Bono may have jokingly called Chris Martin a "wanker" this week, but Martin responded in the most emphatic way possible last night as he led Coldplay through an outstanding night of modern rock, reports theage.com.au.

Playing the first of three shows at Rod Laver Arena on their first tour in almost three years, the band are more than 100 shows into a world tour and have their 90-minute arena extravaganza down pat. The multi-stage performance features two catwalks and umpteen multimedia tricks. Last year was a reinvigorating one for Coldplay, which employed famed producer Brian Eno to help them record their fourth album, Viva La Vida.

Read the full Melbourne review at the Coldplay Live forum here [thanks mimixxx]

It's easy to see why Coldplay have become the world's biggest band in less than a decade. Quite simply they've got brilliant songs and plenty of them - a knack for timeless melodies first displayed on Yellow which stretches to triumphant anthem Viva la Vida - the soundtrack to pop music in 2008. reports news.com.au.

It's harder to see why Chris Martin has such a problem with his own band; his constant self-criticism is instantly negated by the euphoric reaction that greeted Coldplay at last night's Rod Laver Arena show. Martin seemingly finds it harder to embrace his band than the fans do - introducing them as one of England's premiere soft rock bands, last night. Whatever.

Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends pulled off a rare trick - experimental but accessible and also last year's highest-selling album worldwide. After boring themselves with the bloated autopilot stadium rock of previous release X&Y, accordingly their latest tour is a deliberately intimate show in a not-so-intimate venue.

Read the full Melbourne review at the Coldplay Live forum here [thanks mimixxx]

It appears Bono was right. Chris Martin is a wanker. However, had chance happened any other way, the wanker could have been Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman or Will Champion instead, reports Undercover.com.au.

At tonight’s Coldplay show at Rod Laver Arena, Martin told the story of how his wankerness was set more than a decade ago. “13 years ago we met and decided to become soft rock stars,” he told the Melbourne crowd. “At our first band meeting we had to decide who the lead singer would be and I drew the short straw. So for the last 13 years I’ve been taking all the shit including Bono’s swear words”.

This was Martin’s first public appearance since Bono said on the BBC, “I think he is that good a melodist. I mean, he's a wanker.” Martin’s tongue-in-cheek retort to Bono was also acknowledged with a slightly more subtle reference to U2 just before Coldplay came on. Before they came on stage, U2’s ‘Magnificent’ was playing over the loud speakers.

Read the full Melbourne review at the Coldplay Live forum here [thanks mimixxx]

Some bands just know. They know they’re good. There’s no need to shout about it because every note they play shows you.

Coldplay kicked off their Australian tour with two shows in Perth at the weekend carrying the attitude of kings. They weren’t remotely arrogant, simply owning an undeniable understanding that they wear the rock’n’roll crown and put on a mighty show to prove it.

Coldplay couldn’t have found better backing singers if they tried — the all-ages massed Perth choir of 18,000 was impressive and didn’t let up all night. Whether you were cuddling your sweetheart, rode in on a Harley, were there with your family, were one of the beautiful people or looked like a surf-hippie, everyone united effortlessly and every song received ecstatic approval.

Decoder Ring warmed up an already expectant room but Mercury Rev gave us a glimpse of the magnificence awaiting. The five Americans were a perfect precursor with their atmospheric and moody rock which shares much in common with cult heroes The Flaming Lips. Holes, People Are So Unpredictable and Opus 40 were part of a set which very calmly grabbed you by the throat, but it was their closing cover of Talking Head’s Once In A Lifetime which was sinister and very cool.

As a frontman, Coldplay's Chris Martin is fascinating to watch. Like Mercury Rev’s Jonathan Donahue, he doesn’t overtly play the sexy card but there’s something utterly beguiling about both of them. Their lack of predatory sexuality naturally draws you in to become part of this delicate and complex musical fabric.

Coldplay worked hard for more than two dozen songs and the audience repaid the love. The four never sat still and presented one of the most creative shows I have seen with a rock-pop set list which spanned style, emotion, differing delivery and genre-hopping, much like their multi-million selling Viva La Vida.

The highlights were numerous from the military beat of Violet Hill to the beautiful Clocks, a signature song which owns that unquantifiable something which just makes you love it. Yellow, accompanied by yellow balloons, sent the crowd wild and they were no less willing for Strawberry Swing, Lost, Politik, Fix You, Lovers In Japan and 42 which included Martin’s self-confessed Mariah Carey vocal moment.

Their new album’s title track, Viva La Vida, was the pinnacle of it all. Waking us from the softness of The Hardest Part, the kettle drums pounded in an anthemic and exhilarating celebration.

It’s hard to be loud and soft at the same time, but Coldplay have mastered the nuance. Volume can be loud, music can be aggressive without turning into hard rock and somehow the message can be sweet and poignant.

Their shabby revolution chic outfits were a nod to the new regime as the band left the main stage twice to play amid the audience, the second time up in the gods with acoustic guitars and harmonica. The first song didn’t work so well but Speed Of Sound sounded like an original demo before young drummer Will Champion played national steel for a quick country-infused I’m A Believer.

They came back for an encore — The Scientist and the second half of Life In Technicolor — which didn’t quite end the show with a rush of blood to the head like Viva La Vida had produced, but there was still plenty of energy to carry it through.

An almost touchable frisson pinged through the crowd as the venue emptied. It’s like everyone felt they were covered with stars and took that back into the world with them, if only for a little while.

It was impossible not be impressed by this spirited and uplifting show. As the most powerful band in rock’n’roll today, Coldplay defied gloom and gave us a little more of what we all really need: hope. Viva La Vida indeed.

