September 11, 2008 9:09 am

Coldplay.com catches up with Will

 

 

Hello Will. Where are you?

I'm in Paris, in the environs of the Bercy dressing room complex.

 

How's the European tour been going so far?

Very well thank you.

 

Does it feel different to the North American tour?

Yeah, it does. We've changed the set slightly. We felt like for the American tour we had to come out guns blazing and we didn't really feel confident about a couple of the new songs yet. But I think with the record having been out a little longer, people are getting used to its songs. We also had people like Phil saying that Cemeteries Of London, for example, has been going down really well in Europe and online and all that. So we thought, let's try and branch out a little. We're doing a couple of newer additions, Cemeteries being the main one.

 

It must be nice to keep changing things.

Definitely. It keeps it fresh. Our problem in the past was that we'd settle upon a set and love it so much that we didn't really tend to change it.

 

Does a European crowd seem noticeably different to an American one?

It's different fom crowd to crowd, really. But they seem to have really gone for Viva in France. We didn't really feel that we'd done as well as we could've done in France. I think the addition of the French flag on the album cover probably didn't do too much damage! But Viva really took off when we were in Lyon. Actually, I think that might've been the best gig we've done, to date. It was really, really good.

 

In what sense?

Just the general reaction to songs. We're used to people singing along to the big songs and then politely clapping to the other ones. But in Lyon it was literally like every song was a Number One smash hit. Which is a very good feeling.

 

Of course the big change for you personally on this tour is that you're singing.

I am! It's quite difficult, because that section of the show is logistically tough. It's hard to get guitars and mics sounding good up there at the back of the crowd. Plus, Chris sings in the first song, then I sing in the second one and he's got a much stronger voice than I have. So it's quite difficult to get all the balances and everything right. But it's coming along.

 

It must feel quite strange having drummed with the band for ten years to suddenly be singing.

I've always sung backing vocals, but, yeah, it is quite odd. I never felt that I had a voice for lead vocals. It's quite an anonymous voice, I think, that blends well into backing vocals. But I'm trying to expand my repertoire. I haven't branched out yet, but I'd like to.

 

What else might we expect from you?

I was thinking perhaps a bit of Bon Jovi.

 

Could this be the beginning of the Will Champion solo career?

No, indeed not. Probably the end.

 

So, according to the papers, you chaps made it to the Andorra v England football game before the show in Barcelona on Saturday.

Yes, we saw the first half. We had to go after that. We got back to the venue just before 9pm and we were on stage about half an hour later.

 

The papers claimed you'd pushed back the gig to see the whole game.

No, not at all. Was that really in the paper? If we'd put it back, we'd have stayed for the whole game and not left at half time!

 

How was the first half?

Fairly uneventful. It was odd, actually, being at an away game and there being something like ten thousand English people and probably about 500 Andorrans. Great stadium, though. It was the Olympic stadium, up on the hill.

 

Do you have any advice for England's manager, Mr Capello?

Um, I think it was obvious where the faults were from the first half and I think he did well to correct them. He brought on Joe Cole on the left side which I thought was a very good move, because Downing wasn't having a particularly good game. I mean the half we saw, which ended goalless, didn't instill us with great confidence. But then as Jonny and I discussed at length, it's almost impossible to play against a team that has ten men behind the ball at all times, who haven't come to score, let alone win. But England did alright. I don't think it was as bad as everyone suggested. They still got the win in the end.

 

Moving back to Coldplay, we spoke to Albert Hammond Jr last week, who was telling us that you pick your own support acts.

Absolutely. Providing they're available and providing they want to do it. We don't force people to come on the road with us!

 

Have you enjoyed the three you've had so far? [Albert, Santogold and Shearwater.]

Yeah, they've all been brilliant, to be honest. We've been very lucky.

 

And what have you been listening to lately?

Actually, I've mainly been listening to Learn Spanish with Michel Thomas.

 

How's it going?

Muy bien gracias.

 

Good work!

I really enjoy trying to speak Spanish. It's always been a goal for me to speak another language properly, so I'm going to see it through.

 

Presumably there's only so far you can go with CD lessons?

Actually, they're really good. It gives you great confidence right from the very first bit. It's fantastic.

 

Have you been listening to any music too?

Eugene Francis Jnr and the Juniors are a great band that I discovered. It's strange folk-based, slightly electronic stuff, with lots of singing. There's about nine of them in the band and they're just fantastic. I highly recommend visiting their website, soonly.

 

Now, about your drumkit. Are there any changes to it for this tour?

Only in colouration. All of our instruments have been painted by our lovely assistant Vicki. She's done a fantastic job - far, far above and beyond the call of duty. Every single item that's painted in our collection of instruments was done by Vicki.

