Gary Lightbody has said that he wants to become as successful as Coldplay and U2 in the coming year. According to Contactmusic, the Snow Patrol frontman wants to build on the band's current popularity and take a step up to the next level in 2010. He said: "I see U2 in a class of their own, Coldplay in the next tier down and us and a ton of bands in the tier below them."

 

Although the group received an encouraging crowd response as last-minute headliners at this year's V Festival in Chelmsford after Oasis pulled out unexpectedly, Lightbody insisted that they still have a way to go before they can match the country's top-billing acts. He added: "I don't see them as equals. We need 10 or 15 more songs in the national consciousness for that to happen."

 

http://www.coldplaying.com/index.php?name=News&file=article&sid=6912

 

Meanwhile, if you missed the exclusive interview Snow Patrol gave Coldplay.com earlier this year while on tour with Coldplay, read on...

 

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With heartfelt rockers Snow Patrol now on the road with Coldplay as their latest support act, the official site asked frontman Gary Lightbody how it's going...

 

Hello Gary, how are you?

Hey there, am grand thanks.

 

Where are you?

On our way from Texas to the show in Des Moines, Ohio tonight.

 

How have the first few days of the tour with Coldplay been?

They've been great. We've been treated really well and they have a lovely crew that are being great with our crew. Also they are kicking ass each night. Their show is spectacular. Shaping up as a perfect tour really.

 

Do you approach support slots differently to headline shows?

You have to really. It's not our crowd and we want to win them over for sure, but also we are the warm-up act and we want to do just that. We try our best to get the crowd as energised as possible, so they're well warm by the time Coldplay come on. You leave your ego at the door for support slots. Best that way.

 

Have the Coldplay crowds been receptive?

Yes they have. They've been great. There have even been a few singalongs. Hard to know what to expect when you're the support act, but they've been really warm and lovely to us.

 

You go straight from Coldplay to U2 stadium shows. Are you looking forward to those?

Yes definitely. We toured with U2 in 2005 and we're delighted to be asked again.

 

For any Coldplay fans who aren't familiar with your music (though lots will be), please could you tell us a bit about Snow Patrol and what you sound like.

The hardest question of them all!! For any band. Two things really first and foremost: melody and honesty. Although live we are a hell of a lot more rock than people might expect. We've been going 15 years so we've been about a bit, but the fire is still there. You'll see that if you get there early and catch us.

 

Last.fm's auto-recommendation software suggests that Coldplay fans might well like Snow Patrol and vice versa. Would you tend to agree?

Yes I think we write from similar places (as above) although I don't think we sound particularly alike. Essentially we both write big, beautiful music from the heart that, yes, I'm sure would appeal to both sets of fans.

 

How did you come to be on the tour?

They asked us. Coldplay are one of the few bands that have been around as long as us that we haven't played with til now so it's great to finally get to play together.

 

Had you met them before?

A few times but only briefly really. Didn't know them very well but they are gentlemen for sure.

 

Have you been enjoying their shows?

Yes, very much. The stage show is spectacular and their playing is awesome. Chris's voice is exceptional live. Also they are playing my favourite song, Glass Of Water, so that's a bonus too.

 

Have you had chance to hang out with the band yet?

Yes, we hung out yesterday as two of their lovely crew were having a birthday party and we were invited. A very great day in the texas sunshine. Til the tornado hit that is. Seriously. Exciting though.

 

Is there any time for any sightseeing on this tour?

You have to make time or life becomes a scooby-doo backdrop (tourbus, gig, tourbus, gig, hotel, tourbus, gig, etc). We're good at getting out into a city and exploring.

 

What's the best on tour sightseeing you've done?

In my life? Well, I jumped off the southern hemisphere's tallest building a few years back in New Zealand. That was fun. Also we did some boat-surfing (?! it was new to me too) yesterday, which I'd never done before and am now maybe addicted to. I may need to talk to someone. Not sure a sharkophobic surf junkie is appropriate. Only in land locked water for me!

 

Are you travelling around on a tourbus? If so, what's the best way to pass the time on the journies? (apart from sleeping!)

Reading (at the moment I'm on David Mitchell's debut 'Ghostwritten' and David Niven's autobiography 'The Moon's A Balloon', both of which I recommend) listening to music (anything by James Blackwell, Mstrcrft, The Maccabees, The Lowly Knights, Foy Vance, too much to mention) and watching some films and TV (30 rock, Earl, etc, funny stuff is best for the bus I find)

 

Pete Yorn spoke highly of Coldplay's catering - what do you think?

Yes, it's been great each night.

 

What have Snow Patrol got planned for the rest of the year?

We're going to be on tour, with U2 and by ourselves until December. Christmas off methinks.

 

Our final question is always "what's your favourite Coldplay song?". But you've already answered it.

Yes, I'll stick with Glass Of Water, though there are many greats. It's just a thrilling piece of music isn't it. Live especially. Look close enough each night and you'll see my ever-growing haystack hair, shaking joyfully to it in the wings.

 

For more information on Snow Patrol, head over to http://www.snowpatrol.com.

 

I like them! They have some good songs :) I hope next year is going to be a great for them.

The tittle made me LOL. But they're good.

Yeah the title made me wanna say what Coldplay usually say "it's not about being big, but about being better" But Snow Patrol are pretty good.

Awh I love Snow Patrol :wacky:

I hope they do well this year...I really want some new songs!! :nice:

I love Snow Patrol :heart:

They are really talented guys :nice:

^ Yeah same here :nice:, but they'll never ever be like Coldplay...

I used to like them.

No chance, sorry, give up now.

A bit of a drastic title for an article, isn't it? :confused: I believe I heard Gary saying something like that some time this year, but not in that way... I think I remember the way he said it was different and I guess it just got a tad misinterpreted... :thinking:

Anyway... I (obviously) love Snow Patrol to bits and can't get enough of them, so the more success they have and the more lovely tunes they create, the better... ;)

As a huge Snow Patrol fan, I don't see it happening. Their latest album didn't feature any pop equivalent to "Chasing Cars", which Gary has even gone on record of calling their "signature song" (and even then, that needed a prime time TV montage to propel it into extreme popularity). Coldplay doesn't really have a single signature song, because each hit they pump out is as big as the last. In a way, I'm actually glad Snow Patrol has found that nice little "comfort zone" between mainstream popularity and relative obscurity. But I hope they become bigger yet.

^Ya, nothing on it was like Chasing Cars on it. However, I like the ambition. You never know what they can come up with.

I love Snow Patrol :heart:

They are really talented guys :nice:

 

i think so

They have some good songs, but they are far behind Coldplay..

They need to get back to the Final Straw sort of stuff. They're actually almost Post-Rock in places on that album (Somewhere a Clock is Ticking) but ruin it with ballads like Chasing Cars.

 

Having said that, their last album was a wee bit more interesting.

"Somewhere a Clock Is Ticking" is a bloody amazing song. But their ballads - like it or not - are probably their more popular material.

Too right. I don't listen to Snow Patrol much anymore but Somewhere a Clock is Ticking holds a place in my heart I spose you could say.

Snore Patrol? seriously?

They can´t mess with coldplay!!!

They don´t have such a charisma

and they haven´t a singer like chris martin!!!:smug:

Snore Patrol? seriously?

 

Although I disagree with the sentiment, would that not be pretty ironic for a Coldplay fan to say anyway? :\

 

Snow Patrol definitely play a similar style of music to Coldplay.

Snore Patrol? seriously?

 

actually...i'd disagree with the "Snore Patrol" comment there. my little sis (not me!) tends to complain that Coldplay are the snore inducing band, i.e. most of their songs make her sleepy, particularly pre VLV stuff. she has a bit more interest in Snow Patrol & when i play their songs so far, she doesn't have the same complaint. :P

 

admittedly, i'm biased towards Snow Patrol, since i like their stuff a lot, but i think Gary's quote about Coldplay & U2 being in a whole different league above them is right & he's right to say his band need more hits to be even near that league.

 

....but it's great that they have that target in mind. shows they aren't just sitting back now that they've got a great gig as last minute headliners at the V Festival & with the Up To Now compilation out, imo.

Good luck, guys. :inquisitive:

 

Actually I think that Snow Patrol are definitely one of the bands with both the ambition and the talent to go big, but they've kind of coasted musically on their last couple of albums. They're capable of so much more artistically than they've settled for.

 

If they have another jump forward like they did between When It's All Over... and Final Straw they have a chance.

i'm a pretty big fan of snow patrol - i have bought their last three albums. that said, they've had very few "great" songs in my opinion. i loved some of the stuff on final straw, it was very emotionally raw.

 

then eyes open was a great record in my opinion, just track to track great. the break-up emotion was pretty great. and i say all this stuff about emotion because that's what i feel snow patrol are all about at their best.

 

this last album had a few songs that stood out for me, like crack the shutters and planets bend between us, but on the whole i found it with quite a few holes.

 

i don't expect them to reach coldplay or u2 ever. mostly because coldplay are moving up at the same time. if coldplay had stagnated i might understand the desire to get "into their league" but i don't think it's possible. it's a nice sentiment though.

 

i really hope their next album sees them stretch themselves a bit more. they're one band you see that sort of...moved their style to fit the prevailing style of the time, and with that they seem to have lost some originality. this being only my opinion. so i don't mean to offend anyone who finds them unique.

 

once again though, i'd love if they could have a great next album. as a fan of music this is good for us. i'm not much into band competition. and we're better than them blah blah blah. if they find a way to tap into some more raw emotion or on the other end make it a bit more artistic, then i can see them doing well. but if they keep trying to make chasing cars 2, well then i don't think they're dreams can be made real.

Although I disagree with the sentiment, would that not be pretty ironic for a Coldplay fan to say anyway? :\

 

Snow Patrol definitely play a similar style of music to Coldplay.

 

 

 

'twas a joke!!! brought up because they don't seem to have many upbeat songs... even in the faster songs you don't hear a lot of drums.

 

no offense to SP fans.

I love Snow Patrol, but this title is incredibly stupid... Maybe it's been changed by the journalist, but if not I just hate the idea of a band only trying to get more popular...