^ z : )

You guys are a little bit wrong, this is the right story:

 

In January 1998 Coldplay were planning their first gig but they hadn't a name, so they choose between Trombaleese, Big Fat Noises and Starfish, in the end, as you can guess, they choose starfish but they used that name just for that gig then they changed it to The Coldplay and finally Coldplay

 

They never really used the other two names

Yeah I know that Pectoralz was just some sort of joke they had for a (drunk) night.

 

Didn't know that concert story though!

Didn't they settle on Starfish and make the fliers just hours before the gig?

May 21, 2013 - submitted by Sandy, Brazil

 

Q. So... is

the new haircut Chris?

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

Yes this video shows his current style. It was filmed last Thursday (16th May) in fact.

May 21, 2013 - submitted by S, Netherlands

 

Q. Hi Oracle!

 

I hope you, the rest of the crew and the band are doing really well. I have two questions, and I'm hoping you could answer them for me:

 

1. On Amsterdam, is it Will or Jonny providing the backing vocals? I know that Will provides the most backing vocals, and that Jonny doesn't always like to sing... But the backing vocals in Amsterdam are quite low, and when Jonny sings, he has a very distinct low voice.

I've asked some fans, and most are really convinced it's Will (singing low), but... I'm just not sure.

 

2. Why is the small Mylo Xyloto title on the Mylo Xyloto CD case printed upside down? I noticed it when I wanted to arrange all of my Coldplay CDs into a neat stack. First I thought it was a printing mistake, but then I mentioned it to other fans and their MX CDs have the exact same thing. Is it a mistake? Or is it just a choice in design?

 

Thanks so much for reading these questions and helping out so many Coldplayers! And, if you answer these ones (or one of them), thanks in advance for that too!

 

Love,

 

S.

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

Will sings the bvs on Amsterdam live but on the album version I can hear more than one back-up vocal. I can hear Jonny (low) and Will (higher & same as live) and am pretty sure I can hear Chris (over dubs) too.

I'm not sure where you heard Jonny doesn't like to sing much. Jonny sang most of the backing vocals before AROBTTH. You can hear him clearly take lead on the second verse of Don't Panic on Parachutes too.

 

I have a quite a few other albums where when the title spine is facing the right way, it means the CD is upside down on my shelf:

Primal Scream - Screamadelica, Ben Christophers - My Beautiful Demon, Cocteau Twins - Victorialand & Associates - Silk to name a few.

Who knows why... maybe the creators were left handed.

Does Sandy have a problem with the curls ? :angry:

Does Sandy have a problem with the curls ? :angry:

 

Probably, silly girl :lol:

The Oracle replies:

 

Will sings the bvs on Amsterdam live but on the album version I can hear more than one back-up vocal. I can hear Jonny (low) and Will (higher & same as live) and am pretty sure I can hear Chris (over dubs) too.

I'm not sure where you heard Jonny doesn't like to sing much. Jonny sang most of the backing vocals before AROBTTH. You can hear him clearly take lead on the second verse of Don't Panic on Parachutes too.

 

Jonny HAS indeed stated that he's not fond of singing backing vocals live because he's not very good at playing the guitar and singing at the same time :smug:

^off topic, but I love your avi! :D

Trying to decipher who is singing backup on each song is a real project! Sometimes it's Chris, mostly Will nowadays. I do enjoy Jonny singing. And yes, there's the second verse of Don't Panic, but Jonny hardly sounds confident on it!

May 22, 2013 - submitted by Aranzazu, Chile

 

Q. Lovely Oracle, since Coldplay's first message in Spanish appear on Facebook, and some people here asking in Spanish... I was wondering, have you ever thought about learning spanish? But I mean, really, Spanish without translator help! There is a lot of people here asking in English, but their mother language are others, (like me! I'm Chilean) So why can't you?

Cheers, Arie.

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

As the band are British - like you - it's usual for us to speak in our mother tongue.

That said, we are obviously looking into having Spanish translations - as you saw on Facebook.

I did study languages at school - French, Spanish & German and am at the moment learning a little Italian, but I'm not fluent enough to offer to reply in any other languages. Plus not all our readers would understand. English is practically the universal language (after love), well, it is the most widely used so it makes sense for us to stick with it.

