Mat Whitecross, 31, started making films at 13 using his father's camera, a toy gun and lots of ketchup. 'Someone would enter a room and kill about ten people and that was that,' writes the London Evening Standard.

While studying English at University College London, he met an unknown band called Coldplay and directed their first video, Bigger Stronger, 'We shot it on the beach in winter and I made Chris Martin jump off a cliff into the ocean. It was haphazard and shambolic, but great fun.'

After working as a runner and editor, Mat co-directed the documentary Road to Guantanamo, about prisoners released from Guantanamo Bay, with Michael Winterbottom in 2006. 'I had the idea but nobody would give me the money to do it, so Michael suggested we do it together. We were both quite drunk, but the next day he got the ball rolling.'

Mat is currently finishing another documentary, Moving to Mars, about Burmese refugees in Sheffield, a subject that is close to him because his parents were political exiles from Argentina. 'My mother was an Argentinian teacher, my father was English and worked in publishing. When Argentina became a dictatorship in 1976, they harboured Chilean refugees. They were in prison for six months. My English grandfather launched a campaign with Amnesty International and they were freed, but exiled.'

What inspired you to direct?

We used to live next to a cinema in Oxford, so I grew up watching films. At school they told me to become a librarian because I was into books. Thankfully, I didn't listen.

What are Coldplay like?

Their record company wanted them to wear shades and walk in slow motion, and they just wanted to be filmed looking like idiots. So that's what we did. I have memories of pushing Chris Martin around London in a supermarket trolley.

What's better, drama or documentary?

With a documentary, you enter somebody's life. You're supposed to observe objectively, but you can't help forming a bond. Drama carries great freedom, because if something screws up you can do it again, but is a nightmare because you have limited time and money.

Who do you admire?

Michael Winterbottom because he's constantly pushing himself and coming up with new ideas.

What's next?

I'm working on a script for a film on Alzheimer's, because my dad had the disease.

Mat's first feature film, the Ian Dury biopic Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll, is out next year. Moving to Mars will premiere on More4 in November. More on this article and discussion is at the Coldplay forum here [thanks mimixxx]

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If you want to accuse Coldplay of musical plagiarism over its 2008 hit song “Viva La Vida,” get in line, writes the San Diego Union Tribune. Coldplay, who perform on Thursday at Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre, was sued late last year by veteran San Francisco guitarist Joe Satriani, who alleged that “Viva La Vida” brazenly took from his 2004 song, “If I Could Fly,” Why they decide to focus on a plagiarism case rather than the forthcoming show is probably due to Satriani's roots in CA. Wonder if he got a ticket to one of Coldplay's West Coast shows. Hmm. Anyway, here is the rest of the article...

Coldplay was also accused last year of copying parts of “Viva La Vida” from an obscure 2008 number by Brooklyn's Creaky Boards, called – fittingly – “The Songs I Didn't Write.”

Coldplay, Satriani and the Creaky Boards' songs all bear, in varying degrees, similarities with 2002's “Frances Limon” by top Argentinian rock band Los Enanitos Verdes. In turn, “Frances Limon” owes a debt to the instrumental section from Toto's 1982 song, “I Won't Hold You Back,” although no one from Toto appears to have taken any legal action, at least not yet.

More recently, Yusuf Islam (the former Cat Stevens) said in May that the same Coldplay hit also bears a striking similarity to his 1973 song, “Foreigner Suite.”

But sound-alike songs are nothing new in rock, a style in which imitation has long been a way of life and, on occasion, very high-priced lawsuits. The electronic sampling that is de rigueur in hip-hop aside, rock's reliance on instrumental structures often derived from basic 12-bar blues is the source of both the music's visceral impact and its stylistic limitations.

With a finite number of chords, time signatures and topics to write about, achieving originality in rock has become increasingly challenging. Even the most acclaimed artists, from The Beatles and Bob Dylan to Prince and current buzz band Dirty Projectors, borrowed from others as they learned to create and develop their own styles.

“You have to separate between bands that are accidentally sounding like someone and bands that are ripping someone off,” said White Stripes' leader Jack White, who performs here in late August at Street Scene with his latest band, The Dead Weather. White has frequently been criticized for borrowing – vocally and guitarwise – from Led Zeppelin in particular, but he dismisses such comments as “a lazy reference” by journalists.

What separates the greats from the pretenders and wannabe's in music is the ability to absorb various influences and use them as building blocks to make something distinctly your own. “You can absolutely steal ideas from anybody, as long as you twist them into something original,” said acclaimed English singer-songwriter Richard Thompson. “If I regurgitated Ralph Vaughan Williams, or Hank Williams, I'd have to throw it away. But if I added something as interesting of my own, then fair enough.”

Adding something of his own is exactly what David Bowie did when he wrote songs for Iggy Pop's 1977 album, “Lust for Life,” which he also produced. “(Bowie) was tired of me, tired of rock 'n' roll and wanted to get the (album) production contract over,” Pop recently told the English music magazine Uncut. “He said, 'Right, we're going to rewrite any damn song.' I won't say which songs by other people but I think it's a hilarious attitude. He was like, 'I could do that (song), and I could do that better!' He reeled off about five of those (in) about five hours.”

Depending on how conspicuous the musical “rewriting” is – and how commercially successful the result – legal action may follow, as artists as varied as Janet Jackson, Rod Stewart, Steely Dan and the late George Harrison discovered.

In 1976, Harrison's 1970 hit “My Sweet Lord” was ruled to have “unintentionally copied” “He's So Fine,” a 1962 song by the American R&B vocal quartet The Chiffons. Harrison had to pay $587,000. In a strange twist, The Chiffons subsequently recorded their own version of “My Sweet Lord,” while the music publishing company that won the judgment against Harrison was later taken over by ex-Beatles' manager Allen Klein (who died last Sunday).

Coldplay's embattled “Viva La Vida” is being featured nightly on the band's current tour, which is named after the song. The group, not surprisingly, is seeking to downplay the controversy. In late May, Coldplay singer Chris Martin wrote on his band's Web site: “Yeah, some people are suing us at the moment and although it was initially a bit depressing, now it's become really inspiring. You think, 'Right, if everyone's trying to take away our best song, then we'd better write 25 better ones.' ... Now we've got more to prove than ever before.”

Coldplay drummer Will Champion sounded more defensive in a May interview with the English newspaper the Guardian. “For some reason, God only knows why, it's the successful songs that seem to be the ones that are accused of being stolen,” Champion said. “There are elements of our music that I've heard in other people's music, but it's kind of ... I don't know. It's interesting, but a very difficult thing to define.”

The difficulty may lie in the numbers, a point Champion made in the same interview. “There are only eight notes in an octave and no one owns them,” the mathematically challenged drummer said. “And there are probably about 12,000 songs that feature the exact same chord progression. I think it lies on an intent to steal, which we certainly have never done and never would.”

Intent, or lack thereof, may have played a role in Islam (the former Cat Stevens) backing off his previously announced intention to file a suit of his own against Coldplay, which he said would have been determined by “how well Satriani does.”

“They did copy my song, but I don't think they did it on purpose,” Islam told the London-based Daily Express last month. Islam was less forgiving in 2003, when he successfully brought legal action against Flaming Lips for using the melody of his 1970 song “Father and Son” for its 2002 song “Fight Test.” (Creaky Boards, meanwhile, retracted its plagiarism charge against Coldplay, without explaining why.)

Of course, intent can be hard to prove. Ditto the sometimes fine line between flattery and thievery, as evidenced by the dozens of songs based on rock pioneer Bo Diddley's 1957 anthem, “Hey! Bo Diddley.”

Last month, two members of Men at Work became embroiled in a suit in their native Australia. The imbroglio stems from charges that the band's biggest hit, “Down Under,” reproduces the melody of the opening verse to the popular children's song “Kookaburra.”

Then, there's the signature guitar riff to the Rolling Stones' 1971 classic “Brown Sugar.” It has appeared, almost note for note, at the start of the Dandy Warhols' “Bohemian Like You,” The Specials' “Little Bitch” and “The Loser” by Chicken Shack. But each of those songs have their own added twists. That may be why there were no suits filed by the often litigious Stones, who more than a decade ago shared songwriting credits with k.d. lang and Ben Mink after the legendary English band learned that its song “Anybody Seen My Baby?” bore an uncanny resemblance to lang and Mink's Grammy Award-winning “Constant Craving.”

Then there are such performers as Lenny Kravitz and the Black Crowes, whose songs sometimes appear to be a composite of several songs by several different artists. The Strokes' 2001 breakthrough hit, “Last Nite,” achieved a trifecta of sorts by combining elements of Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers' “American Girl,” Iggy Pop's “Lust for Life” and The Jam's “Town Called Malice.”

Sometimes, though, candor makes all the difference. Neil Young memorably demonstrated this in 1974 with “Borrowed Tune,” which featured a melody he “borrowed” from the Rolling Stones' 1966 chestnut “Lady Jane.” Tellingly, Young's song includes the climactic verse: I'm singin' this borrowed tune I took from the Rolling Stones / Alone in this empty room, too wasted to write my own.

You can discuss Joe Satriani's latest comments at the Coldplay forum here onwards.

Pictures of Coldplay at Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA (13th July 2009):

Source: Live Daily

"Man, we put in more rehearsal for this album than any other, because we played it live 101 times before we released it. Talk about road-testing material," said frontman Chris Martin on Coldplay's website. You've got to hand it to Coldplay that not only can they write some captivating songs, they can also deliver on a live performance, writes Boise Weekly (dot com).

Furthermore, despite these Brits being world superstars, they've managed to keep a handle on their music. There's something commendable about a mainstream band refusing Gap the rights to their songs. So when they release a live album as a free download on their Web site, it's worth a listen.

LeftRightLeftRightLeft captures that quality about Coldplay that's given them global appeal. The songs, many of them from last summer's Viva La Vida, are in the trademark emotional explorations of Chris Martin, winsome without bordering too far into unbelievability.

Coldplay's particular brand of alternative rock is minimalistic in nature, both full and sparse at times, making for some great song dynamics. The album features the untold thousands singing along or clapping in unison--a snapshot of standing in the crowd. On the set list, Coldplay classic "Clocks" makes an appearance, along with "42," an eerie melody morphing into a sarcastic and progressive chorus of "You thought you might be a ghost / you never got to heaven but you made it close." The title song "Viva La Vida" breaks the sometimes subdued setting with energetic string-inspired melodies. Another song on the list, "Strawberry Swing," is set to be released as a music video later this summer.

While live albums can have a bad rep for being filler material to boost CD sales, Coldplay attempts to take turn this cliche around. "And although it's live, it's supposed to be a real album, part of our canon. Y'know, as well as being a gift move, it is also a musical move. It's meant to say that this is what we sound like at the moment," said Martin.

Reviewed by: Boise Weekly

Some fan reviews:

Missing some of my all time favs, like Yellow, but a great live album. “The Hardest Part” is a nice surprise, cuz its stripped down to the bare bones with just Martin’s piano supporting a far more restrained vocal. On X & Y, its all light-weight but on this stripped down version, it is far darker. Will Champion also sings well on “Death Will Never Conquer”, which is pretty unexpected. Great of them to give this out free… [David~!]

