Boat trip Q&As: Matt McGinn & Phil Harvey's in first post... MILLER'S PUBLISHED @ 4PM GMT TODAY (FRI

busybeeburns · December 28, 2010

Hi everyone! Hope you're having a good Christmas so far :)

I'll be publishing the Q&As very shortly... starting with Matt McGinn's at 3pm today (GMT). Then Phil Harvey's at 3pm tomorrow GMT (Wednesday). Can't have too much of a good thing all at once! ;)

Miller's will come when I receive them. :)

Matt McGinn has answered questions on Pretty Woman, the music industry, guitar strings, new instruments for LP5 to name but a few answers...

Ian

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Q&A for Matt McGinn

Q. I really enjoyed Matt's book Roadie: My Life On the Road With Coldplay. I was intrigued when he talked about the riff he invented while talking to Chris, that eventually landed on the cut "Square One" from X&Y. That is one of my favorite Coldplay songs (and favorite album) and I was wondering which riff in the song was Matt's? - Jill Finan

A. THANKS, I'M CHUFFED YOU LIKED THE BOOK, IT REALLY MEANS A LOT THAT PEOPLE ARE DIGGING IT. THE RIFF IS THE QUIET THREE-NOTER IN THE CHORUSES. WE ACTUALLY HAD A LIVELY DEBATE IN THE STUDIO RECENTLY ABOUT FAVOURITE RIFFS WE'D ALL HAD A HAND IN; JONNY MENTIONED THE ONE AT THE END OF 'SCIENTIST' WHILE BRIAN ENO CITED CARLOS ALOMAR'S BENDY BEAUTY FROM DAVID BOWIE'S 'HEROES'. MY PERSONAL FAVOURITE THOUGH IS FROM 'ADHESIVE' BY THE DUTY PREFECTS, MY SCHOOL BAND CIRCA 1981, WHICH DEFINITELY TAKES THE CAKE!

Q. Well I was curious if any of the guys keep their own personal tour diary? We get perspectives from Roadie 42, the oracle, and anchorman, but I wanted to know if they ever wrote down their own memories just for themselves not to be shared with the public. Do ya'll do the same? Maybe not necessarily a tour diary but when something momentous happens, do you write it down? – Kimberly

A. NOT SURE ABOUT THE BAND BUT WHEN I WAS WRITING THE BOOK (SEE ABOVE) I HAD LOADS OF SCRIBBLES ON GAFFER TAPE AND AIRLINE NAPKINS - YOU NEVER KNOW WHEN AN IDEA WILL STRIKE, DO YOU?

Q. I bought one of Jonny's thin lines in the auction and want to know what brand of strings he uses - Angie Castille

A. WELL DONE, WHICH ONE DID YOU GET? FORTY, BLACKY OR CHEAPY? THEY'RE ALL LOVELY IN DIFFERENT WAYS AND WE DO MISS THEM! JONNY USES D'ADDARIOS, BUT I HEAR ALL GUITAR STRINGS GROW ON THE SAME TREES THESE DAYS. WE'D HAPPILY USE ERNIE BALL, FOR INSTANCE, IF WE HAD TO.

Q. How many times have you seen Pretty Woman, to be using that quote in your book? (Jenjie)

A. AT LEAST TWENTY-THREE. I LIKE THE BIT WHERE HE SNAPS HER FINGERS IN THE JEWELLERY BOX. I HONESTLY DON'T THINK SHE KNEW HE WAS GOING TO DO IT.

Q. My question is a bit selfish, but I was wondering if you'd be able to give any advice to someone looking to work in the music industry, particularly in the more administrative/managerial side of things, in the coming years. I'm just about to graduate university, and I'm deciding what steps to take next in order to get closer to my dream of working for a band much as you all do, and was wondering if you had any advice. Thanks! - Chelsea Gilchrist

A. NO, NOT SELFISH CHELSEA, JUST TOUGH TO ANSWER. PERSONALLY, I JUST BLINDLY KEPT GOING WITH MUSIC, BECAUSE I DIDN'T KNOW WHAT ELSE TO DO. THEN I GOT LUCKY, MET COLDPLAY AND HELD ON FOR DEAR LIFE! SERIOUSLY THOUGH, IF YOU'RE OFF TO COLLEGE, WHY NOT GET TO KNOW THE ENTS PEOPLE AND DIVE INTO PUTTING ON SHOWS AND STUFF WHILE YOU'RE THERE? LOTS OF MUSIC BUSINESS PEOPLE GET GOING LIKE THAT, IT'S A GREAT WAY TO CUT YOUR TEETH AND MAKE CONTACTS. GOOD LUCK.

