Alternative Violet Hill videoclip on ColdplayTV (Youtube)

[kubagoczek]

It is ... VERY FUNNY video :):) like Coldplay want to be a green day and have videos full of politics :)

[cafc4eva]

this would provoke a much bigger outcry and create a huge amount of interest in comparison to the other video.

[coldplay_is_louve.]

wonderful version.

 

i'm glad coldplay knows to express thier opinion.

 

<33. they really shouldn't be afraid to release this video.

 

but the way politics is, it would get ripped off tv as soon as it gets aired.

[the-scientist]

If only it had no Bush sounding like monkey (though it didn't hurt me, I'm not pro-Bush)...they could put it on TV..Pink Floyd had something similiar in Brain Damage - in 1994, on their world tour they used this screen film with politicians doing weird things - but not as weird as Mat did.

[crazyitalian1988]

U.S. Department of Defense

 

Sorry if this has been posted, but I just noticed a video montage from "the US department of defense" of different world leaders making fools of themselves to the tune of Violet Hill on the official website. If this has been posted before, please lock this up, but I haven't seen it mentioned so far. Here's the link.

 

http://coldplay.com/video.php

[the_escapist]

we have seen it! but thank you very much anyways!

 

cheers!

[busybeeburns]

EMI and all the other record companies: sort out your YouTube accounts please?

 

 

Right, I don't get on my soapbox much, but this niggle has been bubbling away in my brain for quite a while now. See, when you write a music blog, you often find yourself on the look-out for new music videos to talk nonsense about.

 

Now you'd think, would you not, that in these modern times, when most record companies have more or less got their head around YouTube, that they'd be pretty swift at getting fresh new videos by big acts onto their accounts.

 

The benefits of this are obvious: the artist gets their new video out there in an "official" capacity, while the record company gets exposure since the page featuring the video can be branded. Fans and bloggers with RSS feeds can see when the video has hit the net and can be assured that, since it's come through official channels, it should be a high quality version and not some rip from MTV.

 

Last week showed just how far from this state of affairs we currently are.

 

Thursday May 15th: Stereogum post about the new Coldplay video, "Violet Hill". Shortly afterwards, the video is no longer available. One of those scary legal notices can be seen from Coldplay's record company, EMI.

 

Friday May 16th: The video appears on YouTube again. Once again it's been posted by a fan, not through the EMI or Coldplay accounts. Meanwhile, Coldplay's official YouTube account posts an alternate version of the video, which features politicians dancing to "Violet Hill" thanks to hilarious editing.

 

Monday May 17th: As of today, the original Stereogum post has the video again - only this time it's a version from Daily Motion, and once again doesn't appear to have come through official channels.

 

Now, there's a chance I'm missing something here, and these "fans" are actually people in the employ of Coldplay's record label who are trying to create some kind of viral buzz. But would a brand new Coldplay video need any help from viralosity? It's bloody Coldplay!

 

All of which leads me to ask: if the video was ready for release, as it clearly was, why not, um, release it? Put it on the EMI YouTube page? The offical Coldplay YouTube page? Coldplay's website? Coldplay's MySpace?

 

The alternate video, clearly intended as some kind of comment at buffoonish politicians, etc, lost any weight it may have had once it crawled out behind what everyone knows is going to be the official video.

 

EMI removing the "Violet Hill" video once a site of Stereogum's rep has covered it - and then not bothering to release the official version to replace it - seems self-defeating to me. Blogs won't bother posting an unofficial version if they know it's going to be taken down, rendering their post pointless.

 

And, by the time the official version of the video has been released, it will be old news - as we all know, when it comes to music on the internet things move pretty fast. People will have moved onto something else.

 

So how about it, record companies? If you create YouTube accounts, howzabout keeping them updated and treating them like the kind of places people actually visit?

 

You know the most annoying part about all this? I don't even really like Coldplay.

 

http://www.mychemicaltoilet.com/2008/05/emi_and_all_the_other_record_c.html

[clockpolitiks]

Pitchfork's review of the vid is actually positive!

[Jbella76]

Violet Hill Video

 

I just saw the video on Coldplay.com....What the hell was that?!?!? I know the song is political and I realize that George Bush is an ass and he's made a big mess and I'm not real proud of America sometimes but geez.....I don't even have words right now....hurt...insulted...embarrassed..........maybe Im overreacting? It is the 1st time I have seen it...and I am sleepy....

 

But why didn't I see the leader of North Korea and Iran in there?

 

Sorry if there's already a thread about this...I don't visit all that often...

[FedEx]

I just saw the video on Coldplay.com....What the hell was that?!?!? I know the song is political and I realize that George Bush is an ass and he's made a big mess and I'm not real proud of America sometimes but geez.....I don't even have words right now....hurt...insulted...embarrassed..........maybe Im overreacting? It is the 1st time I have seen it...and I am sleepy....

 

But why didn't I see the leader of North Korea and Iran in there?

 

Sorry if there's already a thread about this...I don't visit all that often...

 

There are many threads on this. Now first you have to remember that this video was not designed to make fun of anyone, it just shows a bunch of politicians dancing. Also I don't remember the last time the leader of Iran or North Korea were conducting a war. Especially in Iran's case, the media may tell you they're terrorists, but the media is looking to sell. If you want terrorists, well, let's just say you don't have to look far from home.

[Jbella76]

There are many threads on this. Now first you have to remember that this video was not designed to make fun of anyone, it just shows a bunch of politicians dancing. Also I don't remember the last time the leader of Iran or North Korea were conducting a war. Especially in Iran's case, the media may tell you they're terrorists, but the media is looking to sell. If you want terrorists, well, let's just say you don't have to look far from home.

 

I agree with what you say....especially your closing sentence. I guess what bothered me was the majority of images were American.

[FedEx]

I agree with what you say....especially your closing sentence. I guess what bothered me was the majority of images were American.

 

Coldplay have said numerous times that their new album is slightly anti-authority, so how do you make authority look foolish? make them dance! Biggest authority currently in the world lies in american politics.

[Jbella76]

Coldplay have said numerous times that their new album is slightly anti-authority, so how do you make authority look foolish? make them dance! Biggest authority currently in the world lies in american politics.

 

 

I know. I guess it's just a hard fact to face for some of us.

[psychedelic_punk]

Phwoar, just got around to watching that. I'm a big fan of satire and intelligent messages in the music video - its a brilliant avenue, reaches lots of people. This video impressed me. I love the synchronicity of the fireworks and explosions, very elegant, very emotive. I dont think music channels ought to have a problem with airing this video, I've seen worse. And I like that it defiantly stands up for itself the way Pink Floyd always used to do. God only knows we need more intelligent music videos, what with the bubblegum & r&b stuff going totally off the wall.

Personally, I think involving more than just the Anglo-American superpower in the broad stroke of ridiculous politicians, just to drive the point home that there is no real full-quid politician around, but I do agree that the US is the focal point of power at the moment.

 

Great, great video. Much more impressed. And I loved the first one. Would like to actually see this released now, though!!!

[Radek]

Here it is on the official site:

 

http://www.coldplay.com/video.php

 

By clicking this link:

 

Anyone remember that this was the same symbol that Prospekt put into one of his journals, and we were debating what the symbol might mean? Interesting.

 

The same symbol is in MX pop-up album