I downloaded this EP the day it came out - really pumped for it. I was at the first friends and family show for this tour back in June of 08, and the experience is something that will always stay with me. I like the track selection, it gives a good taste I think of what the show is like. You get a good balance between the very choreographed moments that make a Coldplay “show” SO COOL - and the stripped down, unexpected, improvised moments that prove what a truly great band they are. HOWEVER. This EP leaves out a lot of, what I thought, were the highlights of the show. The points that were filed with emotion, that shook the arena floor, and that were really unforgettable (which is probably the idea, since they want people to buy a ticket - but STILL, how great was the 2003 Live record!!) [Evan]

Someone mentioned this on Twitter, so obviously I downloaded it, even though I thought Coldplay were a bit boring. And then I listened to this, and immediately looked them up on YouTube and HypeM and very nearly bought all of their albums. So yes, I liked it rather a lot. [sarianna]

This giveaway is an amazing treat for all loyal Coldplay fans. I hope this will further help people realize that Coldplay are not in this for the money or the awards but rather because of the beauty of music itself. It’s wonderful hearing the “oh oh ohh oh oh ohhh” chant during Viva La Vida, just goes to show that music really is the universal language. [Alejandra]

They were in New Zealand earlier this year, but i couldnt afford the ticket price! So its therefore great to hear an album where i can turn it up loud and actually imagine being there. Clocks especially, i can just picture in my head what it woul dbe like- they have got that perfect mix between vocals, insturments, and more importantly in this case- the crowd. Good Effort Coldplay! [simon D]

Pictures of Coldplay at Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA (13th July 2009):

Source: Live Daily

Part two of chengui's excellent review of Coldplay's concert at the Clark County Amphitheater, Portland, OR, and a meet and greet backstage (10th July 2009) is now available to read online at the Coldplay Live forum. In case you missed part one recently you can recap that here. What follows is part two:

So we all walked back out to the main area (now about 8:30) and were told to meet back by the backstage door at 8:50. We could have gone and found our seats and waited there, but the second opening band was wrapping up and we decided to just hang out for twenty minutes.

At 8:50 the Capitol people came back and met us, walked us backstage and onto the side of the main stage. It was funny cause they stopped to let the band manager what were were doing and he said (in his thick british accent) “I know exactly what you’re doing. For once I know what the f*** is going on around here.” – he was hilarious.

Our seats were right next to the guitar tech’s station on the right side of the stage. There was a thin gauzy fabric that probably hid us from the rest of the audience, but we were RIGHT there! We were the only two that got to sit there (one Capitol rep. stayed with us the whole time) – everyone else there was with the band adjusting sound levels and whatnot. I took out my camera and took a picture, but the Capitol rep (who was super nice) told me that that probably wasn’t a good idea, as a lot of times they don’t like pictures taken of the equipment and stuff. Didn’t want to ruffle any feathers, but I am SUPER bummed that I only have the one picture…which was before the band took the stage.

At around 9:00 the lights went out and Coldplay took the stage swinging sparklers around. RIGHT before they came on stage this huge Banner dropped behind the stage, except it got tangled up in itself and the roadies all scrambled to get it unraveled before the lights went on. The head roadie guy ran past me yelling, “Are you f***ing KIDDING me?!”

It was awesome to be so close and see the workings back stage, but I will say it gave me a HUGE appreciation for how the guys can perform like that because the sound is ALL messed up when you are standing on the stage like that. Reason being that all the speakers are obviously pointing out, so the music is bouncing off the venue walls, so there is a slight delay between the music heard on stage, and what they are playing. Everything sounded pretty good, except for the songs with a lot of drums because we were actually hearing the real drums (not the amplified ones) so they sounded ahead of the rest of the music (thanks Will!). Also when Chris spoke between songs there was too much echo for us to really understand. That being, said – I’ve seen them before and I know they sound AMAZING live, so it kinda sucked that we could see everything great, but didn’t really get to see/hear the show as well as if we had been up front. I mean we were right next to them, but let’s face it, they are performing to the crowd. So that being said, I can always pay for great seats next time they are in town, but I’ll never get to be ON STAGE again – so no complaints here.

Early in the show Guy came into the guitar tech’s booth thingie in between a song (literally 2 ft to my right) and took off his coat, which he hung basically on my chair. Also, Chris would be singing, and as he was running around stage he would come up to the Guitar tech and make a motion to adjust some kind of level or something. The guitar tech guy (I wish I knew his name) had like 10 backup guitars that he was prepping and swapping out with all the boys in between songs.

One of the cool things they did during the show is they set up two small stages way towards the back of the venue and the jumped down into the crowd (surrounded by bodyguards of course) and ran to one of these back stages and performed a few songs out there so everybody got to be relatively close. It was really cool of them to do. Well the first time they did it, they played talk and then Chris went solo on piano and played The Hardest Part while the rest of the boys were brought back to the main stage. Well while Chris was playing, Jonny came and hung out with the guitar tech, joking around and talking about something he’d messed up with one of the guitars. He was seriously standing right next to me. Crazy. They obviously had everything scheduled very precisely and it struck me that this is really their job.

They all came back to the stage and played a few more songs and it all went seamlessly – The band manager came out and asked me if everything was going well – also they brought us some water - then the band headed out AGAIN to a smaller stage which was much further away. It was kinda hard for us to see because they were off to the right, past the guitar tech station, which was right near the right end of the stage. The guitar tech was so friggin nice though, he moved some of his gear and invited us around to stand on the stage so we could see better. Like he didn’t have a billion other things to worry about - so nice of him. So we stood on the stage and looked out over the crowd at the band playing. Chris asked everyone to take out their cell phones and do the wave, using the light from the screens (pretty cool). Then they played an acoustic version of Green Eyes (awesome), Death will never conquer, and then they covered Michael Jackson’s Billie Jean! Pretty darn cool. After Billie Jean was over the guitar tech beckoned us back to where we were earlier because we were standing pretty much in Chris’ spot. As we passed by his little set up he took my hand and gave me one of their guitar picks. Super, SUPER nice guy. During their song, Lovers in Japan they released billions and billions of paper butterfly confetti – which I thought was pretty cool, until they released a second wave of black light neon butterfly confetti which was REALLY cool. After their encore they left the stage and we had to wait until they cleared out, before we could leave. We walked out with the Capitol people, and got to say goodbye to the tour manager and band manager, who had both been so nice to us. After that it was trying to find the car, and a good 2 hours sitting in the jammed up parking lot – NIGHTMARE.

All in all a really, REALLY great time!

New pictures of Coldplay at Gorge Amphitheater, George, WA (11th July 2009):

Pictures by John Heil

Name the band that you'd least expect to deliver a Michael Jackson tribute. Metallica? Marilyn Manson? How about Coldplay? It was the latter that surprised the capacity crowd at the Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View on Monday with its tribute to the recently departed King of Pop, writes San Jose's Mercury News.

And the real shocker was how Coldplay went about it. Late in the set, the quartet moved from Shoreline's big main stage to a smaller platform, which probably measured no more than 6-by-6 feet, located at the rear of the reserved seats, near the lawn area. The players huddled together, acoustic instruments in hand, and vocalist Chris Martin announced that they were "going to go into a song that is far better than any song we could ever write."

A mandolin rang out, alongside two acoustic guitars, and the rhythm was instantly familiar, if not immediately identifiable. Then Martin uttered the first line of the song: "She was more like a beauty queen from a movie scene... ." The crowd let forth a collective gasp, then a shriek, as 22,000 fans realized they were hearing an acoustic cover of Jackson's "Billie Jean."

It was a nice, unexpected moment — a "Thriller," if you will — in a show that lacked any other real surprises. In general, the evening consisted of just Coldplay being Coldplay; if you like the band, you would definitely have enjoyed the concert. Following the same game plan that it has used from the start, Coldplay spent roughly 100 minutes mixing radio-friendly pop songs and rock anthems with piano ballads and other softer material. Martin, the 32-year-old superstar who's married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow, was his usual self: earnest, personable, and seemingly aware of how lucky he is to be in the position to perform in front of thousands of fans on a nightly basis.

Coldplay isn't big on bells and whistles, which makes it a rare bird in the flock of the world's most popular bands. So it's no surprise that its current tour is a decidedly stripped-down affair. Even the two smaller performance platforms erected away from the main stage seemed mainly intended to break down the barrier between the band and the audience. The foursome — Martin, guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion — sounded strong and agile as it kicked opened the show with "Life in Technicolor" and "Violet Hill," two numbers from the 2008 album "Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends."

Coldplay was generous with the hits early on. The third number was the showstopper "Clocks," a track from "A Rush of Blood to the Head" that won for Record of the Year at the 2004 Grammy Awards. It was followed by a passionate rendition of "Yellow," the megahit from Coldplay's debut, 2000's "Parachutes," that introduced the band to American listeners. Martin is a terrific pianist, but he's not the finest lyricist in the world. His skill in delivering his lines, however, is without question. His sincerity can be found in every sentence he utters, whether he's moaning through something akin to a love letter or reciting Michael Jackson in a weak falsetto. Actually, MJ cover wasn't the best song of the night — that title would go to the touching original composition "Fix You"— but it was the most important. By paying tribute to the King of Pop, Coldplay showed us yet another side to its already impressive equation: the ability to surprise an audience.

Source: San Jose Mercury News

Pictures of Coldplay at Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA (13th July 2009):

Source: http://www.checkitoutmusic.com

REUTERS: Coldplay have made a brief preview available to accompany their single “Strawberry Swing” that will be shown in UK cinemas from July 22nd as a supporting act to Sacha Baron Cohen’s mockumentary “Bruno,” as well as to romance “The Proposal” starring Sandra Bullock. In it, frontman Chris Martin, dressed as an old-style superhero, battles a giant squirrel, whch is drawn entirely in chalk.

Meanwhile, NME also write that Coldplay will showcase their new video before selected screenings of Sacha Baron Cohen's new movie 'Bruno'. The clip for 'Strawberry Swing' will be shown exclusively at Odeon cinemas in the UK from July 22. The film will also be shown before 'The Proposal' at the cinema chain.

The video was directed by Radiohead, Blur and Beck collaborators Shynola, see frontman Chris Martin - who also features in the 'Bruno' film as himself - doing battled with a giant squirrel in a world drawn entirely in chalk.

You can catch a brief trailer now at Coldplay's official YouTube channel. The song will be released as a digital download on Sept. 14 and the short film will be “commercially available” on Aug. 3, according to the band’s record label. It has its premiere on July 20 on www.babelgum.com.

Coldplay, which had the world’s biggest selling album in 2008 with “Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends”, starts its UK stadium tour on September 12, kicking off in Manchester, Dublin and Glasgow, then hitting London’s Wembley Stadium on the 18 and 19.