May 22, 2013 - submitted by Lucia, Uruguay

 

Q. Hi Oracle, I had seen a live performance of God Put a Smile Upon your Face (2006) and Chris said: "This is a song about what it feels like to be the biggest band in the world in the biggest city in the world".

It is really about that?

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

I wasn't aware of that, no and I doubt he was being serious. I remember at the time the album came out Chris said: "That came out of playing live and wanting to have something with a bit more bounce. We were really getting into things like P.J Harvey and Muse - things with a bit more energy."

May 23, 2013 - submitted by Martin, Australia

 

Q. Hello Oracle, did Chris have anyone in particular on his mind while writing Shiver? Sort of going through the same thing right at this moment. Do you reckon I should move on or keep trying?

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

Yes he did. I think the only way to answer this question is to imagine your best mate has asked you the same. What would you advise them to do?

Sometimes when it's happening to you, you're too close to see what the right thing to do is. I personally think you know in your gut whether you're wasting your time. Life's too short for both losing a love that could be and wasting time on a love that will never be.

May 23, 2013 - submitted by Carlotta, Italy

 

Q. Hello Oracle!

If you really have nothing to do now, would you like to answer my question? Yesterday I was listening to the radio, when I heard an awesome, unexpected samba-remix of Clocks!

Could you tell me who did it and if it was a direct collaboration with the guys or an independent thing??

Thank you very much,and ciao from Italy!

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

The version is by Rhythms del Mundo. It was totally separate and nothing to do with the band directly.

May 23, 2013 - submitted by James, United States of America

 

Q. My brother and I are convinced that Talk was a credits song in a movie. Specifically, we thought it closed out one of the Transformer movies, but after reviewing the dvds that is not the case. Was it in the select pre-release movie theater version of Transformers or in a different movie? 'We are lost and incomplete' without this information.

Thanks,

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

Talk definitely didn't appear in any of the Transformer movies but then I don't recall it being used either in any film or as the credits rolled.

I wonder if perhaps it has been used in a trailer much like Paradise was used in previews for Life of Pi but not actually featured in the film...

May 24, 2013 - submitted by The Oracle, United Kingdom

 

Q. WHO'D LIKE TO JOIN TEAM ORACLE?

When I answer questions of a personal nature, Coldplay.com readers often get in touch with their own thoughts. So, we have a weekly feature, Team Oracle, whereby each Friday (with the question asker's permission) we open up a question to all of you to answer too. Then, the following Friday, I'll post a selection of the best answers, alongside my own reply.

ANYONE can join in so, if you'd like to, please email your response to the following question, in no more than 250 words, to [email protected] before midnight Thursday 30th May.

 

I've got a friend who has a very low self-esteem. What can I do to level up his self-esteem, to show him that he is not the loser he thinks he is? Florence, Canada.

 

Look forward to seeing your replies.

The Oracle

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

Please email your replies to [email protected]

May 24, 2013 - submitted by Ryan, United States of America

 

Q. TEAM ORACLE QUESTION #121

I'll be graduating from high school next year and must choose a quote for placement in the yearbook, any suggestions? The quote can be absolutely anything, from funny, to inspiring, to sad.

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

I think the important thing to remember is the yearbook will be around forever but the quote you use may not be relevant to the future you but that's ok - maybe feel the moment & pick something appropriate for now, maybe a lyric from your favourite song.

It will remind everyone in the future (including yourself) who you were at school. If that doesn't appeal, you could use something that will show your hopes / ambitions for the future. A yearbook will be a legacy of sorts but try not to get too wrapped up in not wanting to regret it in the future.

I recall once being asked to write a quote for a programme (which was set out like a yearbook), I agonized over it for far too long & used one by Andy Warhol. It was a bad choice immediately.

I have a chalkboard in my kitchen that I used to write myself reminders on.

I wrote something back in January that I haven't yet erased as it pretty much sums up how I feel about life: Fine the fun. Make it count.

That wasn't so much a reminder by the way, more of an order. I look at it - subliminally or directly - several times a day. It's a great positive message to have I think.

I use and like - "life in the year" rather than year in the life. It's similar to my chalkboard message. In fact, most of my favourites are:

Many (including A.A. Milne) - "Yesterday is history, tomorrow is a mystery, today is a gift - that's why they call it the present".

Gandhi - "Be the change that you wish to see in the world".