Source: thewest.com.au

Read more on the Perth round-up at the Coldplay Live forum here

On the same day that the biggest band in the world, U2, released its new album, Coldplay were in Perth showing why its the No.1 contender for the heavyweight crown.

Friday was the first show of the band’s Australian tour, which comes to Melbourne this week, and the British quartet thrilled the packed house with a no-nonsense, high-energy rock show that featured hits from their four mega-selling albums, drawing heavily from the Grammy-winning Viva La Vida, the world’s best-selling album last year. Playing on a relatively simple stage, Coldplay proved that you don’t need pyrotechnics, fancy props or dancing girls when you have a catalog of superb songs to choose from including Clocks, sing-along favourite Fix You, Lost, The Scientist, Violet Hill and the evening’s highlight Viva La Vida.

Read the full review at the first Burswood Dome thread at the Coldplay Live forum here

If you missed it, you can now download the video and audio from Coldplay's MTV World Stage Performance from Tokyo at the Multimedia forum here [thanks Twisted Mind, Lore & LittleMissMessy]

Someone should tell Bono that there is no battle for the title of best band in the world: the fight has already been won. Dressed, rather aptly, as war-ravaged French revolutionaries, Coldplay proved on Friday night that they are indeed the worthy victors.

Not only have the English quartet outsold every other band this century, they have also developed into one of the most, if not the most, exciting live bands in the world. Kicking off their Australian tour in Perth on Friday night, the band was nothing shortof sensational. Even the hostile environs of the Burswood Dome did nothing to dampen the mood of the band nor the crowd. Indeed, the band managed to overcome the venue's appalling acoustics, sounding better than almost anything else has in the infamous bubble. You couldn't wish for more from a stadium rock show. The delivery was imaginative, with the band regularly changing configurations and even setting up camp amongst the crowd for a spell.

Read the full review at the first Burswood Dome thread at the Coldplay Live forum here [thanks mimixxx]

If you missed it, you can now download the video and audio from Coldplay's MTV World Stage Performance from Tokyo at the Multimedia forum here [thanks Twisted Mind, Lore & LittleMissMessy]

Decked out in French revolutionary garb in keeping with the theme of 2008's Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends, the band were nothing short of brilliant.

While on the other side of the world Bono was busy verbally bashing his biggest rival, Martin and co were doing what they do best. With an abundance of energy and enthusiasm they charmed the 17,000 fans who were singing and clapping along.

You could almost forget your were in the soulless vacuum that is the Burswood Dome, such was the party atmosphere inside the bubble. And to their credit the band managed to somehow conquer the venue's shocking acoustics to pull off a show that sounded as good as it looked.

Read the full review at the first Burswood Dome thread at the Coldplay Live forum here

Australian media reports are starting to appear reviewing Coldplay's concert tonight at Perth's Burswood Dome. Fairly predictable speel, but worth a read before the proper reviews come in, nonetheless:

Coldplay kicked off their Viva tour of Australia before 17,000 fans at Perth's Burswood Dome last night. At the first of two concerts in the west before moving on to Melbourne, the British band still had plenty of their old favourites to complement hits off their Viva La Vida album.

Led by vocalist Chris Martin, the four-piece, alternative rock band waved sparklers as they moved onto the stage before a huge backdrop of the Liberty cover from their Viva La Vida release. They opened with a brief rendition of Life in Technicolor before moving onto another of the Viva songs, Violet Hill, and then delighting the crowd with one of their old favourites, Clocks, from their second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head.

Read the full review at the first Burswood Dome thread at the Coldplay Live forum here [thanks yellowtalk]

For a band trading in supposedly inoffensive rock music, Coldplay have an extraordinary capacity to offend. There's the malarkey that goes with Chris Martin, the lively, idiosyncratic, tabloid-magnet frontman who is married to Gwyneth Paltrow. Then there's Coldplay's music. In a genre demanding risk and ingenuity, Coldplay have frequently been laden by rock critics and fans alike with the dreaded "safe" tag.

The band's biggest crime, according to naysayers, is they sell records. Tens of millions of them. If they are embraced by the masses who swallow Nickelback and Lady GaGa, they can't be any good then, can they?

Last year, that perception began to change slightly. By employing veteran musician and producer Brian Eno for their fourth album, Viva La Vida, Coldplay shifted their sound and delivered one of their best records, one that at least compensated for their bloated third album, X&Y.

Read the full preview article in the first of the Australian live threads (Burswood Dome, Perth) at the Coldplay Live forum here

Chris Martin and Gary Barlow have been fighting over who writes the best songs, according to online reports today. The Coldplay frontman has struck up a friendship with the Take That singer since they performed together at a charity concert in London last week, and the duo have been debating which of them is most talented.

A source said: "It was all on jest as they've developed a surprisingly strong friendship despite being from very different pop and rock worlds. Each has racked up plenty of famous songs, but they eventually decided to call it even."

'Back For Good' singers Take That have notched up 11 UK number one singles - including two cover versions - while Coldplay have reached the top spot just once in Britain with 'Viva La Vida'. Chris has previously spoken about his admiration for the reformed boy band and expressed his wish to tour with them.

Writing on Coldplay's official website last year, he said: "I would open for Take That. We were in the dressing room the other day and, for whatever reason, we started singing 'Back For Good'. We sang the whole thing, word for word, with all the right chords on our piano, without having to learn it. It was great.

"So I'd like to use the Coldplay website to announce that if Take That want us to open for them, we'll do it. The only problem is that we'll have to get down the gym for a bit!"

Speaking of last week's charity concert involving Coldplay and Gary Barlow, you can download a LOT of pictures from that night here with more in the Coldplaying Gallery, and reviews and feedback from the gig available to read at the Coldplay Live forum [thanks Jenjie, Mimixxx, SueDeNimes, LittleMissMessy, bello-lo, scusi, crazyduckette, laura84, marianatsl, kspillers2, KissesBirds, Dejan, iriden, sophierose23 and everyone else I haven't mentioned!]

Chris Martin and Gary Barlow, 02 Shepherd's Bush Empire, 18th February 2009

Wednesday's War Child gig, celebrating 15 years of the rock-affiliated charity, makes no secret of its allegiances, reports The Guardian Online. The audience is packed in long beforehand but proceedings don't start until 11pm, giving joint headliners Coldplay and The Killers plenty of time to digest their ceremony dinner across town before heading for Shepherds Bush.

The pay-off is the gig's status as the unofficial Brits aftershow, and a rumour mill buzzing with speculation about who else will appear onstage tonight - a "special guests" slot is scheduled. The chatter on the venue's bush telegraph has Brits presenter Kylie reprising "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" with Coldplay - the British four-piece covered it during their Glastonbury headlining slot in 2005 - and more far-fetched speculation involves a Chris Martin/Iron Maiden hook-up.

But besides these fantasy collaboration pub games, much of the evening's fun involves gawping down at the venue's VIP-only first floor to see which stars are in attendance. Before the fun of the guest section can begin - a quick scan downstairs reveals that Richard Ashcroft, Courtney Love and Neil Tennant are all present and possible contenders (though unlikely in Love's case) - there's the small matter of the two scheduled gigs.

A concise hour-long performance suits co-headliners the Killers well, allowing them to deliver a terrific Noughties jukebox of a set without delving into the dustier corners of their so-so second album. "Mr Brightside", "Human" and "When You Were Young" are present and correct, but the conspiracy theorists among us take note that their barnstorming usual closer "All These Things That I've Done" is suspiciously absent.

Almost 10 years in a rock-star bubble have done nothing to diminish Chris Martin's populist touch or his heroic levels of uncool. Skipping across the stage at the start of Coldplay's set, fidgeting and chattering excitedly, he might have been custom-built for a feelgood occasion like this, the idea that nice guys win and Hollywood actresses dig nerdy dancing made flesh. Coldplay focus on their notionally conflicted (though really very accessible) latest album Viva La Vida, and also lay on a generous smattering of past hits while various audience members leave their seats and slip backstage for the encore.

Iron Maiden, heart-breakingly, aren't among them, nor is Kylie, but the appearance of Gary Barlow alongside Coldplay for the first of two collaborations makes better musical sense. Take That's mid-Nineties songs provided an early template for some of the piano-led sob stories on Coldplay's 2000 debut; Coldplay returned the favour by inspiring the stadium sound which has driven Take That's hugely successful comeback.

"Back For Good" is an obvious choice and as wonderful as ever, though neither Martin's nor Barlow's vocals are particularly audible above the communal singalong. But they call in back-up for the final salvo, a rousing version of "All These Things That I've Done" with the Killers lending the song and some extra heft, and a messianic Bono pacing in midway through to consecrate the group jam. "I've got soul but I'm not a soldier," sing representatives of four of the world's biggest acts, as 2,000 cameraphones are held aloft to capture the moment. In the early hours of Thursday morning, Brandon Flowers's famously nonsensical lyric feels like the most affirming sentiment in the world.

This is how every major charity gig since time immemorial has ended of course; everyone onstage, hugs all round and Bono having the last word. But whatever your musical allegiance or feelings about celebrity charity fests, it's impossible not to marvel at the sight of a stadium supergroup gracing a stage more used to hosting indie mid-leaguers. Only a committed cynic would wish they'd stayed at home to watch the Brits.

See more exclusive pictures and videos from those who managed to get lucky tickets here onwards, and visit the full War Child photo album at the Coldplaying Gallery here

Music fans were this week warned of an explosion in the number of fraudulent gig ticket websites, with fears growing that the number of people likely to be ripped off this year may well exceed the estimated 30,000 people fleeced in 2008.

Guardian Money can reveal that some of the sites offering tickets to events such as this year's Reading, Leeds and V Festivals are identical to scam websites that left many people out of pocket last year - yet the authorities seem powerless to act. When the authorities succeed in getting sites shut down, the fraudsters behind them often simply move elsewhere and relaunch with slightly different names. Coldplaylivetickets.net is one such site: apparently also part of Mr Perez's Panamanian empire, and previously traded as Coldplaylivetickets.com. Coldplayworldtour.com is another site that has caused major ticket problems according to user reviews.

It is important to note that the main official sites to but tickets from are the Ticketmaster franchise, Seetickets/Gigsandtours.com (UK) and LiveNation (US) - with or without TicketRush. The full article (essential reading) is at the Coldplay Live forum here [thanks Jenjie]

Pity poor Coldplay! Not a single Brit award, despite all those nominations, writes the Telegraph today. Still, to distract themselves from their catalogue of failure, they headlined this late-night gig which simultaneously marked the 15th anniversary of the War Child charity while boosting brand awareness for the newly-named O2 Shepherds Bush Empire, now part of the O2/Live Nation juggernaut.

They took the stage after a rousing introduction from Al "Pub Landlord" Murray, who declared them "probably the greatest band in the world since Queen". But Chris Martin seemed not entirely chuffed with his band's timetable of disaster at Earls Court ("We lost all the Brits and it's been a s--- day, frankly," he grunted at one point), which may have accounted for the distracted air of his performance. He skidded across the stage on one leg, whirled on the spot and bent over backwards as if afflicted with St Vitus' Dance, while nervously jabbering a mixture of nonsense and expletives into the microphone.

However, in between, the band managed to gather their senses sufficiently to whip through a compressed set of Coldplavian highlights. They pulled off the ballad-to-hard-rock switch in 42 with aplomb, waxed soulful in Yellow and In My Place, and wheeled out a timpani and a large bell for drummer Will Champion to wallop in Viva La Vida. But they had the most fun singing along with Gary Barlow on Take That's poptabulous Back for Good, which went over big with a small-hours audience by now beginning to resemble a well-refreshed wedding party.

The show had started with an opening set from fellow Brits under-achievers the Killers. With their mix of disco, glam and Eighties rock, they're like a freak amalgam of the Cars and the Scissor Sisters, not least when Brandon Flowers is prancing about wearing feathery epaulettes, but they know how to bash out a chorus.

They did this to gale-force effect in Somebody Told Me, the evergreen Mr Brightside and Read My Mind, though Are We Human will always be nonsense however much they wind up its palpitating amyl-nitrate beat ("Are we human or are we dancer"? Pull yourself together, man).

For the grand finale, the entire cast joined forces for the Killers' All These Things That I've Done, which afforded the once-in-a-lifetime spectacle of Flowers, Gary Barlow, Chris Martin and a suddenly-materialising Bono lined up across the stage bawling "I got soul but I'm not a soldier." It sounded awful, but it was a camera-phone moment to die for.

Source: The Daily Telegraph

You can see the full War Child photo album at the Coldplaying Gallery here [more to be added over the next 24 hours)

With Coldplay and The Killers nominated in a total of five categories at this year’s Brits, it seemed inconceivable that, between them, the two bands wouldn’t emerge from Earls Court with one or two trophies.

And with that in mind, what better way to celebrate than to join forces in aid of War Child and triumphantly bash out a few tunes? In the end, both bands emerged empty-handed. If you had to guess which of the two groups might be most affronted by the perceived ignominy, chances are you would plump for The Killers’ ambitious Flowers over Coldplay’s congenitally self-deprecating Chris Martin. Oh, we of little faith...

You can see the full War Child photo album at the Coldplaying Gallery here [more to be added over the next 24 hours)

Left to right: Jon Hopkins, Gary Barlow, Bono, Chris Martin, Brandon Flowers

As it turned out, it was the slender black-clad Flowers who raced out onto a stage far smaller than his Las Vegas quartet have had to play in recent memory, buzzing with a life-force that could light the streets of a small market town.

The reason for his good cheer was literally staring him in the face. In the centre of the balcony Pet Shop Boys’ Neil Tennant gazed on proudly as The Killers delivered riotously joyful versions of hits such as Somebody Told Me and Mr Brightside.

An hour previously, at the BRITS, Flowers had presented his teenage idols The Pet Shop Boys with their outstanding achievement award and duetted with them on It’s A Sin.

As a marker of ambitions realised, this must have been as real – not to mention more enjoyable – than any award. And it showed. Towering over a drum kit that barely contained the energy he unleashed on it, drummer Ronnie Vanucci was a picture of merry catharsis as, just for once, a perpetually grinning Flowers swapped imperiousness for puppyish wide-eyed glee.

He paid fulsome tribute to Coldplay by declaring that, years ago, “the first time we heard this band… we felt we were in with a chance [too].”

When Coldplay finally materialized in the early hours of the morning, any similar attempts to take positives out of their Brits snub were conspicuous by their absence. “We just came back from Japan, we lost at the Brits, it’s been a s**t day,” said Martin.

And yet, as he bounded about the stage like a wired, punch-drunk Tigger repeatedly attempting to get back up after another rain of blows, you wondered if there was a link between the ramshackle brilliance of Coldplay’s set and the body language of a band, dressed in their customary battle gear, with a newly-sharpened point to prove. They could have hardly done so in more empathetic surroundings. “Shall we play this one? It’s a little commercial,” said Martin as he donned acoustic guitar for Yellow.

He turned the microphone to face the audience, but even he seemed startled by the word-perfect clarity with which his words were sung back to him – so much so that he barely attempted to chip in. If Neil Tennant had planned to unwind in relative anonymity after his big moment, any remaining chances of that happening were cast aside after Martin, like Flowers before him, spotted him on the balcony.

With a mixture of blithe playfulness and genuine excitement, Martin pointed at him in the middle of a spittle-flecked delivery of Viva La Vida and exclaimed, “Ladies and gentlemen! The Pet Shop Boys!”

Far from recoil, Tennant’s reaction was extraordinary and inspired. With the “woah-oahs” of the song resounding around the venue, Tennant raised his arms and imperiously started conducting the thousand-odd people staring back up at him. That this impromptu spectacle was about to be eclipsed by something proper and planned was confirmed as a crowd of people, some with walkie-talkies, busily fussed at the side of the stage – and Martin declared, “Okay, you’re gonna like this a lot.”

As Jonny Buckland strummed the opening chords of Take That’s Back For Good – a song which Martin has been wont to interpolate at recent performances of Coldplay’s own The Scientist – Gary Barlow gingerly walked on stage and radiated precisely the unalloyed humility that has made Take That’s resurgence such a pleasure to behold.

Far from emanating the starry entitlement of a Brandon Flowers, Barlow seemed reticent to turn around and soak up the fact that, for four minutes, Coldplay were his backing band – complete with Martin living out a teenage dream and chipping in with “I want you back” backing vocals. In terms of what followed however, this spectacle was but a mere hors d’oeuvres. One by one, The Killers returned to the stage and donned musical instruments. Not so much starting as slowly coalescing around a thrilling upswell of drums and feedback, the American quartet’s 2004 hit All These Things That I’ve Done took glorious shape.

As noise turned into rousing clarion call, “You know you gotta help me out,” it was at this point that a black-clad Bono chose to make his entrance, beckoning the crowd to him as Martin and Flowers stood alongside him.

What ensued seconds later was, in its way, possibly the most moving part of the evening. Realising that Barlow was nowhere to be seen, Martin – determined the Take That frontman should also be in on this – almost pushed the U2 singer over in his sudden compulsion to ran off in search of him. Seconds later, all four singers stood in a perfect boy-band line just long enough for disbelieving onlookers to memorise what may go down as the most brilliantly surreal finale seen at this or any rock venue in several years. “I’ve got soul but I’m not a soldier”, they all bellowed.

This wasn’t the post-Brits lap of honour that Coldplay had hoped. It was much, much better than that – and a salient reminder of what, for bands like Coldplay and The Killers, the real prizes are. With friends like this who needs awards?

The “Countdown To Coldplay” is almost over, and with just ten days until the first Australian concert date, performing to 17,000 fans at Perth’s Burswood Dome, Coldplay have today announced that at their request, American rock band Mercury Rev will be joining the ‘Viva La Vida’ tour of Australia.

Mercury Rev, veterans of the American rock scene, formed in Buffalo, New York in the late 1980’s and have surprised and enlightened listeners for over a decade and a half with their maverick musical explorations. With their early records, Mercury Rev offered experimental, psychedelic rock, which gradually shifted to a melodic, ornate sound.

Over the years, Mercury Rev have seen numerous line up and directional changes. Most notable was the departure of original vocalist David Baker to make way for lead guitarist Jonathon Donahue to take the reigns.

NME (UK) Magazine named ‘Deserter’s Songs’, the first release under the new line-up, their 1998 Album of the Year. The writer stated that Donahue’s earnest, high-pitched vocals and concentration on relatively concise, melodic songs gave the band’s material an entirely new feel and much increased popularity. The band now remains the triangular core of Jonathan Donahue, Grasshopper and Jeff Mercel.

Mercury Rev have not performed in Australia for over three years. This tour with Coldplay will come off the back of their latest acclaimed studio release “Snowflake Midnight” and there is no doubt that their extensive repertoire; an eclectic mix of psychedelic rock and dream pop will add a unique sound to Coldplay’s “Viva La Vida” tour.

Coldplay will now be supported by both Sydney outfit Decoder Ring and Mercury Rev on their eleven massive Arena shows across Australia, making this one of the biggest rock concerts the country will see in 2009. The tour kicks off in Perth on Friday 27 February and concludes at Sydney’s Acer Arena on Sunday 15 March.

With less than ten days until Coldplay touch down in the country, the anticipation felt by over 150,000 ticket holders is palpable. Only limited tickets are available for all shows, so if you haven’t secured your tickets yet, get in quick.

Coldplay recently brought the number of Australian shows to their itinery for 2009 to eleven, with the addition of a fourth Sydney show. The full list is:

Friday 27th February - Perth, Burswood Dome [discussion]

Saturday 28th February - Perth, Burswood Dome [discussion]

Tuesday 3rd March - Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena [discussion]

Wednesday 4th March - Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena [discussion]

Thursday 5th March – Melbourne, Rod Laver Arena [discussion]

Sunday 8th March - Brisbane, Entertainment Centre [discussion]

Monday 9th March - Brisbane, Entertainment Centre [discussion]

Wednesday 11th March - Sydney, Acer Arena [discussion]

Thursday 12th March - Sydney, Acer Arena [discussion]

Saturday 14th March - Sydney, Acer Arena [discussion]

Sunday 15th March – Sydney, Acer Arena [discussion]

New Zealand:

Wednesday 18th March - Auckland, Vector Arena [discussion]

Thursday 19th March - Auckland, Vector Arena [discussion]

Following last weekend's star-studded ceremony, you can now download a set of high quality Coldplay Grammy pictures here. If you've been on another planet or in prison this past week you can see all the other pictures in the Coldplaying Gallery. Meanwhile, here is another Grammy article published today featuring Coldplay, which suggests that their awards wins will help them shake off their 'insecurities':

Maybe winning three awards at the recent Grammy awards will make Coldplay feel a little better about themselves. They might be one of the biggest bands in the world but are still derided, and in one most unkind drubbing were declared ‘the most insufferable band of the decade’ by the reputed New York Times.

Coldplay took home awards for Best Rock Album for ‘Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends’, Song of the Year and best pop performance by a duo or group with vocals for the single ‘Viva La Vida’. The criticisms were heaviest after they released their third album ‘X&Y’. It was panned and everyone agreed that the band tried to sound much bigger than they were. But now with their fourth album ‘Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends’ they might have finally vindicated themselves.

It received rave reviews for being experimental and, more important, for finally ditching some of their more trademark annoying tics. They got help from avant garde producer Brain Eno, who when asked by lead singer Chris Martin if he knew anyone who could help them get better, replied, ‘Well, I don’t mean to blow my own trumpet, but I might be the man.’

With their latest album they had to go back to the drawing board and start and do some soul searching.

They had to admit that Eno was right when he said, ‘Your songs are too long. And you’re too repetitive, and you use the same tricks too much, and big things aren’t necessarily good things. And you use the same sounds too much, and your lyrics are not good enough.’

Martin himself with his persona invites a lot of derision. He is a rock star who confessed he was a virgin till the age of 22, writes wistful lyrics, scribbles ‘Make Trade Fair’ on his hand and that falsetto doesn’t help either. He is married to the beautiful Oscar winning actress Gwyneth Paltrow but says ‘If your wife went out with Brad Pitt, you’d want to prove yourself, you know what I mean?’

The band has had to endure taunts in popular culture when in a movie a character tells someone that he knew the other was gay because he liked Coldplay.

It is generally agreed that Coldplay has good command over their songs in terms of solid hooks, great choruses and that soaring sound that made bands like U2 and Radiohead hugely successful.

With their fourth album they seem to have ironed out some tics and have that requisite hunger. They were bold enough to record the album in ‘a bakery, a nunnery, a magic shop, a church.’

Coldplay set out to make the best piece of music with their latest, though many may not quite agree it was that good. With the success of the album and those three Grammys maybe they can shake off their insecurities and just focus on making more great music.

Source: sindhtoday.net

The Brit Awards 2009 - ITV1, 8pm

The Brit Awards ceremony is rarely dull but this year’s effort has plenty of work to do to rival previous ones, report the Times Online. The presenting team of Kylie Minogue with Gavin and Stacey’s Mathew Horne and James Corden should provide the requisite mix of glamour and humour, while the Pet Shop Boys are promising a spectacular performance to celebrate already being chosen as the winners in the Outstanding Contribution to Music category.

Coldplay and Duffy look to be the big winners, both having been nominated four times, though Coldplay will do well to pick up the Best British Group award as they face stiff competition from Radiohead and Take That. Also performing on the night are Estelle, who joins forces with the Ting Tings for a unique collaboration, Girls Aloud, Duffy, Coldplay, Take That and the mighty U2, who will be performing their new single Get On Your Boots.

Following six rounds of daily voting, Coldplay's single Viva La Vida has made it to the Brits 2009 shortlist to appear at the awards ceremony this coming Wednesday. However, the work doesn't finish there. This just in from Anchorman:

It's been announced tonight that Viva La Vida has made the final five for the Best British Single at the Brits. Thanks so much for all of your votes which helped to get it there. We'd be very grateful if you'd take the time to vote for the track, to help it win. To vote, please call - 09016 16 18 01 - Calls cost 35 pence from UK landline. Lines close at 21:00 GMT on Wednesday 18 February. For more details, please visit: http://www.brits.co.uk/news/british-single-phone-line-vot/

More on this exclusive news at the Brits voting thread here onwards. Thanks to everyone who has voted so far... make sure you're counted in the final televised round!

As a trusted and ultra-professional news-source, MusicRadar has tried its very best to stay completely neutral whilst reporting the ongoing lawsuit between Joe Satriani and Coldplay. But of course, being music-lovers, each MusicRadar staff member has their own opinion on the case, making for much debate in the office. Here, then, are the opinions of the team, aired in public for the first time.

What I do believe is any similarity is probably coincidence. When Coldplay used a riff from Kraftwerk's Computer Love on Talk (2005), they made sure they contacted the reclusive synth pioneers and cleared its use. I think if they'd knowingly lifted from If I Could Fly, they would have done the same with Satriani. Making trade fair, and all that...

Speaking from my own experience, I own both albums and had been familiar with If I Could Fly for years before my first listen to Coldplay's Viva La Vida – and on that listen, I didn't recall the Satch track at any point...

Read the full and frank views of the MusicRadar staff (and don't forget to vote for Coldplay in their poll!) at their website here

One of the most intriguing musical bromances to develop in recent years has been that between Coldplay frontman Chris Martin and hip hop royalty. Who would have thought the skinny white boy singing Yellow in 2000 would one day be keeping company with Jay-Z and Kanye West on the charts and at their A-list parties?

Martin appreciates the creative opportunities his band's success has afforded him. But he jokes he wouldn't have the wife, the kids or the life he has now if it weren't for pop stardom. "It has struck me that the job I have has got me into these crazy situations," he says. "From my marriage to my kids, to being in Australia in March, doing music with Jay and Naturally 7... I am filled with awe that I get given those chances and I feel grateful."

The singer has always staunchly maintained his family's privacy, but has become expert at introducing them into conversation with humour. When asked if working with big-name peers is a better perk of success than scoring the best table at a restaurant, he trumps the options offered. "Apart from my family life," he says.

Read the full article at the Coldplay forum here onwards.

IT'S standing room only for egos at the Grammy Awards, the shindig that celebrates music's great, good and middle of the road in the US, report the Australian.

That is, of course, if you show up, which two of this year's event's biggest stars, Chris Brown and his squeeze Rihanna, failed to do, even though they were scheduled to perform to millions of television viewers and to the large, star-studded audience at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Front and centre on Monday, however, was Coldplay, collecting three Grammys from seven nominations, including song of the year for Viva La Vida, but showing little consideration for bling, excess, or outrageous behaviour. Apologising on stage to Paul McCartney for blatantly recycling the Sgt Pepper uniforms with their stage attire was about as bloated and risque as the foursome got.

The Grammys success is another landmark in Coldplay's trophy-laden career, as is the album that took them there, Viva La Vida. The band is also nominated four times for the BRIT Awards, which will be presented in London next Wednesday.

As the band members prepare for their Australian tour, beginning later this month, they stand alongside two of their greatest inspirations (and co-performers at this year's Grammys), U2 and Radiohead, as one of the great modern-day rock'n'roll success stories. "A bit like parents and child" is how Coldplay's guitarist Jonny Buckland describes, somewhat mischievously, their relationship with Bono and co.

This latest Grammy success (they had three in the cabinet before this week) underlines Coldplay's consistency in the upper echelons of rock stardom 10 years after the band's first album.

Since releasing its first EP in 1998, Coldplay has sold 38 million albums worldwide. That figure includes six million copies of the latest CD, which is approaching sales of 300,000 (4xplatinum) in Australia.

Yet while fame gathers apace on the strength of Viva La Vida, Coldplay's fourth album, with it has come a fervent backlash that was brewing at the time of the band's previous, less successful, album X and Y. Music that was considered fresh and innovative during Coldplay's early reign with the albums Parachutes and A Rush of Blood to the Head is now seen by some critics as predictable and boring.

This was particularly apparent when American guitarist Joe Satriani filed a lawsuit against the band in December last year, claiming that Viva La Vida plagiarised one of his songs, If I Could Fly. The volume of Coldplay-related blogging on the internet that followed suggested more than ever that, if you're a music fan, you either love 'em or hate 'em.

Buckland, mild-mannered and level-headed, is aware of the hostility towards the band but, as with fame, he's happy to ignore it. In London last week, he typified the foursome's unaffected approach to fame and fortune as well as the critics. They have never really stopped to consider what they have achieved, he admits.

"We said the other day that we never actually say to each other: 'Oh, well done.' And that's true, we never do. I don't really feel famous at all," he says. "I can very easily distance myself from it."

Indeed all four members have been able to maintain the kind of mateship they had when they were students at the University of London in the late 1990s, even if their friendships now come with families attached. For that reason the touring schedules have become less gruelling, although their plans for the rest of 2009 include visits to South America, the US and Europe.

"Having families has changed all of our lives for the better," Buckland says, "so you don't want to be away for the entire year."

Today all four members -- Buckland, singer Chris Martin, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion -- live within 3km of each other in north London, within walking distance of the studio in Kentish Town that they built before Viva La Vida, which now serves as the band's headquarters or bunker, depending on their state of mind.

The four musicians have been working there for the past few weeks -- albeit tentatively -- on their next album.

It's unlikely we'll hear the results until next year, but it's a sign that the band members remain totally immersed in the monster they have created. "We have to continue to develop," says Buckland. "There's a lot of avenues to pursue. We've been experimenting with that in the past few weeks, trying different ways to come up with songs, therefore ending up with different kinds of songs.

"We're working out different ways to generate chord structures, really nerdy musical stuff, just to see what happens, and we're trying to go back to absolute basics, to see if changing just one thing changes everything."

As he talks more about these latest developments, there's an eagerness in his voice, like a boy with a new toy. This is in stark contrast to the group's fragile status before they recorded Viva La Vida.

"The feeling now is a bit different to how it was at the end of the X and Y tour, when we were burned out," he says.

"After a very intense tour of 18 months, we needed a break from each other and from Coldplay," he goes on. "This time it's only been six months and it's still fresh and exciting and we're still happy to be making music together."

Tension was acute when they first attempted to record Viva La Vida in October 2006. Burned out, as he says, the group aborted recording to tour South America, before starting anew with producer Brian Eno and working through most of 2007.

Whatever grief they went through at the time, the result has proved worth it, although there was no sense of relief among the band when critics and fans lauded Viva La Vida.

"We're pretty happy with how it went," Buckland says, modestly. "I suppose it couldn't really have gone too much better. It's never a relief, though, because as soon as it's done you start thinking about the next one. There's no respite, really. The interesting bit is the grief, actually. It's the bit where you're trying to make something work."

The studio time in January has been used for experimentation, Buckland says, or "early steps" in building something new. "Rather than thinking about what we want to do, we're just doing some things spontaneously and seeing where it leads us," he says.

They hope to work again with Eno, who brought fresh ears and musical vision to Viva La Vida, as he has done with U2's soon-to-be-released No Line on the Horizon.

"He's an incredible person to be around," says Buckland, "so if we could find an excuse just to hang around with him for five or six weeks, that would be good. He's an inspirational character. He wants to try new things, new ways of doing things.

"He makes you want to try and impress him and that makes you fearless."

While Champion and Berryman enjoy equal anonymity with Buckland, the story has been somewhat different for Martin, whose marriage to actor Gwyneth Paltrow has only enhanced the tabloids' appetite for Coldplay-related tittle-tattle.

"Even if you're not famous, someone is going to knock you down," Buckland says. "You just have to grow up and accept it and not worry about it. The process of making this record changed us quite a bit.

"I think we're less constricted by convention than maybe we were before, and less afraid of being really uncool."

This last statement makes him laugh. "I think that's a positive," he adds. "It makes everything more enjoyable."

Coldplay will begin its Australian tour in Perth on February 27 before travelling to Melbourne, Brisbane and Sydney.

Source: theaustralian.news.com.au

If you haven't yet seen Coldplay's '60 Minutes' slot that aired just before the weekend's Grammy Awards, you can see via YouTube in two parts at the Coldplay forum here. Meanwhile, below is another review of the programme, courtesy of the MinnPost:

I admit to watching an unusual "60 Minutes" story that immediately followed the riveting interview Sunday with the pilot who landed the plane in the Hudson River. I couldn’t believe that the hard-hitting news show was running something on a rock band with the worldwide popularity of Coldplay. Then I remembered it was Grammy Awards night and CBS hosts the Grammys, and that CBS anchorwoman Katie Couric had an hourlong special on Grammy nominees last week. The things they make reporters do these days — then again Couric landed the exclusive with the pilot.

But right after her segment, here’s "60 Minutes" correspondent Steve Croft interviewing Chris Martin of Coldplay, which won a Grammy later in the evening for best rock album for "Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends."

Martin is actually quite charming, witty and humble, and maybe those are among the reasons he and his band are so popular and worth a behind-the-scenes look on "60 Minutes."

"I can't dance like Usher. I can't sing like Beyonce. I can't write songs like Elton John," Martin tells Kroft. "But, we can do the best we can with what we've got. .... And so that's what we do. We just go for it. We rely more on enthusiasm than actual skill. Whatever you do, do it enthusiastically and people will like it more."

He also isn’t keen on being described as a rock star. "Well, I don't like the word 'rock star,' the two words, 'rock star.' Not even 'soft rock star,' " Martin said. "Not even limestone star. I don't like those words." Why? "Because I don't wear the right pants for that. You gotta wear the right trousers if you're gonna be a rock star."

One more tidbit revealed on "60 Minutes" that made me sit up straight in my cozy chair: Martin is married to actress Gwyneth Paltrow. Where have I been? Obviously I haven’t been keeping up.

There are plenty of Coldplay Grammy reviews and its virtually impossible to print them all, so we'll bring to you some of the best (or intriguing) ones. Here's Washington City Paper blog:

I’m pretty much happy to ignore this year’s Grammys completely: Kokayi didn’t win, Stevie Wonder suffered the indignity of sharing a stage with the Jonas Brothers, and I won’t even get started on the bizarre Chris Brown/Rihanna incident that took place the night before the ceremony. But there’s one moment of Sunday’s telecast that I just can’t get out of my head. While accepting one of the skrillion Grammys that Coldplay nabbed, Chris Martin said, “We’re not, of course, the heaviest of rock bands, you may have noticed. We’re kind of the limestone of rock bands. Not as hard, but still charming.”

Read the full rocky review article at the Coldplay forum here onwards.

The Times Online have written an article entitled: LA Notebook - The mystery of Coldplay's publicity strategy. I still don't think they like Coldplay. Here is an excerpt from their article:

Chris Martin, of Coldplay, is a right old plonker, isn't he? There he was, in an interview with 60 Minutes after the Grammy Awards on Sunday night, explaining a sign on his studio wall that reads: “ALWAYS KEEP MYSTERY - not many interviews.” It wasn't clear if Martin had planned to reveal this edict (one of ten on a sheet of laser-printed A4 spotted by the CBS camera crew), but after reading it aloud he seemed to realise what he had done. “I feel like I've just shown you my underpants,” he groaned.

If it's any consolation for Martin, I felt like I'd just seen his underpants. What kind of a masochist would keep telling himself not to do interviews, and then - doh! - do an interview revealing - double-doh! - that he keeps telling himself not to do interviews, because they destroy the “mystery” of Coldplay's carefully managed brand? Somewhere on Sunday night, a publicist's forehead must have been making violent impact with a breezeblock wall.

Read the full article on their website here. Let us know what you thought of the article at the 60 Minutes thread here onwards.

Every Grammy Awards show promises a certain measure of unpredictability, but tonight's could be one for the ages. Rapper M.I.A. is due - both to perform live and to deliver her baby - while the show's leading nominee is erratic New Orleans rapper Lil Wayne. He has eight nods, while Coldplay are next with seven and Kanye West, Jay-Z and Ne-Yo have six apiece.

And this year's Grammys boast some unique collaborative performances. McCartney will have Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl drumming behind him while they perform the Beatles' "I Saw Her Standing There," soul legend Stevie Wonder and teen-pop act the Jonas Brothers will unite for a medley of "Burnin' Up" and "Superstition," and New York rapper Jay-Z will drop a verse as Coldplay's Chris Martin plays the piano.

Jay-Z certainly seemed happy with the arrangement at rehearsals on Saturday. "Sounds so beautiful, don't you agree?" he said.

What do you think of the Coldplay/Jay-Z Duet? Happy that Viva La Vida is being performed or would you like to see another track? Let us know in the Coldplay forum here

Boston Herald is the latest media source to preview the 60 Minutes programme that will feature Coldplay's Chris Martin talking about the band from the comforts of the London studio, The Bakery. The feature on Coldplay will air in the US at 7pm ET/PT on CBS, in the hour preceding the Grammy Awards telecast. Here's their article:

Chris Martin of Coldplay fame broke Band Rule No. 6 when he allowed “60 Minutes” cameras and reporter Steve Kroft a rare, exclusive interview and peek into the band’s private studio. “I feel like I’ve shown you my underpants,” Martin tells Kroft in the room where the British rockers write their songs. “This is private stuff.” The secret to Coldplay’s success? “We rely more on enthusiasm than actual skill,” said Martin, whose band saw its latest platinum album, “Viva la Vida,” sell seven million copies. Chris also tells Kroft about the band’s work habits, his feelings about being the frontman, about he and his wife, Gwyneth Paltrow, being the target of the tabloids, and a plagiarism lawsuit brought against the band. Check it out Sunday on CBS.

Full discussion (including two preview videos) on the Coldplay's 60 Minutes programme at the dedicated thread in the Coldplay forum here