You can discuss the single release, video details and preview at the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks iPsy & svenky]

Pictures of Coldplay at Shoreline Amphitheater, Mountain View, CA (13th July 2009):

Source: http://www.checkitoutmusic.com

Despite being the adored, much analyzed and fantasized-about lead singer of one of the planet's biggest rock bands, Chris Martin of Coldplay is practical, even humble about his role. Sitting on the floor of a rented house in Los Angeles, enjoying the California sunshine and the taste of the strawberry he's just finished, Martin is deliberately and charmingly low-key.

writes The Sacramento Bee. Full discussion on this show is at the Winnipeg thread here in the Coldplay Live forum.

"It just comes from pure gratitude at being given this job, particularly in a period of time when music is hard to be employed by," Martin says of the free CDs that Coldplay is giving to concertgoers on its U.S. tour. (The tour stops in Sacramento on Tuesday; it started in May in West Palm Beach, Fla.)

"We wanted to give something to the people who have paid money to come see us or buy the album," he adds, referring to "Viva La Vida," the best-selling album in the world in 2008. "It's like a reward system in a grocery store."

Material sustenance is not what most fans think of when it comes to Coldplay's music or its live shows, which are known for the passionate connection Martin makes with audiences. The free CD, "LeftRightLeftRightLeft," with nine live songs culled from the band's last tour, is partly an attempt to capture that link.

"It is like a snapshot of where we're at at the moment as a band," Martin says. "Hopefully nine little morsels of where we are at the moment. It's supposed to give an overview of how we sound now and mostly how our audience is with that."

Given that Coldplay is returning to the United States so soon after finishing another North American tour last November, audiences seem to like whatever the band does. The combination of Martin's charisma and emotionally introspective, obliquely poetic lyrics, and Coldplay's darkly anthemic, lushly melodic music has proved potent. The group has grown steadily in stature and sales since debuting in 2000 with "Parachutes," quickly shooting from indie darlings to the top of the U.S. and global charts. Its third album, 2005's "X&Y," sold 8 million copies in the first year while "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends" sold 6.7 million physical and downloaded copies – stellar figures in an age of free downloads and splintering audiences.

The press, however, has been divided on Coldplay and on Martin himself. The band's music has been criticized as indulgent and repetitive while Martin, who is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow (the couple have two children, Apple, 5 and Moses, 3) is sometimes faulted as being arrogant, a vegetarian, righteously well-behaved and generally avoiding the classically entertaining rock star behavior of excessive drugs, drinking and screwing around. (Although he has been known to wrestle with paparazzi and appear in comedies like the movie "Shaun of the Dead.")

Martin is, in fact, unabashedly middle class. The oldest son of five children of an accountant father and a music-teacher mother, he met his Coldplay bandmates in 1996 while all were earning degrees at London University (they refused to tour or release their first record until they'd taken final exams, and vowed to kick out anyone who used hard drugs). He has campaigned on issues of fair trade and global poverty, and has spoken out against the Iraq war. While social themes don't inspire Coldplay's songs, Martin says he feels a responsibility to try to affect the world in a positive way.

"It appeases the guilt I sometimes feel for being given such an incredible job," he says. "I think when you are contributing to or talking about something that you know is important on an activist level, it somehow feels better than if you're just sitting back taking coke."

Activism also assuages his own anxieties. "I don't really like to stop and feel comfortable," Martin says. "So I guess social activism is part of that."

But he is realistic about how much effect he can have on the world, beyond making people feel better for the length of a song or a show. "If I'm a bit down and worried about something, then if I listen to 'I'm on Fire' by Bruce Springsteen, I feel better," Martin says. "We can only influence our little world in our little bubble."

Coldplay at Wells Fargo Arena, Des Moines, IA (12th June 2009):

Pictures: Metromix Des Moines

Excellent review from Blogcritics has emerged online of Coldplay's most recent show at the Gorge Amphitheater in Grant County, and its a big thumbs up for Coldplay and thumbs down for the boo boys. Here's the review...

Say whatever you will about Coldplay. Plenty of folks already have, both here on Blogcritics and elsewhere. But rarely have I ever seen a band who works so hard to please an audience, and who obviously has such a great time doing it. At one point during Coldplay's stop at the beautiful Gorge Amphitheater near the Columbia River in Eastern Washington this past Saturday, Chris Martin thanked the sold-out crowd for "giving us the best job in the world." Sure, it sounds like the sort of thing performers like Martin say to their audiences every night, but you really got the impression that he meant it.

Martin wore a shit-eating, schoolgirl's ear to ear grin for much of the night, and he also made several remarks about the natural beauty of the Gorge. He even ad-libbed a lyric at one point with the words "If you want to play the place that's the best, come to the Gorge Amphitheater in the Pacific Northwest."

Of course here in Seattle, we already knew that. Nestled high in a beautiful mountain desert surrounded by steep slopes overlooking the Columbia River, the Gorge has been Washington's worst kept secret as a favorite stop for touring musicians from Dave Matthews to Steely Dan for years now.

On this particular hot desert night, Coldplay responded to the picturesque setting—as well as a red hot crowd that seemed to know the words to every song they played, often breaking into impromptu sing-a-longs—with a powerful two hour set that was both energetic (and yes, I am talking about Coldplay here) and at least as far as these sorts of big rock shows go, very interactive.

About midway through, the band briefly disappeared from the stage, only to reappear on a platform, that as luck would have it, was literally five feet away from my seat in about Row 30. Seriously, these guys were so close during this mini-set that included "God Put A Smile On My Face" and "The Hardest Part" that I could actually see that guitarist Jon Buckland was very likely stoned (or at least that his eyes looked awful glassy).

Chris Martin was also in great humor during this portion of the show, introducing "The Hardest Part" as the "Phil Collins portion of the show...and this is called "Another Day In Paradise."

The band returned to the main stage for a powerful version of "Lost!" from the Viva La Vida album, with drummer Will Champion, in particular, earning his paycheck here. At this point, the band once again left the stage, reappearing on another small stage—only this time it was high up in the nosebleed section. An acoustic set there was highlighted by a tribute to Michael Jackson in the form of a cover of "Billie Jean." The crowd responded to this by singing the words right along with the band (as they did several times throughout the night).

There was also a part here where Chris Martin led the audience in one of those crowd waves you see at sports stadiums, only this time done with cellphones. Whether the "cell wave" was successful or not is debatable, but all those cellphones against the desert sky was still a striking visual.

Although a fair chunk of Coldplay's set was devoted to songs from Viva La Vida (and its companion E.P. Prospekts March), many of Coldplay's biggest hits were played very early in the set. Of these, "In My Place" and "Yellow" were textbook (the latter played with the prerequisite yellow balloons filling the air). Personally, I was quite pleasantly surprised by the band's inspired showing on "Clocks" though. This is a song that Coldplay have to be somewhat tired of playing every night, yet here they made it sound fresh as new by adding some new vocal nuances and a nice additional keyboard part near the end.

Over all, Coldplay really impressed me on this night. They played their tails off, sounding so tight to my ears that I'm ready to go out on a limb here and say this is a band that could be right on the edge of becoming one of the truly great ones—if they haven't already done so. From the differing vantage points where they performed not one, but two mini-sets, to the free live CD they handed out to everyone at the end, Coldplay also seem to genuinely care about their fans.

I'm not afraid to admit that I was already a fan anyway. But you know what? These guys deserve a lot more respect than they get in some quarters. It's time to stop dissing Coldplay.

Source: Blogcritics.org

Pictures of Coldplay at Gorge Amphitheater, George, WA (11th July 2009):

Source: The Seattle Times

THE GORGE, Grant County — Most bands wouldn't show much enthusiasm 130 shows into a worldwide tour that started over a year ago. They wouldn't be pleased to sweat through long-sleeved shirts and jackets while playing an evening show in desert-like temperatures. And they wouldn't make it seem novel and fun. But most bands aren't Coldplay, writes The Seattle Times.

Martin is a treat to watch, not only because he is a gifted musician, but also because he appears genuinely fresh-faced and awed by the power of song. Two screens on either side of the stage showed close ups of the lead singer and three bandmates (Jonny Buckland, guitar, Guy Berryman, bass, and Will Champion on drums) throughout the night. The quick cutaways that offered glimpses of each musician during a song added to the upbeat energy of the evening.

"Viva" was the top-selling album of 2008, and it the live show made it easy to see and hear all that is appealing about this album. Coldplay kicked off the night with "Life in Technicolor," a catchy instrumental track. Other highlights from "Viva" include the title track, "Lost?" and "Lovers in Japan," with a tack piano intro that is both hard-charging and playful.

Five large sphere-shaped screens hung from the ceiling of the stage, displaying live feeds of the band or multicolored words, paint splotches or just cool colors. The spheres turned yellow for, of course, the big hit "Yellow," during which audience members got to bat yellow balloons around, too.

Martin and mates played tribute to Michael Jackson with an acoustic "Billie Jean," and fans also got to hear favorites "Clocks" and "Fix You," a sweet ballad with a rock anthem-y ending.

In a nod to the band's diverse interests, opening acts had included a rockabilly troupe and Amadou & Mariam, a blind musical duo from Mali. A roadie also performed some break-dancing moves and the Blue Danube Waltz rang through the Gorge right before the band took the stage.

Coldplay closed out the night with "Life in Technicolor ii," and as Chris Martin sang, "now my feet won't touch the ground," it seemed fitting. Coldplay fans would, after all, be leaving the amphitheater that night with the same sort of feeling.

Pictures of Coldplay at Gorge Amphitheater, George, WA (11th July 2009):

Source: The Seattle Times

Once again, Coldplaying.com has been lucky enough to obtain an exclusive interview with the Oxfam Tour Co-Ordinator on the 2009 Viva La Vida Tour. We previously interviewed the 2008 Oxfam representative, Pete Lusby during the second North American Viva La Vida tour leg. Whilst the band have been busy at the 2009 European festivals, Soha took some time out of her break to answer some questions for us...

Coldplaying.com would like to start by congratulating Oxfam America on reaching 100,000 sign-ups whilst on tour with Coldplay. It's a fantastic achievement to have reached that many people, especially in the limited time you have to talk with them. What does it feel like to have been involved in that achievement?

Thank you! Simply put, it was awesomely gratifying and validating. Congratulations are certainly due to the several Oxfam affiliates that that trained and deployed teams, especially Oxfam Canada who was the Oxfam affiliate to drive the total number of people who have taken action to 100 thousand.

I am thrilled to have been involved in such an accomplishment, and to have presented it to Coldplay and their management. Exceeding the 100K point not only validated the countless hours of reevaluation and strategic planning that took place in the months leading to North American tour, however. It demonstrated our ability to utilize the enormous potential of this tour to build an international community of activists comprised of Oxfam volunteers and Coldplay fans. The 100 thousand figure does not do justice to that fact, or to the community of Oxfam activists that is united by music and our shared concerns about poverty.

You've been an activist for Oxfam America for a while, how did you become involved with them?

