. :kiss:

 

 

A.

[coldplay_steph]

Thanks everyone! :) Im just gonna scan the pic that was with it and see how it comes out.

[Coldshaped]

I feel like.... holding Chris's head in my hands.. and suck all the worries out of it..

 

:P :)

 

Make it weigh lighter.