Join the 'Coldplaying XI' (ninth) fantasy league before the new English Barclays Premier League kicks off on Saturday 17th August 2013!

Just a few weeks to go before the English Premier League starts - and you can now join the ninth Coldplaying fantasy league now! You can now join the new 'Coldplaying XI' Fantasy Football League at http://fantasy.premierleague.com and create your own team (or renew a previous season's team), then use the code 167356-46617 to join the Coldplaying league. Previous teams can be re-registered with the Coldplaying league by simply logging in and refreshing your settings and existing leagues. Please ensure you have (re)registered a team and joined the Coldplaying league 11.30am (BST) on Saturday 17th August 2013 to start gaining points from the outset.

For full details on how to register, creating teams and some of the new features, click here into the Premier League website.

Last season it was congratulations to team I am the Scout managed by Marc Paul who finished top with a whopping 2283 points. Runner-up was Athletic Waldaz FC managed by Walter Randazzo, just 11 points adrift. 2011-2012 runner-up PROMIX FC finished in third place last season (maybe this season, promix!)

We had a record number of entrants for last season - 452 teams - well done and thanks to all the managers who took part - let's set a new record for this season!

Previous Coldplaying Winners:

2005-06: (Winner: Sky Blues; Manager: Sky Blues Fan)

2006-07: (Winner: FC Arpeggi; Manager: Nik)

2007-08: (Winner: MK Red Bulls; Manager: Matt French [mkmatt])

2008-09: (Winner: SQUADto BEAT; Manager: zeddy zeddy)

2009-10: (Winner: Billy's Boots; Manager: Tim Plummer)

World Cup 2010: (Winner: Goblins; Manager: barkas88)

2010-2011: (Winner: Lambretta; Manager: Pietro Ameno)

2011-2012: (Winner: 'i_(^^,)_;"; Manager: zeddy zeddy)

2012-2013: (Winner: I am the Scout; Manager: Marc Paul)

The Coldplaying VIII Fantasy Premier League 2012-2013 table finished like this:

Bee Gees legend Barry Gibb has said in a recent magazine interview that he wants to work with Chris Martin.

The last surviving Bee Gee spoke of his admiration of the Chris in a four-page interview in this week's Music Week magazine in which he also spoke about losing his brothers Robin and Maurice, and playing live again. More on this is at the Coldplay forum now [thanks Tash]

He won't have to wait long to ask Chris - Barry Gibb is in London this Friday (June 28th) to receive a lifetime achievement award at the Silver Clefs in aid of Nordoff-Robbins, where Coldplay will also be presented with Best British Act award. The Silver Clef Awards ceremony takes place at the London Hilton, and organisers hope to raise £500,000 from the awards to fund 20,000 life-transforming music therapy sessions for children and adults across the UK.

Barry Gibb told the Music Week magazine: “I love Coldplay and Chris Martin. He’s an inspiration for me. I would love to work with him and I think we’re going to see each other at the Nordoff-Robbins award. I look forward to that - because we met each other in Australia when I was doing the telethon for the Victoria fire victims with Olivia Newton-John and he was playing Sydney at that point with Coldplay and we had breakfast together and we talked about songwriting and stuff like that. I’m sort of hopeful that might come about. You never know.”

Meanwhile, Coldplay and Barry Gibb also go head-to-head in the annual Helpmann Awards, recently announced at Sydney's Opera House in Australia. For the Best International Contemporary Concert category, Coldplay and Bruce Springsteen tours will battle it out against Tedeschi Trucks and Trombone Shorty's co-headlined concerts and Barry Gibb's Mythology tour.

Coldplay are also featured in the Best Lighting Design award. The winners of the awards, which recognise "distinguished artistic achievement and excellence in the many disciplines of Australia's vibrant live performance sectors", will be revealed on Monday 29 July.

Barry Gibb, the last surviving member of the Bee Gees

No Bee Gees / Coldplay article is complete without a bit of music...

Coldplaying would definately approve of this collaboration!

Spike Island is a new coming of age comedy movie set against the backdrop of The Stone Roses' legendary 1990 Spike Island gig, and director Mat Whitecross explains how Coldplay helped the film get made.

Coldplay agreed to part-finance the movie after their friend and director told them he was struggling to get the cash together to pay for it. Mat spoke to BBC in a recent interview: "As usual in any low budget film, especially in Britain, you end up struggling to get that last bit of finance - and we were sruggling and struggling. I was talking to Chris [Martin] one day and I was pulling my hair out. Chris was like, 'What are you talking about? We'll give you the money.' It's been amazing, we're very blessed to know Coldplay. Very generous guys."

Elliott Tittensor, who was Carl Gallagher in Shameless, plays the Stone Roses' lead singer in Spike Island. He says Coldplay were silent partners but their help made the film happen. "It's nice to see them crossing the line and coming over into helping people out in our line of work," the 23-year-old said. "It's nice that they're supporting other artistic forms of making things."

All four Coldplay members have executive producer credits and also helped pay for Mat Whitecross' 2010 film, Sex & Drugs & Rock & Roll. Elliott Tittensor also appeared in the group's video for Charlie Brown in 2011, but said they only met them once during filming at a party.

Coldplaying reported back in October 2011 that Coldplay had a vested interest in the Stone Roses' reunion after ploughing cash into the movie about the cult British band. The Stone Roses smashed UK concert sales records in 2011 when all 240,000 tickets for their reunion gigs sold out in less than an hour.

Chris Martin explained back in 2011, "We actually invested in a film by our friend Mat Whitecross about four lads who tried to blag tickets for the famous Stone Roses Spike Island gig. Speaking as film investors, we hope the reunion is a huge success as it will be reflected in the box office figures."

Spike Island had its premiere at The Cornerhouse in Manchester on Tuesday and opened on Friday (20th June). Watch both the trailer and Guardian's video review below:

Coldplay's Will Champion has made a brief cameo appearance in Game Of Thrones in last night's episode of the HBO drama series in the US (June 2nd). The episode was called The Rains of Castamere. You can discuss this cameo appearance at the Coldplay forum now [thanks vanessarrent, macky, xylobryte, Tash]

Snow Patrol singer Gary Lightbody also appeared in the show earlier this season, after revealing himself to be a huge Game of Thrones fan. Series producer Frank Vogler recently revealed that he can see the programme lasting seven seasons. Game of Thrones season three is currently airing on HBO in the US and on Sky Atlantic in the UK, with a fourth run already confirmed.

Former Misfits star Iwan Rheon, Mackenzie Crook from The Office and Ed Skrein, who starred in Plan B’s film Ill Manors, have also had parts confirmed for the third series.

Watch below (with sound!) - Will features at 13 seconds in:

Game of Thrones is an American epic fantasy television drama series created for HBO by David Benioff and D. B. Weiss. It is an adaptation of A Song of Ice and Fire, George R. R. Martin's series of fantasy novels, the first of which is titled A Game of Thrones.

The series, set on the fictional continents of Westeros and Essos at the end of a decade-long summer, interweaves several plot lines. The first follows the members of several noble houses in a civil war for the Iron Throne of the Seven Kingdoms; the second covers the rising threat of the impending winter and the mythical creatures of the North; the third chronicles the attempts of the exiled last scion of the realm's deposed dynasty to reclaim the throne. Through its morally ambiguous characters, the series explores the issues of social hierarchy, religion, civil war, crime, and punishment. It is the most recent big-budget work to have contributed to the popularity of the fantasy genre in mainstream media.

Game of Thrones has been nominated for Emmys and Golden Globes and Peter Dinklage, who plays Tyrion Lannister, has won an Emmy for outstanding supporting actor in a drama series.

It seems sweet chocolate-covered treats called goji berries could be the answer behind Coldplay's powerhouse Australian performances at the end of 2012, reports Sunshine Coast Daily this weekend.

When Coldplay touched down in Brisbane for its stadium show in December, the sweet treat was just what was needed to keep the energy levels up to play for the 50,000-strong crowd. And proprietor David Bruckner could not be happier. The band tried super-food goji berries made by Mr Bruckner's business Naturally Goji Pty Ltd, better known as Dr Superfood, during the Brisbane leg of the tour. Now the band is hooked, writing: "THANKS so much David, love Coldplay."

The Coldplay crew could not stop at one packet. A quick call to Mr Bruckner and another box of the berries was shipped the next day. Then a stack was sent to New York ahead of the band's new year gigs. The call came coincidently on Mr Bruckner's birthday, but this was no prank. Now Mr Bruckner is the honorary Coldplay goji berry supplier, shipping a box to the UK each month for the band. "It is hard to comprehend the band wants my product so much they would order them in internationally," Mr Bruckner said.

Brain food for the LP6 recording sessions...

"This is little old me, in my small Kunda Park business supplying to one of the biggest bands in the world who desire my product. Coldplay is one of my favourite bands, so it was definitely a surprise when I got the call from their personal assistant asking for my packets."

Dr Superfoods, a small business with a handful of employees, has been operating for years in Brisbane and now at Kunda Park. If you want to see what all the fuss is about, you can purchase some online now.

Next, Coldplay are among the artists who will do battle for prizes at the upcoming 2013 Australasian Performing Right Association (APRA) Awards, writes the MSN website.

The International Work of the Year prize will be fiercely contested by Coldplay (for "Paradise"), Carly Rae Jepsen ("Call Me Maybe"), The Black Keys ("Lonely Boy"), Ed Sheeran ("Lego House") and fun. ("We Are Young"). The prizes will be handed out at a ceremony in Melbourne, Australia on June 17.

Other stars who look set to dominate the event include rapper 360, who scored four nominations, and rockers Tame Impala, who have two noms for the coveted Song of the Year trophy with "Elephant" and "Feels Like We Only Go Backwards." The band will go up against Guy Sebastian ("Get Along"), Courtney Barnett ("History Eraser") and Mia Dyson ("When the Moment Comes").

Finally, Chris Martin was spotted with members of U2 at Electric Lady Studios in New York City on Friday (31st May), where mixing for the next U2 album was taking place.

Chris was snapped with Bono and The Edge during a small, private performance in the SoHo district of New York City and gave. Photographer Jaime K. Scatena tweeted a photo of Bono and The Edge, saying "Photo: Private concert… Bono & The Edge… Wow, thanks @JR or everything! #u2 #nyc (at SoHo)."

The "@JR" mentioned above is the artist who founded the Inside Out art project in 2011 after winning a TED prize. The private performance was at his studio, and he also tweeted a photo of Bono and Edge (and Chris Martin behind them, it appears).

More details can be found at the atU2 website. They wrote: "Bono's assistant was there with what looked like a small case of clothes. The rumour is that there may be some kind of video shoot this weekend in the studio. Our reporter talked to the owner of a shop across the street from the studio, who said "they" (he thinks it was U2's crew) bought props for a video shoot. (That said, there are often lots of TV and movie shoots in New York City, so this could be anything.) Our reporter also heard some drum tracks from outside, but no full songs, and shot this brief video of Chris Martin leaving. Martin denied he was there with U2, even though our reporter saw him and Larry together in the studio."

But...

Spot Chris Martin in the background...?

Coldplaying's 8th Fantasy Premier League finished last weekend, and it's congratulations to team I am the Scout managed by Marc Paul who finished top with a whopping 2283 points. Runner-up was Athletic Waldaz FC managed by Walter Randazzo, just 11 points adrift. Last year's runner-up PROMIX FC finished in third place this year (maybe next season, promix!) Last year's winning manager, zeddy zeddy, finished in a disappointing 53rd place with his team MAMAIN MAIN FC, performing like they had one eye on their summer holidays.

Also a special mention this year to Alwan Azhari who's Red Dragons team propped up the whole league, collecting just 687 points for the whole season, to finish last and win the wooden spoon. The full table is below.

We had a record number of entrants for the season just finished - 452 teams - well done and thanks to all the managers who took part. Look out for the new Coldplaying IX league sometime in June/July when the Premier League refreshes their official website ahead of the new 2013-2014 season.

The Coldplaying VIII Fantasy Premier League 2012-2013 table finished like this:

If Chris Martin was a bit starstruck after meeting Psy of Gangnam Style fame at the Met Ball earlier this week, he needn't have been because it turns out Psy failed to recognise him at first, according to The Sun this weekend.

Gwyneth Paltrow revealed Chris wanted a souvenir for their son Moses, who’s a huge fan of Psy’s massive No.1 Gangnam Style.

She said: “Chris saw him and said, ‘Hello, I’m from the band Coldplay’, and Psy didn’t seem to know. We said, ‘We’re so sorry to bother you but can we get a picture together for our children?’ He then put it all together and was really happy to meet Chris.”