At a Coldplay show! Being a local activist and long-time supporter of Oxfam, I approached the table at the Forum and learned about how I could get involved with the Los Angeles Oxfam Action Corps. The Action Corps participate in a range of things from community events to political lobbying, and I quickly began volunteering as a concert team leader. At that same show I’d also learned about an “Outreach and Organizing” internship opportunity from the man who is my supervisor today, Brian. After being interviewed by phone and being offered the position, I moved to Boston. I would not have moved away from home had the internship been with any one else, but Oxfam is my dream organization. It was when I started working there that I learned that I’d be coordinating the volunteer effort of the Coldplay tour.

So if you volunteered with Oxfam at a Coldplay show last fall, you’ve received many an email from me! Brian never told me the internship had anything to do with Coldplay because he wanted to ensure that my commitment was to ending hunger and poverty first and foremost.

What do you like most about working for Oxfam?

Oxfam does amazing work in the US and in developing countries that literally saves lives. I am so humbled and proud to be one piece in the Oxfam mosaic and to represent Oxfam on the Coldplay tour. Having said that though, I love my team. Brian, our Senior Organizer, Bob, our Music and Media Outreach Coordinator, Flora our new Outreach and Organizing Intern, and myself comprise what we’ve come to lovingly refer to as “Team Rock.” Since the beginning of my time with Oxfam, Brian and Bob have been amazing teachers, mentors, and advocates. Their confidence in me continues to exceed the confidence I have in myself. And Flora, well, she’s my girl. She always has my back.

Coldplay & Oxfam have a long standing relationship of around 7 years. How valuable is this to Oxfam America?

I can’t underestimate how important it is to us as a tool to raise awareness about Oxfam. While Oxfam is a household name in Great Britain, in the United States we are not as well known. The Coldplay tour has given us access to millions of people! I can’t even begin to tell you how many fans, concert volunteers, Action Corps members, CHANGE Leaders, Clubs organizers and interns first learned about Oxfam through Coldplay.

However, the Coldplay tour is also valuable to Oxfam America as a means to build a community of activists. Recently we called upon our volunteers to call their representatives to urge them to vote for the American Clean Energy and Security act. The bill is important because it puts the US on a pathway to reducing carbon emissions and provides funding to help poor communities in the US and abroad survive severe climate induced crises. It passed by one vote.

We later found out that the ratio of lobbying calls from the oil industry versus calls in support of the bill were 3:1! It wasn’t until that mobilization that we began to realize the full potential of concert outreach to cultivate activists.

Which areas is Oxfam America focusing on during the 2009 leg of the Viva La Vida Tour?

Oxfam America is encouraging fans to sign a petition that urges the President to call for a fair global climate change treaty this December when the UN convenes its Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen. Climate change not only perpetuates global poverty, it contributes to it through an increase in severe floods, droughts, debilitating storms, crop loss, and disease.

Oxfam America approached the US portion of the tour differently than any of the other Coldplay tours that we had done in the past. During the Rush of Blood to the Head and Twisted Logic tours, Oxfam used a pre-existing international petition related to our Make Trade Fair campaign. This petition was signed by hundreds of thousands of people!

This time around, each country is focusing on the campaign of their choice. This gave Oxfam America the freedom to emphasize quality conversations with fans at shows rather than quantity of sign-ups. Not only do fans sign our petition, they talk to us about how they can act locally to end hunger, poverty, and injustice. In terms of the volunteer experience, we are refining how to convert a short-term volunteer gig into a meaningful, empowering beginning of a relationship with Oxfam. We aren’t manufacturing a one-time interaction, but cultivating a real experience for fans, and inviting as many volunteers as possible to have this experience with us.

I believe you were a huge Coldplay fan before joining them on tour? What's it like having your two passions combine in this way, and how did the opportunity arise?

Ah, yes. You’re alluding to the “Soha story” of how I went from Coldplay fan to Coldplay roadie that my colleagues at Oxfam love to share. Whenever I ask my crewmates this same question, the general answer is that they became roadies through a combination of luck, ability, and ambition. This sounds like an accurate description. As an intern, I had a unique view of concert outreach at a Coldplay show because I understood the experience from the perspective of a fan, concert team leader, volunteer coordinator, and team rock member.

After my brief stint on the tour filling in for Pete last fall, it was decided that should an Oxfam America employee be asked to represent Oxfam on the tour, that it would be me. I thought it was cool that I was considered, but didn’t actually think I’d end up on the tour one day… funny isn’t it?

How are you finding life on the road?

Spectacular. I love travelling. Coldplay’s crew is so friendly and fun to hang out with. Perhaps you should ask me again when this leg is over, I may be more road weary by then. The key for me on the road has been to pack light, get at least 7 hours of sleep, and never lose sight of how awesomely cool this once in a lifetime opportunity is. I also travel with a guitar, so I’ve been learning how to play to keep me busy.

What's been your favourite moment on tour so far?

The hardest question thus far! I think the moment that stands out was on my first day on the tour in West Palm Beach. It was the day before the show and Bob and I had spent the day organizing the Oxfam materials and such. That evening when we wrapped up, we headed to the lawn to watch sound check. As I lay on the grass and looked at the stars, it hit me where I was, what I was doing, and how amazing my life was. I had the whole summer ahead of me. I was so happy; I started trying to do cartwheels on the lawn as “Yellow” played. I have moments of realization like this often, but the cart wheeling fiasco hasn’t been repeated. Here’s a picture of me falling on my behind after attempting a cartwheel. It’s my favorite picture I have from this tour.

You've mentioned in your blog that you've missed some family events whilst on tour, does this make it harder? Or do you not have much time to miss home?

I think it’s harder on my family then it is on me to be honest. I was sad about missing my brother’s graduation, but missing it was a choice I made and accepted when I joined the tour. I got some pretty heavy news while out on tour and didn’t have a moment to deal with it. I was in a funk for days; that was hard. It’s funny too because Brian came out for a show during that period and it was the first time he had seen me train a team of volunteers. And you know what? I totally BOMBED it. It was horrible. That night Brian and I talked into the wee hours of the morning about a lot of things. That’s when I wrote the entry “Drop the Bricks and Carry the Balloons” in the blog.

If anyone would like to help out Oxfam America on the Coldplay tour, are there any volunteer slots still available? If not, how else can people become involved with Oxfam America?

Yes! Check out our newly re-launched site: oxfamamerica.org/coldplay where you can offer to volunteer. You can also email me directly at syassine@oxfamamerica.org and I’d be happy to answer any questions you have about a show near you. I also highly recommend that Coldplayers in the US join Oxfam America’s Climate Change Action Team. You’ll be given simple ways to educate your friends, Congress, and the media about the effects of climate change on poor people in the US and in developing countries.

Much love to Coldplaying.com for your unwavering support!

An excellent review of Coldplay's concert at the Clark County Amphitheater, Portland, OR, and a meet and greet backstage (10th July 2009) has emerged online at the Coldplay Live forum, courtesy of chengui (more to come later!):

Long story short – I won a t-shirt design competition and me and a friend won seat ON THE STAGE to the Coldplay show last night. I’ll write more later – but figured I’d post this first half this morning.

After I won the tickets I asked the woman at the station if she thought there was any chance we would actually meet the band (so I could be prepared) and she said no. She said the station did not receive ANY meet/greet passes so our prize was just to sit on the stage (still freakin’ awesome – no complaints on my end). She then told me that a woman from Capitol records (who sponsored the contest) would be contacting me the day of the show with specifics of how I got to my seat etc.

Fast Forward – DAY OF THE SHOW - In the morning I went and picked up my T-shirt from the radio station and my tickets. Apparently how they do it is they give me real seats (like 3rd row seats too) just to get me in the venue so I can connect with the Capitol rep (as far as I know these seats remained empty since I was not in them). Around 5, I got a call from the capitol rep. She was SUPER nice and said the Capitol people loved my design and that she had been informed (by the powers that be) that I WOULD be able to get to meet the band even though it wasn’t part of the radio promotion and we’d get a picture with them! Wow. She said that she would meet me inside the venue at 7:15. I’d never been to the venue but knew it is supposed to be in Washington (only 20 minutes north of Portland). However, because of the traffic I figured we should leave with plenty of time to spare so we left at 5:45. How silly I was to think it would take me less than an hour and a half to go 15 miles. Traffic WOULD NOT let up! I started out thinking we had plenty of time, but as the traffic refused to let up I started getting more and more nervous. The Capitol rep called me as I was in the car and told me that the meet/greet was scheduled for 7:15 and told me where to meet inside the venue. Now I started to kinda freak out. With a half hour to spare we got off the exit to the venue (of course CRAZY concert traffic to deal with now) It was the worst feeling being stuck in traffic just to find a parking spot and knowing that we could miss our opportunity to meet the band. We got a parking spot and got out of the car around 7:05. We ran through the parking lot, had our tickets scanned and RAN to the meeting spot inside the venue. We made it….with a few minutes to spare (OMG).

The two reps from Capitol came and met us and two other winners from another radio station. We got the passes and went through the backstage doors into an area behind the venue (outside still though). The Capitol people were super friendly and one of the guys was chatting with me about weird experiences he’d had with bands/fans. Apparently he found us to be pretty down to earth/normal. The said they were taking us to an area to wait for the band. We walked past these big security guys into this back lot area that had a ping pong table set up. The Capitol people said we would just hang out there until the band had a few minutes to come say hi. As one of the reps was telling our group this, Guy walked right past me and went over to the back corner of the area where he began to talk to Chris (who magically appeared from around a corner). I think as soon as they realized fans were there the ducked around the corner out of sight (although I think I we may have been the only two to see them – the other winners were older…not sure how big of fans they were). The security guards then asked us all to come wait on the other side of the fence. The tour manager came and said hi, and a few other people from the Coldplay “group”. Everyone was super nice and seemed to really like my t-shirt.

We waited for quite a while out there and people kept coming over and apologizing for the delay (like I really cared). Finally the band manager said we were ready and we went BACK around the fence to the ping pong table area. Apparently the other contest winners had won some huge framed plaque thing that would be signed by the band, so this was brought out and set on the ping pong table while there was a discussion if they should ask the band to sign the glass with a silver or black Sharpie. We all kinda stood together – however the Capitol people got pulled aside by someone (not sure who) and they came and told us that apparently the other two winners are the only ones that actually would get a photo with the band (as it was actually part of their official promotion). Crazy how this stuff works, you know? Obviously that was kind of a bummer – but still …meeting the band was unexpected and completely extra at this point so I had no reason to complain.

A few minutes later the boys walked in. They came and shook all our hands and introduced themselves – kinda like a wedding reception line. Will was first, super friendly and nice, Guy next, who commented that he really liked my shirt, then Jonny who gave the biggest smile and Chris last, who said hello, introduced himself, shook our hands and smiled (but I got the feeling they do this ALL THE TIME – and he was kind of preoccupied) Chris said it was such a beautiful night and I said they really lucked out. Then they were brought them over to the plaque to sign (Will stayed and chatted for a minute). While they were signing, their manager and a few of their “people” were asking me about the T-shirt design – then they pointed it out to the boys – Will and Guy said it was cool. When they were done, we stood off to the side and they posed for a picture with the other two winners. After that was done, Chris looked over and us and said, “What about these guys? – let’s get one with them” – so they came over and took a photo with us AFTERALL! Crazy how this stuff is orchestrated – whatever the band is in the mood for it seems like – I got the impression that you don’t ever approach them about it, you just hope they are in a good mood. After the photo, they all shook our hands and I wished them luck for the show. They left.

