Article: Coldplay running hot (8-Mar-2009)

[busybeeburns]

Coldplay's humility belies the band's steely ambition

 

WHEN Coldplay frontman Chris Martin bounded on to the stage at a packed Rod Laver Arena this week, rest assured of two things: he was utterly in his element and his breath was minty fresh.

 

As the British quartet has morphed in the past decade from charming indie rockers to world-beating arena act, the singer has picked up a Rain Man-like list of rituals he ticks off before every show, one of which is cleaning his teeth.

 

"For me, there are about 18 things that have to be done before I can go on stage, but they are all too ridiculous to repeat," Martin says. "I have to brush my teeth before I go on stage, otherwise I don't feel like I am smart enough."

 

Guitarist Jonny Buckland concurs: "You can't have bad breath in front of 10,000 people."

 

Once the lights come up and the crowd roars, Martin feels right at home, certainly more so in front of 10,000 people than 10 people.

 

"It's easier to perform the more people there are," Martin says. "Performing is much easier than playing. When you are just playing, you kind of feel embarrassed if it's in a sound check party or a radio station or whatever, because you can't lose yourself in the lights or the event. I find once there are lots of people and the lights go down, performing is just pure joy."

 

Coldplay came to Melbourne this week on the back of comments from U2 frontman Bono, in which he called Martin a "wanker" and a "cretin" during an interview on BBC radio. Bono later apologised and Martin laughed off the incident.

 

Clearly, there are no hard feelings between the bands. Martin describes the Irish superstars' new album No Line On the Horizon as "f---ing brilliant" and is thanked on the liner notes. Coldplay plays the U2 track, Magnificent, before its live shows.

 

"We never started any rivalry, because we are fully aware that we are No.6," Martin says. "We are not even No.2. We are always very thrilled when someone even bothers to compare us, but we are 23 years behind them and they are in a way different league.

 

"It's like comparing a high jumper with an astronaut. We are doing all right, but they have gone a lot further and a lot higher. For where we are, we are doing great, but we are only ever going to come off second-best in that comparison."

 

Martin has a well-worn line in self-deprecation and a history of talking the band down that sometimes annoys his bandmates. But, underneath the humility, there is a steeliness and ambition that belies the charming put-downs. Their status, he says, is all relative: the band happily demurs to the likes of U2 and other greats of rock and pop, but also freely admits to being one of the best bands around.

 

"Don't be fooled, of course we think we are really good. But it's all about levels of comparison," he says. "If you said, 'You are one of the best bands out of Britain in the past eight years', then we will say, 'Yes, that's absolutely right, the best'."

 

On their most recent albums, both Coldplay and U2 shared veteran and visionary producer Brian Eno, who helped expand the horizons of David Bowie and Talking Heads, among others. The band was hoping for fresh input from the man who helped reinvent U2 on their revered albums The Unforgettable Fire and Achtung Baby, but found out his gift was helping them focus on their chemistry as a band.

 

"In this age of ProTools, you can program, tune and pitch everything, and make it perfect and he just makes you believe in the power of a combination of humans, which is why a band is a special thing.

 

"None of us is a virtuoso, not the best singers or the best players, but we have some chemistry between us that no one else has. So, he makes a feature of your uniqueness rather than your skill."

 

Their last album, Viva La Vida was seen by many as a return to form after the overproduced and somewhat overblown X & Y. But even though it won three Grammys and was the biggest-selling album of last year, if history is anything to go by, Coldplay will soon consider that the band's worst.

 

"You always think that your last album is your worst one somehow and want to better it in every way," says Buckland. "But that was the same with X & Y to Rush of Blood to the Head and same with that one to Parachutes."

 

Martin says the band is constantly writing on the road, believing that if they pen 50 songs, one could be worth keeping. Already Coldplay is thinking about its next album.

 

"We have 10 eyes on it -- all four of us you can see and the one you can't," says Martin, referring to band members Buckland, drummer Will Champion, bassman Guy Berryman and the so-called fifth member, former manager Phil Harvey.

 

Martin says the band is proud to be headlining the Sydney Sound Relief concert on Saturday. The band had seen the terrible bushfires unfold from Japan and immediately said yes when approached by promoter Michael Chugg to perform.

 

http://www.news.com.au/

[illuvcoldplay]

wow great article

 

"Don't be fooled, of course we think we are really good."

 

I'm very pleased to hear Chris say this

[Mimixxx]

It's from the future :o

 

Hehe. Thanks Ian :D

[Sirhc]

Guitarist Jonny Buckland concurs: "You can't have bad breath in front of 10,000 people."

 

 

:laugh3::laugh3:

[busybeeburns]

It's from the future :o

 

Hehe. Thanks Ian :D

:laugh3: But its back, back FROM the future!

[Cris_Santos]

Thanks for the article :)

[Ab]

:laugh3: But its back, back FROM the future!

Now I'm literally LMFAO cuz I just finished watching "Back To The Future I"!!!!!!!! :laugh3:

Nice article. :D

"For me, there are about 18 things that have to be done before I can go on stage, but they are all too ridiculous to repeat," Martin says. "I have to brush my teeth before I go on stage, otherwise I don't feel like I am smart enough."

 

Guitarist Jonny Buckland concurs: "You can't have bad breath in front of 10,000 people."

As ridiculous as it may sound, it's absolutely true! :laugh3:

[coldplay_are_forever]

Beautiful article!! :D And yes, their chemistry is so unusual an perfect!!:rolleyes: Thy're the best. :):):)

[PamM]

"I have to brush my teeth before I go on stage, otherwise I don't feel like I am smart enough."

 

Guitarist Jonny Buckland concurs: "You can't have bad breath in front of 10,000 people."

 

:laugh3: Brush your teeth at least twice a day just so your clean enough!!:laugh3:

 

You guys arent only good you are most surely THE BEST KIND OF AWESOME

 

;)

[The Escapist]

great article. thanks

[miss_g]

Love it! :D Cheers Ian!

[blackdollie]

what time is the bushfires relief concert start?how can they play two gigs in one night?:o

[anniea89]

Sound Relief starts at 10am. Coldplay are on first.

[blackdollie]

Oo...I see..

[blackdollie]

Is there any live telecast on channel 7,9 or 10??:rolleyes::rolleyes: