A reminder that Shazam, the world’s leading mobile discovery company, recently announced it is giving one lucky Shazamer and their guest the concert experience of a lifetime to see Coldplay perform live, as part of its “Golden Tag” promotions. When fans in the US, UK and Canada use their iOS and Android devices to Shazam any Coldplay song, including their latest singles, “Paradise” and “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall,” they will receive a chance to enter and win a grand prize trip to see them in concert, including airfare and a three-night stay in a hotel. The contest, which runs from today through midnight on 15 October will also award five Shazamers with Coldplay prize pack which includes the band’s new album, "Mylo Xyloto."

Entering the Coldplay Golden Tag promotion is easy! All you have to do is: 1. Activate Shazam Friends (via the Friends Tab in your Shazam App); 2. Shazam ANY Coldplay song between 19 September 2011 – 15 October 2011. It’s just that easy! Winners will be selected on or around 16 October 2011. Fans can follow the Golden Tag promotion on Facebook pages for Coldplay and Shazam.

Media reviews for Paradise are still coming in, a couple of weeks after its release. You can read all the media reviews found so far at WikiColdplay now. We'll have more reviews when we find them, in the meantime, below is the latest review found, courtesy of Altsounds...

Odd electro noises are accompanied with classical strings in the typical window sill fashion sense before everything else steps onto the “Paradise” stage. Drums that you would expect in a Rihanna song and melodies you would expect from a band like Friendly Fires and the ‘oohs’ from 3Oh!3 is what you first hear. That is, of course, until Chris Martin’s vocals come into play and there is no doubt in your mind that this is Coldplay. A wonderful chorus of “para-para-paradise” reminds you just how good they really are. It will remain with you for weeks to come, like that new piece of clothing you just can’t get enough of. Some would argue that this is perhaps a little bland from the Coldplay boys. For example, is there really any defining riff? The answer, I’m afraid to say, is no.

There isn’t a whole lot of creativity or originality chucked into the blender of musical production. But, let’s be honest now, who gives a crap?! Not me, for sure. Yes, it is a little different from the normal Coldplay formula, incorporating a large amount of electro elements into their songs, but it still upholds this sense of emotional window sill experiences. The heart and soul of Coldplay remains the same, it’s just the body that has changed. Maybe it isn’t as handsome as its predecessor, but I’m not that shallow - it’s all about what’s on the inside. So, in short, as Mr. Micawber would say, Coldplay have retained themselves. They’ve safeguarded the essence of Coldplay in this second single, "Paradise". It’s still Coldplay, it’s still brilliant - it always will be. It’s not the same, necessarily, but it’s still brilliant. And that’s all that matters. [via Altsounds]

Last night on Twitter, Parlophone posted a picture of an MX-style hoarding around an unknown building [pictured, right] with the message "Somewhere in a street in London... @coldplay secret lair for one day only http://twitpic.com/6rhaxo".

It turns out, thanks to plenty of Coldplayer investigative work (read on for the conversation), that it was a Mylo Xyloto playback event for the press at a nightclub venue next to the Fishworks, on 7-9 Swallow Street, London W1B 4DE - literally a place somewhere where journalists could come and listen to the album and write reviews on it. So - you can expect plenty of pre-reviews to pop up soon prior to the release of the album on 24th October.

Don't forget that, as reported a couple of weeks ago, Coldplay have been nominated in two categories at this year's Q Awards in London. They're up for the Best Live Act and also the Best Act In The World Today. You can vote for this at awards.qthemusic.com now. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 24 October - which just happens to be the release date for the new album Mylo Xyloto. Meanwhile, speaking of the Q Awards...

Scans of Coldplay article as featured in the 25th anniversary edition of Q Magazine (found on 28th September 2011): [thanks Mimixxx]

Coldplay played their penultimate festival of their gruelling summer tour last night at Atlanta's Music Midtown Festival (24th September 2011). They now take a week break before heading to South America to play the Rock In Rio festival on 1st October and then South Africa to play two huge concerts in Cape Town and Johannesburg, starting on 5th October.

Last night, Coldplay performed an REM cover of Everybody Hurts which replaced Us Against the World in the usual setlist. Only hours earlier, Warner Brothers had confirmed through a press release that the rumuor concerning the breaking up REM was official. The R.E.M. members announced their decision to 'call it a day as a band', on their website. According to their statements, the disbandment is amicable as the members will continue to remain close friends. You can watch the cover of Everybody Hurts at the Coldplay Live forum and see what Chris Martin said about their friends.

The setlist also included a short excerpt of Georgia On My Mind just before Fix You (a rendition that replaced Amy Winehouse's Rehab tribute). Some excellent photos from the front are available courtesy of greeneyes1207 at Facebook and also jennafu at Flickr. More live discussion on this show is at the Coldplay Live forum (reviews start around page 6 onwards). Thanks to everyone who has contributed on the forums, Youtube and twitters. We'll have more on this show over the next few hours/days!

Setlist (confirmed): [thanks hahninator]

MX / Hurts Like Heaven

Yellow

In My Place

Major Minus

Paradise

Lost!

The Scientist

Violet Hill

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face

Everybody Hurts (REM cover - acoustic/piano)

Politik

Viva La Vida

Charlie Brown

Life Is For Living

---------

Clocks

Fix You (Georgia On My Mind intro)

Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

Photo courtesy of greeneyes1207 / Facebook

So, after all this time, I finally got to experience Coldplay live tonight at the festival. One of my best birthday presents yet! Got as close to the front as we could (had a friend with me). The bass was blowing me away at times, but it was a totally awesome, unforgettable experience. "Mylo Xyloto", "Hurts Like Heaven", "Major Minus", "Paradise", "Charlie Brown". . . all the new ones they played sounded great. Yes, even "Every Teardrop is a Waterfall". It was a shame that they didn't play "Us Against the World", but the tribute was nice anyway. I can't wait for them to come back around this way (Alabama/Georgia) again so I can see them for a second time. And, I've got to say, even if you don't like some of the new songs from what you've heard, hearing them live is a totally different experience that changes everything about the song. In the end, you haven't truly heard the song until you've heard it live and in person. Great job to the boys and I can't wait to see what they do next! If anyone wants to know anything about the concert/festival, feel free to ask! Cheers. [thanks Rainy Day]

Everybody Hurts replaced Us Against the World on the set list, which kinda sucked for me because UAtW is my favorite of the MX songs. Also, instead of Rehab, Chris introed Fix You with Georgia on my Mind. There was no Up in Flames. Otherwise, the setlist was ACL with the above changes. [thanks HollandX]

It's so hard to enjoy yourself and record at the same time. I sang my little heart out every single song. We showed up at 3:30ish while Joy the Formidable were still performing, and we kept moving up until we got very close to the stage, not front row back I had a very good view. After the band took a bow 3x at the end of the concert, Chris actually got on his knees and bowed 1x again. He has said that Atlanta is a special place for the band. I don't know if my old mind can recall the set list. Paradise was played early in the set, no US Against the World. I know they started with MX/Hurts Like Heaven, Yellow, In My Place. After that I can recall the order, but they went on to sing Major Minus, Lost, The Scientist, Violet Hill, God Put A Smile...., Life is for Living, Politik, Tribute to R.E.M., Viva La Vida, Charlie Brown, For the encore, Clocks, GA On My Mind intro to Fix you, ETIAW. coldplaymom]

New here, first Coldplay show after 150+ shows by other bands...blown away. Been following extensively since the Rock im Park / Rock am Ring shows. Great great promo run so far for MX, stoked for the album. Had so much fun at the show. My gf lives a mile away so we just walked.hahninator]

First off I have to thank AFeather for the ticket. I got to Atlanta around 11am and headed to the park. I had to pick up tickets from will call, which took forever as Coldplay was the last band to go on, so they were printing their guest list last. While waiting in line I met a guy who I later found out was the bass player for The Constellations. Turns out everyone had to wait a long time to get credentials, even the artists. The will call was next to the box office by the way. The whole event seemed unorganized, but I got my ticket and heeded for the gate. Once there I was told I couldn't take my backpack in (a backpack I had already received approval for the day before). However the 'nice' lady working the event told me about a secret side business nearby at the bicycle check in. They were also checking in bags for off-the-books 2 dollar donations. The hush-hush way they went about it made the event even more odd and unprofessional, but I didn't have a choice, so I did it. Once inside I spotted people with larger backpacks and dslr's with no press pass. Still wondering how one girl snuck in a 70-200mm lens. The only thing that made this event worthwhile was Coldplay. I was lucky enough to be among the first few rows near Jonny's side. The guys seemed to be very comfortable this time around. Guy was all smiles and I even caught him laughing at something he spotted in the crowd a few times. Chris also looked to be a little more loose than normal. He was making funny faces the entire night and looked to be interacting with individual people in the audience. They made a few mentions about how important Atlanta is to them. The switch outs from the regular setlist were definitely crowd pleasers. Overall I got the feeling that their confidence was really high. I haven't had any real sleep in a few days so I know there is a lot I'm missing, but once I go through pics and videos, I'm sure I'll be reminded of some more great moments. One thing I won't miss is how muddy I got there. It was like a mini Glastonbury as you got closet to the stage. [thanks JimmyD]

Amazing show. They were the best I've ever seen them. Perhaps it's because one of their idols from REM was in the front row, Peter Buck. It was awesome seeing him there. Their cover of Everybody Hurts at the show was beyond amazing. Also, Chris I've never seen Chris this energetic before and he was looking at the audience very weirdly, but in a playful manner and it was funny. JONNY was going CRAZY, I have NEVER seen him like this before and I've watched all of the recent festival steams. Also, they changed what plays on the screen a little and it's pretty cool. I've seen the boys before, but THIS performance, was the best thing I have EVER seen. I sense that the MX tour is going to be off the charts. [thanks Forty Two]

More Coldplayer reviews to follow...

New photos of Coldplay @ Music Midtown Festival, Atlanta (24th September, 2011):

More photos available via greeneyes1207 @ Facebook

Several major sites - including those of Ticketmaster and Seetickets - appeared to have sold out all three of the UK Coldplay shows shortly after they went on sale at 9.30am. Coldplay are due to play Glasgow SECC on December 3rd, Manchester's MEN Arena on December 4th and the O2 Arena in London on December 9th - all were sold out this morning in just a few seconds as an estimated 100,000 fans flocked to the Internet to try and get their hands on scarce tickets for the shows. Did you get tickets or were you left disappointed? We want to hear your story at the Coldplay Live forum now [currently requires login/registration]

Shortly after tickets went on sale Coldplayers took to Twitter to express their delight - and disappointment - over the forthcoming shows. 'Well that was stupid! Coldplay sold out in 7 mins, no ticket,' tweeted one fan, JackMartinez, while willfarnell added, 'lots of very unhappy coldplay fans!! 10 minutes to sell out and they clearly weren't sold out via presale as it didn't work!'

Tickets disappointment has even sparked a new HM Government e-petition entitled 'Stop Ticket Touts Profiteering'. It describes the situation as: "Tickets for concerts and sporting events are bought and immediately sold for massive profit. This means the ordinary fan has to pay not only a "booking fee" and a "postage charge" but a huge uplift from profiteers with no interest in the event. Ticketmaster, not content with fleecing people for postage costs on e-tickets (!?!) have set up "getmein.com" which gains a second booking fee from the profiteers! This was outlawed in the 80's with football tickets and this legislation must be widened to cover these chancers."

Others did report ticket success, while there were complaints from other tweeters over the £65 price of the tickets and also a system which only allowed a maximum of two per customer. Fans are now likely to turn to other sources to try and secure tickets for the shows. The shows will see the band playing tracks from their fifth album Xylo Myloto, which is due for release on October 24.

Some of your comments at the Coldplay Live forum following a complete sell out of Coldplay's shows:

I have spent both yesterday and today at my daughters request sat at my computer ready to buy tickets for the O2 arena the second they went on sale. I was on the mark as soon as ticket master opened the screen I attempted to purchase only to see that they were sold out ? How could that be within a second of going on sale. I then went to Ebay to see tickets galore at 4 and 5 times the face value, Also many ticket companies are selling on-line at inflated prices. I want you to know that I am so disappointed for my daughter and her friend, It seems that the only fans going to the concerts will be the mega rich who can afford the inflated prices from the unscrupulous and corrupt ticket sellers. And the fans like my daughter who at 17 cannot afford to pay hundreds for tickets marked at 47.50 shall miss out on her dream of seeing Coldplay preform live. I feel so very sad at this impossible situation. my Daughter just rang me from school and I had to tell her the bad news, Her disappointment is heart breaking. Why does this happen how do companies selling inflated tickets on Ebay get access to them in the first place when fans cant get a look in. [thanks mhynes445]

Just don't even look at ebay right now guys. Firstly because we all need to help each other out on here first, please take my advice and don't buy off of ebay at all. (even if you are very rich indeed, still, it promotes and encourages more people to sell on there, ruining things for us). Secondly, just don't look on there because you will feel a disparity of both anger and sad. It will ruin your fucking day. [thanks Craigie-J]

I tried the pre sale yesterday with no luck and the same again today. What annoyed me was that when I googled Coldplay O2 tickets yesterday they were already available on the exchange sites and e bay at extortionate prices which means either fans are selling on for profit or non fans are signing up to get ticket opportunities. I've signed the petition as this circus which happens every time tickets go on sale must stop. [thanks alanhunt1967]

I tried to get 2 standing at 9:30:05 and absolutely nothing.... went back and tried for the tiered seats and again nothing. I managed to get through to order 2 standing from Seetickets but I took too long filling in the form and when I got to the confirmation page it said they'd sold out - can't believe they don't hold your tickets for you at all. Just a joke. Something just ain't right here surely? It's hard to believe they'd sell out that fast.... but then again this is the first big UK gig in like two years and everyone was talking about it, Radio 1 ended up advertising the gigs because one of the DJ's couldn't keep his mouth shut. They better add another date or I'll be quite fed up with the band tbh. It's not very fair that so many genuine fans have to loose out. Perhaps it's already a planned thing to add another show on the Saturday. It might be that they'd rather stage the two dates sales. Gotta love the o2 Also I have to be honest, the price of tickets this time has left a bad taste in my mouth. On See tickets the standing tickets were nearly £70!! I mean, with the booking fee the cheapest tickets this time were £50. I got level 1 Wembley tickets for less than that! Don't know whether it's more the band to blame or the venues but it's daylight robbery in my opinion. I know the guys are massive and all but there should be some kind of limit on how much these venues should be able to charge and I don't think £70 bloody pounds is reasonable at all... I would have attempted to but I wasn't able to get online yesterday morning, otherwise I would have logged on. The pre-sale is supposedly a very limited amount so some of us would have still missed out. I think a lot of us didn't expect it to be so difficult to get tickets this morning either. I've been lucky enough to see the band live 3 times, last time was at their really small Christmas 09 charity gig they did in Exeter which I feel extremely blessed to have gone to seeing as it's a very rare thing to get the chance to see the band in such an intimate setting now they're so very big. So I shouldn't feel too sorry for myself if they don't add another date. There's always the proper MX tour which is bound to be earlyish next year. [thanks loveintechnicolor]

I managed to get 2 standing tickets yesterday, and I was trying for one ticket for my friend this morning as he was working at 9:30 (i was too but nevermind).

And I was there on the dot and nope, no standing available for feck sake. So i head over to viagogo and the like to see how much, £119 up for standing up to £700 :/ Somebody needs to put a stop to this "legal touting" nonsense. Ebay ok, can deal with that but ban the others! [thanks thehitcher]

I just feel totally gutted atm. I tried yesterday in the presale and was never even offered lower tier tickets, which is what i need, so i came back this morning to try again and still had no luck with Ticketmaster so i tried Seetickets (i had both pages open well before 9.30am and kept refreshing them both) who actually offered me block 109, but when i put in the number of tickets i wanted it said "sorry, no results match your request" and then basically got nowhere since then. Now i'm just hoping and praying that they either add an extra London date or we get a proper full UK tour some time next year. [thanks shesawsparks]

Well no luck again today, my friend bought tcikets for Frankfurt instead for fear we were going to have nothing in our hands, seeing as they're not going to play here in Italy for the forseeable future. This time was even more fucked up than usual, because most of the people from the countries where they are not supposed to play in December, have of course tried to get tickets to London, raising up even more the total number of people trying, and this will be the case also if they're going to add another date in London, I don't really think the situation is going to be better for us fans. [thanks iriden]

I Tried and failed both yesterday and today to acquire tickets for the O2 gig. Birthday present for my daughter. Gutted. And to rub salt in to the wound they are all ready selling on Ebay at over inflated prices. Touts making money at the expense of the fans. I am really sad that my daughter will miss out and I also feel for the hundreds of other folk in the same boat. It is high time that the UK ticketing system was sorted for once and for all. [thanks digimoll]

I was fairly confident they would have added a second London date this morning. I still think they will, but unfortunately it will probably be advertisied in advance, and we will have to go through the same thing again. If they just added them around 10:30 as in the past, fans still trying to get tickets would have been able to purchase them. Now they will just end up in the hands of touts again. [thanks evilelvis]

More photos of Coldplay at Austin City Limits festival (16th September 2011):

Pictures: ACL Festival @ Flickr

Coldplay fans have been warned to watch out for ticket scams when general tickets for their anticipated European winter tour go on sale this morning (September 23rd). The band will first play three dates in the UK in December as part of a wider-reaching European jaunt. The other dates will take place at venues in France, Germany, Holland and Belgium. Concerns have now been raised by industry insiders after a number fake ticket sites have appeared online. If you're not sure about a website or want to discuss buying/selling/trading face value tickets join us at the Coldplay Live forum now [currently requires login/registration]

Ed Parkinson, director of viagogo, told Digital Spy: "When a huge band like Coldplay announces a tour, we immediately see a number of suspicious websites popping up attempting to convince unsuspecting music fans that they can offer tickets to sold out events. Over 500,000 consumers were duped by scam sites in the last year so consumers must approach with caution. Check to see whether the website has been endorsed by events or brands that you recognise."

The UK leg kicks off at Glasgow's SECC on December 3, before arriving at Manchester's MEN Arena on December 4 and London's O2 Arena on December 9. The tour will be the band's first following the release of their new album 'Mylo Xyloto', which is out next month, and follows shortly after a huge festival tour programme and a trip to South Africa. General tickets go on sale for all shows on Friday (September 23) at 9am.

In 2009, Coldplay played just three stadium dates and sold out Wembley in just two minutes and in 2005, Coldplay's five date tour sold out in twenty minutes. Coldplay was the number one band search term post festival season this year ' moving up 20 places prior to the start of festival season in June, and after being voted top festival headliner by BBC6 Music this week, viagogo predicts that fans will see overwhelming competition for tickets, with just over 50,000 tickets going on sale. The tickets that are on sale on Friday September 23rd at 9.30am, are priced from £47.50 + fees (onsale 9am Friday for European dates). The general sale will begin on Friday morning for all shows. Read on for the full tour itinery now...

Coldplay UK & European tour dates for December 2011 are as follows:

UK Dates

3 December - Glasgow, SECC [discussion]

4 December - Manchester, MEN Arena [discussion]

9 December - London, O2 Arena [discussion]

European Dates

14 December - Paris, Bercy [discussion]

15 December - Cologne, Lanxess Arena [discussion]

17 December - Rotterdam, Ahoy [discussion]

18 December - Antwerp, Sportpaleis [discussion]

20 December - Frankfurt, Festhalle [discussion]

21 December - Berlin, O2 World Arena [discussion]

New photos of Coldplay @ Much Music, Toronto (21st September, 2011):

Photos courtesy of INFDaily website

On a day when rock enthusiasts were mourning the loss of R.E.M, Coldplay proved there are still groups out there carrying the torch. The quartet performed a 14-song, 65-minute free show in Toronto Wednesday evening (Sept. 21) – broadcast live in Canada on MuchMusic and in the U.S. on Fuse TV -- supporting their forthcoming 'Mylo Xyloto' album before thousands of fans. And while all braved inclement weather, the skies cleared for the show, which was split evenly between older albums and the upcoming one. "Well good evening everybody," Martin said, thanking fans for putting up with the rain and adding that -- given their traditional English insecurity -- they expected three people to show up in the parking lot adjacent to MuchMusic headquarters. Just a wee bit more than that turned up, Chris! [via Spinner]

The setlist included most of the new songs from the Mylo Xyloto era, and Us Against The World closed out the set as the encore. Some excellent photos of the soundcheck are available via the INFDaily. If you are online today you can rewatch the performance at muchmusic.com/coldplay - alternatively you will be able to download, listen and watch again to the streamed recording of the performance via our Multimedia forum where the set will be uploaded in various formats soon - keep an eye out.

More live discussion on this show is at the Coldplay Live forum (32 pages and counting - reviews start around page 30 onwards). Thanks to everyone who has contributed on the forums, Youtube and twitters. We'll have more on this show over the next few hours/days!

Setlist (confirmed): [thanks jonbenar]

MX/Hurts Like Heaven

Yellow

In My Place

Major Minus

Paradise

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face

Viva la Vida

Charlie Brown

The Scientist

Clocks

Rehab (Amy Winehouse tribute)

Fix You

Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

-------

Us Against The World

Photo courtesy of INFDaily website

Great concert, contrary to what people said about the crowd not being into it, I would disagree, I don't think the taping did any justice. I was pleasantly surprised at to how many people knew all of the lyrics to their new stuff, and everyone at the front was really getting into it. I really felt that this was a true Coldplay concert in the sense that we waited outside in the rain, like the die-hard fans we are, all day just to see them perform for an hour. The weather was horrendous all day, then stopped raining right before the concert. I don't know if anyone saw the performance at Letterman, but that was a horrible crowd. It wasn't until the end where they really started getting into it. The boys seemed like they were having a great time, really getting into it. Their new stuff really is amazing live, especially Charlie Brown. I didn't realize how amazing the fireworks were until seeing it live. Definitely is a nice addition to the show. I was fortunate enough to get a setlist, and they had Violet Hill on it, but they didn't end up playing it. Which I found to be a little strange, especially because they were playing it at the soundcheck. Glad to meet anyone who was there today and waited all day, can't wait to see you guys again! [thanks jonbenar]

Don't really care what anyone else says i was there, front row and loved every second of it!! i video's all of uatw anticipating that it wouldn't get taped so ill try and add it at some point!! truly a great night!! <3 BED TIME THOUGH! [thanks secretspy]

Well to put it simply - The show was amazing! My friend and I were a couple people back from the stage and it was awesome! The rain made for an interesting 3hr wait, haha but I love rain so it was good fun! I must say though, a little disappointed with some people in the crowd tonight - Umbrellas in my face during the wait when we were told not to bring them, and constantly being hit by large bags/backpacks (other items no one should have brought into the lot). And the guy behind me definitely ruined a good chunk of the show for me... Screaming the lyrics to every song (even the slow ones) and making guitar noises, etc. with his mouth all completely out of key and to the point where I could hear him more than Chris sometimes, and then he constantly commented on every single thing. I understand we are all excited but I thought that was just rude. Aside from some people, was a solid night... I love photography and usually have my camera out taking pics through concerts but I left it in my bag the whole time, and took a couple with my friend's cam then we put away. We decided just to enjoy the show and super glad we did! Tried watching the video up on the Much website but ready to pass out! So very glad I sit in a chair all day at work tmrw - I can barely feel my feet! Hope everyone else who was there had a great time! [thanks green_eyes11]

Just got back from the show. I was dead center about 7 or 8 feet from the stage. I agree that the crowd wasnt the greatest but I also noticed it was a lot of young people(15-16 year olds) in the area I was standing in. Just talking to people and over hearing it was many peoples first coldplay concert. I thought it was a good show, nice touch with the fireworks. For a free show (and free food!) im not complaining at all! [thanks Suhayb217]

It was an amazing show! To the wolfpack ( you know who you are ) that was truly awesome, my camera is pretty crappy but I'll try to get some pics up, got a few nice ones. I am so glad the rain let up for the show, it was kinda crazy there for a while. At least now I know, do not wear sandals when there is the chance of major rain showers. And to aunie, thank you so much , that was so nice. I hope you and your sister got to see at least some of the concert. So going to watch the replay at 1 am on Much! [thanks PlayAMessage]

The show was amazing! I was there before the soundcheck then after they moved us all to the opposite side of the street I left to buy a hat because I was getting soaked. I came back and waited around for about 2 hours and something said to me ask the security guard about wristbands. I asked if this is where the wristbanders were *just to be safe* thats when he said they are already inside these people don't have wristbands... WTFFF this whole time I waited thinking those were Rogers people. I was annoyed as you could imagine..the people in front of me were saying I wonder what song they will play first. Being a pretty big fan and seeing all the live streams and whatnot I knew it it was Hurts Like Heaven. It was really annoying to be at the very back infront of the cameras. I lived. I figured that might have happened to others and they might not have made it inside at all. also on a side note I met Liam Gallagher right around the corner hours earlier. I came back and the show recorded and it was an amazing day so i'm still happy. Glad everyone enjoyed the show! One last thing being at the very back alot of people were jumping for Charlie Brown. The crowd was loving it and from those over head shots I saw after there was a hell of alot of people. [thanks coldplayfan24]

New photos of Coldplay @ Much Music, Toronto (21st September, 2011):

Photos courtesy of INFDaily website

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 2000 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

September 21, 2011 - submitted by Phil, France

Q. Dear Oracle, What's your favourite song from MX and from the olders albums and why ? See you soon

The Oracle replies:

I'm loving all the new songs that I have heard so far and cannot wait to hear the rest but my current favourite is Princess of China. It's so hard to choose favourites so I shall just answer on how I feel today. Parachutes - Everything's Not Lost. It always fills me with hope. It also reminds me of when Coldplay used to close the live set with this track and that makes me feel nostalgic. AROBTTH - Politik. It's always been a firm favourite. The pounding rhythm and the way it's performed live never fails to get me moving. X&Y - Square One. Similar to Politik in that it's the album opener and thrills me every time I hear it - loud preferably. There's also so much going on in this song. What If is so beautiful that it's a close second which technically it is as it's the second track on the album. Viva - Yes. Maybe it's because it wasn't played live much that it feels such a treat t hear it but from the first listen of this song I was hooked.

September 20, 2011 - submitted by Stews, Ireland

Q. No shows in Ireland this time round? Phoenix Park/O2 etc...

The Oracle replies:

Not on this leg, no. I'm sure that they'll be back there at some point but we've only released this tour at present.

September 21, 2011 - submitted by Tim, United States of America

Q. Hello Oracle, I could really use your advice right now. I'm in a long distance relationship, and I've been in it for 2 years now. I have become best friends with a girl I attend school with and I have fallen in love with her, but she, as well as me, is in a long distance relationship. I do not know what to do and I don't want to lose her as a friend, but I want to be more than her friend, please help me. Thank you.

The Oracle replies:

It's tricky when you develop feelings for a friend, but hardly surprising given you both spend a lot of time together and have long distance relationships in common. I think it's best to just see where time takes you. It would be a risk telling her how you feel if those feelings aren't reciprocated. There may arise an appropriate moment for you to talk to her about your relationships and try to broach the subject that way, but tread carefully as it sounds like you have a lot to lose.

September 20, 2011 - submitted by Dimple, United Kingdom

Q. Hello, Erm I was just wondering who chooses the pieces (which, may I just say, are amazing) that go up in the Exhibition Room? Do Coldplay actually choose them or do they ever give any input?? Thank you ;) xx

The Oracle replies:

I love the Exhibition Room and we're happy to see people are still sending in their art even though it's moved from the front page. As for who runs that section it's an anonymous entity; a Curator. They choose exhibits from the vaults. I assure it's a real person and not a random computer generated role. I know that Phil keeps a close eye on the work we receive but I'm not sure the band have time to see every single one. Keep 'em coming!

September 20, 2011 - submitted by Augusto, Brazil

Q. Oracle if you know everything, why the people ask only in English? And you answer only in English?

The Oracle replies:

I guess because the band are from the UK and sing in English, it makes more sense to stick to the one language and their mother tongue. I do get a question in Spanish or French every so often but figured that more fans understand English.

September 19, 2011 - submitted by Sebastien, Switzerland

Q. Dear all-knowing Oracle, Who is the man standing on the right of the stage during the ACL show? We can see him for example in this video. Is he Coldplay-related or ACL Festival-related? Thank you!

The Oracle replies:

I've never seen him before in my life, he's not one of 'ours'.

September 19, 2011 - submitted by Corey, United Kingdom

Q. Do you know if the upcoming Coldplay show at the Manchester Evening News Arena will have seats on the floor? Because to be honest I'd prefer it if there weren't so I can really go crazy to Charlie Brown :)

The Oracle replies:

The seats have remained on the floor every time they have played there previously so I'd be amazed if they removed them on the next occasion. You'll still be able to go crazy though!

September 16, 2011 - submitted by Kyle, United States of America

Q. Hello Oracle! Here's a question about: M.M.I.X. "MMIX is Roman Numerals for 2009." - Wikicoldplay.com. Does it have anything to do with 2009? Also, whats your favorite song on the album? Thanks!

The Oracle replies:

It doesn't stand for the year 2009 so ignore that entry. I can see why people assume that of course. As you may have noticed, there were press interviews last week so soon enough details about the album will filter through the media but I do know that when that question was asked, the answer given had nothing to do with Roman Numerals but in fact a crew member. I won't spoil the journalist's fun by repeating the answer. If it doesn't make the final printed interview, I shall let you know! I haven't heard the whole album yet but PoC is certainly a front runner at the moment. I am loving everything I have heard by the way.

September 16, 2011 - submitted by Dave, United States of America

Q. Are Rihanna's vocals a duet, a solo, or a part similar to Emily Bart-Smith on Rainy Day?

The Oracle replies:

It's not at all like the EBS backing vocals that are a subtle part of Rainy Day. This is a proper duet and honestly guys, it's incredible.

September 15, 2011 - submitted by Adrienne, United States of America

Q. Dearest Oracle, I was just wondering for the Team Oracle questions that anyone can answer, do you choose every single answer that was submitted? Thanks. Adrienne

The Oracle replies:

Team Oracle will return in October so won't be 'here' tomorrow. I am hoping we get lots of new people involved then. I don't read any of the answers sent in until I have myself written a reply. I then read the responses sent in but I don't print all. I like to encourage new contributors so of course print some of those. I do get a regular group who write every week but some fans are confused thinking Team Oracle is only open to certain people but it is open to ALL so please all watch out next month and join in. It's one of my favourite spots.

September 15, 2011 - submitted by Jed, United Kingdom

Q. Dear Oracle, Near the end of Paradise, am I hearing a little girl singing? Is she the "girl" Chris is referring to in the song?? :)

The Oracle replies:

Well Jed, I am hearing Chris singing near the end! If it was a little girl, it wouldn't be the girl he is singing about...

September 15, 2011 - submitted by Anonymous, United States of America

Q. Hey, Oracle. I don't think I've ever been in so much stress. My choir teacher's nephew ( my best friend ) is under the influence of drugs. He's been planning to take alcohol/drugs to a hotel the choir will be staying at and having people come to the room late at night. I finally decided to tell my teacher ( his aunt ) what he's been doing and how worried I am. My dad called one of his cop friends to see if they can catch the guy supplying it and drug test my friend today. It didn't happen, due to the fact they needed my name. I want to remain anonymous. I think I'm going to tell him that he should quit and if he can't do that, then I don't want to hang out with him anymore. It's going to be tough, but that's what I'm going to have to resort to. The police is going to investigate the guy selling it, but as for my friend, I'm just scared for him and I love him like a brother. Anyways, What should I do? I'm on the verge of tears right now. Words can not express my gratitude...

The Oracle replies:

You did a very brave thing but now, it's out of your hands. You can choose not to be friends with this boy but you cannot expect him to choose you. I know you hope he will but he may choose the drugs. Whatever happens you did what you think is right and is best for you and your friend. It's called tough love but sadly it will be tough for you too.

September 14, 2011 - submitted by TImmy, United States of America

Q. What happened to PoC and Up in Flames? I thought Phil announced that they would be the b sides to the Paradise. Confused.

The Oracle replies:

I know what you're referring to but when Phil tweeted "Weird sense of relief announcing Mylo Xyloto and release date. Paradise, Up in flames, Princess of China - let's get em out there! PH", he wasn't putting those songs together as one release, he was just freely mentioning some song titles from the album for the first time.

September 14, 2011 - submitted by Carina, United Kingdom

Q. Dear Almighty Oracle! Did you know that there is a Berryman Close and a Buckland Road right next to each other in Shepton Mallet, Somerset, UK? I just wanted to know if they're Coldplay related or just a coincidence? If it is Coldplay related, then I need to live there! XD Please answer my question! From an obsessive Coldplayer. X

The Oracle replies:

Wow Carina, how do you find this stuff out? Amazing! It's a total coincidence but if you'd like a closer look, go to Google maps, type in Buckland Rd, Shepton Mallet, BA4 5TQ, UK and have a nosey around.

The general sale for Coldplay tickets for the European winter tour begins this Friday at 9.30am and viagogo predicts that the UK dates will sell out in just THREE minutes.

Remember: There will be a special ticket pre-sale for Coldplay online fans for each of the shows - the German show presale started today - the rest will follow tomorrow (Thursday). To access it, click the discussion links below and find details for all shows - and at the date/time stated enter the code MYLOXYLOTIX. The pre-sale is important if you want to maximise your chances of getting tickets - Viagogo warns that desperate fans are likely to fall victim of scam sites, preying on fans who miss out on tickets the first time around.

In 2009, Coldplay played just three stadium dates and sold out Wembley in just two minutes and in 2005, Coldplay's five date tour sold out in twenty minutes. Coldplay was the number one band search term post festival season this year ' moving up 20 places prior to the start of festival season in June, and after being voted top festival headliner by BBC6 Music this week, viagogo predicts that fans will see overwhelming competition for tickets, with just over 50,000 tickets going on sale.

The tickets that are on sale on Friday September 23rd at 9.30am, are priced from £47.50 + fees (onsale 9am Friday for European dates). The general sale will begin on Friday morning for all shows. Read on for the full tour itinery now...

Coldplay UK & European tour dates for December 2011 are as follows:

UK Dates

3 December - Glasgow, SECC [discussion]

4 December - Manchester, MEN Arena [discussion]

9 December - London, O2 Arena [discussion]

European Dates

14 December - Paris, Bercy [discussion]

15 December - Cologne, Lanxess Arena [discussion]

17 December - Rotterdam, Ahoy [discussion]

18 December - Antwerp, Sportpaleis [discussion]

20 December - Frankfurt, Festhalle [discussion]

21 December - Berlin, O2 World Arena [discussion]

More photos of Coldplay at Austin City Limits festival (16th September 2011):

Pictures: ACL Festival @ Flickr

Check out coldplay.com for a new blog entry: #42, the bucket factory and the unplugged performance

Discuss this blog entry in the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks Mimixxx]

Join a road-crew they said. See the world they said. Exotic locations and glamour they said… I would never have dared dream, though, that if I worked hard enough, one day I’d find myself in a disused bucket factory in Brooklyn.

In reality, the place where we find ourselves actually has a pretty spectacular view of Manhattan and is in the process of being transformed into a shabby-chic TV studio. We’re here for “Hamish and Andy’s Gap Year” an Australian TV show being filmed here in New York. The fellas have done several things with Hamish and Andy before and they’re always a good laugh. After soundcheck they come and chat to the band outside the dressing room and the laughter is genuine and clearly audible right down the hall...

This mood continues through the warm-up. Rather than the usual vocal exercises, Chris seems to have commandeered the piano and started doing a rather “oom-pah” version of “Living On A Prayer”. Whether it’s the proximity to New Jersey that’s brought on the sudden Bon Jovi influence, I’m not entirely sure. It seems to be out of the system by the time they come to perform, though. Probably for the best…

In addition to a short interview (which takes place three times due to dodgy radio mics) and the song (Every Teardrop…) there is a short segment where Chris is required to try firing a t-shirt from the street below through an open window and into the studio. I’ll let you track down the TV show for yourself to see how he got on.

TVs are long days with huge amounts of hanging around, so it’s a great relief when we finally arrive back at the hotel. I walk through the doors into the lobby with sound-man/co-producer Dan Green and do a massive double take as I recognise a face right in front of me.

It’s none other than Mr. Jon Bon Jovi himself. What are the odds? Dan Green and I pass by and head for the elevators sharing a look of disbelief. We head upstairs shaking our heads, with only an oom-pah version of Living On A Prayer rolling around our heads to fill the silence.

The following day sees us uptown for the David Letterman show. It’s a tiny theatre and we’ve brought far too much gear. My rig is set up in a tiny narrow corridor way behind the stage. I’ve talked before about gig nightmares and how everyone has their own tailor made bad dreams embodying every single thing that could make their particular job torturously impossible.

Somebody appears to have watched all of my gig-nightmares and taken notes. They’ve then gone away and designed today, then wandered off cackling.

The tiny corridor is massively busy, which means that I literally can’t get thirty seconds of work done without having to move away from my rig to let people past. Worse still, I’m miles from the stage and have no sightline to the band. I’m completely blind. In rehearsal, I can’t hear the presenter mic, meaning I can’t get my cue to start. The band pick up that things aren’t right and that gets nerves fraying and patience wearing. It goes on and on until I’m in a full-on swirling gig hell.

In the grand scheme, it’s nothing major and the band’s performance is great. The whole day for me, though, feels like trying to cook a four course meal in blindfold and boxing gloves.

But two things lift the whole experience. Firstly, the Letterman crew are lovely and extremely funny. It’s like standing in the middle of a long-running sitcom watching them work. They’ve got the same family vibe that a touring crew has and they rip on each other, have their own in-jokes and finish each others' sentences all the time. They’ve also been very kind and patient with us, despite us ramming an insane amount of our gear into their home.

The second thing, is the encore. Setlists for the webcast to be filmed after the TV show have been going round by email for weeks. This has raised a wry smile in all quarters, everyone knowing how prone things are to last minute change. Indeed, the setlist changes twice during the day and then when the band are onstage, word comes round that they might decide to do God Put A Smile as an encore.

The band finish the set that’s on the printed sheets (wonderfully headed “Letterman Setlist FINAL -Version 2”). They stand in the corridor considering whether to go back on and the word comes round: “That’s it. All over”. No encore.

Roadies commence unplugging and switching off and then suddenly Chris is spotted walking back to the stage. Further chaos and pandemonium ensues as it transpires they’re going to do “Us Against The World”. Poor old Hoppy is legging it about stringing cable across the floor and pressing a guitar into Chris’s hands. Everything works and Chris does a funny intro - tension of the day dispersed.

Then, for no discernible reason, the guitar pickup cuts out. I’m not sure if someone from the crowd shouted it out or whether it was Chris’s idea - but he decides to do it without the mics rather than wait for the fault to be traced. I did write in the last blog that he could have done the song in Austin with no PA, because the room was so small. If I’m honest, the idea came to mind from a recollection of a tiny club show in Tokyo in 2002 where he did See You Soon with the sound system switched off - so I reckon Mr. Martin can claim rights on the idea, whatever way it came about tonight.

It’s a small enough place that he can project and make it work. It’s a total pin-drop hairs-on-the-neck moment. Everyone is beaming as they watch - until suddenly it’s made clear that while this works great in the theatre, out in the sound truck for the webcast, no microphones isn’t quite so much spine-tingling as just plain silent. - Cue more chaos.

Slowly everyone joins in on stage. Will realises that Chris has taken the piano stool, so ends up kneeling on the floor. Jonny and Guy have their volume backed almost to off. The whole thing is just a joy to witness. Completely off the script, unplanned and ramshackle, but at the same time completely wonderful. Just the band and the audience sharing the moment.

I tried to run out into the crowd to get a camera going for you folks, but couldn’t do it without crossing the stage while they played. But of course, there was someone in the balcony with their phone in hand. Somehow, there isn’t a more perfect way that this could have been captured. I hope you don’t mind me sharing your video with the blog crowd dayi531. It’s a cracker.

R42

NEW YORK, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- Coldplay is booked to perform at the American Museum of Natural History's 2011 gala in New York, organisers are reported to have said on Monday. The event is scheduled for November 10th. This event is as yet unconfirmed with the official site, keep an eye out for more information. You can read more about it in the meantime at the Coldplay forum now [thanks the_escapist]

Here is the press statement: "A much-anticipated highlight of the fall season, the museum gala is the American Museum of Natural History's largest annual benefit," the museum said in a news release. "More than 600 guests are expected to attend this year's dazzling ball. Following cocktails in the Roosevelt Rotunda, guests will enjoy a gourmet dinner and a performance by Coldplay in the Milstein Hall of Ocean Life."

This is not the only event in New York - a few days previously it was announced that Coldplay will be performing a special live concert for NBC's TODAY show in New York's Rockefeller Plaza on Friday 21 October,. The performance starts at 7am EST. If you'd like to go along and watch, viewing is on a first-come, first-served basis outside TODAY's window-on-the-world studio, located at 49th Street and Rockefeller Plaza in New York City. We're told that, for the best viewing spots, you should arrive by 6am. More on this year's TODAY show is at the Coldplay Live forum now. Last year, Coldplaying received 50 VIP tickets to share amongst its members - there has been no word on that yet this time round but if we do get lucky again - we will let you know immediately via the main site, messageboard, Facebook and of course Twitter!

Coldplay's Messenger email service currently has two competitions for you - firstly if you'd like to win one of the AAA passes given to Coldplay at Friday night's Austin City Limits show, signed by the whole band, then just email your name and address to competitions@coldplay.com before Monday 3 October. (One entry per person, please.)

Additionally, they have one of the limited edition pop-up versions of the new album Mylo Xyloto to give away, signed by the whole band. If you'd like to win it, then, again, just email your name and address to competitions@coldplay.com before Monday 26th September. (One entry per person, please.). They haven't said, but its probably wise to add the competition name in the subject header just incase they think you're entering the same one twice...

More photos of Coldplay at Austin City Limits festival (16th September 2011):

Pictures: ACL Festival @ Flickr

Coldplay have landed a clutch of nominations for this year’s MTV Europe Music Awards, which will take place at Belfast’s Odyssey Arena on November 6th. Amongst the categories Coldplay have been named in are Best Live Act, where they will go head-to-head with rock heavyweights Foo Fighters and Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Best UK/Ireland Act, where they will face stiff competition from chart sensation Adele, who herself has been nominated for numerous EMAs this year. You can discuss this awards ceremony at the Coldplay forum now. This year’s ceremony will be broadcast live on MTV from 9pm (BST).

Meanwhile it was reported a couple of days ago that Coldplay have been nominated in two categories at this year's Q Awards in London. They're up for the Best Live Act and also the Best Act In The World Today. You can vote for this at awards.qthemusic.com now. The winners will be announced at a ceremony in London on 24 October - which just happens to be the release date for the new album Mylo Xyloto...

Don't forget as well that today is the deadline for winning Live On Letterman tickets. This from the official site: Coldplay are performing for Live On Letterman at New York's Ed Sullivan Theater on Tuesday, 20 September. The show will be webcast live and/or on-demand across the world at 8pm ET / 5pm PT / 1am UK time at www.cbs.com/late_night/liveonletterman/. If you'd like to be at the show, you'll be pleased to hear that we have 25 pairs of tickets to give away to Coldplay's online fans. To be in with a chance of winning a pair, click here and enter your details before 9am (New York time) on Monday 19 September. You must be over 18 to enter, and the prize consists just of tickets (not travel or accommodation). Winners will be contacted on Monday, afternoon.

Coldplay at Austin City Limits festival (16th September 2011):

Pictures: ACL Festival @ Flickr

Stereoboard promised a huge Coldplay announcement this week and they weren't wrong - Coldplay have this morning confirmed details of nine UK & mainland Europe arena shows for December 2011. Coldplay will play shows kicking off in the UK on December 3rd, continuing with shows in France, Germany, Holland and Belgium.

Tickets for Coldplay are onsale Friday September 23rd at 9.30am, priced from £47.50 + fees (onsale 9am Friday for European dates). There will be a special ticket pre-sale for Coldplay online fans for each of the shows. To access it, click the discussion links below and find details for all shows - and at the date/time stated enter the code MYLOXYLOTIX. The general sale will begin on Friday morning for all shows - however pre-sales start as early as Wednesday for the Cologne, Frankfurt and Berlin shows. Read on for the full tour itinery now...

Coldplay UK & European tour dates for December 2011 are as follows:

UK Dates

3 December - Glasgow, SECC [discussion]

4 December - Manchester, MEN Arena [discussion]

9 December - London, O2 Arena [discussion]

European Dates

14 December - Paris, Bercy [discussion]

15 December - Cologne, Lanxess Arena [discussion]

17 December - Rotterdam, Ahoy [discussion]

18 December - Antwerp, Sportpaleis [discussion]

20 December - Frankfurt, Festhalle [discussion]

21 December - Berlin, O2 World Arena [discussion]

You will already know by now that Coldplay will play a special show for MuchMusic in Toronto, Canada on Wednesday 21st September, and the show will be streamed live in Canada on muchmusic.com.

But if you want to attend to the event and haven't got passes yet, today might be your final chance. MuchMusic have held back a batch of passes that will be distributed at their HQ later. More details below, and more discussion on the MuchMusic date is at the messageboard now - let us know if you're going down and if you manage to get wristbands! [thanks _Tash, secretspy, hux90]

Relax, Coldplay fans, all is not lost if you missed out on snagging a wristband for the band’s Live in the Lot performance outside MuchMusic next Wednesday. Couldn’t make it down to MuchMusic yesterday to get your wristband for Rogers Presents: Live In the Lot With Coldplay? Fear not. We kept a second block of wristbands for this Sunday! That means you have another chance to come down to MuchMusic and score a wristband to the biggest concert of the year...

We’ll be giving away the second block of wristbands this Sunday, September 18 starting at 12 pm ET at MuchMusic headquarters (299 Queen St. West, Toronto) for this Wednesday’s hugely amazing Rogers Presents: Live In The Lot With Coldplay. You must be 14 years of age or older, have one piece of photo ID and be here (no takesies for your besties) to get your wristband. See you this Sunday at 12 pm ET at MuchMusic!

You’ve got to be older than 14 to get in, have one piece of photo identification on you and actually be standing in line for the wristband – “no takesies for your besties,” cautions the Much blog – to get your hands on one. Otherwise there’s nothing but a timely arrival at the MuchMusic doors standing between you and an up-close-and-personal audience with Chris Martin and the lads as they play songs from their forthcoming fifth album, Mylo Xyloto, for the first time in Canada.

Coldplay's stage setup at MuchMusic, Toronto...

Coldplay at Austin City Limits festival (16th September 2011):

Pictures: ACL Festival @ Flickr

Coldplay played the Austin City Limits festival in Texas last night (16th September 2011) in their first festival appearance back after a 5 week break. Up In Flames (UIF) and Don't Let It Break Your Heart were NOT played in Coldplay's festival performance in Austin despite UIF having been debuted at the Taping event the previous night. Paradise, however, was added to the setlist instead of Life Is For Living. They continued with their cover of Rehab by the late Amy Winehouse.

The concert was streamed worldwide live across the internet on ACL's YouTube channel. The stream was good quality although some complained of dropping connections during the show. Some excellent photos have already been uploaded to Flickr by Nathan Malone - view them in original definition now. If you are on YouTube you can rewatch the performance at ACL's channel via the link above (more details on that to follow) - alternatively if you don't want to wait (we don't have the rebroadcast schedule) You can download, listen and watch again to the streamed recording of the performance via our Multimedia forum where the set will be uploaded in various formats soon - keep an eye on that thread.

More live discussion on this show is at the Coldplay Live forum (58 pages and counting - reviews start around page 56 onwards). Thanks to everyone who has contributed on the forums, Youtube and twitters. We'll have more on this show over the next few hours/days!

Setlist (confirmed):

MX/Hurts Like Heaven

Yellow

In My Place

Major Minus

Lost!

The Scientist

Violet Hill

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face

Everything's Not Lost

Us Against The World

Politik

Viva la Vida

Charlie Brown

Paradise

-------

Clocks

Rehab (Amy Winehouse tribute)

Fix You

Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

Photo courtesy of Nathan Malone @ Flickr

I guess they didn't like how Up In Flames sounded last night, maybe they did need more rehearsal like R42 said haha. Really though I think that the only reason they played it last night was because that special won't air until after MX is released. [thanks Our Escape]

Wow, what a great show! My immediate impression -- how much I liked "Paradise" live and how good Chris sounded singing "Fix You" (before the crowd rush). He's sometimes a little pitchy but his voice was strong tonight. And, holy god, it must have been hot, he was pouring sweat. I know I'm probably alone but I'm glad they didn't do UIF & DLIBYH. Other than the summer festival songs, I don't want to hear anything more before the album drops. I'll be checking dimeadozen, for sure. [thanks Pink]

Hmm... so it looks like I don't have to stay away from the rest of the pre-tour shows if this keeps up. I'm very happy they didn't play Up In Flames or Don't Let It Break Your Heart, because I don't want to hear those until Mylo Xyloto is out into the world. Really, the one thing I wanted to see was how Paradise sounds live (and I did, despite missing this concert because of work... thank you, YouTube!). It obviously isn't as good as the studio version, of course... but I think they did pretty good, all things considered. It'll be a nice concert song. [thanks heelsrule1988]

I 'liked' Paradise, but hearing it live I LOVED it! I'd hoped fora repeat of UIF so we could hear a better quality version, but I can wait for the album. Chris often sounds out of breath and pitchy on HLH, but he was totally in control of it tonight. It's gone from like to love as a result. [thanks TracieMorgan]

I just saw the show and It was amazing!! Chris was full of energy (as usual) and you could tell all the guys gave it their all. I'm in love with Charlie Brown and I'm so glad they played Paradise! Definitely one of the best concerts I've ever been to!! [thanks Lynn42]

Just got back to my hotel room about an hour ago... The show was fantastic and there is nothing like seeing a Coldplay show from the front row. The boys were so happy and full of energy and crazy how Phil was sitting in front of us at one point!loved hanging out with Dianne, Jen, and Amanda all day! Will post pics and video when I get back home to Vegas on Monday! [thanks l0wxo2]

But it was a really great performance, they always sound so good live. My friends and I were able to get decently close seeing how late we actually headed over to the stage. We were perhaps a good 20 rows in front of the sound tower, so maybe halfway between the tower and stage? I dunno, I'm bad at estimating that kind of thing. Anyways it was a lovely performance, I enjoyed it a lot. Always great to see them live. One of my friends who was with me said it was amazing and the second best concert of her life (after Bon Jovi, who I think is her very favorite musician), so that's a pretty big complement. She wasn't even all that familiar with a lot of the songs, so that's pretty cool. [thanks ImLovingGuyBerryman]

I was there. Here are some of my thoughts. I must preface this by saying I'm not a huge fan of the new stuff, and I was pretty far back in the crowd. But this was my fourth time seeing coldplay, and it was not their best performance in my opinion. Having said that it was still excellent. a few general thoughts.

-I love the intro to GPASUYF! Really cool way of mixing it up.

-Great to hear everything's not lost live. Sounded awesome. (liked the kanye references here as well)

-Although I like the song people were seeming to lose interest during Us Agasint the World. Probably the lowpoint of the night.

-Politik is still their best live song.

-Lost still sounds great live, especially when the drum set kicks in.

-Paradise did sound better live, but I still hate it.

-Charlie Brown is the next great Coldplay song. Period. People around me who had never heard it before seemed to be into it as much as they were into viva. It sounded a bit more synthy to me and a bit less guitar driven. Still sounded excellent.

-Wawawaterfall sound a lot better live. I don't love it on record. It was pretty good though.

-I'm not as big a fix you fan as every other coldplay fan. Having said that it was the highlight of last night. The rehab tribute was kinda chilling and it sounded great. Loved it when he ran out and climbed the tower (kinda near me). Overall, a great concert, but not their best. Would've been nice to hear Shiver or Life is for Living. 8/10. [thanks winigwl]

After a two-hour wait, Coldplay started. The Brit-pop sensation pleased the crowd with a few familiar favorites — "Yellow" comes to mind, with the stage bathed in yellow light — before teasing it with a few songs from the group's upcoming album. But whether it was playing an old song or a new song, Coldplay kept the crowd engaged in the show with call-and-response strains, a captivating light display and an entrancing stage setup featuring a huge screen behind the band. Finally, I decided to head out of the crowd a little early to catch the end of Kanye's set. Because there were so many people packed up to the stage, I still heard Coldplay's next big hit, "Charlie Brown," a song with a very full sound and an extremely catchy hook. I stayed near the back of the crowd, having just worked my way out of a big one at the opposite end of the park, and enjoyed a few of the self-assured rap artist's big hits including "Run This Town," "Gold Digger," "All of the Lights" and "Stronger." Near the end of the set, Kanye played a very drawn out version of "Runaway" that by the end felt more like a church altar call than a show as the rapper thanked everyone he could think of and took advantage of having the crowd's full attention. After everything, though, the highlight of Day 1 for me was Coldplay. The band's big-hit songs — "The Scientist," "Viva la Vida," "Lost!" and "Violet Hill" — evoked memories of life from when I listened to the whole "Viva la Vida" album non-stop for a few weeks in 2008 or when I first heard the band sitting in a movie theater watching the music video for "Speed of Sound." And regardless of whether it's genuine, Chris Martin and Co. portray a strong connection and high level of care for their fanbase, which always makes for a more intimate show. [via Oklahoma Daily]

More reviews to follow....!

New photos of Coldplay - Austin City Limits Festival, Austin, Texas (16th September, 2011):

Photos courtesy of Nathan Malone @ Flickr

Coldplay have been voted the best festival headliner of 2011, in an online poll conducted by BBC 6 Music. Coldplay - who headlined Glastonbury and T In The Park - topped the survey with 22.7% of votes cast, breakfast show host Shaun Keaveny announced. US rock band The National came in second with 14.2%, while Muse were third with 13.9%. Coldplay's drummer Will Champion told 6 Music's Steve Lamacq that playing festivals gave the band "...a chance to win people over. But there's also a strong possibility that people have already made their mind up about you," he added, "and no matter how well you play they're not going to be happy about it."

Coldplay's victory in the 6 Music vote comes after a series of gigs previewing their forthcoming fifth album, Mylo Xyloto. At Glastonbury and T In The Park, they began their sets with two previously unheard tracks from the record before launching into fan favourites Yellow and In My Place. But Champion admitted that playing big shows and music festivals gave him anxiety dreams. "They took the place of the 'I'm late for an exam' dreams," he told Steve Lamacq. "The whole band come on... and then they walk off and I'm left carrying the can, just playing a drum solo. Awful."

6 Music DJ Shaun Keaveny said of Coldplay’s winning performance: “To witness Coldplay at Glastonbury this year was like welcoming an old mate back to your local pub. Coldplay are as at home on the Pyramid Stage as any band on the planet - and effortlessly pounded the crowd into a euphoric singalong. New songs and old songs all flowed into one as the sun set on a glorious Glasto Saturday evening.”

Glastonbury, which also saw U2 and Beyonce play headline slots in June, is taking a fallow year in 2012. But John Giddings, who runs the Isle Of Wight festival, said he may step in to fill the gap. I've actually thought about moving the festival to the Glastonbury weekend next year," he said.

