Small Reminders/Updates & The Coldplay Messenger (feat. Roadie #42!)

[SarahSchimidt]

Great blog! LP5 sounds like it will be one of their best.

 

Also, who thinks R#42 Blog #125 could be the official announcement of LP5/songs from LP5? :awesome:

 

:surprised:

[marie/pims]

YAY!!News :D

[Juanma]

seems something really great is gonna come up of that :dance::dance:

[notlost92]

AHHH!

 

LP5 is getting closer!! :cheesy: I haven't been this excited over a R42 post in a while... eeeek :dance:

 

and I can't wait until the post next week, sounds like he was hinting at something good :D

[Clocks In My Place]

SQUEEEEE!

This makes me really excited about the next album!! :dance: It sounds like it is going to be pure magic! :wacky: I hope I don't get my hopes up too high. :uhoh:

 

I love the last picture. :wacky: It shows such joy and how they love being together and work together having fun with it. :nice:

[coldplayisawesome]

I have no idea whether the fellas left for their break proud of what they've achieved so far and excited about what they have here, but I really hope so. They should be.

 

awwww :blush::wacky:

[the_escapist]

seems to me that the initial deadline (winter 2010) wont be possible! that's a shame...

 

but i guess we will have to wait until next week and see in more detail the status of LP5...

 

it's good to be back here, especially with a R42 blog, since R43 sucks!!!

 

can't wait until all the LP5 paraphernalia begins!!!

[MartinFan]

Did anyone notice in the pic of them all sitting around the table, on the left side wall looks like a solar system, or maybe astriods crashing towards something? also by Chris's head on the wall above his head looks like red or green planets, oh well just an observation.

[geekchic]

ooooo I didn't notice that!

very cool

[getithom]

Did anyone notice in the pic of them all sitting around the table, on the left side wall looks like a solar system, or maybe astriods crashing towards something? also by Chris's head on the wall above his head looks like red or green planets, oh well just an observation.

 

I also see a poster of solar system to the left of Brian's head.

[Destrokk]

w00t! :awesome:

I don't see anything with planets :confused:

[crestingwaves]

This is exciting! He better not let us down with the said thing for next week! Joy!

[a-chan]

:dance: :awesome: that's all I can say right now! XD

[NumbersGirl]

Did anyone notice in the pic of them all sitting around the table, on the left side wall looks like a solar system, or maybe astriods crashing towards something? also by Chris's head on the wall above his head looks like red or green planets, oh well just an observation.

Last night I had a 'eureka' moment in regard to a possible explanation for the whole solar system thing. I didn't go back and read all the posts, but I don't think it was mentioned here yet...

[xSleepingSun]

Great new blog ;) I hope badly that he'll give previews of songs next week! AAH!

[SueDeNimes]

Art history #1 (Safety EP)

June 10, 2010 5:38 pm

The first of a new series of interviews with the designers of Coldplay's artwork

 

 

 

Hi John. So you designed Coldplay's first two covers.

I did, yeah. The Safety one and the Brothers & Sisters one.

 

How did you meet them?

I was friends with Jonny from school. In fact, I was in a band with him in sixth form. When he moved to London for university, I moved to Birmingham to do an art course. They started doing their band stuff and I'd come down to visit them in halls of residence. I was doing photography at the time, so I was taking lots of photographs of them when they first started.

And how did you come to design the Safety EP cover?

My course was a commercial art course, so I asked if I could do a cover for one of my projects. And they were happy to do that. At the time, nobody really thought they were going anywhere, so nobody was that bothered!

 

Where is that photograph from?

It's just a photograph that I took of Chris. Just a really blurry picture. And the Safety bit actually came from the little bit of writing on the top of the camera film. I just dropped the negative down and it came out on the print.

 

Is that where it got its title from?

I think so, yeah. They were happy just to leave it there. So the name came from the picture.

 

Where's the picture of Chris from?

Probably from a gig at the Laurel Tree, in London.

 

Is it deliberately blurred?

Well, there were just loads of pictures, all in black and white. There were blurred ones and sharp ones, but that one just looked nicely weird. I suppose at the time, I was justifying it as trying to capture him moving around the stage and being all crazy. And it also it fitted in with that dark, Radiohead-y thing that everyone was into at the time.

 

Did you create the Coldplay logo too?

I can't actually remember who did that. But I might well have done.

Did you have other ideas for that cover?

I think there's a sketch book somewhere full of other ideas. There were even more Brothers & Sisters. I've got a whole notebook somewhere where Chris and the boys have written comments on each picture, saying things "No, I don't like this one, it's too spooky" or whatever. And then eventually we'd narrow it down to the one that they liked.

Were they taking the band quite seriously by this point?

Oh, definitely. At the time I did think they were going to get big, and I was telling all my mates at college about them. I remember when they did start making it, I was like "See, I told you!" It did always seem like they'd get somewhere. I'd go up with them to In The City or whatever to help put up posters and that sort of thing. It was obvious they were really good, but whether you got that lucky break or not was another thing. Happily, they did.