 

Wow.

I know. She's a very talented artist.

 

Do you get through a lot of drum skins?

Normally they're changed every other gig, I would say. For some reason I don't break as many sticks as I used to, though. I used to get through lots of them. I think I must've found the right stick.

 

What sort of sticks do you use?

They are Pro-Mark 5Bs, I believe.

 

What makes them stand out from another drum stick?

They just seem a lot more sturdy, for some reason. Or maybe I'm just getting soft in my old age.

 

Well, it sounds like you're all enjoying the tour.

So far, so good, yeah. We're just so grateful that the album's done well and people seem to get it. This would be a very different conversation if it wasn't as good as it could've been. And we're so pleased that Viva is doing well as a single. For a long time, it wasn't even going to be on the album.

 

Which would've been insane.

Well it was funny, because it took a long time to get it right. It wasn't until the very end that it actually came good.

 

And it's turned out to be your biggest hit.

Yes, ever. Without a shadow of a doubt.

 

It's also a classic football chant in the making.

Oh, yeah, definitely. We were saying we want to get the sheet music to whoever it is that plays the trumpet at the England games. I'd love it to be sung on the terraces.

 

Click to cast your daily vote for Coldplay.com in the BT Digital Music Awards

 

From: http://coldplay.com/newsdetail.php?id=122

 

COOL!!!.....I LOVE WILL!!!!!!

 

 

By the way THANKS!!!

En mi opinión es fantástico que Will trata de aprender español. ¡Buena entrevista! :D

Well all i can say is Holy Crap! Excellent info:rolleyes: I can't believe VIVA was not going to be on the album. I love how the tour is evolving for them and should be totally "Tweeked' by October.

Raaaaah !!!! We are the best !!! lol :D

I'm saying that because I was in the audience in Lyon ! (and I sung a lot and out of tune lol :P !)

Too good ! :lol:

En mi opinión es fantástico que Will trata de aprender español. ¡Buena entrevista! :D

 

yeahhh it's great :D

 

now he needs to come here and talk with me so I can help him to improve his spanish :D

Raaaaah !!!! We are the best !!! lol :D

I'm saying that because I was in the audience in Lyon ! (and I sung a lot and out of tune lol :P !)

Too good ! :lol:

 

 

I'm agree with you ! I'm proud of us lol

 

Vive le concert de Lyon !

postcard from Guy

 

 

ahhh, i was there tooooo :heart:

[/pointless_comment]

 

and i was there just over a month ago, and it was fine to take pictures of anything, even the mona lisa. they tell you not to use flash, but everyone does anyway.

 

and when i saw it, i was stunned by how huge it was too. i wasn't even looking for it in "large scale french paintings," yet i turned around and saw it and went :wideeyed:

From Will's interview:

"We also had people like Phil saying that Cemeteries Of London, for example, has been going down really well in Europe and online and all that. So we thought, let's try and branch out a little. We're doing a couple of newer additions, Cemeteries being the main one."

 

 

 

heeeeey Phil visits Coldplaying.com :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Phil :wink3: :laugh3:

From Will's interview:

"We also had people like Phil saying that Cemeteries Of London, for example, has been going down really well in Europe and online and all that. So we thought, let's try and branch out a little. We're doing a couple of newer additions, Cemeteries being the main one."

 

 

 

heeeeey Phil visits Coldplaying.com :P

 

 

 

 

 

 

Hello Phil :wink3: :laugh3:

 

I said the same thing in the I Ran Away petition thread! :laugh4: It's either that or Will just revealed Phil as the Oracle!!

ohh I didn't see your post :P

 

 

nahh.. Debs is the oracle!

Roadie #42 - blog #25

September 10, 2008 12:44 pm

An amazing little film from #42

 

Now, I know the last blog had a clip of the crowd doing the Viva chant,but I couldn't not show you this. I stuck a camera up on the drum riserlast night, looking out past the piano. As the fellas come back fromdoing the acoustic section at the back of the arena, soundman Dan Greennow puts on a Viva remix. So whilst the chaps were out in the loadingdock having a drink and a breather before the encore, here's theParisian crowd having their own impromptu rave without them! Forgetcigarette lighters, mobile phones are the new glowsticks!

 

Viva Paris ! :D

video response to Roadie #42 :P

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HuhDcEJ0qDw

 

Raaaaah !!!! We are the best !!! lol :D

I'm saying that because I was in the audience in Lyon ! (and I sung a lot and out of tune lol :P !)