Q. Some of the instruments used in Viva La Vida sound distorted, or a combination of instruments that the band don't always play. The piano throughout the song sounds either treated or an earlier version of the instrument, and the extended instrumental section between the chorus and verse (1:38 onwards) sounds like a combination of electric guitar with distortion pedal, steel guitar or distorted/treated harpsichord? What instruments were used / treated for Viva La Vida? - Phil Stewart

A. THIS IS ONE FOR RIK SIMPSON REALLY, THOUGH I THINK AN EVENTIDE H8000 WAS USED A FAIR BIT. IT'S NOT YOUR RUN-OF-THE-MILL PIECE OF RECORDING, THAT'S FOR SURE. ALL I REMEMBER IS IT NEARLY DIDN'T MAKE THE RECORD. AMAZING, EH?

Q. What is your most memorable experience working with Coldplay so far? – Deshani

A. GETTING DRENCHED IN ABU DHABI. THE WETTEST GIG OF MY LIFE. I HAD LOCAL CREW WITH UMBRELLAS ALL AROUND ME AT STAGESIDE AND HAD TO GIVE JONNY A MASSIVE TOWEL TO DRY THE GUITARS AS I PASSED THEM TO HIM. WE THEN FLEW OUT THROUGH THE STORM, THE SAME NIGHT. GHASTLY. IT'S EITHER THAT OR DRESSING AS ELVIS AND MIMING VIOLIN ON TOP OF THE POPS!

Q. For this album, are you using new instruments on this record? Has one or more instruments influenced this album's sound? I'm asking this because, I liked how you used new instruments on the last album such as the violin, tabla and Middle Eastern sounds on Yes! - marie lamensch

A. JONNY'S REALLY GOT INTO PLAYING STRATOCASTERS LATELY, A BIG DEPARTURE FOR US BOTH, HAVING FAVOURED TELECASTERS FOR YEARS. ALSO THERE'S AN AMAZING ACOUSTIC INSTRUMENT GUY REALLY LIKES PLAYING CALLED THE EPIPHONE INSPIRATION. IT'S A FOUR-STRINGED SORT OF TENOR AXE THE SIZE OF A BANJO FROM WHO KNOWS WHERE OR WHEN. WE SEEM TO HAVE THE ONLY ONE ANYONE'S EVER SEEN.

Q. What would you like for christmas? - emily parker

A. JUST A HUGE CUDDLE FROM MY LITTLE DAUGHTER. AND SOME BIG FAT NORWEGIAN SOCKS!

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Q&A: Phil Harvey

Q. What things you've done, in your opinion, probably had the biggest influence on the band?

A. My first act as manager was to book out Dingwalls (venue in North London) and put on our own show. We made 1500 pounds and used the money to record and manufatcure make our first CD, the Safety EP. That gave Coldplay a bit of momentum – after that, they were too good not to succeed...

Q. Chris told us they nearly cancelled the Rock am Ring/Rock im Park shows and said it was "a long story". Could you give us a hint? If it's more of a secret that shouldn't be on the Internet, then of course you don't have to react to the question ;)

A. There was an unexpected family issue. Nothing bad. It just gave us a bit of surprise.

Q. What was the most memorable/pleasant/enjoyable moment for you, concerning Coldplay? Phil, Germany

A. The whole of the last South America tour was amazing. The Grammys in 2009 was a big high.. Or supporting U2 at Slane Castle in 2001.

Q. Will LP5's tour be themed, like VLV's military jackets? - Christina

A. Hmmm im not sure if it’ll be ‘themed’… but I hope we succeed in creating a bit of a different world so that it doesn’t feel like just another concert.

Q. There have been lots of different dates quoted for the release of the next album. The most recent is 'late 2011' from the Jan 2011 Q mag article - since this is based on a very recent interview with you guys, are we able to assume that this date is correct?

A. I really woudn’t believe anything that the band say about the new album yet. The songs, title, potential release date change from day to day. I’d be disappointed if we don’t release it by the end of next year though

Q. Chris has previously mentioned that the new album has a different feel to VLV and will be better suited to smaller live venues. Given the popularity of the band this would seem to = a very long tour of small venues or a lot of disappointed people due to small venue capacities! Has a plan for the tour been developed further (obviously we have just seen a number of festival shows announced)?

A. I think what chris meant by that was that he was trying not to think about playing gigs in enormous stadiums – a) because we don’t take it for granted that we can sell tickets for big venues like that b) because it can be artistically restrictive if you start thinking about what will sound good in front of 100,000 people.

Q. Is the song writing / recording process for the new album different to that for VLV?

A. Brian Eno was more involved in the songwriting for this album.

Q. Can we expect to hear any new songs at the upcoming Crisis gigs? - Ian Richardson.

A. We’ll be playing Christmas Lights tonight for sure. You might even see my debut performance onstage – as a violin-playing Elvis… no songs from new album though.

Q. How would you describe each band member using 5 adjectives for each? Doesn't have to be all the positive ones :) - Milan from Nis,Serbia

A. Jonny – wise, kind, gentle, magical, fragrant; Will – strong, loving, dapper, bearded, witty; Chris – loyal, mercurial, hyper-energised, passionate, agile; Guy – handsome, mysterious, hospitable, busy, buff

Q. Well I was curious if any of the guys keep their own personal tour diary? We get perspectives from Roadie 42, the oracle, and anchorman, but I wanted to know if they ever wrote down their own memories just for themselves not to be shared with the public. Do ya'll do the same? Maybe not necessarily a tour diary but when something momentous happens, do you write it down? – Kimberly

A. Not that I know of…they’re always thinking of the next thing

Q. Who was Prospekt? Always thought it was you, Phil. - Jack Zoldos

A. Now that would be telling…

Q. How’s the work with Upbeat coming along, and are you achieving what you hoped from working with them? Jen Betley

A. Upbeat is a great charity and I’m very proud of the work they do. It’s very small and modest in scale but I think it makes a big difference to the people who use the service (it’s for people with mental illness who want to make music).

Q. "Violet Hill" was apparently named after a road which happens to be very close to Abbey Road. Many Coldplayers (including myself) have now visited the little park there as a kind of Coldplay 'pilgrimage', passing the Abbey Road studios on the way. Is there any significance other than Violet Hill's proximity to Abbey Road, and have any members of the band actually been there for any reason? – Mark Cox

A. I think that's where Chris was when the song came to him

Q. My question is a bit selfish, but I was wondering if you'd be able to give any advice to someone looking to work in the music industry, particularly in the more administrative/managerial side of things, in the coming years. I'm just about to graduate university, and I'm deciding what steps to take next in order to get closer to my dream of working for a band much as you all do, and was wondering if you had any advice. Thanks! - Chelsea Gilchrist

A. I honestly don’t know what to say. I’ve been friends with Chris since we were 13 years old and we always planned to be in a band together. I’ve got no idea how we actually got to where we are today…

Q. When you and the band first started out all those years ago, did you have any indication that they were destined for very, very big things? Was it purely four guys making some music and having a bit of fun, or did you yourself 'feel' that something else really amazing was brewing under the surface at that time?- Kara Thomas

A. I always believed in them. From the very first rehearsal.

Q. What is your most memorable experience working with Coldplay so far? - Deshani

A. That’s tricky… maybe meeting Debs Wild for the first time in 1998. That’s when I had the first glimpse that we might actually get a record deal. It was very very exciting… we owe her everything.

Q. Amsterdam is my favourite ever Coldplay song. It has great personal meaning for me and I wonder why the band never performs it live anymore? I know it is many fans favourite song. Is the rumour true that Chris can’t quite hit the really high notes after the surgery he had on his throat? Or are they just over it and have therefore retired it? Sorry if it’s a silly question, but I have always wondered. – Lucy Bellamy

A. Hahaha I hadn’t heard that about chris’ voice. I think his range is actually better than ever. I reckon there’s a good chance Amsterdam will be in set lists on the next tour.

Q. Are the clothes of the boys in the Christmas lights video going to be used in the next era/tour?

A. No, they were a one off

Q. Will all the latin american fans have to wait 2 years after touring is done ( as in 2007 and 2010) to Coldplay coming back to Latin America in tour? - Juan Manuel Fontes

A. We haven’t made any firm plans for touring yet. But personally speaking… I’d like to get back to Latin America asap

Q. What is the inspiration behind the ‘Christmas Lights’ video and is this theme central to the new album? - Marcus J.D. Lambert

A. We wanted to create a sort of magical theatre. Influences were Terry Gilliam, George Melieres, London

Q. What kinda things do you still have in the Coldplay archives. Like recordings of early unreleased songs and various pieces of band history. And do you think it will ever see the light of day? - mitchel johns

A. There must be dozens of unfinished songs. I remember a lovely song called Famous Old Painters from Viva recording sessions. We finished the mix and I loved it but it still hasn’t seen the light of day.

Q. What would Phil, Miller and Matt each like for christmas? - emily parker

A. I would like loads of snow on the ground at my parents’ farm in Devon (where I’ll be for Christmas)

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Q&As for Miller

Q. Miller once mentioned that he has a huge hard drive full of demo recordings. So is he the one responsible of archiving them? How many versions do usually exist of one song until its final version is made? What was the song that changed most from original idea to finished product? - Anna Reitze

A. I record all the soundchecks when the guys are on tour and keep an itunes library of anything that gets played that might end up as a new song - from Will playing a drum pattern that works with a funny slapback echo in the venue to the whole band playing through a song that’s been in the works for months. Similarly, in the studio, there is an iTunes library that contains all of the ideas and work in progress. The evolution of the songs is mainly a matter of the feel and the attitude changing. For example, Lost began as a very fragile sounding piano piece and ended up very swaggering and full - but the chords, words and melody remained almost completely intact. I have to say though (going off question a little) that my favourite recordings are the daft songs that the band do about the crew. They tend to get made up on the spot and are very very funny. I think almost all of of us have had one dedicated to us at one point over the years, my personal favourite being “Don’t go sailing with Brian Leitch”. This was dedicated to the band’s old lighting designer after hearing about an incident he had on his beloved yacht which ended with coast guard assistance...

Q. I really love all the multimedia contributions you do at Coldplay.com. Are you planning something special for the next era? - Angie Castille

A. Thanks Angie. The great thing about working online is the speed at which what’s possible changes. Each time we gear up for a new campaign, the whole online world is different. There’s some very exciting things being discussed that we couldn’t have even conceived of back at the start of VIVA or X&Y. Similarly, ideas we had then that seemed too ambitious now have very real ways of achieving them. Everyone seems very excited about making Coldplay.Com absolutely outstanding in the next few years and I can’t wait!

Q. Well I was curious if any of the guys keept their own personal tour diary? We get perspectives from Roadie 42, the oracle, and anchorman, but I wanted to know if they ever wrote down their own memories just for themselves not to be shared with the public. Do ya'll do the same? Maybe not necessarily a tour diary but when something momentous happens, do you write it down? Kimberly

A. Pretty much all of my thoughts find their way out on the website. I did think for a while about keeping a personal diary, but there just aren’t enough hours in the day really!

Q. Do you find it freaky that fans recognise you and want pictures of you as much as the band? Jen Betley

A. Hmmn, well obviously, I have no idea what you mean. I do know though, that Roadie #42 is actually a very shy fella, which is partly why he chose to write under a pseudonym. He’s never really wanted to write about himself, just his observations of the band and the audience, so the blog isn’t really *about* him, as much as the world he sees around him each day. Sometimes he feels a little guilty when people are so friendly to him and he just dives off in the other direction, but maintaining the mystique is very important! ;-)

Q. My question is a bit selfish, but I was wondering if you'd be able to give any advice to someone looking to work in the music industry, particularly in the more administrative/managerial side of things, in the coming years. I'm just about to graduate university, and I'm deciding what steps to take next in order to get closer to my dream of working for a band much as you all do, and was wondering if you had any advice. Thanks! - Chelsea Gilchrist

A. I’ve never been involved in the managerial side of things, but I’m sure that it’s not that much different to the roadie world where nobody is born knowing what to do - you just have to get in there and get your hands dirty and learn on the job. Any chance you get to get involved with people who are doing the job you want to do you should take - even if you feel a bit nervous at first. There might be a venue near you that books bands, or maybe a radio station or a management company or booking agents. Just introduce yourself and ask if there’s anything you can do to help out. Always ask questions, always be enthusiastic and never think you’re above doing the more shitty jobs. Almost any experience is good experience as long as you learn from it. I wish I could say that you no longer need to be in big cities to get involved in the music industry. Unfortunately though, it still seems to be the case. I grew up in a tiny seaside town a long long way from London. I had a couple of friends who also wanted to do music and all we ever talked about was getting out and moving to London. I could have stayed there and still done something involving music, I’m sure, but if I’m honest, I don’t think I’d have got the opportunities that led me here.

Q. Some of the instruments used in Viva La Vida sound distorted, or a combination of instruments that the band don't always play. The piano throughout the song sounds either treated or an earlier version of the instrument, and the extended instrumental section between the chorus and verse (1:38 onwards) sounds like a combination of electric guitar with distortion pedal, steel guitar or distorted/treated harpsichord? What instruments were used / treated for Viva La Vida? Phil Stewart

A. I’m pretty sure that the sound you’re talking about is the ‘Tack Piano’. Rather than being a piano sound distorted or processed by studio equipment, this is actually a real instrument that lives in the Bakery. Rik Simpson, who engineered and co-produced Viva, told me that Chris first used a tack piano at a studio in New York called The Magic Shop, where he fell in love with the sound. Its unique tone and attack comes from the wooden hammers that hit the piano strings actually having metal tacks (or ‘drawing pins’ in UK language) pushed into them. This is what gives it the very bright, brittle sound (as you say, a little like a harpsichord). When the band got back to London, they bought a cheap piano and a box of drawing pins and made their own tack piano. It’s also on the main riff of Lovers In Japan. In order to get this sound on tour, Rik actually recorded every single key of the Bakery tack piano and made a sampler instrument that is played from the little keyboards near Jonny on stage.

Q. Hi, I'm a big fan of the lovely photographs that you take for the website and blog, did you train in photography and video production specifically in the past, and have you worked on any other big projects in the past? – Kara Thomas

A. Thank you very much Kara, you’re very kind! I haven’t done any formal training in photography or video. I’ve always taken photos, as my dad was a keen photographer who explained a lot to me about how the technical side worked. I’ve also got video footage I shot of friends bands from back when I was at school. (you used to be able to rent video cameras from a shop on the high street if you gave them your parent’s passport as security!). I did train in audio production, which led me into the Coldplay job in the first place. I did find when I started fiddling with photos and video more, that a lot of the techniques you use making music have similarities on the visual side of things. For example, fiddling with EQ to make an instrument sound less muddy and more crisp is very similar to fiddling with the colour balance or contrast of a photograph or video clip to make it more pleasing. Once you’ve got into the habit of sitting in front of the laptop playing around with sliders until you like the result, you’re pretty much on the way with whatever you decide to attempt... Now that everyone can have a recording studio, a photographic darkroom and an video editing suite in their laptops means that everyone can do everything. I don’t think that people will think in terms of “photographer” or “recording engineer” so much in the long term future - people will just be media producers. I’ve done a few things for other bands since doing Coldplay, but to be honest, they keep me busy enough that they’ve been nearly all that’s passed through my laptop since 2002!

Q. What is your most memorable experience working with Coldplay so far? – Deshani

A. This is actually quite a difficult question to answer, as we’re still in the midst of what I’ll undoubtedly look back on as an amazing period in my life. I think the most vivid and exciting period was my first US tour with them in 2002, when I’d first been given the job. I’d never toured America before and every week or so, we’d do a show that was bigger than the previous “biggest show I’d ever done”. It was pretty clear that they were going to be something special (after years of working for bands who never quite “got there”). It was incredible to be around people who wanted to work that hard and who were being as warmly and enthusiastically accepted wherever they went. It also didn’t hurt that it was such a lovely bunch of people to be sharing the experience with!

Q. What would you like for christmas? - emily parker

A. Well, I’m answering this on December 29th, so it’s kind of been and gone. The run up to Christmas was unusually chaotic this year with the song coming out and all the madness of making videos, TV and radio shows, getting ready for gigs and so on that goes along with it. I was looking forward to getting home and collapsing in a heap for a few days - and that’s exactly what I did!

crazyduckette · December 28, 2010

Yay!! look forward to it :dance:

silver.lining42 · December 28, 2010

Yay!! look forward to it :dance:

I'll second that :D

NumbersGirl · December 28, 2010

:awesome:

**Laura** · December 28, 2010

:dance: Can't wait :dance:

Thanks, Ian ;)

SueDeNimes · December 28, 2010

Can't have too much of a good thing all at once! ;)

Haha, nice way to torture us, I like it!

Thank you, looking forward to later then! :dance:

Denise · December 28, 2010

I'm liking the sound of it, 7 minutes to go :D

edit: 6

Jenjie · December 28, 2010

Pretty Woman hey? :D

busybeeburns · December 28, 2010