The Capitol people said it was so awesome that they took a photo with us (and that it was Chris’ idea) – I guess that’s pretty abnormal...

More to follow...

New pictures of Coldplay at Clark County Amphitheater, Portland, OR (10th July 2009):

Pictures by Garrett Leland

That Coldplay is one the hugest pop bands on the planet is inescapable. The group and its superstar frontman Chris Martin find themselves, a decade-plus into their career, literally having it all: the fame, the fortune (more than 50 million albums sold; packing venues such as the 18,000-capacity Amphitheater at Clark County on a nightly basis), the Grammys (seven), the hot-actress wife and oddly named children (Gwyneth Paltrow; Apple and Moses), writes Oregonlive.com.

That the group has faced down its critics to become one of the finest bands on the planet is a matter of considerably more debate, but for all its suburb-rockin' anthems for the evening commute, Coldplay has perfected what Sting once called "music for window washers to whistle to," the sort of pop that sneaks up on you and won't let your brain be. And that, too, has its place in the world, as the throng of singing, hollering, cell-phone-waving Coldplay faithful made clear Friday night.

Coldplay's piano-driven balladry is to the '00s what Supertramp's similarly-crafted pop was to the '70s: musically accomplished, somewhat unthreatening, rock the whole family can enjoy. But in a live setting, what sounds tame and overly polished on record explodes in a rainbow of Technicolor and light.

Whether on hits such as the relentlessly driving "Clocks," the hooky ballads "Yellow" (accompanied by huge yellow balloons that bounced around the venue like helium pinballs), "The Scientist" and "Fix You," or the dramatic sweep of "Viva La Vida," Coldplay's energy level whipped its set along as if in a race against time.

And whereas in the '70s, bands such as Supertramp once played "in the round" so that fans in every seat in the venue could get a look at their heroes in action, Coldplay took a different tack, playing "all around" by moving its stage to various locations throughout its set, sprinting through the crowd to play a medley of reworked songs ("God Put a Smile Upon Your Face," "Talk") on a tiny platform stage left, then marching to the back of the venue to proffer an acoustic set highlighted by a tribute to the late Michael Jackson via an unusual cover of Billie Jean."

All the while, Martin came across like a likeable anti-star, amiably narrating the show as it progressed ("This is the part of the concert where the singer pretends to go solo, like Justin Timberlake, which turns out to be a terrible idea, then returns to his band as fast as possible," he laughed before launching into "The Hardest Part"), twirling an umbrella under a shower of confetti as the band ripped through "Lovers in Japan," bounding goofily around the stage, switching off easily among various keyboard instruments and guitar.

The capacity crowd lapped it up with gusto: Coldplay may have begun its career as a serious bunch of young students given to midtempo confections with memorable melodies and lyrics devoted to the angst-ridden self-reflection of the undergraduate set, but the latter-day version of the band has amped up the fun quotient considerably, and seems poised to give aging stadium veterans such as U2 a run for the money in the decade to come.

With their day-glow, quasi-military stagewear and classic sensibilities, you can call them Sgt. Pepper's Hearts-on-Sleeves Club Band, a group less likely to "save rock" than to continue to push it ever forward, one hit single at a time.

Source: oregonlive.com

New pictures of Coldplay at Clark County Amphitheater, Portland, OR (10th July 2009):

Pictures by benie_boi

With Coldplay back on the road this summer for the final leg of its tour behind its most recent album — the Grammy-winning, multi-platinum Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends — Shockhound thought it was the perfect time to catch up with singer Chris Martin and find out how he’s holding up. After all, it can’t be easy touring the world while being married to Gwyneth Paltrow and getting sued by Joe Satriani. Or can it?

Even though the group has been replaced by puppets in its video for “Life In Technicolor II,” the frontman sounded fighting fit — as well as quite convivial — as he spoke to ShockHound by phone from a tour stop somewhere on the East Coast. Along with revealing that his band has already started working on its next album, Martin even asked us for some career advice — but only after we addressed more important topics like boozing, playing video games and making fun of Bono. Read the full article after the jump, you can also discuss this interview at the Coldplay forum here [thanks mimixxx]

SHOCKHOUND: How do I know I'm not speaking to your puppet?

CHRIS MARTIN: You might well be. You have no way of knowing if this is the real singer of Coldplay. Well, I have no way of knowing if this is really you.

<SHOCKHOUND: I think we have at least established that I’m not a puppet.

MARTIN: We’re all puppets at times, aren’t we?

SHOCKHOUND: You don’t drink alcohol or coffee, correct?

MARTIN: I don't drink coffee.

SHOCKHOUND: How do you get through the day?

MARTIN: A lot of oatmeal and chocolate. Sometimes, I don't know if it's because I've been listening to Appetite for Destruction, but I've got this new thing for Jack Daniel’s. But not in Slash-ian amounts. More like a thimble. So not really Appetite For Destruction, but more “Appetite For Tidying Up.”

SHOCKHOUND: What are you like when you’re drunk?

MARTIN: I try not to get drunk because I'm a very nasty and aggressive one. The rest of the band would kill me.

SHOCKHOUND: Are you worried that years from now all the stuff you’ve been suppressing is going to come out and it’s going to be ugly?

MARTIN: Yeah, I’m a little concerned, but we just keep working and we keep our heads down.

SHOCKHOUND: When was the last time you wrote a song?

MARTIN: This morning.

SHOCKHOUND: Do you actually write every day?

MARTIN: Every day. That's the way I can make sense of things. It's also very enjoyable.

SHOCKHOUND: Most creative people are a little crazy. How does your insanity manifest itself?

MARTIN: No, I'm normal.

SHOCKHOUND: You can’t write “Strawberry Swing” and be normal.

MARTIN: Yeah, you can. We just did a video for “Strawberry Swing” and it's going to be the best video we've ever done. It’s all lying down on the floor but filming it like you’re standing up. There’s all this animation and it’s pretty clever. I'm just really excited about it and I never get excited about videos. But it doesn’t sound like you’re that normal, either.

SHOCKHOUND: Let’s stick to the subject here.

MARTIN: I’m just trying to turn the tables.

SHOCKHOUND: When you’re stuck in traffic, do you play “Tap Tap Coldplay” on your iPhone?

MARTIN: No, but I've heard about “Tap Tap” and it sounds pretty great. I don't have an iPhone. But Phil, our fifth member, has that thing “Bloom.” It sounds pretty fun. Anytime we do those computer games and you try your own music, I always get a shit mark. I did karaoke the other day in Hong Kong and at the end of it the computer gave me 17 percent.

SHOCKHOUND: Actually, judging by the reviews Coldplay generally gets, that sounds about right.

MARTIN: It's the best review I ever got.

SHOCKHOUND: How do you rate Viva la Vida now?

MARTIN: I feel okay about it. I don't feel as embarrassed about it as I thought I might.

SHOCKHOUND: Why would you feel embarrassed about it?

MARTIN: Whenever we do a record I always feel embarrassed about it. But I'm very much enjoying singing those songs more than ever.

SHOCKHOUND: Did it feel good when Bono called you a "wanker" and "cretin"?

MARTIN: Well, he's called me worse.

SHOCKHOUND: I think you’ve thrown a few things his way over the years.

MARTIN: Yeah, I have. I was never famous enough for him to notice. Now I’ve arrived.

SHOCKHOUND: Does being a pop star beat working at a supermarket?

MARTIN: What do I think? The outfits are much more comfortable. The hours are more flexible. But I do miss the smell of fresh bread.

SHOCKHOUND: Your studio is a former bakery.

MARTIN: I see what you’re thinking. Good idea. We’ll get that set.

SHOCKHOUND: So what do you do next — where does Coldplay go from here?

MARTIN: You tell me. What would you do if you were us — 100 percent seriously?

SHOCKHOUND: Maybe I’d scale things back a little. It would be nice to hear the four of you in a room without the strings and saxophones.

MARTIN: That feels like a good idea to me. Like [bruce Springsteen’s] Nebraska? I think you might be right. That sounds good. When would be good time to put that out? Or do you think it even matters?

SHOCKHOUND: Next year. You have to stay in peoples’ faces.

MARTIN: The reason you get less records like that is because the cycle between records is so long you feel like you’ve got to do the big thing every time. But I like the idea of a big band doing a little record. We have a lot of songs. I’ve got some good ones, I’ve got to be honest with you. Good idea. What should it be called?

SHOCKHOUND: Let me get back to you on that.

Source: ShockHound

Picture: Coldplay.com

An excellent review of Coldplay's concert at the Rock Werchter festival (3rd July 2009) has emerged online at the Coldplay Live forum, courtesy of Bye:

I was in Werchter last night, it was my first Coldplay gig and they most definitely lived up to my high expectations! We were really in for a treat yesterday. Elbow earlier was fantastic, I didn't really know them before yesterday but will definitely give them another listen. Bloc Party started a great party. Then on came The Killers, who really started and ended their show with a bang! Chris Martin would later remark that they're not used to closing for The Killers and hoped they'd be worthy.

Anyway, the wait before Coldplay came on was charged. We'd been highly entertained by the previous groups and couldn't wait to see what Coldplay had in store for us. The announcer had said right after The Killers concert that he'd just seen two cute little kids, a boy and a girl, and finished off by saying, "yes, they're really here!". A JayZ song (I presume) was the first sign that Coldplay would be on soon. This was followed by The Blue Danube by Strauss (I don't know if they do this at all gigs or not). It served really well to build up the anticipation. And then on they came, waving fire sticks. You already know the set-list so I won't go into that.

I had the perfect view of the show. I'd moved into the second compartment early on and never left my spot. For safety reasons, there are these corridors in the crowd that allow security to get close to the people. Quite a few people have had to be taken out as it was quite hot. These corridors break the crowd up into compartments and they can control the number of people that get into the front ones.

This basically means that once you're in there, there's no pushing or shoving or people trying to get to the front from the back. If it's full, it's full and they don't allow anyone else in there. I opted not to go for the first one, out of fear of too much pushing, ended up at the front of the second one, right in the middle, with an uninterrupted view of the stage. Brilliant! At least you can catch some air there, we could even sit down in between concerts. It's only when Chris Martin decided to run down the corridor right in front of me that everyone behind started pushing to get a clear view of that.

Anyhow, about the show. Other bands (yes, I'm looking at you, Oasis) should really take a look at how Coldplay is performing. I love how Chris Martin is so energetic, running from left to right, jumping, giving his all. Coldplay really makes the crowd feel that this show is special and that the show you're watching is the best ever. Where I was standing, the crowd was really into it all, singing along to nearly every song. At one point, I believe at the end of In My Place, as the last notes were somewhat more silent and Chris could finally hear we'd been singing along, he seemed pleasantly surprised. I suppose they can't really hear the crowd from the stage, unless they take out their earpiece.