Too good ! :lol:

 

Viva Lyon ! :dance:

Newsreel: MTV Latin America nomination

September 12, 2008 9:53 am

Band nominated for another MTV gong

Good morning. We have another Coldplay MTV Award nomination to tell you about. This one is for Mejor Artista Rock Internacional at MTV's Latin American Awards. If you'd like to vote for the band to win, click here, select which Latin American country you live in (or, perhaps, would like to live in*) and then vote.

 

Anchorman

 

* For the record, we plumped for Peru

we're faster than anchorman :cool:

Roadie #42 - blog #26

September 15, 2008 3:37 pm

#42 sends word from the autobahn

 

Well, we're halfway to Berlin as I write this, with a show in Hamburg fading off in the rear view mirror. Temperature-wise it's been one extreme to another. The Paris venue seemed to have no ventilation whatsoever, making for a sauna-like gig experience. In Hamburg, there was ice beneath the boards that covered the floor. This caused enough confusion to throw Chris off at the start of Death and All His Friends. He had a couple of goes at the intro, trying to work out if it starts with "Oh, summer" or "Oh, winter". The crowd soon set him straight, however.

 

It's got to be a sign that things are beginning to settle when there's time in the gig to take notice of what the crowd are up to. I'm led to believe that in Paris, Cemeteries of London saw some particularly bonkers Parisians dressed in bedsheets sat on their friends' shoulders. Plainly Cemeteries need Halloween-style spooky ghosts. Excellently silly - and I applaud. Cologne saw what was possibly the first display of sparklers during Fix You so far this tour. Maybe there have been more, but from where I am, I can only see a tiny section of the crowd, so I may well have missed out. It's beyond great though, when the crowd give the band and crew something to look at. We see the flashing lights, the smoke and the mirrors of the show every night. When something totally unexpected happens, it's a talking point until well into the next day. The mobile-phone glowsticks in Paris came like a lunar eclipse, giving the whole touring party something to stand staring at and pointing. I'm sure there's more to come. Be assured, we'll all be watching.

 

Another sign that the mad bout of "moving the furniture round" in the setlist is taking a brief breather is the fact that the Hamburg soundcheck consists mainly of a round of cover versions. Mr. Champion picks up the bass and gives Blur's Girls and Boys a go. Pretty soon Guy is on drums, Jonny gives it some, and they're off. Chris's Damon Albarn impersonation is given an extra lift by his nice new white tracksuit top from the German promoters. Not wishing to take sides in the whole Britpop divide, next up comes an Oasis tune. Chris slurring "All I need are cigarettes and alcohol" was certainly one of the more unusual soundcheck sights so far this tour. There's plenty more. Fools Gold from the Stone Roses gets a go and for the tiniest moment they try a Police song before giving up, quite reasonably concluding that it's just too hard. Perhaps we should look into getting them some club gigs on days off doing covers? Mind you, all the gear will need setting up, so it's probably best not to be giving them ideas.

 

I'll leave you with a few shots I got during Yellow in Paris just before the runner...

 

R42

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

^Thanks! that's just what i needed after the "ear wax" bs........ ooohhhh, i can't get enough of that purlple shirt , Yummy Chris Chestage and all that sweat!! yikes:rolleyes:

It's beyond great though, when the crowd give the band and crew something to look at. I'm sure there's more to come. Be assured, we'll all be watching.

 

:stunned:

 

They are watching us!!!!!!!!!

 

SQQQUUUUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!

thanks! :D

 

Its confusing though, R42 says those photos are from Paris, yet they're titled "Hamb" :confused:

How confusing.

 

I just watched a video of DAAHF from Hamburg though and when they were bowing they weren't standing in that order, so must just be mislabelled :idea2:

Inspector Clouseau, thanks! :P

That's me :smug:

The pics are definitely from Paris, we called Miller while he was taking them (we were just on those people's left) then he came to us, took a pic of us and left with my banner ;)

Jonny gives it some

:sneaky:

The pics are definitely from Paris, we called Miller while he was taking them (we were just on those people's left) then he came to us, took a pic of us and left with my banner ;)

 

definitely was ! the 9th to be exact. I remember the blond guy in the front, that's the same guy I saw in Lyon, the one who slept in the van in Paris. remember ?

 

sadly we're not on the pic... :disappointed: but we knew that already Camille, right ? that's why we yelled after Miller :P

 

but sadly again, he didnt post our banners :bigcry: and The Oracle wont answer me !!!

R42 loves us too much, he wanna keep the pic of us for himself, we should be proud of that ahahah

The good point is, we're now 9999% sure that Miller is R42, cause he could have taken the banner to give it to R42, though his pics are definitely the ones he was taking.

 

Hehe Miller, fear me, I'll be back as a R42 groupie :devilish: XD