Chris Martin appeared to skip the star studded red carpet at the fashion gala so there aren't many photos of him, but Psy obliged us and his followers when he posted the pictures on Twitter:

Meanwhile, Psy says 'Gangnam Style' success was 'an accident', and admits he doesn't expect to match its success with future releases. After going viral, the 'Gangnam Style' video has now been viewed over 1.5 billion times on YouTube, and Psy was invited to Harvard University in Boston on Thursday (May 9th) to discuss its success.

"'Gangnam Style' was not normal. 'Gangnam' was not standard - that was an accident and accidents don't happen often," he said. Psy also admitted he has no expectations of matching its success - though his new single 'Gentleman' has already racked up an impressive 300 million views on YouTube.

If you're not one of the 1.5billion viewers of Psy's Gangnam Style video, here you go!

Coldplay have announced this week the digital release of its Mylo Xyloto comic book series, based on the 2011 album. The series is published by Matt Groening's Bongo Comics Group.

Written by filmmaker Mark Osborne (Kung Fu Panda, The SpongeBob SquarePants Movie) with help from Coldplay, the six-part saga depicts an Orwellian society ruled by a supremacist government that controls the population via fear tactics and over-stimulation through media and propaganda.

Issues 1-3 are now available exclusively via Apple's iBookstore, with the rest of the series to be released monthly until July. Issue 1 is currently available for free as the iBookstore's Book of the Week.

In conjunction, Coldplay has announced a special release for the upcoming Record Store Day UK on April 20th, that packages the Mylo Xyloto album (which has sold over six million copies) with Issue 1 and a special 7-inch vinyl picture disc featuring "Hurts Like Heaven" and "Us Against The World (Live)."

Coldplay are now in good company among other band-branded graphic arts series. Indie artist Daniel Johnston has been a longtime comic artist and released the book Space Ducks last year. My Chemical Romance frontman’s Gerard Way’s Eisner Award-winning comic book The Umbrella Academy is currently being developed into a feature film by Universal.

Have you read the comic series so far? Let us know at the Mylo Xyloto sub-forum now!

The covers of the six-comic Mylo Xyloto series, in order 1-6:

Kasabian frontman Tom Meighan has dismissed Coldplay winning BBC Radio 2's favourite album of all-time poll and labelled the result "ridiculous", according to MTV this week.

Coldplay's second record, A Rush of Blood to the Head, beat Hopes & Fears by Keane and Duran Duran's Rio to top the public vote. Speaking to MTV News before Kasabian played a Barclaycard Arctic Disco acoustic show up a mountain at Snowbombing Festival, Tom believes poll champions Coldplay would also agree with his view. "They [Coldplay] would say that's ridiculous and even I would say that. I'm not gonna start wars with Coldplay, I can't be bothered. I've met Chris Martin and he's cool, but they know and I know [the poll is ridiculous]."

He has previously spoken out against Coldplay and, surprise surprise, the criticism is essentially that they’re pretty dull. (Never have guessed, eh!). He told Q Magazine, March 2010 in , “Chris Martin is all right if you’re 35 and feeling sad that your mortgage repayments have gone up.”

And even earlier in September 2006, he said of breaking America, “It’s really hard, man. Unless you’re fucking Coldplay or U2 and wanna fuckin’ have sex with whatever, like Bono does for world peace or whatever, it’s just really so difficult.”

Tom confirmed Kasabian have started work on their fifth studio album and he compared the sound of their new material to big beat monsters The Prodigy. "It's like The Prodigy's dirty remix thing," revealed the 32-year-old, who formed Kasabian with his best mate Serge Pizzorno in 1999. Describing what fans can expect, Tom added: "It's cool and it's got really heavy drums - it sounds electrocuted."

Leicester lad Tom also explained why American guitarist Jay Mehler recently left Kasabian to join Liam Gallagher's Beady Eye. "What happened with Jay is we weren't doing many gigs this year and he needs to be on the road," said Tom. "Jay is my brother and I got him into this band in 2006 and I looked after him and nurtured him to the ways of the UK, so I'm gonna miss him dearly and I love him. There's no malice. He's gone to a great rock band - Beady Eye are amazing - and I wish him all the best."

Sounds like sour grapes on both accounts to us.

Kasabian's Tom Meighan

Coldplay, whose album Rush Of Blood To The Head has this week been named the nation’s all-time favourite by Radio 2 listeners, headline packed arenas and football grounds these days. But renowned Wolverhampton-born talent scout Markus, now music booker at the Glee Club in Birmingham, secured a major coup in booking Coldplay to play at the intimate club on July 30, 2000, in their very early days.

Their aptly-named debut album, Parachutes, flung them from nowhere to the top of the charts. That ability to sniff out fledgling stars – performers of some artistic depth and longevity – has been put to great use over the last 20 years by this affable 45-year-old, who admitted he ‘struggled through education’ at Aldersley High School in his home city.

He has had some significant triumphs – all of them worthy of being filed in the compartment of the memory marked ‘must tell the grandkids’. Adele played for him three times on her road to fame and fortune. In a business punctuated and punctured by massive egos and loud voices, you get the impression this self-deprecating, gentle man must have charmed vocalist Chris Martin and the boys to do the gig. Chris Martin had, in fact, already done a solo spot for Markus at Ronnie Scott’s at around the time of the band’s Brothers And Sisters EP release (listen below), supporting The Wonder Stuff’s Miles Hunt and Malc Treece during one of the promoter’s regular Songwriters’ Festivals.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AnWe2Qr_q8o

Coldplay's Brothers & Sisters EP

“I remember being sent a cassette of the EP, and I booked Chris on the back of his agent waxing lyrical to me,” said Markus. “We all thought the sound of his voice and his songs really connected. At the end of the night I was sitting on the stage, gathering myself to go home, and Chris and his then manager (Phil Harvey) came out of the dressing room saying, ‘We were just talking about what a great night it was’.

“Chris said ‘I’d like to come back with a band’ – this was just before [Coldplay’s breakthrough single] Yellow came out. People in the industry were saying, ‘Hang on, there’s a bigger scenario opening up here with this band’. When I came to book the next Songwriters’ Festival they were top of my list because they were so sincere, and I knew that there was now more happening with the band. I got in touch with their new agent and said ‘please hear me out on this – I don’t expect this to happen but I absolutely wish to convey the invitation to Chris and the boys to come back to Ronnie Scott’s because Chris said he would like to do that, if you would be gracious enough to pass the message on’.

"I got a call the next day confirming the show, which I absolutely believe was the band saying ‘we want to do this’. Everybody in the industry said it was a matter of time before they cancelled, but the worst-case scenario didn’t happen. They played Parachutes, using the grand piano a lot, in the exact order of the album. Radio 1 put the concert out on air. It was one of those very rare moments in a promoter’s career like mine when everyone’s talking about it and everyone wants to be there.”

Other names to be taken into consideration when assessing the excellence of Markus’s talent-spotting CV include Elbow at Ronnie Scott’s in January 2000, Mumford And Sons in the small Studio theatre at his current base, the Glee Club, in October 2008 (and again in the main room in September 2009), and David Gray, several times, as the promoter found his feet at Wolverhampton venues the Connaught Hotel and the Clarendon Hotel, from 1993.

Markus Sargeant

Most significant for Markus, though, personally, among his list of promotions, was a solo gig by cult American singer-songwriter Jeff Buckley – a major inspiration for Coldplay – at the Connaught on March 19, 1994. Blessed with an astonishing four-octave voice, which blended sensitivity with power, the son of experimental vocalist Tim Buckley died a mere three years later after drowning in the Mississippi aged just 30.

But his small recorded legacy has inspired countless musicians, and his debut album Grace, released in August 1994 and regarded as the best of the decade by many, has gone on to sell more than two million copies. “It was one of the first gigs I did for sure, when I was working with another promoter, Chris Brown,” he said.

“I was aware of Jeff’s father Tim, and consequently had an initial awareness of Jeff, but I certainly wasn’t attuned to what he had to offer and the magic of that time. “I had a phone call from a very senior agent in a very major agency offering me the show. I remember Jeff arriving at the back doors with his tour manager, and he was a very friendly, angelic man who literally just had his guitar over his back.

“I have regularly thought to myself that the reason I’m a music promoter is because of Jeff Buckley and David Gray. What I saw in those two people was absolutely the real thing. I love the quote about Jeff, and it’s absolutely spot-on – that he sounded like an angel singing from the rafters of a whorehouse.

“I guess we were lucky being promoters at that time. There were about 200 people there, in the Connaught’s ballroom. I’m pretty sure Jeff was paid £35 for his gig.”

Jeff Buckley's video for Last Goodbye

BBC radio listeners have chosen Coldplay's second album as their favourite record of all time. A Rush Of Blood To The Head, released in 2002, beat the likes of Pink Floyd and The Beatles to top the Radio 2 poll. DJ Jo Whiley revealed the winner on Monday afternoon following a countdown of the favourites throughout the day. More discussion on this is at the Coldplay forum now [thanks Tash]

UPDATE: You can now download the interview between Jonny Buckland and Jo Whiley talking about A Rush Of Blood To The Head at the multimedia forum now [thanks Denise]

The poll was held to tie in with the recent BBC season, The Golden Age of the Album. A Rush Of Blood To The Head topped the charts in 2002 and sold more than 2.8 million copies in the UK. Clocks also topped a recent BBC Radio 6 Music poll of the top 100 tracks of the past 10 years. Taking second place in the Radio 2 list was Keane's 2004 record Hopes And Fears, while Duran Duran's Rio came third in a list that featured just two albums from the last decade.

Head of music at Radio 2, Jeff Smith said: "With albums ranging from Sinatra in the 50s to Emeli Sande in the last year, the range of eras and genres exhibited by the chart is typical of the breadth of Radio 2 and its distinctive music policy. Musicians such as Coldplay and Dido have struck a chord with listeners and are in good company in the Top 10 alongside legendary bands like The Rolling Stones and The Beatles, whose appeal remains undiminished after all these years."

Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon (1973), which was recently selected to be preserved in the US National Recording Registry as a significant recording, came in fourth place. Despite being considered among the greatest and most influential albums of all time, The Beatles' 1967 release, Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band - only managed eighth place. A number of other classics figured highly in the list. Sticky Fingers by The Rolling Stones was in sixth place while A Night at the Opera by Queen was in 10th.

Top 10 albums voted by Radio 2 listeners were:

1. Coldplay - Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002)

2. Keane - Hopes and Fears (2004)

3. Duran Duran - Rio (1982)

4. Pink Floyd - The Dark Side Of The Moon (1973)

5. Dido - No Angel (1999)

6. The Rolling Stones - Sticky Fingers (1971)

7. The Pet Shop Boys - Actually (1987)

8. The Beatles - Sgt Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band (1967)

9. U2 - The Joshua Tree (1987)

10. Queen - A Night At The Opera (1975)

The story of much-loved indie label Fierce Panda Recordings will be told in a new movie released via PledgeMusic, it has been revealed this week. Created by Document Films, ‘Endangered: The Story Of Fierce Panda Records’, will be released in February 2014 to tie in with the 20th birthday celebrations of the label. A soundtrack album condensing the best of over 250 Fierce Panda single releases will accompany the film, whilst a retrospective book is also being mulled over.

The film casts a wry glance back at the early days of Coldplay, Placebo, Idlewild, Art Brut, Hundred Reasons, Keane, Kenickie, The Maccabees, Ash, Embrace, Three Colours Red, The Bluetones and many more who came through the fierce panda A&R factory (with a small ‘f’) lo-fi production line. There will be brand new interviews with various artists and funseekers recalling their beginnings along with footage from the archives, including Coldplay's Will Champion

The PledgeMusic campaign launches this week and offers music fans the chance to contribute towards the release of the soundtrack to ‘Endangered: The Story Of Fierce Panda Records,’ alongside a range of ‘Pledge Plus’ premium offers, including a DVD pre-order facility, a range of exclusive merchandise and a chance for fans to have their name in the credits of the both the film and the CD soundtrack release, among a range of other incentives.

At the heart of the film is the notion that small labels such as Fierce Panda are fast becoming an endangered species, battered by illegal downloads, a collapsing retail system, a major label-propelled pop culture and a never ending recession. As fierce panda chief Simon Williams puts it, “Like Santa Claus, the tooth fairy and Eskimos, if the kids don’t believe in us how can we exist?”

Filmming and editing duties are being handled by Document Films, makers of the award-winning Creation documentary Upside Down. Since forming in a Tottenham Court Road pub in 1994 with a business plan to release one record (the ‘Shagging In The Streets’ EP) and then call it a day, Fierce Panda has released material from 60 acts that have moved onto bigger labels, from Art Brut to Winnebago Deal via Coldplay and Keane.

Watch the trailer introduced by Steve Lamacq, and also featuring Will Champion:

Coldplay's former manager Estelle Wilkinson is due to speak at the London Welsh Centre this Friday (22nd March), as part of the "Creative Cardiff - An evening looking at the Cardiff music scene", during which she will talk about how she came to manage one of the biggest bands in the world for over 6 years. Tickets are only £5 and the night includes live music and other special guests. More details are here at the We Get Tickets website. If you don't know who Estelle is, read on...

Estelle Wilkinson recoils in mock horror when Wales Online asked her in a recent interview to recall some of the highs and lows of managing one of the biggest bands in the world.

As you would imagine, from someone who was at the helm of the musical juggernaut called Coldplay for six years, she has stories and plenty of them. "Oh god, I could tell you about some of my biggest faux pas, there’s been a few of them," she laughs, before launching into an anecdote that has me falling about. "Very early on we played Los Angeles, and while we were there it had just gone crazy for the band," she recalls. "One minute we were playing normal shows the next we were having A list Hollywood stars trying to get backstage. That night in LA I ended up doing the door and I am rubbish at recognising anyone. I don’t read celebrity magazines or anything like that.

"Anyway we had all the Arquettes come through and I thought ‘yes I know who you are’. And then I had three people coming to the door claiming to be Cameron Diaz. With the first one I was like ‘I don’t think so you are plainly not Cameron Diaz’. By the time the fourth person tried to get in claiming to be Cameron Diaz, I was seriously thinking ‘is word getting out or something? Look I’m not letting any Cameron Diazs in. You’re the fourth one you could at least try and pretend to be someone who no one else has tried already’. After sending them on their way someone tapped me on the shoulder and said – "No no no no no that WAS Cameron Diaz!" I was shouting for someone to go get her but it was too late she had already gone."

Estelle’s earliest memories however were forged in more homespun surroundings, a world away from the rarified air of LA’s bright lights. Born in Bristol to a Cornish dad and a Welsh-speaking North Walian mum, she moved to Cardiff aged three. "Music was becoming n a huge part of my life, it was an escape I guess from every that had happened," she muses. "It just fitted and I got it. In Bristol I thought I wanted to be a tour manager. So I would go and talk to tour managers and of course they would talk to me. They weren’t used to that I guess, so they’d say do you want to come back with me and I’d go, well not really I just want to ask you about how it all works, which obviously threw them! Then I met Macca manager of (Madchester hopefuls) Northside, who said you don’t want to be a tour manager you want to get into promotion and plugging. I thought that sounds good – I get to go around the country with bands and get them on radio and TV that sounds like it can’t be that hard."

Estelle (pictured, right) reckons her career has been built on being able to seize opportunity and run with it. This was evident from the off, as she secured a job in Manchester with TMP run legendary music industry PR Tony Michaeledes, who had handled press for the likes of U2 and David Bowie. "I approached Tony and offered to work for free during the summer if I could shadow him and learn everything I could," remembers Estelle. "I went to Manchester at the end of my first year in university, around 1989 and never went back. After three weeks with Tony he offered me a job. Apparently when I left to go to university I said to my mum ‘I’m going to be alright’. I was very confident that I would be okay."

For five years Estelle's career blossomed, thriving at the heart of the equally vibrant music scene that was the epicentre of Madchester and acid house. "I worked on an incredible roster, we represented such amazing independent labels as Factory, Mute and 4AD. In our building in 48 Princes Street – there was (legendary Manchester DJ) Dave Haslam, Caroline Elleray who managed (should have been massive Manchester bands) World Of Twist and Intastella – they were 10 years before their time they were. Below us was So What management who looked after Simply Red, they had the biggest office because they were making all the money. On the first floor was Nathan McGough who was managing The Happy Mondays. Within months I basically got to know everyone," says Wilkinson. "I was 19 and from Wales, I was just like a sponge I was absorbing everything. I was very lucky to be there when I was, and I made the most of it."

And that included the infamous nightlife the city had to offer – chiefly the iconic Hacienda nightclub – the beating heart of the ecstasy-fuelled acid house scene that was sweeping the nation. "Everyone hung out there," she recalls. "It was great. It was the time of my life. I had the best of times. I even took my mum to the Hacienda twice. I took her just for a bit to have a look around and show her where I went. She came out saying I can’t believe all your friends are so friendly, everyone is giving me hugs and smiling and they’re not even drinking alcohol they’re all drinking water," laughs Estelle. "She had no clue, which was brilliant. She will now though!"

Throwing herself into work she encountered pre Mark and Lard DJs, Mark Riley – also a plugger at TMP, and Mark Radcliffe then an aspiring DJ on Radio’s 5’s Hit The North show. She even had an eventful stint working for Nathan McGough and The Happy Mondays, just when the band were imploding in a drug-fuelled haze on the Caribbean island of Barbados where they were attempting to complete their ill-fated Yes Please album.

"Nathan’s company was called Gorgeous," explains Estelle, "and I was in the office answering the phone. I used to have men ringing up purposefully just to hear me say ‘Hello Gorgeous’. I’m sure Nathan did it on purpose."

After nine months with McGough, she went to work with Caroline Elleray, getting her first taste of management duties looking after World of Twist and Intastella. However, after six years in Manchester, she wanted out and in a complete career departure ended up working for a travel agent in Edinburgh. "The Manchester scene was dying off and had become a lot more violent," she explains. "I’d always wanted to travel and my rationale was if I work in a travel agent it was a springboard to doing that."

Wilkinson got her wish and ended up taking time out to satisfy her wanderlust, however she quickly tired off the travel industry itself. "I wanted out," she recalls. "I rang Caroline Elleray, who was now working for BMG Records, and I said, ‘Caz I’ve got to get back into this. Tell me who are about to come through’. And she told me ‘there’s this little band I signed who I think are very cool, they’re called Coldplay’. This was beginning of 2000. They’d only had a couple of EPs out by this point."

Seizing her moment she phoned Coldplay’s manager Phil Harvey (pictured, left) – the fifth member of Coldplay as he is more commonly known. "I told him I think you’re about to get really busy and you should really hire me."

After meeting Estelle and taken by her dynamism, he readily agreed. Her timing was impeccable. "It was the first day of the first week of their first number one album (Parachutes). I do believe in fate. I’m not religious, but I do believe you make your own luck by being in the right place at the right time – seeing an opportunity and grabbing it with both hands. That’s probably what I’m quite good at. My first day at work was at Radio 1 where they were doing a session for Jo Whiley’s daytime show. And that’s the first time I met the band. My first impressions from the first day to the last were that they were just lovely, brilliant guys. And (guitarist) Jonny Buckland is from Mold, where I had spent loads of summer holidays so we bonded over Mold stories!"

However, things were to taken unexpected twist, when manager Phil Harvey got sick. "He rang the office and said doctors had told him to get complete rest and he didn’t know when he would be able to come back in. I said don’t worry about a thing the boys will be fine, just get better. I just took over while he got better. The he got better, came back and then at the end of the recording sessions for the A Rush Of Blood To The Head album on the very last day, he announced he didn’t want to do it anymore and he was going to go. I didn’t want him to because he was brilliant. The band phoned me and asked will you look after us?"

"I was both thrilled and overawed. I have to be honest I don’t think it ever sank in," she collapses into laughter. "It’s just how it happened. This was 2002."

So what was it like managing Coldplay at their height of their early success? "I’m not the sort of person to get carried away," says Estelle. "I’m quite practical and a realist, so I didn’t make full use of the position with regards to ‘oh my god I’m managing Coldplay!’ That thought never really occurred to me. What occurred to me was as things were happening I was six months ahead of that.

"So for instance the band played Madison Square Gardens in New York, and I was in a little room at the back, in a cupboard basically emailing people on the other side of the world organising a tour six months down the line. I wasn’t in Madison Square Gardens going ‘this is amazing’. That said I did actually think to myself I better go out and see them. I went out into the crowd and someone puked on my feet. It’s a valuable lesson, stay backstage!"

"The dealing with the band there was never any problem, I never had to bribe them to do an interview like I did with The Happy Mondays. Frankly no one could have had more of a driving force than Chris Martin and the rest of the band. It’s phenomenal. So it was almost keeping up with them and trying to fulfil their dreams. And their dreams were massive. And they’ve achieved them."

After six years of zig-zagging the globe, rubbing shoulders with the biggest names in rock ‘n’ roll – even taking the future Mrs Chris Martin, Hollywood actress Gwyneth Paltrow backstage at a gig in London for the first time to meet her future husband – Coldplay’s manager stepped down from her position. And with good reason – she was seven months pregnant with her son Casley. "I was with them until 2006 until the end of the campaign for the X&Y album," she explains.

"I was 35 and Phil Harvey came back. He now works with them again. So it’s lovely how it’s turned full circle."

North Korea's tentative steps into the online world are always a little mysterious — the strange choices in the videos uploaded to YouTube, for example, or the 2013 website redesign that made the country's official news organization look like it was a relic from 2003.

One perplexing detail of the country's official Twitter account (@uriminzok), is that it currently follows just three accounts — and one of them is for Coldplayer @JimmyDushku, otherwise known as JimmyD on our forums.

Jimmy Dushku, an investor from Austin who also loves Jammie Dodger biscuits, has revealed he received death threats after fellow Twitter users discovered his unlikely link to the dictatorship. Some have accused him of sympathising with Supreme Leader Kim Jong Un, or even of being a spy. Jimmy has more than 2,000 followers on the social network. For reasons no one has established, they include @uriminzok ("our nation"), North Korea's official government account, which itself has tweeted almost 6000 messages.

So why does North Korea seem to be so keenly interested in a 25-year-old investor from Austin, Texas? "People always ask me how it happened, and I honestly can't remember. It started sometime back in 2010. I was initially surprised, but I always try to make friends with people from all different locations and backgrounds," Mr Dushku told the Mother Jones website a while back. He said he followed their account in return "out of courtesy", later sending it a public message saying "have a nice day, my friend" in Korean.

Mr Dushku's Twitter profile describes him as "just a young guy trying to make the world a better place." A former teenage web developer, Mr Dushku has since built up an investment portfolio that includes property and construction in Texas as well as Peru and Brazil. He is best known online for his love of Coldplay. The investor has also posted a photograph of himself playing golf with the actor Dennis Quaid. More recently, Jimmy even arranged a Not-So-Secret Santa in November on Coldplaying where he gave away one of Chris Martin's picks as a free gift.

Jimmy Dushku with Coldplay's Phil Harvey in June 2012

Death threats appear not to concern Mr Dushku. He claims to have been invited to the country and said he wants to go there to see the Arirang Festival, an annual celebration of synchronised pomp that honours the state's military. "I have been very interested in the country, from a historical point of view, for many years now," he told Mother Jones. "Behind all of the headlines you see on the news, there are people who live there."

Due to a number of political, economic and security concerns, the relationship between the U.S. and North Korea has long been strained. According to a 2012 AP report, North Koreans are said to be taught from a young age to "hate" Americans; while in the U.S., a 2011 Gallup poll revealed that 84 percent of Americans had an "unfavorable" view of North Korea. Though it is now possible for Americans to visit North Korea at any time of year, the U.S. State Department warns that travel to the country is "not routine" for Americans, and that it may be difficult to obtain the proper documentation needed to enter the country.

By now, North Korea's social media eccentricities are pretty much par for the course. The country's official YouTube channel is known to post kooky collections of videos, including clips of Kim Jong Un looking at fish and meat in a supermarket and clips of seemingly empty stores, amusement parks and bowling alleys.

North Korea threatened to launch nuclear strikes against the US and South Korea in response to fresh UN sanctions adopted after the North carried out its third nuclear test last month. While the threats have been mostly dismissed as bluster, there are concerns that the North will attempt some form of military provocation in the coming weeks.

Jimmy Dushku... can you add 'diplomat' to your illustrious international CV...?

Oxfam's GROW Campaign is asking Coldplay fans to take part in a groundbreaking global music project to highlight the global injustice of land grabs. For more information and to submit content go to www.oxfam.org/inmyplacefilm now.

Coldplay fans and supporters will be asked to submit film and photographs which echo the dislocation and displacement of land grabs. Coldplay's music video and film director Mat Whitecross will stitch together the submissions into an exclusive crowd sourced video set against the backdrop of Coldplay's song 'In My Place'.

People are being asked to move a favorite, personal or familiar item from their home to somewhere it does not belong or do a personal, every day or familiar activity that they'd usually do at home, in totally the wrong place. Mat Whitecross said: "I wanted to create the feeling of people being out of place in order to illustrate the suffering that so many people experience because of land grabs.

This unique music video will help highlight the injustice of land grabs. Every year governments, banks or private investors buy huge plots of land in some of the poorest countries in the world. Often the people who live on the land, and rely on it to feed their families, do not have a say when is sold and do not receive compensation. In the last decade an area eight times the size of the UK has been sold off globally.

Oxfam is pioneering the approach of fan-sourcing for the film which will launch in Spring. The film is part of Oxfam's GROW campaign which is calling on the World Bank to take a lead in the fight against land grabs. Mat Whitecross said: "I have worked with Coldplay for a long time and I know how dedicated and passionate their fans are. The idea of harnessing this energy to create an original and powerful crowd sourced campaigning tool is one I'm excited about."

Oxfam's GROW Campaign spokesperson Ben Phillips said: "This unique music video will help highlight the global injustice of land grabs. Last year Coldplay invited Oxfam on their world tour and we were hugely motivated by the overwhelming support of fans all over the world. Campaigning is all about putting yourself in someone else's place. We know that when we unite and stand up against global injustice we can make a real difference."

The deadline for film and photographic submissions is 20th March 2013.

War Child have revealed plans to celebrate their 20th anniversary by releasing a compilation album featuring a collection of the tracks recorded for their charity albums over the past two decades. 'The Best Of War Child' to be released this Monday (February 18th), and Coldplay's 'How You See The World No.2' will feature on the tracklist. More discussion on this is at the Coldplay forum now [thanks Tash]

The charity will celebrate its 20th anniversary next week and the occasion is being marked with a major exhibition, an intimate Muse show and a new compilation album, 'The Best Of War Child'. The charity are also set to win the Lifetime Achievement Award at this years' BRIT Awards. "The compilation documents the way War Child has had this integral, credible and proud relationship with the great and good of British music," says War Child’s musical director Ben Knowles. "It's one of the most amazing stories of British music history, the incredible support that came together around War Child back in 1994 and 1995 and has continuedever since."

Released on February 18th, 'The Best Of War Child' will also feature tracks by Radiohead, Paul McCartney, David Bowie, Elbow and many others. A live version of Muse's 'Time Is Running Out' can be downloaded for free via the War Child website now.

'The Best Of War Child' tracklisting is as follows:

Smokin' Mojo Filters (McCartney, Weller, Gallagher) - 'Come Together'

Radiohead - 'Lucky'

Oasis - 'Fade Away'

Portishead - 'Mourning Air'

Massive Attack - 'Fake The Aroma'

Manic Street Preachers - 'Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head'

Suede - 'Shipbuilding'

Passengers (U2 and Pavarotti) - 'Miss Sarajevo'

Muse - 'House Of The Rising Sun'

The Prodigy - 'Ghost Town'

Paul McCartney - 'Calico Skies'

David Bowie - 'Everyone Says Hi (Metro Mix)'

New Order - 'Vietnam'

Coldplay - 'How You See The World No.2'

Gorillaz - 'Hong Kong'

Keane - 'Goodbye Yellow Brick Road'

Hot Chip - 'Transmission'

Beck - 'Leopard-Skin-Pill-Box-Hat'

Lily Allen (ft. Mick Jones) - 'Straight To Hell'

Elbow - 'Running To Stand Still'

Coldplay have told Camden's New Journal they are saddened by the closure of the live music stage at the famous Bull and Gate pub, the scene of one of their first live gigs as a new band.

In an email to the newspaper, Coldplay told how the venue in Highgate Road, Kentish Town, helped send them on their way to becoming one of the biggest bands in the world. The pub’s new owners, the Young’s brewery chain, want the back room of the bar – for so long a favourite hangout for generations of music fans – to be converted into an area where they can serve more food.

Coldplay appeared on stage in the late 1990s and Chris Martin, who learned of its closure through the New Journal, said the live slot changed their lives. The band told the New Journal yesterday (Wednesday): "In January 1999, promoter Simon Williams and the great people of the Bull let us bang out five songs in 20 minutes. It got us our first NME review and changed our lives forever. Long live the Bull. We’ll always be grateful."

Mr Williams said the live stage had been integral to the pub staying open in recent years after long-term landlords Pat and Margaret Lynskey decided to retire and began to hunt for a buyer. He added: “The tragedy is that Young’s see the pub as the main asset and the live music as an irritant, when for the past three years the gigs have kept the pub alive. The venue has been lacking in investment because it has been on and off the market for so long. The casual gig-goer likes a bit of a burger or a touch of tapas with their gig, as proven by terrific venues like the Hoxton Bar & Kitchen. This could have been a brilliant opportunity to invest in and secure the future of a great old venue, but nobody has bothered to ask our opinion. Yet again, live music suffers.”

His views were echoed by BBC Radio Six DJ Steve Lamacq. He told the New Journal: “It’s a terrible shame. It’s where I saw bands like Blur and Doves in their early days. Unfortunately it’s another indication that live music is being squeezed out of certain areas, meaning bands have less choice of where to play. The old Camden scene, which was cheap and vibrant and a good showcase for bands, is slowly being eaten away.”

The Bull and Gate’s live music promoter Andy MacLeod said: “Good luck to them: there is obviously a big gap in the market for a gastro pub, seeing as there are already 29 in the area.”

The pub is set to close its doors for a refurbishment at the start of May before reopening in the summer.

A spokeswoman for Young’s said: “We don’t feel that having live music alongside plans to serve food is viable.”

Well, the people have spoken. According to the listeners of BBC 6Music, the best song from the past decade is Clocks, writes What Culture, in a great article on how the world has come to love (or hate) Coldplay. Discuss this article at the messageboard now. Read on for the rest of the article...

I couldn’t be happier with this (Clocks) outcome. Every generation appears to have a band that it’s not “OK” to like. Said band then becomes the butt of every single lazy criticism that can possibly be made of music; their very name a synonym for blandness itself. Criticisms of such bands become so commonplace that those who hurl the insults ironically become infinitely more boring and tedious than the music they so gleefully attack.

As a huge Coldplay fan whose defence of the band could often be described as “militant”, it’s lovely to have some validation for a change. It’s great to feel, for once, that just because I like Coldplay it doesn’t make me any less of a person.

Because you’re wrong, you know. Not to hate Coldplay. Oh no, you’re perfectly entitled to your opinion. Nobody’s forcing you to listen to them. Ever. But when it comes to your inchoate, narrow minded, unimaginative and hackneyed explanation of just why it’s wrong to like Coldplay, you honestly could not be more mistaken.

In the wake of this sudden confirmation that it’s actually fine to like Coldplay, let’s take a look at five of the most common criticisms of the band and examine, in turn, why each offers a deeply flawed argument.

5. All Of Their Songs Are Slow And Miserable

I can sort of understand the reasoning behind this one. People hear songs like Trouble, The Scientist and Fix You; shudder; and assume that all of their songs must be cut from the same cloth.

I know it’s hopelessly naive of me to assume that any ardent Coldplay hater will even bother to listen to any of the following; but their back catalogue is loaded with such infective nuggets of incandescent joy as Shiver, Hurts Like Heaven, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall, Lovers In Japan, Strawberry Swing, Speed of Sound and Glass of Water (below). It’s therefore easy for me to conclude that anyone who makes this argument in earnest either hasn’t heard much Coldplay, or they have no grasp of such concepts as tempo and key.

I appreciate it’s hard for some to understand that anybody could ever get anything even approaching enjoyment from listening to Coldplay, but trust me. Some of their songs are powerful enough to inspire an almost overwhelming sense of euphoria. Live, they’re even more potent – even magical.

A less developed cousin of this criticism is that all of Coldplay’s songs “sound the same”, with no further discussion of just how this might be at all possible. It’s surprising how often I hear this argument, but when I do I know that I’m safe; as I’m apparently in the company of someone who was born without ears.

4. Their Lyrics Are Terrible

Of all the tired criticisms levied at Coldplay, this is the closest anyone ever comes to having a point. I’ll be the first to admit that Chris Martin’s lyrics often leave a lot to be desired. But that’s not to say that they’re terrible or completely without merit. Christmas Lights (below), for example, is touching, poignant and evocative; whilst Charlie Brown deftly captures the sense of lost innocence through spinning a classic coming of age narrative.

But even at their worst, Coldplay lyrics can be so all-encompassing as to offer comfort to anyone who needs it. Often, their very vagueness is what makes them so remarkable. Songs like In My Place could be about anything, and that’s the whole point. Such lyrics as “I was scared/Tired and under-prepared”, delivered with such humane weariness, could console anyone – whether they’re wary of an exam, a job interview, the results of a medical test or a reconciliation in the wake of an argument. Through being about nothing, their songs could be about everything. Because their lyrics are so open, everyone is free to attach their own spins, interpretations or significance to Coldplay songs. That’s partly why they’re so popular.

But perhaps you feel that this is a function that music simply shouldn’t fulfil. Fair enough. But know that, if you attack Coldplay solely on lyrical grounds, you’re creating a strict set of standards with which all music you listen to must abide. When they’re good, song lyrics can be so powerful they’re mesmerising. But are they really that important? Unless you’re listening to rap or a certain strain of literate singer-songwriter, to what extent are you taking in lyrics anyway?

Lyrics are important, but they’re seldom the be-all and end-all of music; and it’s hardly ever the case that you can cite them as the sole reason for disliking a song or band. It was Jarvis Cocker who pointed out that Louie Louie by The Kingsmen – a song that’s about as close as song’s get to being universally liked – is essentially composed of gibberish. Does that make it any less of an engaging and energising anthem?

So by all means attack Coldplay on lyrical grounds. But in doing so, make sure that you judge absolutely everyone else by the same standards. Otherwise you’ll come across as a hypocrite. And you’re not a hypocrite, are you?

3. They’re Too Derivative

Some say that any given Coldplay song owes too much of a debt to an existing song to be worthy of being judged on its own merits. They refer to Joe Satriani’s assertion that Viva La Vida included “substantial original portions” of one of his own compositions, omitting the fact that this matter has since been dismissed out of court. Or perhaps they’ll shriek about how Talk (below) “ripped off” the riff from Kraftwerk’s Computer Love – conveniently forgetting that full permission was granted for the riff’s inclusion.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W0uqLM1uj_k

Essentially, to make this point is to fundamentally ignore how music works. There’s only a limited number of notes, chords and instruments out there, you know. Yet every day millions of musicians worldwide are endlessly hammering away at their own songs. It’s inevitable that, sooner or later, a band will stumble upon a chord progression or a compositional element by that’s been used before.

Whether it happens by design or accident, it’s going to happen. The important thing is that a band takes this familiar element and, rather than using it as a crutch, uses it as a foundation to create something new. If a song succeeds in reaching out to someone, then it doesn’t matter at all to what extent its composition is unique. And Coldplay’s songs do reach out to people. Millions of them. They must, therefore, be doing something right.

So by all means think of Coldplay as a bunch of derivative charlatans with nary an original idea between them. Just remember, though, that the work of such “cool” and “acceptable” musicians as Radiohead, Nick Cave and Bob Dylan has also been singled out as containing certain elements that have been previously deployed. But it doesn’t make them any less worthy of the praise they receive. All musicians are drawing water from the same well, and in every instance they’ve used the familiar elements in their songs as a springboard for exploring their own ideas. Coldplay are no different.

If you want to attack them on these grounds, far be it from me to stop you. But, like with the aforementioned lyrical argument, in doing so you’re creating a set of conditions for yourself in which the only acceptable music is that which is totally and utterly unprecedented. And because that’s absolutely not how music works, you may as well stop listening entirely if you truly see this as a problem.

2. Chris Martin Is A Plonker

They don’t use the word “plonker”. They use something a lot stronger and a lot more offensive, but What Culture frown upon expletives. Plonker will therefore have to do.

Yes, of all the criticism levied at Coldplay, I have the greatest difficulty in understanding this one. Usually, I can at least see where people are coming from, but in this instance I’m left dumbfounded. I cannot even begin to grasp in what universe Chris Martin could possibly be considered to be anything less than genuine.

Some might attack his involvement with charities such as Oxfam. Apparently, in using his fame to draw attention to political issues, Chris Martin is nothing more than a sanctimonious hypocrite. I can guarantee, though, that the sort of people who make this argument are exactly the sort of people who’d also argue that the charts are vacuous; that nobody has anything of any substance to say.

If you read any interview at all, Chris Martin (below) never comes across as anything other than humble, sensitive, down-to-earth and human. Go and see Coldplay live and marvel as he makes a point of trying to make every single one of the thousands upon thousands of people in the arena or stadium feel welcome and included. The impression’s always given that he’s genuinely pleased that so many people took the trouble to come out and see his band. It’s always seemed to me that he’s felt somehow unworthy of such attention and adoration – and what, really, could be more human?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0RuhO2aZKjQ

In any case, even if you’re convinced that Chris Martin is actually a terrible, terrible man, so what? If you limited yourself to listening to bands whose singers didn’t raise the hackles from time to time, you’d have no choice but to perform a mass cull on your entire music collection.

1. They Make Bland And Insipid Music For People Who Don’t Like Music

Sometimes it just seems like too much of an effort to even attempt to back up your assertions with fact or opinion. So when feeling particularly lazy or unimaginative, those who hate Coldplay will attack their fans. “Music for bedwetters” is a popular line, but more often than not it will be declared that Coldplay make bland, uninspiring and insipid music for those who don’t like music. The implication being, of course, that the person making this claim is a person of vastly superior taste. To like Coldplay is beneath them. After all, how could anyone possibly choose to listen to Coldplay?

Don’t do this. Don’t ever do this. It’s fine to dislike Coldplay, OK? Happily, we don’t live in a society in which you’re restricted from forming and holding your own opinions. I used to be the sort of person who said things like “If you don’t like them, don’t listen to them.” This is sage advice for anyone, as what’s the point in dwelling upon or defining yourself by what you don’t like when there’s so much good music out there? But of course you’re free to criticise. It’s perfectly acceptable to say “I just don’t like them” or “I just find them boring”. I’d be happy to leave it at that. I would. Really.

But all too often, people can’t simply leave it at that. It’s not enough for them to accept that some people like things that they don’t. No. Some seem to believe that to like Coldplay is a mark of an inferior mind – or even an inferior person.

I can promise you that this is not the case. To like Coldplay is not a sign of weakness. Who are you to assess the validity of a person’s love for music? Since when have you been in charge of who we should and shouldn’t listen to? In what universe is your taste in music to be treated as the standard by which all else must be judged?

The universe in your head, clearly. But speaking of headspaces, you have no idea what goes on in a person’s mind when they hear a song they like. You have no way at all to comment upon how any given song makes any given person feel. What bores you rigid or makes you smirk at the inferior tastes of the masses might well be the one thing that makes a person’s life worth living.

You just don’t know, so bear this in mind: If you don’t like them, you don’t have to listen to them. But if you must criticise, say the worst things imaginable about the band, but leave. The fans. Alone. It applies to all bands, not just Coldplay. Everyone is much more than the sum of their interests, and if you’d dare deny anyone the feelings they feel when they listen to music, well. There’s a word for people like you. I can’t type it out here, but just think of the word you might use to describe Chris Martin and apply it to yourself.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MpU7kwGIOw

Latest photos: of Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland with Coldplayer yellow***star at the Bakery, London (uploaded 3rd February 2013):

Coldplay and the Black Eyed Peas are among the bands donating tracks for a new charity album to raise awareness of tinnitus. You can read more discussion on this story at the Coldplay forum now [thanks LdySpace]

A host of musicians, producers and DJs have pledged songs for I Am The One In Ten, which is being put together to raise funds for the British Tinnitus Association (BTA). All tracks on the album will be performed by artists who have tinnitus, including Chris Martin. Other big names set to feature include Embrace, Enter Shikari, DJ Fresh and Sub Focus. The album is the brainchild of DJ and producer Eddy Temple Morris, an ambassador for the BTA.

Eddy said: "I'm so happy that Chris Martin has given this his blessing. With Coldplay on board, at last we have a real chance to get through to Government now - this album could be a game-changer."

Eddy wants other music industry people with tinnitus to be involved with the project. Eddy said: "For this to be given the best possible chance, I need a record label to put this out. But for the idea to work, the label boss, or my contact there, has to have tinnitus. We've had several smaller labels offer their support, for which we are hugely grateful. What would be great is if somebody at a big record label sees this and pledges their support."

You may remember we reported back in May 2012 that Chris Martin has been suffering from tinnitus for a decade, according to various UK sources last year, including the Daily Mail, Mirror and the Huffington Post. You can read more discussion on this story at the Coldplay forum now [thanks lutzno]

Chris, who blames the painful ear condition on listening to loud music as a teenager, is warning youngsters to avoid the same fate. He said the ringing in his ears and headaches had stabilised since he started protecting his ears. After doctors warned him the tinnitus could end his musical career, he began wearing earplugs at concerts and when he is performing.

He said: "Looking after your ears is unfortunately something you don’t think about until there’s a problem. I’ve had tinnitus for about ten years, and since I started protecting my ears it hasn’t got any worse – touch wood. But I wish I’d thought about it earlier. Now [the band] always use moulded filter plugs, or in-ear monitors, to try to protect our ears. You can use industrial headphones, but that looks strange at a party."

Chris Martin now makes sure his children, Apple, seven, and Moses, six, are protected from loud music at all times. Apple was pictured wearing giant ear defenders at the Live 8 concert in Hyde Park in 2005. Chris is endorsing a campaign by Action On Hearing Loss – the new name for the RNID – to get people wearing earplugs at gigs and clubs. Fellow sufferers rapper Plan B and 80s popstar Gary Numan have also joined the campaign. Plan B, 28, said: "At first I thought it was trains rushing by as I live near a railway line. It’s caused by years of being subjected to loud music."

The condition is caused when hair cells in the ears are damaged by exposure to loud noise and cause a whistling, ringing or buzzing sound when there is none. Some sufferers hear a sound constantly, while for others it is intermittent. Gary Numan, 54, also revealed he was no longer able to mix music after damaging his ears during the peak of his career. He added: "I didn’t look after my ears and I’m in trouble."

Tinnitus is the perception of noise in the head or ears when there is no external source. Sufferers may hear it in one or both ears, in the head or somewhere above the head. The noise can be high, medium or low-pitched – whistling, ringing or buzzing. They may hear one noise or two noises and they can be continuous or come and go. Around half a million people have tinnitus serious enough to affect their quality of life. They have difficulty sleeping or it interferes with work and concentration.

It can happen when hair cells are damaged by exposure to loud noise so musicians are vulnerable. Tinnitus is related to anxiety and when someone is feeling stressed tinnitus can seem louder. Sufferers have good days and bad days. Some people find it difficult to adjust to living with the condition and should see their GP. Tinnitus isn’t a sign of something else but you should also get your hearing checked. Most importantly, avoid silence. Keep a radio on during the day or at night use a natural sound like waves on a beach. A ticking clock and relaxation exercises can also help.

Latest photos: of Chris Martin at Los Angeles airport (12 January 2013):

Remember when it was announced that Coldplay were co-financing a movie? Well, that was almost two years ago, and the fruits of their money's labour will now be seen in the finished product, 'Ashes' a film noir boasting actors Ray Winstone, and co-starring Jim Sturgess, Luke Evans and Lesley Manville. Discussion and comments on the film are at the Coldplay forum now.

The film lists Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Guy Berryman as executive producers. Here's the synopsis: Jamie (Jim Sturgess), after many months of searching, finally tracks down his estranged father (Winstone), and together they embark on a dangerous road trip. However, with Frank becoming more unstable and Jamie's motives unclear, the journey gradually unravels their dark and sinister pasts.

Mat Whitecross, a frequent collaborator with Coldplay who recently directed their video for Paradise (and also directed the Ian Dury biopic "Sex And Drugs And Rock And Roll") got behind the camera again here, and if the results look straight-to-DVD quality, well, that's because it is. The movie has skipped theaters and will land on DVD in the UK on January 28th. No word yet if or when it will cross the pond to the US. Watch the trailer below...

HMV's 238 outlets will remain open while Deloitte attempts to find a buyer for some or all of the business, although it is likely that there will be widespread store closures as a result of the collapse.

Part of Coldplay's history involves HMV - on 10th July 2000, Coldplay released their debut album, Parachutes. To launch the album, the band performed a special gig at HMV's flagship store in London's Oxford Street (which turned out to be Coldplay's 100th show).

This performance was never televised but was recorded to be put on HMV's website. You can watch the performance in its entirity below, and also read more on HMV's battle against closure.

HMV's administration also means that vouchers and gift cards, many of which were given as Christmas presents, will be worthless. Squeezed by internet retailers and supermarkets, whose scale has enabled them to offer CDs and DVDs at cheaper prices, HMV's boss Trevor Moore warned before Christmas that the entertainment group was in trouble.

Mr Moore said the group would fail to meet expectations for the year to April and that it would breach the terms of its loan agreements later this month. Suppliers including Universal Music came to HMV's rescue in January 2011 with a deal which helped the retailer shed some of its huge debt pile.

But according to the Financial Times, they balked at a request last week from HMV for about £300 million in additional financing to pay off its bank debt and fund an overhaul of the company's business model. HMV sought to diversify into live venues and consumer electronics and was forced to sell off several parts of its business, including the Waterstones book retailer, to reduce its debt pile, while closing loss-making stores.

But Neil Saunders, managing director of retail consultancy Conlumino, said the collapse of HMV was inevitable. He added: "While many failures of recent times have been, at least in part, driven by the economy, HMV's demise is a structural failure. In the digital era where 73.4 per cent of music and film are downloaded or bought online, HMV's business model has simply become increasingly irrelevant and unsustainable."

Back in May last year, when former boss Simon Fox was still in charge, the group said it was looking for pre-tax profits of at least £10 million for the 2012/13 financial year. His replacement joined the group from camera chain Jessops, which went into administration last week at the cost of 1,370 jobs across its 187 stores.

Coldplay's Live 2012 concert film, which has now been released worldwide, documents the Mylo Xyloto world tour, which has been seen by more than three million people since it began in June 2011. The disc includes footage from Coldplay's shows at Paris's Stade de France, Montreal's Bell Centre and the band's Pyramid Stage headline performance at Glastonbury 2011.

Last month, Coldplayers around the world watched the Live 2012 cinema screening ahead of the physical release, and this article focuses on the many reviews coming in from fans who went to see the new Live 2012 concert film in theatres around the world. You can read lots more at the Coldplay Live 2012 movie premiere thread in the Coldplay forum now.

We had so many reviews, we decided to spread them about a bit over several articles - read on for our second selection of reviews and images from around the globe...

That was really really good. The filming was fantastic, as was the recording. Loved the effects too, especially the slow-mos of Chris jumping during IMP. Only criticism is that the film didn't build up the momentum of the actual concert because it kept stopping for interviews (which got a bit silly by the end). Don't get me wrong, they certainly added something, but there were too many of them and some were a bit long. Thought the length was perfect, and on reflection, it was probably wise to leave out a few songs with the interviews included. One more thing... stay till after the credits have finished!!!! [thanks AlfredB]

An amazing spectacle which Coldplay and their team have put together for us adoring Coldplay fans, something that we should all appreciate. In regards to the film itself, I thought it was edited superbly. The slow motions of Chris jumping in In My Place were brilliant, the cut from Madrid to Paris in Major Minus, the graffiti before Paradise, the camera Chris held whilst running to the C Stage, the cuts towards the end of ETIAW! Everything was great; these are just a few effects I remember.

I was mystified as to why they put Up In Flames in black & white, and Us Against The World too! Also, why did they put UATW in a square box and make that black & white too? I probably would rather have seen both of these in their natural beauty as I did with the rest of them, but never mind. I was disappointed that they left songs such as Lovers In Japan, Speed Of Sound, Warning Sign The Scientist and Don't Let It Break Your Heart out, although I was aware of this before I went to see the film, and I'm also aware that the latter two are to be on the DVD as an extra. Showing the Glastonbury performance of Viva La Vida left me somewhat perplexed, because I thought it would have been great to see one of their most successful songs performed inside the Stade De France like most of the other songs.

I found it hilariously funny when Chris hopped onto the golf buggie and decided to take matters into his own hands and drive the thing himself ! What a legend! Sticking his tongue out whilst he turns the corner! He looked like he was enjoying himself there! Haha. The bit at the end when they are in the car and Will says: "Thank you for watching the film" in a pretty humorous way. Oh, and for those of you who left before the END of the credits, you missed out on something very special. Chris said something along the lines of: "Here I am sat eating Cadbury's chocolate buttons, and I'll be looking back at this in the year of 2032 and wondering if we could inject these through our nose to digest them." Hahaha What the hell? Absolutely priceless! Brilliant!

In terms of the atmosphere inside the cinema, it was pretty quiet actually. But for Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall everyone started clapping and singing. I sung throughout the whole thing, but I did have to hold myself back a bit and not sing as loud as I could and wanted to because I didn't want to spoil it for others. I suppose this took the gloss off it very slightly. I did, however, do the 'woooooahhhhhhh' anthem for Viva La Vida very loud when Will did it at the end! Hahahaha. But nontheless, I still managed to sing at a respectable volume, but didn't manage to get out of my seat and jump around everywhere as I had wished, but I can save that for home when the DVD comes out on Monday!

The interviews were very heartfelt. I could totally sympathise with Will when he was commenting on how hard it is sometimes being away from home at the other end of the world away from your families. Especially when his daughter was in hospital ill and he as way over in Los Angeles! I felt a great deal of sympathy for him. The interviews do give us a great insight, including how Chris tells us he can look fans in the eye, how Guy enjoys playing Charlie Brown most, and how Jonny knows there's still a long way for the band to go, although I suppose all four members were trying to get this across really. I thought they did well to credit those people behind the scenes such as Phil Harvey and all of the crew. They showcased what hard work they put in and gave them the recognition they deserved! [thanks ColdplaySheffield]

Coldplay Live 2012 captures perfectly the experience and emotion of going to see their concerts. Whether your with 80,000 people in the Emirates, or with 80 people in the cinema, their MyloTour is jaw dropping. When your all there in that one place for the same reason united by a love of all their songs, everything the band stand for etc, its just BRILLIANT! From the enchanting (almost magical) buildup of MX and Hurts like heaven through to some old classics, Mylo Xyloto never sounded better. Almost had an eargasm from the cinemas sound system on songs like GPASUYF and Paradise. Loved the shots of the crowd wearing their Xylobands, the emotion on peoples faces incredible. The interviews were brilliant, hearing Chris talk about the band and how he feels during a gig was heartwarming, seeing the confusion caused when Coldplay dissapear from the main stage and run aroundf the entire stadium to appear right at the back amongst the crowd was just as remembered. Fucking amazing. It was a little subdued however, I got the feeling everyone in the cinema wanted to get up, and sing and dance, i could see people waving their arms, and tapping their hands and feet, the seating made it a little awkward, created conflict between what would normally be a quiet sat down respectfull experience with everyone wanting to stand up and dance I guess.... anyway.... [thanks Jack1505]

So I saw it at the Movie Tavern which allows you to order meals and adult beverages There were some old couples in front of us knocking them back and lets just say I felt like I was back in the Toyota Center with the old drunk people! This lady handed out glow sticks to all 12 of us in the theater and then she danced and waved her hands around during viva la vida, it was quite amusing! I was really annoyed at the theater with their poor poor sound quality, all through out the movie their speakers were fuzzy and had that annoying crackling sound.

Oh the movie. Sigh. I really enjoyed the camera work, well done on that front, but the best parts were when they had the voice overs of the guys and the behind the scenes clips, those were the special moments. My heart melted when Will was talking about being in Las Vegas and getting a call that one of his kids was in hospital. You felt their joys and their triumphs and then you felt their lows and sorrows. I really enjoyed it and yes the end car scene just made me smile! Great film! Can't wait to get my DVD in the mail! It will probably arrive before my calendar does.. [thanks kjones31]

Just came back from the movie premier! I really liked the film and the xylobands are so pretty. My brother said "They must have spend so much money on making those and then for people to take them home." I said "They bought the firm that makes them but yeah" The only thing that I did not like about the film was that it focused so much on Paris. I wanted to see maybe more Madrid and other places. I want to go see them again but luckly, I'll be able to do that once I get my dvd! [thanks LiquidSky]

The film is so amazing! Really! I got really teary-eyed and goosebumps during MX (if I hadn't gone with my mum I think I would have cried! ) Loved the film parts between the songs, but a little more of Phil wouldn't hurt! The backstage images were very good also (not extremely private, but a little more than just the backstage room) and I loved hearing them tell what they feel and think. Audience wise: it was pretty calm, I could see some people really wanted to get up and dance; but it was mostly only quiet singing and occasionally clapping from some persons. Plus the quiet giggles whenever the elephant costume came up and the "omg! askjdsj" noises from girls whenever Guy came on

And the random message after the credits. I loved it! I can't wait to see it again! [thanks Arantza]

My first impression was WOW, in my lifetime I want to go to a concert like the one at Paris, and stand at the stage when I'm at it. The scale, the enthusiasm, the pretty girls , everything looked just so grand and amazing...and you guys were LOUD as well! My teeny tiny Seattle concert just pales in comparison. Like everyone else said, I am very pleased with the production values, the editing and the directing of this film - everything was very slick and felt right. The documentary clearly showed everyone's roles within the band...especially highlighting Chris the enthusiastic clown and Will the, well, champion! I loved how Jonny's eyes just lit up at so many points and Guy just looked around in awe of the audience. It was amazing living a concert through their eyes, and I truly appreciate the effort all of them, including Phil and the roadies put into making the concert such a memorable experience for us. I loved all the shots of the audience, real people like us, having the time of their life. Plus, Chris describing eyesex...wowza. The only misstep is the omission of the songs we all know about, and hopefully those are DVD extras. I also understand why they went with the venues that they did, I guess, but it would have been nice to acknowledge the other places they went to on the tour as well. And yes, my stupid cinema did cut out the last part after the credits. They didn't even let the credits roll all the way. I can't wait to analyze everything on the DVD! I have officially spent a lot of money on Coldplay this year. [thanks wabbit]

More Coldplayer reviews of Live 2012 to follow in part 4...

Images from around the world during the cinema screenings of Live 2012 on 13th November 2012:

Don't forget to check out your tour discussion thread if you are getting Coldplay tickets or just getting excited for the European & North American 2012 shows and other forthcoming appearances:

FEBRUARY 2012

8 Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia (iHeartRadio) [discussion]

9 Los Angeles, CA @ Jimmy Kimmel Live [discussion]

10 Los Angeles, CA @ GRAMMY Week MusiCares Person of the Year tribute [discussion]

12 Los Angeles, CA @ 54th Grammy Awards, Staples Center [discussion]

16 Sydney, Australia @ 2DayFM, Mobile Live Set (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Sunrise (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

21 London @ Brit Awards 2012, O2 Arena [discussion]

MARCH 2012

2 New York, NY @ Good Morning America [discussion]

4 New York, NY @ The Secret Policeman's Ball, Radio City Music Hall (Amnesty International) [discussion]

APRIL 2012

17 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place [discussion]

18 Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome [discussion]

20 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

21 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

24 Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena [discussion]

25 Seattle, WA @ KeyArena [discussion]

27 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

28 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

MAY 2012

1 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

2 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

3 Los Angeles, CA @ American Idol show [discussion]

4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [discussion]

18 Porto, Portugal @ Dragao Stadium [discussion]

20 Madrid, Spain @ Estadio Vicente Calderón [discussion]

22 Nice, France @ Stade Charles Herman / Nikaia [discussion]

24 Turin, Italy @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

26 Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund [discussion]

29 Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Stadium [discussion]

JUNE 2012

1 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

2 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

4 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

7 Sunderland, UK @ the Stadium of Light [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Wembley Stadium (Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2012) [discussion]

9 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

10 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

22 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

23 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

25 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

26 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]

29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]

JULY 2012

2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena [discussion]

3 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena [discussion]

5 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

6 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

8 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

9 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

23 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

24 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

26 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

27 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

29 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

30 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

AUGUST 2012

1 Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills [discussion]

3 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

4 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

7 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

8 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

11 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

28 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium [discussion]

30 Stockholm, Sweden @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

SEPTEMBER 2012

2 Paris, France @ Stade de France [discussion]

4 Cologne, Germany @ Rheinenergie Stadium [discussion]

6 The Hague, Netherlands @ Malieveld [discussion]

7 Los Angeles, US @ Shrine Auditorium (Stand Up To Cancer) [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Paralympics Closing Ceremony [discussion]

12 Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion [discussion]

14 Leipzig, Germany @ Red Bull Stadium [discussion]

16 Prague, Czech Republic @ Slavia Eden Stadium [discussion]

19 Warsaw, Poland @ National Stadium [discussion]

22 Hannover, Germany @ AWD Arena [discussion]

NOVEMBER 2012

10 Auckland, New Zealand @ Mt Smart Stadium [discussion]

12 Sydney, Australia @ MAX TV intimate show [discussion] [NEW!]

13 Melbourne, Australia @ Etihad Stadium [discussion]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

18 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

21 Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stadium [discussion]

DECEMBER 2012:

29 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena [discussion] [NEW!]

30 New York, NY @ Barclays Center [discussion] [NEW!]

31 New York, NY @ Barclays Center (with Jay-Z) [discussion] [NEW!]

Read also: European Stadium Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the Europe tour)

Read also: North America Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the US/Canada tour)

Read also: 2012: Live Appearances - Easy Thread Finder (last updated - 12th January 2012)

Read also: 2012 tour date rumours (please post dates for ALL countries in here)

Kit yourself up for the forthcoming MX tour and get spotted with Coldplaying's new range of merchandise! [click on the items for the full shop]

The new range of Coldplaying merchanise (unofficial of course to the official shop) has hit our stores, with our biggest range of goods so far. Prices are as low as they can be for a Cafepress shop so more people will be able to afford them. We don't take any profits for the sale of the merchandise as a result. Take a browse in one of the online stores nearest to you: UK | US | Canada | Australia | European (shipping is worldwide, but you can choose what currency to pay in) - simply alter the country dropdown menu at the top of the shop page. [thanks to TracieMorgan and zzz]

Coldplay's new Live 2012 release is far from a way to cash in on the platinum success of Mylo Xyloto, despite a release date suspiciously close to Christmas, writes Contact Music, in another promising of Coldplay's forthcoming concert film release, Live 2012, released earlier this month. Read on for the rest of the review...

While the more cynical members of the record buying public may not view Coldplay as being 'cool', even they couldn't deny that Live 2012 is somewhat of a triumph.

The overall package is a masterclass in how to entertain millions of people with arena rock at its best. Even the band themselves admit that this is the first time they've toured without worrying about what people think. Both the Blu Ray and accompanying CD demonstrate that, thereby creating a companion piece to Mylo Xyloto that adds context to that record rather than just re-treading the hits in a live setting...

Comparing Live 2012 with Coldplay's similar package from 2003 also reveals a band that's now less awkward and self-conscious. The most interesting moments here are actually not to be found in the concert footage itself, but rather in the behind the scenes interludes that punctuate the performances. Each band member has an opportunity to reveal not only their enthusiasm for playing live around the globe, but also their perspective on the different elements that have made up the tour.

These short vignettes include details of how the Mylo Xyloto artwork evolved and how they tried to translate that to a live setting with audience members wearing glowing wristbands. This peek behind the curtain is beneficial as it makes the gig footage from 3 different stops on the tour (including their most recent Glastonbury headline set) more engaging.

However, by dividing up the live footage there is a slight pacing issue with the film itself. At times the rather jarring transition from moments of stadium euphoria to black and white introspection can be a little distracting. This actually benefits the accompanying CD though, as it's freed from the gravitas of the narration and allows the music to take centre stage. Live 2012 includes some nice musical moments too. There's the low-key piano intro to 'Yellow', a guest appearance from Rhianna during 'Princess Of China', and the stripped back intimacy of 'Us Against The World'.

All of the other elements of big choruses and sing-along's spanning the entire Coldplay back catalogue are present and correct. The new material from Mylo Xyloto fits nicely alongside the older material and Chris Martin's voice seems to have found a renewed strength to cope with the massive venues the band now fills.

Much of the footage here looks impressive too, filled with confetti explosions and superimposed elements that were used on the live video screens. So while Live 2012 isn't without its minor flaws (such as a lack of extras beyond two bonus tracks and a photo gallery on the Blu Ray), the overall package does feel like a lot of care and attention has gone into it. While it's squarely aimed at the more dedicated Coldplay fan, Live 2012 is also a good example of why the band has been so staggeringly successful, winning over audiences one at a time with their impressive live shows. 8/10

New Live 2012 screenshots (via EpixHD):

Don't forget to check out your tour discussion thread if you are getting Coldplay tickets or just getting excited for the European & North American 2012 shows and other forthcoming appearances:

FEBRUARY 2012

8 Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia (iHeartRadio) [discussion]

9 Los Angeles, CA @ Jimmy Kimmel Live [discussion]

10 Los Angeles, CA @ GRAMMY Week MusiCares Person of the Year tribute [discussion]

12 Los Angeles, CA @ 54th Grammy Awards, Staples Center [discussion]

16 Sydney, Australia @ 2DayFM, Mobile Live Set (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Sunrise (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

21 London @ Brit Awards 2012, O2 Arena [discussion]

MARCH 2012

2 New York, NY @ Good Morning America [discussion]

4 New York, NY @ The Secret Policeman's Ball, Radio City Music Hall (Amnesty International) [discussion]

APRIL 2012

17 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place [discussion]

18 Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome [discussion]

20 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

21 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

24 Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena [discussion]

25 Seattle, WA @ KeyArena [discussion]

27 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

28 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

MAY 2012

1 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

2 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

3 Los Angeles, CA @ American Idol show [discussion]

4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [discussion]

18 Porto, Portugal @ Dragao Stadium [discussion]

20 Madrid, Spain @ Estadio Vicente Calderón [discussion]

22 Nice, France @ Stade Charles Herman / Nikaia [discussion]

24 Turin, Italy @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

26 Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund [discussion]

29 Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Stadium [discussion]

JUNE 2012

1 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

2 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

4 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

7 Sunderland, UK @ the Stadium of Light [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Wembley Stadium (Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2012) [discussion]

9 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

10 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

22 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

23 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

25 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

26 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]

29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]

JULY 2012

2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena [discussion]

3 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena [discussion]

5 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

6 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

8 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

9 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

23 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

24 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

26 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

27 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

29 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

30 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

AUGUST 2012

1 Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills [discussion]

3 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

4 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

7 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

8 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

11 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

28 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium [discussion]

30 Stockholm, Sweden @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

SEPTEMBER 2012

2 Paris, France @ Stade de France [discussion]

4 Cologne, Germany @ Rheinenergie Stadium [discussion]

6 The Hague, Netherlands @ Malieveld [discussion]

7 Los Angeles, US @ Shrine Auditorium (Stand Up To Cancer) [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Paralympics Closing Ceremony [discussion]

12 Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion [discussion]

14 Leipzig, Germany @ Red Bull Stadium [discussion]

16 Prague, Czech Republic @ Slavia Eden Stadium [discussion]

19 Warsaw, Poland @ National Stadium [discussion]

22 Hannover, Germany @ AWD Arena [discussion]

NOVEMBER 2012

10 Auckland, New Zealand @ Mt Smart Stadium [discussion]

12 Sydney, Australia @ MAX TV intimate show [discussion] [NEW!]

13 Melbourne, Australia @ Etihad Stadium [discussion]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

18 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

21 Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stadium [discussion]

DECEMBER 2012:

29 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena [discussion] [NEW!]

30 New York, NY @ Barclays Center [discussion] [NEW!]

31 New York, NY @ Barclays Center (with Jay-Z) [discussion] [NEW!]

Read also: European Stadium Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the Europe tour)

Read also: North America Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the US/Canada tour)

Read also: 2012: Live Appearances - Easy Thread Finder (last updated - 12th January 2012)

Read also: 2012 tour date rumours (please post dates for ALL countries in here)

Kit yourself up for the forthcoming MX tour and get spotted with Coldplaying's new range of merchandise! [click on the items for the full shop]

The new range of Coldplaying merchanise (unofficial of course to the official shop) has hit our stores, with our biggest range of goods so far. Prices are as low as they can be for a Cafepress shop so more people will be able to afford them. We don't take any profits for the sale of the merchandise as a result. Take a browse in one of the online stores nearest to you: UK | US | Canada | Australia | European (shipping is worldwide, but you can choose what currency to pay in) - simply alter the country dropdown menu at the top of the shop page. [thanks to TracieMorgan and zzz]

Coldplay's Live 2012 concert film has now been released worldwide. It documents the Mylo Xyloto world tour, which has been seen by more than three million people since it began in June 2011. The disc includes footage from Coldplay's shows at Paris's Stade de France, Montreal's Bell Centre and the band's Pyramid Stage headline performance at Glastonbury 2011.

Last week, Coldplayers around the world watched the Live 2012 cinema screening ahead of the physical release, and this article focuses on the many reviews coming in from fans who went to see the new Live 2012 concert film in theatres around the world. You can read lots more at the Coldplay Live 2012 movie premiere thread in the Coldplay forum now. Read on for our first selection of reviews and images from around the globe...

Just got back from Cineworld Brighton, absolutely brilliant..... Can't wait for the Blu-ray DVD to arrive in a few days. I do hope they add some more UK dates this tour, coz there's nothing like being there, it's wicked! [thanks Pierre]

Just got back, it was beautiful and not afraid to say I choked up with emotion at numerous points xD Only thing though..... was anyone elses screening so ear splitingly loud? I don't think they could have put the volume up any louder. It actually started to get uncomfortable after a while. [thanks Empily]

Stade de France proved to be an amazing venue with a great crowd My expressions during the whole film were probably hilarious - so many moments to giggle or grin stupidly! Lots and lots of Buckin (I'm not complaining ) Also featuring Chris' flowery t-shirt! To enhance the contrast, I've watched the Live 2003 concert for the first time today. What a difference! So many smiles throughout the film! There was one thing I noticed to be similar: a shot of Guy's fingers playing the apparently same bass like 9 years before. The film is heavily based on the Paris show. I loved the inclusion of La Cigale, again, the contrast between a stadium and a small space was incredible. The Hollywood Bowl is shown for maybe half a minute... Credits stated that Emirates was also included, so I'm guessing it was the run to the C-stage. Of course, the most exciting part was the interview bits. I felt like they could be longer or more of them, but they were great, Chris didn't forget to include a joke about Guy's looks What disappointed me a little was the last bit, when the 'negatives' were mentioned and I was waiting for some elaboration on that - there was none. So it could have been a couple of sentences shorter. What I liked the least: Viva from Glastonbury. Why? It felt out of place for me - no xylobands, no X-stage, I couldn't even say the crowd sounded extremely well. Well, I was shivering the whole film, people who didn't get to experience the live concert told me they were astonished! The credits part with the 'goodbye' was very sweet with Up with the Birds playing in the background and it was a great ending. Also: Cadbury buttons. [thanks la.cri.mosa]

Just got home from the movie (I saw it in Brussels). I really really loved it. The thing I loved most was perhaps that they showed so much close-ups of the crowd. You can totally feel what they feel and you get all warm on the inside because you still remember being one of them in the real-life concert and all. I don't know about you guys but I loved Up In Flames. Just the follow up of the 'backstage images' and then this song. I really enjoyed it. One thing did bother me though. Why did they put La Cigale in it? I mean, I can imagine that t was a good show and theyr tried illustrating that they also played small venues. But to me it's just a dealbreaker you know. Part of the magic of this film is the audience participation and well, there were a lot less people there. I don't really get it. [thanks doritji]

Just got back from one of the screenings in Cardiff, and it was bloody fantastic. There were only about 6 other people in the cinema, which I thought was a bit disappointing but it didn't affect my enjoyment of it. I was expecting the BTTF build up at the beginning, but it kicked off straight away with MX/Hurts like Heaven. I think HLH was the highlight for me, the best live recording I've heard of it - it was filled with energy. I was at first disappointed to read that LiJ and Warning Sign, but it seemed to flow perfectly. Even songs I'm not totally fond of (Major Minus, Up in Flames) sounded fantastic. It also goes without saying that Charlie Brown was EPIC, as was Paradise. I also really liked how UATW looked (i.e. unprofessional recordngs), it made it seem really intimate. I loved how the film went betweens locations, including some fairly small ones which I think worked really well. The interviews seemed a tad repetitive, but I liked how well placed in the setlist they were - Will's one was very emotional and I loved how it seemed to 'continue' into Up in Flames. All in all...wow. I can't wait to get my DVD to watch it again, but I hope my TV/Sound system does it justice! EDIT: And yes, it was ear splittingly loud for me too! The crowd noise was crazy, but that kind of added to the atmosphere. [thanks Vitamin Z]

I just got back from Live 2012, it was the first time when I stood during a movie in the cinema! And not just me! Almost everyone was standing, singing, screaming and clapping their hands! AMAZING! Some people even had glowing xylobands! haha! And OMG the end... haha xD Chris, are you okay? xD Really funny. And luckily I stayed with my friends after everyone left the cinema and we ask the menager if he has some promo posters. And guess what: HE HAD! He gave us I think 8 posters but it wasn't enough and I didn't get one But then I saw one on the wall and I ask if I can take it, the menager said: You found it, so it's yours. OMFG! They helped me to take it off and now I have this really cool poster in my room! xD P.S. During a movie, when Chris was speaking my friend shouted very loud: Shut up people, Master is speaking! haha xD omg the Viva la vida, the most incredible thing there. And the chant after we left the cinema! Oh my... [thanks Accola]

Wow, it was amazing! I'm pleased we got to see it in Estonia. Never been to real Coldplay show, but watching that movie with 500 people was quite close to real show. In the end when Every Teardrop started, at least 40 people stood up and danced along to it, that surprised me a bit . Great to see that there is at least some Coldplay fans in Estonia! Also saw one girl near me with 3 Xylobands. I have to admit, I really wanted to steal one. Seeing that today made me want to experience real Coldplay show even more. I really hope, that one day they understand that fans in Estonia and countries like Finland, Latvia and Lithuania also deserve a concert! [thanks CP-EST]

I just got back from watching Live 2012 at the cinema. I thought that it was absolutely fantastic, it obviously didn't compare to when I actually saw one of the concerts but the film was fantastic, the set list was really good and I sat singing my head off with a huge grin through the whole thing. I loved it all and the messages from the guys in between were deep and really made me feel like they were speaking to ME, I actually cried at Wills. At the end of the film after the credits I loved the message from Chris about chocolate buttons I love him! I love them all! The fans made the film even better, the xylobands looked fucking fantastic and the singing from us Coldplayers was simply brilliant. US COLDPLAYERS TRULY ARE THE GREATEST FANS IN THE WORLD. [thanks Mollyxyloto]

Just got back from Vue in Portsmouth. ABSOLUTELY AWESOME!!! The cinema was actually nearly full which I was impressed with! I thought the film was incredibly well done, the way the graphics and everything from the screens on stage spilled over into the film was incredibly clever, especially during HLH, Charlie Brown, Paradise and Clocks! I must admit, before seeing it I was worried that missing songs like The Scientist, LiJ and DLIBYH would take away from the film, but with the documentary parts filling the gaps between songs, it flowed perfectly and was about the right length I think! Definitely worth staying for the end after the credits, Chris' chocolate button soliloquy was so funny :') I think it captured the emotion and the atmosphere of the live show perfectly (of course not as good though! ) and EVEN THOUGH I said I wouldn't, a little tear came to my eye during Fix You...so overwhelming when the drums crash in! I cannot wait for the dvd to arrive next week! My only complaint??? It wasn't loud enough in our cinema!!! Also...an afterthought perhaps, I thought it was a shame that it focussed so heavily on the Paris show. Obviously it was great for continuity, but I wished more footage had come from the Emirates in London! Then again...I would say that because that was the show I saw!!! 10/10!!!! [thanks Jack1491]

I thought it was absolutely beautiful. When I got into my seat (Jonny side of the cinema of course) I actually had an anticipatory rise. Hurts Like Heaven gave me goosebumps and they pretty much lasted throughout the whole film. I thought the cinematography was great, especially on Us Against The World. The interview snippets were my favourite part. Will's build up to Up In Flames was really sombering. Chris' view on rock and roll myths will always be something I resonate with and the film re-affirms my disbelief at how people can hate the band and especially Chris. My only problem, and it's a very miniscule one, is the venue being sprawled across the screen during every change. Like I say, small and pretty nitpicky. I can't wait for my copy to arrive. CADBURY'S BUTTONS! thanks R_Burns]

So, just came home from watching the film. The film was good. I drove over an hour to get to a cinema showing it - and it is my BIRTHDAY today. Still I am disappointed! Where were the fans please. I was hoping for a bit of concert atmosphere, some singing, some clapping some cheering. NOTHING. I sat in the last row and was singing with some of the songs. For viva I sang louder and then the girl next to me moved away from her seat to a free one - at least she did not complain! I thought ok - they are shy - we are after all in Germany - but maybe they just need somebody to start it - but then she moves away from me. I know what some might say - your singing was awful ... . It wasn't and this is not the point. So please let me have your reviews about audience participation - am I the only one who expected singing or cheering? [thanks Mortilorie]

I just got back from watching Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto Live concert movie at GSC Pavillion. Ive found out about this screening event a few days back and was really adamant on getting the tickets. It was a one night only screening on the 13th of November, and the tickets were only released on the 11th November. So Kitty and i waited till midnight and copped the tickets the minute it was released. Just 5 minutes into the release all the seats were already taken. The screening was only shown in 3 cinemas in Malaysia. 1 Utama, Gardens & Pavillion. With each cinema showing at 730pm & 8pm. Unfortunately 1 Utama sold out almost instantly, Pavillion and Gardens to follow after. Lucky thing we managed to get a pair at Pavillion, with good seats.

Well, i have to say, the Film was all together brilliant. The concept, the narrative, the footage. All brilliantly done . I have to give it up to the guys behind the film, they put a lot of time and effort in making the concert something no one could ever imagine. I especially liked the wrist lights given to everyone who attended the concert. It had a receiver and was centrally controlled by a monitor which could then in turn control the function of the wristband lights to switch on, off or blink. It was fucking spectacular. With the tracks from Coldplay playing throughout the movie, the setting was perfect. People in the cinema, were singing along to the songs out loud, clapping their hands, and sitting at the edge of their seats. They just didnt gave a fuck, everyone in the cinema felt like they were apart of the concert, and at the very last bit when the movie finished and the credits rolled up. No on stood up to leave. Everyone were still in their seats. The lights came on and still no one budged. Literally none. So i honestly recommend all Coldplay fans and alike to have a go at it. Do not come in with expectations, come empty and u will leave with so much more. Get a copy of this film, brew a cup of hot coffee with a slice of apple cinnamon cake, switch on the air conditioning, sit yourself on the cozy side of your couch, snuggle up in a blanket and press play. Call it cliche muf. nuff said. thanks zerograv.tumblr.com]

More Coldplayer reviews of Live 2012 to follow...

Images from around the world during the cinema screenings of Live 2012 on 13th November 2012:

Don't forget to check out your tour discussion thread if you are getting Coldplay tickets or just getting excited for the European & North American 2012 shows and other forthcoming appearances:

FEBRUARY 2012

8 Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia (iHeartRadio) [discussion]

9 Los Angeles, CA @ Jimmy Kimmel Live [discussion]

10 Los Angeles, CA @ GRAMMY Week MusiCares Person of the Year tribute [discussion]

12 Los Angeles, CA @ 54th Grammy Awards, Staples Center [discussion]

16 Sydney, Australia @ 2DayFM, Mobile Live Set (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Sunrise (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

21 London @ Brit Awards 2012, O2 Arena [discussion]

MARCH 2012

2 New York, NY @ Good Morning America [discussion]

4 New York, NY @ The Secret Policeman's Ball, Radio City Music Hall (Amnesty International) [discussion]

APRIL 2012

17 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place [discussion]

18 Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome [discussion]

20 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

21 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

24 Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena [discussion]

25 Seattle, WA @ KeyArena [discussion]

27 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

28 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

MAY 2012

1 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

2 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

3 Los Angeles, CA @ American Idol show [discussion]

4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [discussion]

18 Porto, Portugal @ Dragao Stadium [discussion]

20 Madrid, Spain @ Estadio Vicente Calderón [discussion]

22 Nice, France @ Stade Charles Herman / Nikaia [discussion]

24 Turin, Italy @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

26 Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund [discussion]

29 Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Stadium [discussion]

JUNE 2012

1 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

2 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

4 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

7 Sunderland, UK @ the Stadium of Light [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Wembley Stadium (Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2012) [discussion]

9 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

10 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

22 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

23 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

25 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

26 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]

29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]

JULY 2012

2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena [discussion]

3 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena [discussion]

5 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

6 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

8 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

9 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

23 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

24 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

26 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

27 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

29 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

30 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

AUGUST 2012

1 Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills [discussion]

3 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

4 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

7 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

8 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

11 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

28 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium [discussion]

30 Stockholm, Sweden @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

SEPTEMBER 2012

2 Paris, France @ Stade de France [discussion]

4 Cologne, Germany @ Rheinenergie Stadium [discussion]

6 The Hague, Netherlands @ Malieveld [discussion]

7 Los Angeles, US @ Shrine Auditorium (Stand Up To Cancer) [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Paralympics Closing Ceremony [discussion]

12 Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion [discussion]

14 Leipzig, Germany @ Red Bull Stadium [discussion]

16 Prague, Czech Republic @ Slavia Eden Stadium [discussion]

19 Warsaw, Poland @ National Stadium [discussion]

22 Hannover, Germany @ AWD Arena [discussion]

NOVEMBER 2012

10 Auckland, New Zealand @ Mt Smart Stadium [discussion]

12 Sydney, Australia @ MAX TV intimate show [discussion] [NEW!]

13 Melbourne, Australia @ Etihad Stadium [discussion]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

18 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

21 Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stadium [discussion]

DECEMBER 2012:

29 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena [discussion] [NEW!]

30 New York, NY @ Barclays Center [discussion] [NEW!]

31 New York, NY @ Barclays Center (with Jay-Z) [discussion] [NEW!]

Read also: European Stadium Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the Europe tour)

Read also: North America Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the US/Canada tour)

Read also: 2012: Live Appearances - Easy Thread Finder (last updated - 12th January 2012)

Read also: 2012 tour date rumours (please post dates for ALL countries in here)

Kit yourself up for the forthcoming MX tour and get spotted with Coldplaying's new range of merchandise! [click on the items for the full shop]

The new range of Coldplaying merchanise (unofficial of course to the official shop) has hit our stores, with our biggest range of goods so far. Prices are as low as they can be for a Cafepress shop so more people will be able to afford them. We don't take any profits for the sale of the merchandise as a result. Take a browse in one of the online stores nearest to you: UK | US | Canada | Australia | European (shipping is worldwide, but you can choose what currency to pay in) - simply alter the country dropdown menu at the top of the shop page. [thanks to TracieMorgan and zzz]

If there's a way you can be the world's biggest pop band and still be underrated, well, Coldplay have figured out how, writes Indie Wire, in another promising of Coldplay's forthcoming concert film release, Live 2012, due out later in November. Read on for the rest of the review...

Their five albums, which always manage to be solidly artistic and hugely accessible, have sold tens of millions of copies, no small feat in the crumbling age of music, and yet their detractors say that they're boring and dull, two charges that cannot be leveled against "Coldplay Live 2012." A new concert documentary that charts their tour in support of last year's Mylo Xyloto album, 'Live 2012,' like this year's other two great concert docs ("Shut Up and Play the Hits" and "Katy Perry: Part of Me") is a boundlessly energetic, utterly endearing chronicle. Hands in the air, people.

Running a brisk hour-long, this documentary combines footage from the band's performances at Paris' Stade de France, Montreal's Bell Centre, and their headlining gig on the Pyramid Stage at England's Glastonbury Music Festival. Combining these various gigs is a great idea for a number of reasons, and not only because we get these nifty, Google Maps-on-acid flashes where the camera zooms into some new location through a fog of zippy haze, but because we get to see things like Rihanna show up in Paris to perform a rousing rendition of the beautiful, brilliant "Princess of China," and watch how the band's vibe and energy subtly change as their location shifts.

You can also see the evolution of the stage show particulars, especially from the prototypical version at Glastonbury (this performance was actually captured last year, before the tour had really begun). The band's stage set-up is simply mind blowing, with a runway that extends into the middle of the crowd with a big "X," pyrotechnics, lasers, giant pulsating screens, and every inch of equipment painted in bright neon splashes (the entire concept behind the album has to do with a dystopian future disrupted by outbursts of vivid color). It's outré writ large.

In between songs, there are interviews with various band members, which aren't exactly insightful but do allow you into the creative process a little bit, and add to the aw-shucks, these-guys-are-great vibe. When lead singer and band leader Chris Martin, who's married to a woman who, in the movies, is married to Tony Stark, bashfully says, "It's exciting when you're 15 and you throw a party and people show up," well, it's hard not to crack a smile. They all seem to be genuinely thrilled to be doing what they're doing, and that positivity is palpable in the live show.

At one point, one of the band members (you always hear them, never see them), talks about the wristbands that were passed out when people arrived at the venue. It was, according to them, one of the things that closed the gap between the performers and the audience. Then we see Chris Martin, imploring the crowd to stick their arms in the air. A switch is thrown and all of the wristbands, previously blank, light up in blinking neon colors that strobe to the music. It's one of those holy shit moments that only a huge-ass band like Coldplay could elicit, an Imagineered marvel, and even the band's most hardened, cynical critics would be hard pressed to think that it was anything but totally fucking cool.

The songs themselves sound even bigger and more universally rousing than they sound on record. There's something about hearing an audience sing along to a song like "Hurts Like Heaven" that gives the it an added scope and makes you appreciate the Coldplay machine in action – when they were writing these songs in some cramped English recording studio, you can't help but think they knew, 30,000 screaming, crying, dancing fans would be singing along to it one day. These songs are massive; built for stadium-sized sing-alongs. And while, honestly, nobody needs to ever hear "Yellow" again, watching them perform it in the context of this documentary, which is nothing if not boundlessly enthusiastic, it comes to life once more. The band remains tirelessly professional, and each one of them are both skilled musicians and electric performers, embracing the shtick with real energy and commitment (nothing's worse than seeing a pop star phone it in). And yes, "Fix You" still tugs on the old heartstrings.

Director Paul Dugdale gets into the spirit of the Mylo Xyloto Tour by occasionally "drawing" squiggles of bright paint on the screen, which adds to the outrageous, overstuffed nature of the experience. But he also knows when to tone it down and let the on-stage visuals speak for themselves. When "Paradise" starts subtly, with a darkened stage that's eventually brightened by glow-in-the-dark graffiti, it's striking enough without any additional flourishes. If anything, the documentary should be longer, should capture more of the live experience, to better replicate the experience of watching the band onstage. But that's a minor quibble. At the end of "Coldplay Live 2012," even a cursory understanding of the experience of watching Coldplay live is better than nothing at all. Wristbands not included. B+

New Live 2012 screenshots (via EpixHD):

Don't forget to check out your tour discussion thread if you are getting Coldplay tickets or just getting excited for the European & North American 2012 shows and other forthcoming appearances:

FEBRUARY 2012

8 Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia (iHeartRadio) [discussion]

9 Los Angeles, CA @ Jimmy Kimmel Live [discussion]

10 Los Angeles, CA @ GRAMMY Week MusiCares Person of the Year tribute [discussion]

12 Los Angeles, CA @ 54th Grammy Awards, Staples Center [discussion]

16 Sydney, Australia @ 2DayFM, Mobile Live Set (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Sunrise (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

21 London @ Brit Awards 2012, O2 Arena [discussion]

MARCH 2012

2 New York, NY @ Good Morning America [discussion]

4 New York, NY @ The Secret Policeman's Ball, Radio City Music Hall (Amnesty International) [discussion]

APRIL 2012

17 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place [discussion]

18 Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome [discussion]

20 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

21 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

24 Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena [discussion]

25 Seattle, WA @ KeyArena [discussion]

27 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

28 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

MAY 2012

1 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

2 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

3 Los Angeles, CA @ American Idol show [discussion]

4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [discussion]

18 Porto, Portugal @ Dragao Stadium [discussion]

20 Madrid, Spain @ Estadio Vicente Calderón [discussion]

22 Nice, France @ Stade Charles Herman / Nikaia [discussion]

24 Turin, Italy @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

26 Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund [discussion]

29 Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Stadium [discussion]

JUNE 2012

1 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

2 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

4 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

7 Sunderland, UK @ the Stadium of Light [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Wembley Stadium (Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2012) [discussion]

9 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

10 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

22 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

23 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

25 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

26 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]

29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]

JULY 2012

2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena [discussion]

3 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena [discussion]

5 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

6 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

8 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

9 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

23 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

24 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

26 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

27 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

29 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

30 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

AUGUST 2012

1 Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills [discussion]

3 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

4 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

7 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

8 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

11 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

28 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium [discussion]

30 Stockholm, Sweden @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

SEPTEMBER 2012

2 Paris, France @ Stade de France [discussion]

4 Cologne, Germany @ Rheinenergie Stadium [discussion]

6 The Hague, Netherlands @ Malieveld [discussion]

7 Los Angeles, US @ Shrine Auditorium (Stand Up To Cancer) [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Paralympics Closing Ceremony [discussion]

12 Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion [discussion]

14 Leipzig, Germany @ Red Bull Stadium [discussion]

16 Prague, Czech Republic @ Slavia Eden Stadium [discussion]

19 Warsaw, Poland @ National Stadium [discussion]

22 Hannover, Germany @ AWD Arena [discussion]

NOVEMBER 2012

10 Auckland, New Zealand @ Mt Smart Stadium [discussion]

12 Sydney, Australia @ MAX TV intimate show [discussion] [NEW!]

13 Melbourne, Australia @ Etihad Stadium [discussion]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

18 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

21 Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stadium [discussion]

DECEMBER 2012:

29 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena [discussion] [NEW!]

30 New York, NY @ Barclays Center [discussion] [NEW!]

31 New York, NY @ Barclays Center (with Jay-Z) [discussion] [NEW!]

Read also: European Stadium Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the Europe tour)

Read also: North America Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the US/Canada tour)

Read also: 2012: Live Appearances - Easy Thread Finder (last updated - 12th January 2012)

Read also: 2012 tour date rumours (please post dates for ALL countries in here)

Kit yourself up for the forthcoming MX tour and get spotted with Coldplaying's new range of merchandise! [click on the items for the full shop]

The new range of Coldplaying merchanise (unofficial of course to the official shop) has hit our stores, with our biggest range of goods so far. Prices are as low as they can be for a Cafepress shop so more people will be able to afford them. We don't take any profits for the sale of the merchandise as a result. Take a browse in one of the online stores nearest to you: UK | US | Canada | Australia | European (shipping is worldwide, but you can choose what currency to pay in) - simply alter the country dropdown menu at the top of the shop page. [thanks to TracieMorgan and zzz]