The big yellow balloons during Yellow and the paper butterflies work really well in such a large outdoor setting. We had fun with those.

Oh, and as for the Lady Gaga dedication. That was more tongue in cheek than anything else. He was winking when he said he'd dedicate it to the people listening to Lady Gaga on the other stage. It was said in a "those poor sods" kind of way. And so, as he was starting The Hardest Part, he quietly let out 'Poker Face' but quickly reverted back to the Hardest Part, which would then turn into Billy Jean at the end.

Earlier on he'd already tried a mash of i forgot which song and The Killers 'we've got soul but we're not soldiers' line. It was really cute. All through the show, lines would be changed a little to include a reference to 70.000 Belgians, or the previous gigs. Such a refreshing difference from bands who barely know where they're playing, who else is on, etc.

Anyway, it was spectacular end to what was already a brilliant day. Coldplay really are a class act.

Coldplay at Rock Werchter Festival, Belgium (3rd July 2009):

Pictures by purefm @ Flickr

An hour before showtime, Chris Martin lopes about the concrete backstage of Winnipeg's MTS Centre in cyan socks and baggy warm-up pants. All around him, roadies bark into headsets, and security guards clench their fists. He seems oblivious. A song is looping in his head – Nickelback's If Today Was Your Last Day – along with thoughts of Marco Polo, a recent obsession, writes The Globe And Mail.

A week earlier, Forbes magazine had named Martin and his bandmates the world's most powerful British celebrities. Here in the home of the Manitoba Moose, the rock star appears detached, and a little alone.

Martin has blue eyes like spotlights, a diffident smile and an unfailingly affable air, but his hands are most mesmeric of all. Staring at his long, gangly piano fingers, one can't help but think these genetic aberrations form the heart of the whole hit-making, Grammy-winning schmaltz factory that is Coldplay.

They play the brain-cleaving piano hooks responsible for the band's commercial appeal (over 50 million albums sold) and, sometimes anyway, one of them wears the wedding ring responsible for the band's tabloid allure. Today, there is no wedding ring, something the tabs have interpreted as a sign his marriage to actress Gwyneth Paltrow is crumbling. The accusations, baseless as they may be, clearly gall the otherwise unflappable 32-year-old, as he steps aboard a tour bus to speak with me this week before the first Western Canadian date on the band's wildly successful world tour.

“If it's me in the news, there has to be some negativity,” he says, crossing his legs and leaning back to reveal a hint of a belly about which, he reveals, Paltrow has been ribbing him lately. “The news. They have to say we're divorced, or make fun of our baby's name. You just can't have pure positive news. Why is that?”

His eyes are piercing. He smiles. He wants an answer. “Readers,” I say. “Maybe they can feel better about themselves if they feel worse about you and your wife. It's our daily tonic.”

“Well, that's fair enough,” he replies. “Daily tonic. I like that.” Giving people what they want is something Martin can understand. He is a pupil of pop music, studying closely the subliminal appeal of hit songs by the likes of Nickelback. “I know they're not the most cool band to reference,” he acknowledges, “but they do something better than other people do, you know what I mean? You learn about great pop hooks, power and presentation. And I take my hat off to them.”

He's well aware of the critics who say Coldplay's music focuses too much on a steady formula of vacuous lyrics, cloying hooks and overproduced melodrama. Sasha Frere-Jones, music critic for The New Yorker, termed the concoction “warm milk.” After a New York Times reviewer dubbed Coldplay the most “insufferable band of the decade” in 2005, Martin treated the dig as good advice, promising to “just write better music.”

In 2008, the band hired Brian Eno to produce Viva La Vida , an album with more variety, and less reliance on stirring love songs – but with the same stadium melodies. Martin himself has taken to calling his music “soft rock,” even though he realizes the term's Barry Manilow connotations. “I'm only using it lightheartedly,” he says. “I don't really believe in definitions of music by porousness or erodibility. I don't think the word ‘rock' is valid. I think it's kind of silly. It makes me giggle just to say the word ‘rock.'”

Aside from Nickelback, Martin has found inspiration hanging out with members of Kings of Leon recently. The bands met in Australia, and Martin says they had some “fun,” but wouldn't specify how he passed the time with the hard-drinking Tennessee rockers. “Just imagine it for yourself,” he explains, “a meeting of the soft rockers and the hard rockers. It made for an interesting juxtaposition. I think it will make it into a song.”

After 121 concert dates (each of which grossed about $1-million) over the last year, Martin has seen a lot to inspire, but nothing more so, he says, than the changes in the United States since Barack Obama's election. “Two years ago, touring America, you felt like it was on the downward,” he says. “In general, I feel that even though it's a recession, there's just a great mood and a great optimism. Even little subtle changes like going through customs feels a little friendlier now.” He pinches a slender index finger and thumb together. “Tiny little things.”

He hasn't seen much evidence of the sour economy altering the pop-music landscape, at least not in any way comparable to the Great Depression, when down times sparked a massive movement toward uptempo jazz and swing. “I don't really subscribe to the view that terribleness is essential for art,” he says. “There's always good stuff being made – good times or bad. In bad times, there's just more baggage to hang on it. Know what I mean?

“I'll give you a good example,” he continues. “Yesterday, I watched this film called RocknRolla . … If it wasn't by Guy Ritchie and there wasn't all that personal baggage associated with him at that moment, everyone would just be, like, ‘It's a great movie.' But because people always want to attach something to something else, it changes how they see the film.”

Indeed, aside from the trail of paparazzi that follows him, Martin doesn't seem to suffer enough for his art. He's obscenely rich. He's married to one of the world's most beautiful women. He has a fan base whose monetary devotion has made Viva La Vida the most downloaded album of all time. And he happens to be unfailingly friendly.

So where's the angst? “It's in everybody. It's not just musicians who are insecure and worried about whether their girlfriend likes them. It's everybody. And you know, I don't think it's fair to bang on about your own problems just because you're a musician.”

In fact, during our interview he seems more interested in my problems, showing great curiosity in the bleak future of newspapers and a keen interest in other articles I was working on. He also mentions his passion for the HBO series The Wire , a sure way to any journalist's heart.

But is it all an act? After the interview, I meet another reporter who says Martin had given him the same treatment, asked the same questions. Online, I find more suggestions that he's been buttering up interviewers in the same manner for the past year. Yes, Chris Martin knows how to give 'em what they want.

Source: Globe and Mail

More new pictures of Coldplay at GM Place, Vancouver (20th June 2009):

Pictures by '(photographic)memory' @ Flickr:

Once upon a time, the honour was undisputed. In the 60s, it was accepted that the Beatles were the world's greatest act. In the 70s, it was the Stones. In the 80s, it was U2's turn. Hindsight tells us, of course, that other acts had legitimate claims - James Brown, notably - but they were ignored by the white rock-and-pop establishment, writes The Guardian.

And so the title of "the greatest" became a competition between a succession of guitar bands, even as guitar rock was being left behind as any sort of pioneering force within music. But, still, people understood what the title entailed: the acts hailed as "the greatest" were those who could make a crowd of 100,000 feel intimate, who had an ability to communicate meaning far beyond the literal meaning of their songs.

But who is the world's best act these days? It's a question bands seem eager to avoid: Chris Martin last year laid claim to Coldplay being no more than the seventh-best band in the world, and even Bono doesn't appear to have been lusting for the top spot since 2000, when he announced U2's intention to "reclaim their title".

It's harder now to anoint one single act than it might have been in the 60s and 70s, when tastes were less fragmented and music had not yet fractured into so many microgenres. Still, we thought it a question worth asking - and decided to pose it not to critics, but to musicians. And not just to rock'n'roll musicians, but to rappers, pop singers, crooners, R&B singers. They were asked one simple question: "Which act, working today, is the best in the world?" They were allowed to use any criteria - there's no formula for this - and any answer was legitimate.

Hence one nod for Hugh Jackman. Some of our panel were judging on the basis of commercial success, some on the basis of how they have influenced others, but a large number decided in the same way most fans do: nominating acts that had touched them personally. The results? Well, put it this way: in 2009, there's no longer any consensus about this question...

Ne-yo: True artists nowadays are few and far between, but I'd have to say I'm a huge fan of Coldplay. Everything they do is melody, and melody speaks to everybody, be you a hip-hop head, be you an R&B guy, be you a country-and-western guy. Melody is the blood that flows through any and all musical genres. There are some songs where I have no idea what they're talking about. Chris Martin is almost saying: "OK, take these words and these melodies and determine your own adventure - what does it mean to you?" That's the question he's asking with the songs, as opposed to trying to force meaning on you.

Busta Rhymes: And Coldplay, they're young too, and they're fucking incredible to me. I would love to do a record with them - I'm a super Coldplay fan. Put that all the way out there!

Shontelle: It's between Coldplay and U2, but I'd go for Coldplay, who just keep getting better. I've liked them since Yellow, and then fell in love with them, both musically and as people: I met them a long time ago through my mum, who's the marketing coordinator of the Caribbean region for Virgin Atlantic, and they played cricket with us! They've got all these great rock songs and then they remix Jay-Z - that's what makes them connect. Hip-hop people, R&B people, rock'n'roll people - they all love Coldplay. They're constantly being sampled and interpolated into other music, which is indicative of how wide they reach.

Lemar: There's no strings attached with Coldplay: it's just them, good musicians, at the top of the game. Even though they are so popular, it's not oversaturation - you don't turn on the TV and see ColdplayColdplayColdplay. It's not about the media, it's not about anything but good music and a good band. They write great songs, then go and perform them for the people. And to me, that's an inspiration.

More on this at the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks mimixxx]

How can this be justified? A 38 percent surcharge on a $21 concert ticket. It can't, especially when - as usual - the specifics of these "service charges" never are divulged, writes Recordnet.com.

This time, it was tickets for a July 27 Glasvegas concert at San Francisco's newly renamed Regency Ballroom (formerly Grand Ballroom). This is a young (one album), very promising band from Glasgow, Scotland, whose self-titled debut is one of the year's best rock records.

Tickets purchased with a Visa ATM card at a Ticket Master outlet - not online or by phone, where even higher fees can be whomped on you - were $21 each. The surcharge was $8 per ticket, as in 38 percent of the face value. That usury doesn't go to the band. The whole concert ticketing situation has turned into an absurd, almost unfathomable free-for-all. It's a big mess that could lead to a U.S. Justice Department ruling on antitrust issues this year.

Let's get real here. Why should a young band trying establish itself in the U.S. - and its supporters - have to deal with this kind of gouging? Does it cost any more to process a $5 ticket than a $500 ticket?

Even a hard-core fan of Coldplay, the now Grammy Award-certified British rock band, had to decline when the price of four tickets to the group's July 13 show at Shoreline Amphitheatre in Mountain View came up at $500 on the on-sale date. Now, maybe to compensate, the group are giving away a free live CD to those who attend their shows.

In these economic times, a lot of people are going to make some increasingly hard choices this summer. San Francisco-based Live Nation made one this week by offering a 2-for-1 deal for Coldplay's July 14 show at Sleep Train Amphitheatre in Wheatland.

