With a lot of AWESOME music festivals between europe and u.s. the band has played only to a mediocre festival like the one in Pemberton.

Do you think it's a coldplay's choice ?

Yes, I think they've said they made a conscious decision not to play the big festival circuit this tour.

Yes its a conscious choice. If you headline big festivals, you contractually restricted to not playing any gigs in that catchment area. For instance if you headline Reading/Leeds festival/Lollapalooza/Coachella etc the organisers do not want you playing an arena nearby the same week. Kinda bad business for both parties.

 

2009 will see a glut of Coldplay festival slots-I will go for Coachella, Glastonbury, V Festival, Roskilde, as well as Australia and other European dates.

Yes its a conscious choice. If you headline big festivals, you contractually restricted to not playing any gigs in that catchment area. For instance if you headline Reading/Leeds festival/Lollapalooza/Coachella etc the organisers do not want you playing an arena nearby the same week. Kinda bad business for both parties.

 

You can't play in that catchment area 20 days/1 month before and after the festival,but for a big band like coldplay is not a big deal imho.

Pemberton was not mediocre! It was a new festival that will grow in the years to come. It has major issues. Coldplay played it because the co-produced it, or else they would have played two stadium dates in Vancouver.

 

As well Pemberton fit right into their tour schedule, kicked off what was supposed to be a Canadian Tour, but instead canceled a few shows to add some elsewhere. I'd Rather see Coldplay in an arena/stadium than a festival again.

You can't play in that catchment area 20 days/1 month before and after the festival,but for a big band like coldplay is not a big deal imho.

 

Oh it is! I used to work for Mean Fiddler-they produced Reading Festival in the UK. The headliners had very strict contracts-because they are the festivals main draw and they pay them big money, the festival organisers demand exclusive billing rights.

I remember the headline contracts were very extensive-the headliner could not play any other UK festival that year and could not play any tours in the UK from Mar-Oct. The only dates that were acceptable were 1-3 small warm-up gigs of less than 500people.

If you are paying a band +$1million dollars, you do not want them playing tha same city before or after your festival, it will impact your ticket sales dramatically. Coachella works the same-if you headline Coachella you can't play a big gig in Southern California between Mar-June.