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Three bands that had never played in Des Moines took the stage Friday night at Wells Fargo Arena, but you wouldn't have known that they were unfamiliar with our fair city. Coldplay singer Chris Martin thanked the crowd for skipping out on Winefest, writes the Des Moines Register.   Snow Patrol frontman Gary Lightbody managed to pronounce "Des Moines" correctly (Howling Bells singer Juanita Stein wasn't as lucky, adding an "S" sound.) "If we knew how good the audience is, we'd have come a long ti

Riaan Wolmarans reviews former Verve vocalist, Richard Ashcroft's latest offering Keys to the World   Tall and gangly, with shaggy hair topping his scrawny frame, erstwhile Verve vocalist Richard Ashcroft sounds more solid, gritty and weary of life than one might expect. He’s been quiet for some time, probably licking his wounds after the failure of his second solo album, Human Conditions (though he did appear on stage with Coldplay at last year’s Live 8 concert in London to perform The Verve’s

When a Palace of Auburn Hills employee handed me Wednesday night a pink wristband that had the words "Made in China" on it, I started to get doubts, writes the MLive in another media review of Coldplay's show at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI on Wednesday night (1 August). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comments! Read on for the

Coldplay was all of four songs into its concert Tuesday night at the DTE Energy Music Theatre when frontman Chris Martin declared "It's gonna be a good one," writes the Oakland Press today.   And nothing that happened during the next 19 numbers undermined that prediction. Then again, good Coldplay shows are nothing new. Dipping into the playbooks of forebears such as Pink Floyd, Queen, nine inch nails and especially U2, the British quartet has been consistently adept at turning its mix of anthem

Fans entering Coldplay's concert Wednesday at the Palace of Auburn Hills were given wristbands and were told to put them on, as they would be a part of the show... were they ever, writes the Detroit News in a review of Coldplay's show at the Palace of Auburn Hills, Detroit, MI, last night (1 August). Catch up on the latest tweets, pictures, videos from these shows at the Coldplay Live forum here onwards now. Thanks to everyone who has contributed with tweets, photos, reviews, videos and comment

It was an evening of pretty melodies, plaintive piano ballads and arena-sized charisma as Coldplay stepped into the Palace of Auburn Hills Monday night, reports Freep.com.   The English quartet arrived at the Palace with an increasingly valid claim to the title of world’s biggest rock band, delivering the latest in a line of stellar Detroit shows for a multigenerational crowd of about 13,330.   Coldplay’s trick is making intimate music sound grand: Monday night, songs such as “Clocks,” “Speed of

Coldplay is not only one of the biggest bands in the world, sharing rarified air with bands like U2 and Radiohead, but it also may be the most likeable, writes The Detroit News.   The British foursome brought its massive show to DTE Energy Music Theatre Tuesday, playing to an adoring sold-out audience of more than 15,000 fans. The show set the bar quite high for the 2009 summer concert season and was one of the most thrilling concerts DTE has hosted in years.   After just four albums, Coldplay

Poor Chris Martin. He's been sitting pretty at the top of album and singles charts the world over in recent weeks, and yet he's still suffering accusations from inventive YouTubers suggesting his best-selling songs are rip-offs.   First came a fine piece of self-publicity by Brooklyn indie band Creaky Boards, who suggested Martin had come to see them and copied their song The Songs I Didn't Write for Coldplay's Number 1 single Viva La Vida. No one quite believed Creaky Boards, as it soon emerge

Chart toppers Coldplay summed up the music industry's struggle to cross into the 21st century in the lyrics of their hit song "The Scientist": "Nobody said it was easy".   But the music and digital worlds are starting to sing the same tune, industry watchers said at the influential MIDEM music trade fair that closes doors here Thursday. Huge numbers of new ways of enjoying music are opening up on a plethora of devices and the hottest new mobile music genre to look out for could be the music vide

Music group Ball in the House recently announced their launch of a digital music store through BurnLounge, the first community-powered digital music service that enables passionate music fans to sell the music they love to friends or like-minded individuals.   While Ball in the House may not be on a major record label, the Boston-based pop and R&B band has risen above the ranks of professionally-signed chart-toppers, including the Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Gorillaz, Kelly Clarkson and James

Music group Ball in the House recently announced their launch of a digital music store through BurnLounge, the first community-powered digital music service that enables passionate music fans to sell the music they love to friends or like-minded individuals.   While Ball in the House may not be on a major record label, the Boston-based pop and R&B band has risen above the ranks of professionally-signed chart-toppers, including the Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, Gorillaz, Kelly Clarkson and James

Longtime broker between the music industry and digital music firms will launch his own consultancy in July, with EMI and music info provider Muze lined up as clients.   The music industry's most high-profile digital emissary is flying the coup. Ted Cohen, who was one of the first music industry execs to support digital distribution and who has served as the industry's digital ambassador of sorts, has left his post at label giant EMI to start his own consultancy.   Cohen, 56, had served as senior

Longtime broker between the music industry and digital music firms will launch his own consultancy in July, with EMI and music info provider Muze lined up as clients.   The music industry's most high-profile digital emissary is flying the coup. Ted Cohen, who was one of the first music industry execs to support digital distribution and who has served as the industry's digital ambassador of sorts, has left his post at label giant EMI to start his own consultancy.   Cohen, 56, had served as senior

As more and more consumers have become aware of digital rights management, they’ve taken to spitting out the technology’s acronym, rather than merely speaking it. “Oh, it’s that darn DRM again!” a consumer will screech, flecks of saliva spewing from his mouth. “Stupid DRM won’t let me do this!” It’s a level of venom usually reserved for overzealous traffic cops, or really annoying telemarketers.   DRM has been around a long time in the form of copy protection for software and games, so why such

Music giant EMI has said profits are up almost 13 per cent to £159.3 after revenues from its digital content more than doubled during the year.   EMI, whose artists include Robbie Williams, Coldplay and Gorillaz, said its music division outperformed the rest of the industry. Digital sales hit £112.1 million from £46.9 million a year ago, helped by US downloads of Coldplay's latest album X&Y.   These offset a 5.3 per cent decline in physical sales for the industry as a whole. In the UK and

Music giant EMI has said profits are up almost 13 per cent to £159.3 after revenues from its digital content more than doubled during the year.   EMI, whose artists include Robbie Williams, Coldplay and Gorillaz, said its music division outperformed the rest of the industry. Digital sales hit £112.1 million from £46.9 million a year ago, helped by US downloads of Coldplay's latest album X&Y.   These offset a 5.3 per cent decline in physical sales for the industry as a whole. In the UK and

Teasing festival fans by declaring that there will be 'a lot of surprises' at next year's Glastonbury, Michael Eavis has given a glimpse of what could be in store by revealing he's in talks with Dire Straits...   Speaking on XFM's breakfast show this morning, Eavis refused to be drawn on who might be playing at next year's festival - that was until presenter Shaun Keavney joked that Dire Straits should be asked to headline.   Eavis cooly replied: "Oh, we're talking to them. They might be there .

Director of Coldplay's Christmas Lights video, Mat Whitecross, has been speaking to website PromoNews.tv about working on the set on the South Bank of the Thames. He talked about the ideas involved, and the different incarnations the filming could have taken before they decided on a waterside location with a boat full of Coldplayers... [thanks mimixxx]   "Every Coldplay shoot involves a leap of faith," explains Whitecross. "The band are always intuitive and overflowing with great ideas. My job i

IN the space of a month, three singers from stellar bands are releasing solo albums.   The Eraser, by Radiohead's Thom Yorke, came out two weeks ago and is being followed by the British release next week of The Great Western, from Manic Street Preachers' James Dean Bradfield, and My Secret is My Silence, by Idlewild's Roddy Woomble.   Solo albums are so effective at restoring functionality to dysfunctional bands that they should be prescribed to any group that seems to be losing its way. Coldpla

Forget Rooney and his metatarsals: England’s fragile World Cup morale is reeling from the decision to choose Embrace, those sub-Coldplay plodders, to write the team’s official song.   “World at Your Feet”, which comes out next week, is a dirge-like anthem whose air of defeatism suggests England’s fate is to be knocked out on penalties in the quarter-finals. “Yes, it can be done,” the chorus implores earnestly, though like a subconscious current of thought the melancholy music tells a different s

Forget Rooney and his metatarsals: England’s fragile World Cup morale is reeling from the decision to choose Embrace, those sub-Coldplay plodders, to write the team’s official song.   “World at Your Feet”, which comes out next week, is a dirge-like anthem whose air of defeatism suggests England’s fate is to be knocked out on penalties in the quarter-finals. “Yes, it can be done,” the chorus implores earnestly, though like a subconscious current of thought the melancholy music tells a different s

A miserable Disneyland punter got decidedly more melancholy when he happened upon Chris Martin and family at the themepark this week, writes ivPressOnline. Here's what he had to say. Also see photos after the jump. Let us know what you think of this guy's pathetic rant at the Coldplay forum here [thanks mimixxx]   Chris Martin from Coldplay is a wuss. Besides all that ridiculous sad bastard music his silly band practices, he seems like a genuinely miserable human being, and another one of those

Known for their memorable tunes and rich harmonies, the Dixie Chicks are singing a new song that conservationists hope will catch on.   A third of the way through their 50-city, 2006 Accidents and Accusations concert tour, the group has announced that it will partner with Conservation International (CI) to offset the carbon footprint associated with the tour.   The Chicks join Pearl Jam, Coldplay, and other bands in demonstrating that they are accepting responsibility for their contributions to

Last week, a Slate reader told the Explainer that, despite using multiple telephones and computers, he was unable to buy tickets to an upcoming Radiohead concert.   10 minutes after tickets went on sale, the Ticketmaster Web site told him the show had sold out. According to news reports last month, tickets to two Madonna shows at Madison Square Garden sold out in 10 minutes. A promoter also recently claimed that two Bruce Springsteen shows in the United Kingdom sold out in 10 minutes.   Can a sh

Last week, a Slate reader told the Explainer that, despite using multiple telephones and computers, he was unable to buy tickets to an upcoming Radiohead concert.   10 minutes after tickets went on sale, the Ticketmaster Web site told him the show had sold out. According to news reports last month, tickets to two Madonna shows at Madison Square Garden sold out in 10 minutes. A promoter also recently claimed that two Bruce Springsteen shows in the United Kingdom sold out in 10 minutes.   Can a sh