Were they demanding about the Safety EP cover?

No, they were quite easy with that one. The second one was a bit more difficult.

The Safety EP itself is worth quite a lot of money now.

Yeah. And guess what, I haven't got any! At the time my dad was telling me to ask for loads of them, but I thought that'd be a bit crass! But I used to take a few copies round in my portfolio when I was trying to get work as a graphic designer. They'd started to get big by then and it was a really good way of getting jobs in design places. My two are not the most amazing covers, obviously, but they did help me get some jobs! But as a consequence, I broke all the CD cases that I had and the CDs themselves got pulled out and put in different places, so I've ended up with none.

 

It'll cost you quite a bit to buy another.

Apparently so. I've heard they go for £800 on eBay.

 

But you're not very proud of the cover?

Actually, I like the Safety EP one. It's not a brilliant photograph by any means, but the reason I like it is that it's a photograph by a kid at college of some kids at college and they went on to be a really big band. So, in that way, I'm really chuffed about it.

 

Look out for Art history #2 (Brothers & Sisters) soon...

[SueDeNimes]

Matt McGinn discusses Coldplay book on 6Music

June 16, 2010 11:38 am

You can also now buy it from the Coldplay shop

 

 

Matt McGinn discusses Coldplay book on 6Music

June 16, 2010 11:38 am

You can also now buy it from the Coldplay shop

 

 

 

Good morning. Earlier this week, Jonny's guitar tech Matt McGinn was a guest on Steve Lamacq's BBC 6 Music show to chat about his new book, Roadie, which is about life on tour with Coldplay. Click here and skip to 1h 19m to hear what Matt had to say (it'll be available until June 21).

 

We've also now added the book to the official Coldplay store.

 

- Click here to order it from the UK/Europe store

- Click here to order it from the US/rest of the world store

 

Anchorman

[marie/pims]

cool.will have a listen

[karenc]

Ooh sounds good! I'll go and have a listen :D

[Miha]

When is the new Roadie #42 blog coming up? Didn't he say sometimes ummm last week?:confused: Either he's so busy or he forgot to post something again.

[Technicolor Liver]

I think they're still on the recording break. But I'm not positive. :confused:

[coldplayisawesome]

finally! :dance:

 

 

Roadie #42 - Blog #121

June 24, 2010 7:58 pm

#42 watches as Coldplay create

 

Greetings folks, from back inside the Beehive. I'm at my desk, which is tucked away behind one of the pianos. Over my shoulder are two rather beaten up old sofas. This "lounge area" is where every recording day starts - beginning, as every day should, with strong coffee.

 

 

I talked in the last blog about different ways in which the record gets made. These first-thing conversations are actually a hugely important part of the process too. The band spend a great deal of the day playing live together. These discussions beforehand, though, mean that everyone has a good idea of what they're trying to achieve before things start getting noisy.

 

The conversation about today's song is getting underway. Guy, Will, Chris and Phil are sitting with producer Markus Dravs. Jonny has already sat at his guitar-world and has begun experimenting with sounds. His guitar is being fed into his laptop. What is coming out the other end sounds very much like it's arriving from another planet.

 

Chris is mid flow discussing the song that they'll be working on today. It's a tune that he's been incredibly excited by since it first appeared and suddenly he's having very major doubts as to whether it will even end up making it onto the record. In a quintessentially Chris style, he gets halfway through a sentence outlining his grave concerns, before interrupting himself and turning to shout over his shoulder to Jonny.

 

"Fucking hell man, that's INCREDIBLE - Rik, make sure that's being recorded...."

 

He continues where he left off without missing a beat. Simultaneously maintaining despair and ecstatic excitement. Ever the multi-tasker.....

 

Will and Guy, quite rightly, refuse to accept the doomy assessment of the track in hand. It's clearly going to be an immense tune, it just hasn't yet found its true voice.

 

It won't surprise anyone to hear of moments in the development of a song where there are losses of confidence. It's par for the course and the feeling can flare up out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. "Moments", is exactly what they are. The overall vibe is decidedly "up" here, with everyone very excited at what they're hearing.

 

Will often gets cited as the member of the band most likely to tell Chris "No", or to reject an idea completely. I always feel that this paints a rather unfair picture of him. He's just as likely to be stubbornly and solidly saying "No, it is not shit - not at all. It's going to be great". This refusal to back down and allow doubt to prevail provides a huge amount of Coldplay's spine. I can't begin to imagine how many times it's been essential to the mix over the years.

 

Guy too, can view the work in progress and bring to the table his ever growing experience as a producer in his own right. Guy often gets gently teased by the others for his huge array of extra curricular activities, but the truth is, his overview of the production process allows him to eloquently assess strengths, weaknesses and alternative approaches - And this experience and knowledge feeds directly into the Coldplay project.

 

They begin to discuss what makes great songs great and what they would like to attempt here. It becomes clear that not only are all four of them very knowledgeable about good music, but they're still also hugely excited by it. They're fans of a quite staggering range of artists.