Between 10 a.m. Friday and 10 p.m. Sunday, two Coldplay tickets for that date will be sold for the price of one in all seating areas. Tickets are $35.50, $80 and $98 (before surcharges, of course). They're available only at Livenation.com.

Live Nation also has been promoting "no-service-fee Wednesday," whereby those purchasing a "4 pack" at Shoreline, Sleep Train Amphitheatre and Concord's Sleep Train Pavilion don't pay extra fees.

Green Day has tried, too, by pricing its tickets as low as $25 and $49.50 for shows at Sacramento's Arco Arena (Aug. 24) and HP Pavilion in San Jose (Aug. 18). The surcharge strain doesn't account for ticket brokers, who still seem to skim off lots of the best seats and peddle them for even more ridiculous prices.

REVIEW — Coldplay frontman Chris Martin bursts a giant yellow balloon, then grins as confetti falls over his face. The sold out crowd at GM Place lets out a roar. Balloons bounce from person to person around the stadium, writes the Vancouver Sun.

And the sweeping melody of the British megaband’s hit song Yellow, ends after wrapping itself around the audience. Ah. There’s something about a Coldplay concert. And even if you’re not a fan of the group’s softer-edged stadium rock — even if you agree clean-living Martin is the so-called “Jesus of Uncool,” as per Rolling Stone — just try not to get swept away by their live show.

By their swelling rhythms, their musicianship and their charm. I was. I arrived feeling ho-hum and left humming along to Fix You. (A song they really nailed, by the way.) The lads kicked off the night with high energy as they bounded on to the stage and twirled sparklers. Martin, 32, jerked his body around like a marionette, loose limbs flailing and his yoga-limber body bending backwards and forwards.

Immediately, the opening notes to Violet Hill sparked howls from the scream-happy crowd — a mixed bag of old, young, hip and square, peppered with plenty of couples holding hands. “If we made it to Vancouver,” Martin sang, to the lilting melody of Violet Hill. “If the rumours about you being the best crowd in the world are true.”

Pause. That’s when he sang to the crowd that — of all the cities to choose from on their world tour — they had chosen to film Vancouver, Saturday and tonight. Well, you can imagine how the screamers responded. And the volume escalated from there as the foursome moved into a swelling version of the pretty song, In My Place, singing along with their fans. Then came the balloons and the yellow lights. And their version of Yellow, a tune from their debut album, Parachutes — it sold nearly five million copies worldwide and earned them a Grammy award for Best Alternative Album in 2002, one of many such accolades to come for the top-selling band. Yellow sounded way better live.

“Let’s sing this together,” Martin said, encouraging a call and response. The conscious-of-being-filmed crowd didn’t hold back. He sang. They sang. (We sang.) The night was chalk full of these kind of feel-good moments. There were surprises too. Like a harmonica-laced, acoustic rendition of Green Eyes followed by a cover of the song, I’m A Believer. Both were performed from high in the bleachers, where the band — Martin, Will Champion, Guy Berryman and Jonny Buckland — huddled on a mini stage, nestled amongst the audience. During Believer, they led us through a cellphone wave.

There was plenty of banter too. “Is everything okay so far?” Martin asked. “I know you had to go through a lot to go to our concert.” He went on to list obstacles the crowd faced, from parking and traffic to missing television. Later, seated alone at a piano situated on a side stage, Martin quipped: “I get to live out my Michael Bolton fantasies.” Then he paused, adding: “Not fantasies about Michael Bolton, you understand.”

And he moved into a stripped down and pretty version of The Hardest Part. Other highlights of the night included the groove-heavy song, Lost, showcasing the group’s edges. Or the second-last song of the night Scientist. And of course, they did a nicely ramped up Viva La Vida — the opening chords of last year’s hit so familiar to the audience that two notes in, the crowd lost it.

Martin told the audience Colplay couldn’t ask for a better “supporting cast” in their concert film. He thanked everyone and reminded fans of their live album, LeftRightLeftRightLeft, handed out at the end of the night. (And available to download free for everyone — even if you didn't make the show — on Coldplay.com.)

Sounding pretty darn cool, if you ask me. But then again, I’m still humming.

Article: Vancouver Sun

Did you go to the show? Let us know! Post your reviews at the Vancouver thread here or simply browse the latest comments, pictures and videos on the 20th June show!

Coldplay at General Motors Place, Vancouver (20th June 2009):

Pictures: nolitawanders @ Flickr

With Viva la Vida, Coldplay has shown a willingness to progress. It would have been easy to cruise along with a couple more albums as successful as A Rush of Blood to the Head or X&Y. Instead, Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion took a chance. Not a big chance. Viva la Vida isn’t a challenge or a dramatic change, but it does broaden the band’s scope and shows its ambition, writes The Province.

Coldplay isn’t Radiohead — yet. But it does sell more records and has used its popularity to reposition itself. Until Viva la Vida revealed a band that wanted to leave a significant mark, it was acceptable. That’s all. The acceptable face of current rock, an acceptable sound, an acceptable look. Viva la Vida sustains moods, creates a cinematic sweep in which ambitious song arrangements flourish.

So it was that the band had to reconcile its former self with the current personality. It wasted no time. After a fanfare that mocked Andre Rieu, Coldplay got down to business Saturday night, linking “Life in Technicolor II” and “Lost!,” then launching into the big hit “Clocks.” This took confidence, to go big so early, but that’s what Coldplay has become — confident.

The English band made GM Place more intimate and Martin was an appealing frontman. Stripped of layers of ambience, the Viva la Vida songs live are more direct and hit harder, while the older songs are equally aggressive, seeming like they have been given a second life in a different setting. Although Coldplay kept the show simple, there were lasers, and a shower of yellow balloons during a song appropriately called “Yellow” added a modest extra to the production.

A song such as “42” still retains its dynamism in its simpler form and the band has enough faith in one another to pull it off while making a positive statement. Coldplay is back at GM Place Sunday night.

Opener Snow Patrol came out blazing and finished its 45-minute set that way. The group also made the cavernous GM Place seem intimate. In between, Snow Patrol’s songs had a pattern of tension and release, gathering momentum as they went along. Live, the Irish-Scottish band is more aggressive than its records indicate. Frontman Gary Lightbody is agreeably personable, even humble, in his role.

Did you go to the show? Let us know! Post your reviews at the Vancouver thread here or simply browse the latest comments, pictures and videos on the 20th June show!

Coldplay at General Motors Place, Vancouver (20th June 2009):

Pictures & article: The Province

Chris Martin of Coldplay announced Saturday night that of all the cities on their tour, the band have chosen to film the Vancouver concerts, writes the Vancouver Sun.

Halfway through the first show in a two-night stint at GM Place, Martin thanked the crowd for braving the traffic and 'missing Desperate Housewives', complimenting Vancouver audiences as the best in the world.

The love was evidently mutual, as the sold-out crowd of 30,000 remained on its feet throughout the show, echoing back to the band an energy high and so warm, the arena took on the intimate feel of a concert hall. The love-in reached a crescendo when Martin and the band wove their way across the stadium floor to the back, slapping hands along the way and disappearing into a doorway, only to emerge moments later in the midst of the furthest reaches of the audience for a harmonica-laced, strummed rendition of Green Eyes.

Did you go to the show? Let us know! Post your reviews at the Vancouver thread here or simply browse the latest comments, pictures and videos on the 20th June show!

Coldplay at General Motors Place, Vancouver (20th June 2009):

Pictures & article: Vancouver Sun

Coldplay on Thursday night was amazing. Go back and re-read that first sentence because there is no amount of italicization I can use to express how good that show was. It surpassed all expectations I had and thoroughly impressed me. It was more than a concert, it was a truly passionate performance, writes seangursky.com.

Basically, the concert started with ‘Life in Technicolour I’ and then we just got more intense then there. The band pulled out all kinds of REALLY fun tricks (which I don’t really want to give away to those who are planning on seeing an upcoming ‘Viva La Vida’ tour show).

And while watching, I thought, here’s the difference between a band who uses tricks to enhance what they do well, rather than using tricks to cover up what they can’t do (such as using backup dancers to distract from lip-synching), or using tricks needlessly and senselessly (example: Mariah Carey’s numerous costume changes at her show back in 2006). When you have about 10,000 people screaming for you and wanting to get closer and closer to you, you don’t need lasers and confetti and gritty black-and-white jumbotron images. But… it only enhances the Coldplay experience in that the music takes on a kind of electrified, magical, whimsical dynamic that makes it both look and feel truly alive.

What the band did really well though, was demonstrate top-quality showmanship, fan appreciation, humility and professionalism without being TOO professional and TOO polished. Example: I saw Bryan Adams at the beginning of 2006, which is admittedly lame anyways, but it was like he just slept through a two-hour set; it was identical to the set on the DVD included in the greatest hits package, and so any uniqueness was kind of lost and I ended up enjoying the opener, Daniel Powter, a lot more who chatted with the audience and faltered a little bit, despite his piano-playing skills and pandering to an audience who had NO idea who he was, or cared really. Coldplay played this gig like it was their first-ever big break. The band members seemed to share a strong friendship and brotherhood, no one seemed to have a bloated ego and there was no ‘tension’; they were just a group of friends who love playing music together, and that’s just what they did, and did VERY well. Christ.

The set was a kind of predictable but great collection of songs that lasted about two hours; while ‘Parachutes’ was largely ignored, the band played their best material from their later three albums and tossed in a few moments from their ‘Prospekt’s March’ EP (which by the way, includes some of their best-ever material). I would have liked to see a few more of my personal favourites, but with a stadium of thousands and thousands of people, a set should be about soaring crowd-pleasers.

The band did some really cool things though, including the ‘cell phone wave’ which is one of the coolest things you’ll ever see. As well, they walked through the audience (I high-fived them – totally epic conquest) and played a little acoustic set in the stands at the back of the stadium while throwing in a little ditty about Edmonton that was so cute and funny I, standing on my chair so I could see from the floor, almost fell over. They also played ‘Green Eyes’, one of my all-time favourite songs, and then a harmonica made an appearance and I screamed out loud, “THIS IS THE GREATEST NIGHT OF MY LIFE!” and meant it. And it was. Really, it was.

There’s such a joy in seeing a favourite band live. But that joy is amplified when that live show is so incredibly good, it puts even some of the best shows you’ve seen in life to shame. I can’t talk today, and I feel like I have whip lash in my neck. But this show was worth the money and the pain.

I know that there are a lot of people who are cynical about the band and regard them as bad and repetitive and self-indulgent. I disagreed completely already anyways, but I REALLY believe that seeing the show that I saw last night would turn around ANY of those cynics. Some people go to shows and say that every one of them is amazing, but for me only a select few get to be shelved among the elite, special gigs that really are amazing, and this gets the number 1 place of honor.

Also sources: http://newyorkfruitstand.wordpress.com

Coldplay at Rexall Place, Edmonton (18th June 2009):

Pictures by Dave McNeil

Viva La Coldplay! Long live Chris Martin and all his friends! For almost two hours, the British rockers ruled the world — or at least 15,500 fans — on Thursday night at Rexall Place, writes community blogs at canada.com.

Armed with military jackets, lasers, butterfly-shaped confetti, and unbridled happiness, Martin and his bandmates let their joyous tunes — including Clocks, Viva La Vida, Politik and The Scientist — soar through the sold-out arena.

Theirs was one of those rare sets to fully savour — to toss aside your cell phone, BlackBerry or notebook, close your eyes, tilt your head back and let yourself be carried away by Martin’s falsetto, Jonny Buckland’s chiming guitars and Will Champion’s booming drums. They started off with a bang, complete with sparklers and five of their biggest hits — an abridged (and instrumental) version of Life In Technicolour, Violet Hill, Clocks, In My Place and their 2000 breakthrough, Yellow.

In the hands of a lesser band, stacking the first 30 minutes of a set often leads to a lull of lesser tunes, but Coldplay was never at any risk of losing the crowd’s attention. Their songs, particularly those from their latest album, Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends, are big, lush and explosive — perfect for filling vast spaces. Standouts included: 42, a Lennonesque piano ballad which morphed into an electro-rock freak-out; and Viva La Vida, which featured Champion pounding on a kettle drum and bell.

The rockers also tossed in a few surprises — for those who don’t scour the Internet for setlists — such as playing techno versions of God Put A Smile On Your Face, featuring agitated guitar sproings, and Talk. (The foursome, including bassist Guy Berryman, inspired more than a few smiles by performing those tracks on the front of a stage ramp surrounded by fans.)

Their props, including the butterflies and a pack of balloons, were charming and interactive. So was Martin. He ran around like a little boy on Christmas day. He asked fans to help him with the high notes. He laughed (and cursed) when he messed up his piano part on The Hardest Part. He sang an off-the cuff ode to Edmonton ­ — praising its noisy fans, Wayne Gretzky and actor Michael J. Fox. In interviews, Martin comes off as a charming but regular Joe who can’t quite believe his luck. He’s always talking about trying to improve as a songwriter — even more so in light of guitarist Joe Satriani’s Viva La Vida lawsuit — and thanking fans for their support.

Martin and his bandmates were just as genuine in concert. They looked like they were having the time of their lives — even though they’re at the end of a year-long tour. (They were supposed to perform here last July but were forced to cancel due to “production issues” ­— I’m sure most fans are now thankful for the wait.)

They gave away copies of their live CD, LeftRightLeftRight. They even rewarded fans in faraway seats — by performing several acoustic tunes, including Green Eyes, Death Will Never Conquer, and Neil Diamond’s I’m A Believer, on a small stage in one of the sections at the back of the arena. We believe, Coldplay. We believe. At one point, Martin joked about sabotaging Coldplay’s opening acts lest they upstage his band. He doesn’t have to worry. Both Snow Patrol and Howling Bells, an up ‘n’ coming act from Australia, were decisive and solid ­— but lacked the joie de vivre and accessibility of their headliners.

With this tour, it’s safe to say Coldplay poses a serious threat to U2’s greatest-band-in-the-world crown. Not only did the Brits get the better out of producer Brian Eno — Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends easily trumps U2’s No Line on the Horizon — Martin and his bandmates didn’t need to resort to a 360-degree screen to dazzle their fans.

Source: http://communities.canada.com

Coldplay at Rexall Place, Edmonton (18th June 2009):

Pictures by by Brett Butler / 28TheGreat

VANCOUVER - Coldplay has been on the road more or less for a year now, but they are good boys and write home often. They write to everyone, nearly every day through Myspace, Facebook, YouTube and Twitter. The top-selling band in the world is also the most connected, writes the Vancouver Sun.

What once was a one-way conversation between rock stars and fans — we release a record and you buy it — has become a 24/7 chum-fest, at least for the Coldplay community. Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion Twitter daily to more than one million followers. Their Facebook site has more than 2.2 million registered fans and their Myspace page has ticked over 32 million views. They also have a YouTube channel boasting views in the millions.

While the record industry tries to make sense of a crumbling business model in the iTunes era, Coldplay has it goin’ on. When the 2008 release Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends became the top-selling album in 2008, Coldplay rewarded fans with a whole other live record from the supporting tour, for free.

You just click the link for Left Right Left Right Left on their website and download without paying. They give the disc away at their shows as well. They are the Anti-Metallica. Coldplay in November released a five-song EP titled Prospekt’s March, made of tracks that were not included on Viva but hail from the same sessions with super-producer Brian Eno. “Our sessions with Brian Eno over the last year or so, we really did a lot of different things,” Martin said, “and I think some of the more extreme things, just took us a little while to finish basically.”

He was quick to dispel the notion that the leftover songs weren’t good enough for the original record. “No, I would say they’re better but I might get in trouble for saying that,” he said with a laugh. In Martin’s eyes, Eno brings “confidence and colour” to the band, two things they were lacking. “It’s like working with a genius nymphomaniac,” said the singer. “He’s very excited about life and all that it brings, and music and everything. He’s a ball of energy.”

Fans were similarly enthusiastic, making the album the most-downloaded record in history just two week after its release. Almost one year later, Vancouver will have a chance to see their rock gods in person when they play a two-night stint at GM Place this weekend.

While success in the studio does not always translate to success on stage, Coldplay appears to be on a roll in terms of delivering a top-notch concert experience, according to both newspaper reviewers and bloggers.

“Recently we’ve got a lot better live,” says Martin, attributing the improvement to better songwriting. “As clichéd as it sounds, you can just filter out the bad songs from your set and keep putting in the good new ones. So now our concert is all songs that our audience likes. It’s a big singalong at the moment.”

It’s the best feeling in the world, he says, to see the crowds and hear their voices. “It’s an unbeatable feeling. It’s like when your wife or girlfriend or partner has a baby, it’s on that level of euphoria. It’s big.”

Be ready for another ultra-modern Coldplay innovation that reportedly started in Aukland earlier in the tour: the cellphone wave. Put your Bic away, this is the future, baby.

Source: Vancouver Sun

Coldplay-shaped puppets hit Vancouver:

Challenging each other to football is one way to level the playing field. So the crews and musicians of Coldplay and Snow Patrol are engaged in a series of soccer games on this tour. Snow Patrol's Gary Lightbody describes the games as round robins in which both sides have won and lost. Despite inequities, the games put both groups on an equal footing, writes canada.com today.

As he notes, it's rare for a headlining band such as Coldplay to take an interest in its opening act but he also says that "this has been on the horizon for a long time."

No doubt he means that Snow Patrol frequently is mentioned with Coldplay. The Irish/Scottish Snow Patrol released its first album around the same time, 2003, Coldplay was experiencing its first rush of success and there are similarities in the sound, direction and open-mindedness of both. The difference is scale.Despite hits such as Run and especially Chasing Cars, which could have made Snow Patrol a headliner in its own right, the band is opening. "Our job is to warm up the crowd," explains Lightbody. "There are no egos. It's a good opportunity to play for a lot of people. We're having a ball."

It's also an opportunity for Snow Patrol to do a quick introduction without pressure. If the first two albums yielded a few hits, the current A Hundred Million Suns makes more use of the studio, is denser, and therefore doesn't translate as easily to the stage. Lightbody, the band's writer and singer, acknowledges that some of the album tracks will remain album tracks. "We're only playing a couple of songs from the new album and they seem to be fitting in," he says. "There are four or five that do work live, but there a few that don't. I'm proud of all our albums but I realize that once you put it to bed, that's it. It's done for all time."

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 snowpatrol.com.

What was that Bible passage, again? Something about the meek inheriting the Earth? Having seen Coldplay's sold-out show at Saddledome, I fully concede, at least for the moment, that they have, writes the Calgary Herald.

Yes, chalk a big one up for the Coldplay-lovers of the world --legion that they are--based on the aural and visual extravaganza that is the Viva La Vida Tour, taken in by some 15,000 Wednesday night at the Saddledome.

All around it was the perfect display of arena rock pomp meets alternative rock preciousness. As for the Coldplay cynics out there (A group which, by the way, I have to count myself a part of)? Well, for hardened meanies like us, that was the taste of humble pie when the London band--which has become one of the biggest on the planet, hands down--performed so powerfully in Calgary.

Kicking off the set with the uplifting Violet Hill off their fourth disc (the Grammy Award winning Viva La Vida or Death and All Of His Friends), Coldplay was, despite the moniker, incredibly hot from the get-go. Squeaky-clean, yoga-practitioner Chris Martin, 32, the band's vocalist, demonstrated all the emotion and range Coldplay's sensitive, hyper-romantic power balladry demands, while his bandmates -- Jonny Buckland on guitar, Guy Berryman on bass and Will Champion on drums --played with impressive energy and torque.

The tunes, crowd faves like In My Place, Clocks, the epic Viva La Vida and Politik, with its riveting drive, were accentuated wonderfully by the dazzling stage show. A giant, bright blue orb, which appeared at turns to be either Earth or a massive Christmas ornament, hung from the 'Dome's ceiling, often flashing images of the band in the midst of their performance. All of this was further illuminated by a spectacular laser light show.

Adding to the grandiose vibe, the band, at one point, played in front of a massive mural of the Viva La Vida album cover, a classic painting depicting a scene from the French Revolution with a plump, bare-breasted woman clutching her flag in one hand and a bayonette in the other. During the song Yellow, bright yellow beach balls bounced through the crowd and the entire concert bowl lit up in a wash of, you guessed it, fluorescent yellow, while Martin serenaded the adoring fans.

Around the gig's halfway mark, the entire band walked through the crowd to a smaller stage perched among the rows in the back of the 'Dome. There they played the pretty Green Eyes and a laid-back, funny version of Neil Diamond's I'm A Believer. During this short acoustic set Martin even managed to name drop the Calgary Flames, to ecstatic cheers.

Wowed as I am, I stick by most of my Coldplay gripes over the years. If you love your rock with a bit of grit and spit in the mix --and many would argue that's a key ingredient of the genre --there's a good chance you have struggled with Coldplay. It truly is sensitivity incarnate, all heart-on-sleeve romance served up in big teary pools, and, at its worst, it drowns in its own soppy sentiments.

But as the Coldplay concert experience hits home perfectly, when the band is at its best it is able to channel all that emotion into a grand, epic sound. At those moments, they're masters of the heartfelt anthem and, undeniably, an excellent band.

Opening for Coldplay was Australia's Howling Bells and Snow Patrol, an earnest group of Scottish and Irish lads who have been sensations in their own right among alternative rock fans. Given their own bleedingly romantic brand of power pop, they really were an ideal warmup for Coldplay and, live, their songs took on an anthemic urgency this reviewer hasn't always felt on disc. Standouts of Snow Patrol's invigorating set included Shut Your Eyes, Crack The Shutters and, of course, the band's biggest hit, the memorably moving Chasing Cars.

Source: calgaryherald.com

Coldplay at Pengrowth Saddledome, Calgary, Canada (17th June 2009):

Pictures: Calgary Herald