Mark Twain (& others) - "Dance like there’s nobody watching".

I have also used a Coldplay line from my favourite song when I feel disappointed, but it's not quite the right tone for a yearbook: "Give me real, don't give me fake".

I could go on but I am sure you will have enough to inspire you to choose the right one for you.

Over to you.

 

A quote that I have been using as a signature for a long time just happens to be lyrics from a Coldplay song. This quote represents a great truth for me that has helped me in many ways as I've made decisions in my life:

"If you never try then you'll never know. "Good luck, Jill, USA.

 

This is what I chose:

"Success is the ability to go from failure to failure without losing your enthusiasm" - Sir Winston Churchill. Fabrizio.

 

I guess Coldplay have enough quotes to be used. My favourites are: "I'd rather be a comma than a full stop", "you'll go backwards but then you'll go forwards again", "people moving all the time inside a perfectly straight line so don't you want to curve away?", "some things you have to believe others are puzzles, puzzling me", "just because I'm losing doesn't mean I'm lost" ,"no I don't wanna battle from beginning to end, I don't wanna cycle or recycle revenge, I don't wanna follow death and all of his friends", " when you use your heart as a weapon, it hurts like heaven " ... I think those are enough. Boshkash.

 

Well, since graduating is a moment when you start a new 'part' of your life I would suggest something inspiring and motivating- a quote from Bob Moawad :"You can't make footprints in the sands of time if you're sitting on your butt. And who wants to make buttprints in the sands of time?"

All the best, Katarzyna.

 

Of course you can quote some lines from Coldplay lyrics, something with a special meaning for you.

Another suggestion, one of those:

"Wherever you go, go with all your heart". Confucius

"What the caterpillar calls the end of the world, the master calls a butterfly". Richard Bach

"If you can dream it, you can do it. Always remember this whole thing was started by a mouse". Walt Disney

Best wishes. L. Q.

 

I have a couple of my favorites. 1) "The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing"- Edmund Burke, 2) "There must be quite a few things that a hot bath won't cure, but I don't know many of them"- Sylvia Plath, and 3) Pretty much any Coldplay song. Hope this helps! Love, Darem.

 

"In school, you're taught a lesson and then given a test. In life, you're given a test that teaches you a lesson." by Tom Bodett. I think that's a bit serious but seems to fit. Wayne.

 

Thanks for all your suggestions. Remember, Team Oracle is open to anyone so if you fancy replying, click to read this week's, and send us your answer.

May 28, 2013 - submitted by Karolyn, Ecuador

 

Q. Now having Coldplay Live 2012 in my hands I realized that in the back Violet Hill has an * and the other song no and when I imported the songs to iTunes Violet Hill didn't appear.

It is a problem with my CD or every CD have this problem? And why Violet Hill has the *? Love you hope you reply me and I will be so thanksfull. Love you.

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

Live 2012 is a DVD film with CD. The asterisk (*) next to Violet Hill denotes the song is on the DVD only. That means as it isn't on the CD, there is no Violet Hill to import to your iTunes library.

May 28, 2013 - submitted by Saakshi , India

 

Q. Hey Oracle,

So Mat Whitecross recently joined twitter and he replied to one of the fans saying that Coldplay are doing a dubstep remix of The Scientist. Is it really true?

Thanks a ton!

Saakshi

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

Like most of the Coldplay posse, Mat has a great sense of humour. There is no truth in this - the tweet is a joke.

Mat :dozey:

I'M IN!!!!

 

ME FIVE!! Anyone up for a Coldplaying 15th anniversary meet-up??:D:D

May 28, 2013 - submitted by Saakshi , India[/color][/b]

 

Q. Hey Oracle,

So Mat Whitecross recently joined twitter and he replied to one of the fans saying that Coldplay are doing a dubstep remix of The Scientist. Is it really true?

Thanks a ton!

Saakshi

 

 

The Oracle replies:

 

Like most of the Coldplay posse, Mat has a great sense of humour. There is no truth in this - the tweet is a joke.

 

THANK FREAKING GOD!:lol:

ME FIVE!! Anyone up for a Coldplaying 15th anniversary meet-up??:D:D

YEP! :D

July 10, 2015.. It's fairly likely the guys will be playing festivals if not touring a new album by then. Hard to say the best way to go about organizing it, but sign me up to help.:D