 

Galvanised by the chat, they move into the main part of the room and start picking up instruments. It has to be said that this area of the Beehive is looking pretty amazing now. In an effort to deaden the sound, there are thick, heavy drapes hung around the walls and fancy rugs on the wooden floor.

 

 

Also dotted around are an array of plants, giving the whole place the feel of a conservatory or a botanical gardens. This is further enhanced by the summer heat and the fact that the air conditioning is simply too loud to hear yourself think over, let alone put a microphone next to.

 

The band are set up exactly as they would be on stage, with Will at the back and Jonny, Chris and Guy in a line in front of him. This place is like the funkiest rehearsal room they've ever had. They begin working away at the tune again. As ever, when the voices stop and the music starts, everything immediately feels a lot better.

 

This, and every other song, will doubtless go through an immense amount more massaging and coaxing before they emerge through the Beehive doors into the big wide world.

 

For the time being though, it's pretty clear that the record is in very safe hands.

 

R#42

[Miha]

That's great but didn't he promise something special next time he blogged? This blog doesn't exactly tell us anything new..nevertheless, better than nothing :)

[LFDianne]

finally! :dance:

 

 

Roadie #42 - Blog #121

June 24, 2010 7:58 pm

#42 watches as Coldplay create

 

Greetings folks, from back inside the Beehive. I'm at my desk, which is tucked away behind one of the pianos. Over my shoulder are two rather beaten up old sofas. This "lounge area" is where every recording day starts - beginning, as every day should, with strong coffee.

 

 

I talked in the last blog about different ways in which the record gets made. These first-thing conversations are actually a hugely important part of the process too. The band spend a great deal of the day playing live together. These discussions beforehand, though, mean that everyone has a good idea of what they're trying to achieve before things start getting noisy.

 

The conversation about today's song is getting underway. Guy, Will, Chris and Phil are sitting with producer Markus Dravs. Jonny has already sat at his guitar-world and has begun experimenting with sounds. His guitar is being fed into his laptop. What is coming out the other end sounds very much like it's arriving from another planet.

 

Chris is mid flow discussing the song that they'll be working on today. It's a tune that he's been incredibly excited by since it first appeared and suddenly he's having very major doubts as to whether it will even end up making it onto the record. In a quintessentially Chris style, he gets halfway through a sentence outlining his grave concerns, before interrupting himself and turning to shout over his shoulder to Jonny.

 

"Fucking hell man, that's INCREDIBLE - Rik, make sure that's being recorded...."

 

He continues where he left off without missing a beat. Simultaneously maintaining despair and ecstatic excitement. Ever the multi-tasker.....

 

Will and Guy, quite rightly, refuse to accept the doomy assessment of the track in hand. It's clearly going to be an immense tune, it just hasn't yet found its true voice.

 

It won't surprise anyone to hear of moments in the development of a song where there are losses of confidence. It's par for the course and the feeling can flare up out of nowhere and disappear just as quickly. "Moments", is exactly what they are. The overall vibe is decidedly "up" here, with everyone very excited at what they're hearing.

 

Will often gets cited as the member of the band most likely to tell Chris "No", or to reject an idea completely. I always feel that this paints a rather unfair picture of him. He's just as likely to be stubbornly and solidly saying "No, it is not shit - not at all. It's going to be great". This refusal to back down and allow doubt to prevail provides a huge amount of Coldplay's spine. I can't begin to imagine how many times it's been essential to the mix over the years.

 

Guy too, can view the work in progress and bring to the table his ever growing experience as a producer in his own right. Guy often gets gently teased by the others for his huge array of extra curricular activities, but the truth is, his overview of the production process allows him to eloquently assess strengths, weaknesses and alternative approaches - And this experience and knowledge feeds directly into the Coldplay project.

 

They begin to discuss what makes great songs great and what they would like to attempt here. It becomes clear that not only are all four of them very knowledgeable about good music, but they're still also hugely excited by it. They're fans of a quite staggering range of artists.

 

Galvanised by the chat, they move into the main part of the room and start picking up instruments. It has to be said that this area of the Beehive is looking pretty amazing now. In an effort to deaden the sound, there are thick, heavy drapes hung around the walls and fancy rugs on the wooden floor.

 

 

Also dotted around are an array of plants, giving the whole place the feel of a conservatory or a botanical gardens. This is further enhanced by the summer heat and the fact that the air conditioning is simply too loud to hear yourself think over, let alone put a microphone next to.

 

The band are set up exactly as they would be on stage, with Will at the back and Jonny, Chris and Guy in a line in front of him. This place is like the funkiest rehearsal room they've ever had. They begin working away at the tune again. As ever, when the voices stop and the music starts, everything immediately feels a lot better.

 

This, and every other song, will doubtless go through an immense amount more massaging and coaxing before they emerge through the Beehive doors into the big wide world.

 

For the time being though, it's pretty clear that the record is in very safe hands.

 

R#42

 

 

Oh what I wouldn't give to have a small section of one of those sofas...sounds like they have a *long* way to go before LP5. sigh

[melanieau]

Yay for a Roadie 42 blog! :dance: