Articles

Mark Steel has well and truly made it: his name was recently the answer to a question on University Challenge.   But it is as a stand-up comedian that Mark first made his name, and this spring he is touring with his new show, Vive La Revolution, stopping off at Llangollen, Bangor, Aberystwyth and Cardiff. Capitalising on the success of his book of the same name, it mixes trenchant humour with tales of The Terror, tumbrils and turmoil during the French Revolution.   "Last summer at the Glastonbur

Chris Martin is the most well-mannered of rock stars. When the Coldplay front man calls from Los Angeles because his band is playing the Philadelphia area for the third time since last June's release of Viva La Vida, he's like a job candidate intent on asking as many questions as he's asked, writes Philly (dot com).   The leader of the world's biggest soft-rock band (and husband to actress Gwyneth Paltrow) was eager to talk about Kanye West and Woody Allen, as well as to defend himself from alle

Wednesday night I dutifully tuned in to (most of) the Grammy Awards in my yearly attempt to understand that crazy music the kids are dancing to these days. Well, I don't think I'm going to run out and buy How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb (I'd rather not know how to do that, actually...) However, I have come up with an excellent idea for future Grammy broadcasts... more on that later. First, a few observations:   I think I like Madonna's Farrah Fawcett hairdo and Jane Fonda Workout-ish wardrobe sh

The Rolling Stones roll into town next week for a couple of shows at the United Center. But it seems the bad boys maybe aren't so bad anymore.   A contract rider, which spells out just what it takes to host the Stones -- outside of gobs of cash -- was the "featured document'' posted Wednesday on the Internet site thesmokingun.com.   As the wags at the site put it, Mick Jagger's vices might be limited these days to watching cricket -- promoters are required to provide cable or satellite access to

Two unidentified men who appeared to be wearing concession-worker work clothes robbed Wells Fargo Arena concession employees at gunpoint late Friday night, report the Des Moines Register today.   The Des Moines arena was staging the Coldplay concert as witnesses told police one of the men worked a different concession stand earlier in the evening. No arrests were made after the men left the area with an undisclosed amount of cash.   Witnesses said the men, wearing clothes labeled with the name o

Do you worry? You look like you do. Worrying is the way the responsible citizen of an advanced society demonstrates his virtue: He feels good by feeling bad.   "In all probability billions of people are going to die in the next few decades. Our poor, abused planet cannot take much more. ... If we decide to put the planet first, then we ourselves are the pathogen. So we should let as many people die as possible, so that other species may live, and accept the destruction of civilization and of eve

Do you worry? You look like you do. Worrying is the way the responsible citizen of an advanced society demonstrates his virtue: He feels good by feeling bad.   "In all probability billions of people are going to die in the next few decades. Our poor, abused planet cannot take much more. ... If we decide to put the planet first, then we ourselves are the pathogen. So we should let as many people die as possible, so that other species may live, and accept the destruction of civilization and of eve

Coldplay are looking after their studio engineer and making him eat breakfast with them, as he doesn't allow himself time to take a break during the day, reports ContactMusic this morning, in an article that follows on from Roadie #42's latest blog last week. Bit harsh, ContactMusic?!   The article continues by saying - the band have become concerned about the state of Rik Simpson - who is manning music composition program Pro Tools at the Beehive studio where the band is preparing their fifth a

A Norwich band soon look set to hit the big time with a hectic schedule of tour dates, photo shoots, pop videos, and single releases.   Cord, who are signed to Island Records, today announced the label's plans to catapult them into the spotlight.   The four-piece have recorded their debut album with top name producers including Coldplay's Danton Supple and now they will have radio and TV pluggers, promoters and press agents all working for them.But lead singer James Leeds still has his feet firm

The Auckland City Council is feeling rather pleased with its Build Own Operating Transfer agreement over the Vector Arena.   Construction has reportedly stopped at the arena because urgent repairs are needed on the roof. However Auckland City Council spokeswoman Jill McPherson says the BOOT agreement means the council is not affected by construction problems.   British supergroup Coldplay was tentatively booked to play at the Vector Arena in downtown Auckland in June, but said they were unlikely

The Auckland City Council is feeling rather pleased with its Build Own Operating Transfer agreement over the Vector Arena.   Construction has reportedly stopped at the arena because urgent repairs are needed on the roof. However Auckland City Council spokeswoman Jill McPherson says the BOOT agreement means the council is not affected by construction problems.   British supergroup Coldplay was tentatively booked to play at the Vector Arena in downtown Auckland in June, but said they were unlikely

As part of the countdown to the 10th anniversary of Coldplay's debut album, Parachutes, Coldplaying looks back on the recording process, courtesy of producer Ken Nelson...   Ken Nelson favours the old school of recording, based around clean signal paths, live playing and analogue tape — but that hasn't stopped him working with some of the hottest new bands in Britain. Among them are Coldplay, whose debut Parachutes album crashed straight into the charts at number one. "I like bands who can play

As part of Coldplaying's countdown to the 10th anniversary of Coldplay's debut album, Parachutes, we look back on the reviews of the album, courtesy of NME, at a time when the music magazine used to like Coldplay, of course...   Forget trashing rooms and rent-a-quotes, just listen. It's all a question of what you want from your rock stars. The criticism most often levelled at Coldplay (certainly round these parts) is that they will never be the saviours of rock'n'roll. They will never cause fron

Rascal Flatts certainly does not sing cryin'-in-your-beer country.   The country rock trio, known for its uplifting love songs and honey harmonizing, is described by fans on All Music Guide entirely by adjectives that pertain to the happiness incited by listening to it: Carefree, theatrical, amiable, fun, exuberant and playful.   "These guys are certainly not your grandparents' country," said Doug Montgomery, program director for WBCT-FM (93.7), the radio station sponsoring their tour-opening

Rocker Courtney Love is still mortified about her behaviour when she first met Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, because she was rude and high on crack cocaine.   The former Hole singer is further embarrassed because she accused him of being in a rival British band, while Martin behaved like the perfect gentleman.   Love says, "The first time I met Chris Martin I was on crack and I was an absolute asshole and I kept saying, 'Aren't you in Travis?' to him. "I was just so horrible to him and I can't

Rocker Courtney Love is still mortified about her behaviour when she first met Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, because she was rude and high on crack cocaine.   The former Hole singer is further embarrassed because she accused him of being in a rival British band, while Martin behaved like the perfect gentleman.   Love says, "The first time I met Chris Martin I was on crack and I was an absolute asshole and I kept saying, 'Aren't you in Travis?' to him. "I was just so horrible to him and I can't

Coldplay re-wrote the history books to produce one of the greatest spectacles this historic city has seen by kick-starting their eagerly anticipated summer tour in emphatic style, writes Steve Carpenter of the Coventry Observer today, in another positive review article of Coldplay's concert at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on Tuesday night (29th May). Catch up on more on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from the shows at the Coldplay Live forum now. Read on for the Coventry Observer review arti

At The turn of the millennium Coldplay stumbled apologetically into the limelight, four skinny, sensitive chaps whose songs walked a tightrope between mercurial and mawkish. How times have changed writes the Coventry Telegraph today, in yet another positive review article of Coldplay's concert at the Ricoh Arena in Coventry on Tuesday night (29th May). Catch up on more on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from the shows at the Coldplay Live forum now. Read on for the Coventry Telegraph review

When Coldplay first graduated to stadiums in 2005, I thought they were too drab to command the space; they had big songs but little charisma, four earnest men dressed in black in front of a black back drop. No one could accuse them of being colourless anymore. Quite the opposite, in fact, they may be the most colourful band on the planet, with a palette that could make a children's TV set designer queasy, writes the Daily Telegraph in the first review of Coldplay's concert at the Ricoh Arena in

Crazy Frog where are you now? Well, here he (it) is...   The criminal masterminds behind the Crazy Frog have appropriated the Queen anthem ‘We Are The Champions’ for the upcoming football World Cup.   The track, officially titled ‘We Are The Champions (Ding A Ding Dong)’, will go head-to-head with British band Embrace’s official England team song, ‘World At Your Feet’. Crazy Frog will be looking for another chart scalp, after topping the charts ahead of Coldplay in 2005.‘We Are The Champions’ wa

Crazy Frog where are you now? Well, here he (it) is...   The criminal masterminds behind the Crazy Frog have appropriated the Queen anthem ‘We Are The Champions’ for the upcoming football World Cup.   The track, officially titled ‘We Are The Champions (Ding A Ding Dong)’, will go head-to-head with British band Embrace’s official England team song, ‘World At Your Feet’. Crazy Frog will be looking for another chart scalp, after topping the charts ahead of Coldplay in 2005.‘We Are The Champions’ wa

The Crazy Frog is returning with a new song for the festive season - a cover of Wham's hit single 'Last Christmas'.   The single will be released on December 11 and the video for the track sees Santa's workshop being overtaken by evil characters who abduct Santa and put him behind bars, before the Crazy Frog comes to the rescue. The Crazy Frog was originally created in Sweden and became a hit ringtone.   The irritating amphibian had a number one single in June 2005 with a cover of Axel F, whic

The Crazy Frog has a new home.   News Corporation, the owners of The Sun, has bought a stake in Jamba, the company which produces the character, for over £100million. News Corp now owns a 51 per cent stake of the ringtone company to boost the use of mobile TV-clips known as ‘mobisodes’.   The character that wears a white motorcycle helmet, leather jacket and goggles became a national icon when Swede Daniel Malmedhal recorded his impression of a moped engine in 1997. By 2004 Jamba launched what

“Whispers around the sport are Mick Jagger has been courted by series broadcaster Channel 9 to make a cameo appearance at at least one of the five Test matches between Australia and England,” reports the Daily Telegraph’s Sydney Confidential.   On a day for big name dropping, Shane Warne reveals his friendship with Coldplay’s Chris Martin during the Australian launch of his latest book. Alex Brown becomes the Sydney Morning Herald’s music reporter for a minute.   “We bumped into each other in a

The Guardian newspaper was the first media source to review last night's Coldplay Crisis gig at the Royal Court Theatre in Liverpool last night - and it appears it went down well with them, who once famously labelled Coldplay with having the prize for the silliest wardrobe in mainstream rock. Here is their review...   "If anyone's here for the pantomime I'm afraid you're gonna have a shit evening," quips Chris Martin, kicking off the first of two gigs for homeless charity Crisis, in "intimate" v