Coldplay performed in a sell-out gig last night to celebrate the launch of their third album which is set to become one of the biggest sellers of all time.
Hundreds of fans queued – some from 3pm the day before the gig – to get tickets for the one-off concert at the 1,200 capacity Koko in Camden, north London, as many more raced to the shops to get their hands on the X&Y album which went on sale yesterday.
Industry experts are predicting that more than 400,000 copies of the album will fly off the shelves this week, sending it straight to number one.
Last night's gig, which was broadcast live on Radio One, was the only chance for fans to see the group in an intimate venue before Coldplay perform at a number of huge outdoor shows this summer – including their headline appearance at Glastonbury’s Pyramid Stage on June 25.Frontman Chris Martin gave a typically energetic performance as he launched into Square One from the new album, followed by old favourites Politik and Clocks. His wife Oscar-winner Gwyneth Paltrow was said to be one of the guests in the VIP lounge.
X&Y, which was leaked onto the internet last week despite unprecedented security measures, could become the second fastest selling album since record began in the early 1990s. UK retailers predict 500,000 copies could be shifted by Saturday. Only the 1997 album from Oasis, Be Here Now, has ever broken the 500,000 mark in the first week of release selling 695,761 copies.
HMV said many of its stores opened early to find fans queuing outside, with many hoping to pick up a copy on the way to work. HMV spokesman Gennaro Castaldo said: “We haven’t seen anything like this since Oasis released Be Here Now in August 1997.
“The excitement around X&Y is palpable and has been building for quite some time now. The band certainly haven’t disappointed both critically and commercially. Its an absolutely brilliant recording that will take Coldplay onto the next level of global superstardom, and it’s fair to say that we’re already looking at the biggest album of the year by far.”
Coldplay were beaten to the number one spot in the singles charts by the Crazy Frog ringtone.
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