Photos of Coldplay at the Pyramid Stage, Glastonbury Festival, UK (25th June 2011):

Photo source: Metro

Coldplay headline the Austin City Limits festival tonight in Austin, Texas and don't forget you can watch the whole performance live on the internet across the world on YouTube (except Germany). The webcast will be shown via youtube.com/aclfestival at approximately 8:10pm CT / 2.10am UK time (click here to find out what time it is where you are). The show will be repeated once in full afterwards.

Meanwhile during last nights ACL Taping, Coldplay played Up In Flames live for the first time, which you can watch it all its glory now. In addition, they played Paradise as part of an 18-song strong setlist. We will hopefully have more reviews, pictures and videos from this show later. [thanks venuslovebug2]

In a preview to tonight's show, Austin 360 have wrote a comprehensive article entitled "ACL Festival: 10 reasons to warm up to Coldplay". Read on after the jump for the full article. To catch more discussion on tonight's festival headline performance head over to the Coldplay Live forum on the messageboard now (we might even have a live chatroom during the streaming!)

Austin 360 preview article: ACL Festival - 10 reasons to warm up to Coldplay:

British band has been earnest in trying to evolve its sound. It might sound absurd to mount a defense of Coldplay, a band that's won seven Grammy awards, played every festival, generally enjoyed positive press and nabbed more than 50 million worldwide sales. Not a lot of people feel the need to shed tears for the sweeping, ever-sensitive foursome from London; at the end of the day front man Chris Martin, drummer Will Champion, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland and bassist Guy Berryman can always go to sleep on their enormous piles of money.

But for all its success, few contemporary bands inspire such vitriol and derision. In this sense Coldplay has something in common with the Black Eyed Peas — another simultaneously popular and despised band from the aughts. That disparity also makes Coldplay this Austin City Limits Music Festival's equivalent to the Eagles last year. Both bands have sold tens of millions of records and play to enormous crowds while also being widely mocked. "I have never encountered one person who has a kind word to say about Coldplay," wrote Andy Gill in the Independent in 2008, in a piece titled "Why I Hate Coldplay. "None of my personal or professional acquaintances, nobody in the street or the local café, not a single soul will admit to liking Coldplay or purchasing their music. Indeed, most seem to agree that they epitomize everything that's wrong with modern rock music. So who's buying all their albums?"

New York Times music critic Jon Pareles called them "the most insufferable band of the decade." British music mag NME awarded "Viva la Vida" 8 out of 10 points and went on to nominate it as one of the worst albums of the year. Perhaps the largest bastion of bleeding-edge music criticism, Pitchfork, has responded to Coldplay's four albums with a collective "meh," awarding them, chronologically, scores of 5.3, 5.1, 4.9 and 6.9. Even Chris Martin is aware of his place on the hipness pecking order. "I always thought that if you were a 16-year-old and liked Coldplay you'd keep it quiet," Martin told the Telegraph in 2008. "We aren't cool and never will be."

"The reason why we do well is because U2 is still on holiday," Martin cheekily told "60 Minutes" that same year. "So, you know, as soon as they come back, we drop down the ladder a bit. We're in our last week of substitute teaching."

At the risk of forever revoking any pretensions to music snob-dom, I feel the need to say the following: poppycock.

Because though Coldplay is far from contemporary music's most thrilling band, it's still a winningly restless, smart bunch, with an expert sense of melody, a savvier lyrical sense than it is generally credited for and a voracious appetite for influences. Its four albums and accompanying boatload of memorable singles comprise an impressive body of work. In an attempt — likely futile — to polish the band's image, I submit 10 reasons the time has come for a critical rethinking of Coldplay . Consider them 10 reasons Coldplay are worth catching on Friday, even opposite a pop provocateur as entertaining as Kanye West.

In Favor of Coldplay

1. The band hasn't stood still. It would have been easy for Coldplay to replicate its breakout hit — the lilting and mopey "Yellow," off debut "Parachutes" — ad infinitum. But for all the "all Coldplay songs sound the same" criticisms, the band's made a noticeable effort to diversify with each release. Each represents an honest attempt at growth, from the greater assurance propelling "A Rush of Blood to the Head" to the spacier, Kraftwerk-inspired sounds on "X&Y" to the Brian Eno-produced big tent sonic inclusion of "Viva la Vida."

2. The band is ambitious. Martin has occasionally caught flack for talking up Coldplay within the same context as U2 or Radiohead, or openly voicing his desire to write a song as good as Paul McCartney's "Yesterday." And though that might seem like folly — Coldplay will never hit the creative heights of U2 at its giddy zenith — ambition is one of the principal virtues of a pop band.

3. They wrote "Clocks." Come on, you can't deny it: "Clocks," the centerpiece of the album "A Rush of Blood to the Head," is a brilliant radio single. All cryptic and faintly ominous lyrics wrapped up in a fiendishly memorable piano line, there's a reason "Clocks" was inescapable for more than a year after release. Few songs straddle the delicate/anthemic divide so effectively. Which leads us more broadly into \u2026

4. It's a great singles band. It takes a lot — talent, insight, musicianship and more than a bit of luck — to write and record a hit single on the scale of "Yellow." It takes an almost inconceivable amount more to crank out as many as Coldplay has, from "Trouble" to "Talk" to "Viva la Vida," with a solid catalog of just-as-good midtier songs like "God Put a Smile Upon Your Face."

5. Martin's distinctive voice. Coldplay has something of a reputation for being a Radiohead clone with the sharper edges sanded off. There's some truth to that, and Martin's wobbly falsetto is obviously influenced by Thom Yorke, though Yorke has greater range. But Martin is a distinctive, recognizable singer with a character all his own, an underappreciated attribute for a contemporary pop front man. It'd be a lot harder to pick, say, Train front man Patrick Monahan out of a lineup.

6. They are capable of rocking. When Martin accepted a Grammy award in 2009 for best rock album for "Viva la Vida," he joked that the band was "not the heaviest of rock bands, as you may have noticed — we're more of a limestone rock band." That self-aware quip cuts to the heart of Coldplay's music, which is more concerned with sensitive atmospherics or uplifting bombast than pulse-pounding rock. But Coldplay is in fact capable of rocking, and it's exhilarating when it does, like the prickly guitars and nervous angst of "A Whisper" or the unapologetic six-string solos that consume the bulk of "42."

7. The live show is dependably solid. Like their countrymen Muse, Coldplay craft songs that demand stadium-ready live spectacle. The band almost always delivers, with live shows that are tight, exciting, sincere and loaded with the necessary lights. And set lists strike the ideal balance of huge singles and album cuts.

8. Martin never wrote a song explicitly about Gwyneth Paltrow or his children. He reliably dodges questions about his wife and children in interviews, keeping the personal private. That sensibility shows up in his songwriting, which tends to traffic in themes. Martin's lyrical approach — vague, but earnest — is one of his savviest attributes, its broadness allowing him to relate to a wide swath of listeners in a way that's still personal.

9. The band knows how to conduct itself. Coldplay is practically a model for how a global band can behave responsibly and charitably in the 21st century without lapsing into self-righteousness — arguably something they pull off with greater ease than U2. From the way the band runs on consensus and splits its proceeds evenly to its choice to donate 10 percent of profits to charity to Martin's fair trade activism, Coldplay's done a fine job of doing the right thing without being too preachy about it.

10. There are more deserving targets. In a universe where the aforementioned Black Eyed Peas have pop culture ubiquity, LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem" sits smugly atop the Billboard charts, and the Gym Class Heroes, Nickelback and Ke$ha remain commercially viable, even Coldplay's detractors have to concede that there are greater evils in pop music.

This coming Sunday, The Sunday Times (UK newspaper) will be releasing a free Coldplay download featuring live tracks from their recent iTunes performance at The Roundhouse in London on 22nd July. There is a tracklisting but nothing about whether this will be a digital download only or if there will be a physical release at a later date. An exclusive interview will follow according to the newspaper. More discussion on this download is at the Coldplay Live forum now (thanks This will be the first live album collection since 2009's LeftRightLeftRightLeft that was given away at some of the Viva la Vida tour shows. Here is their blurb:

Download your free album from Coldplay’s stunning live performance at this year’s iTunes Festival, featuring previously unreleased tracks, and read our exclusive interview with Britain’s biggest band in The Sunday Times online, in-paper and on our iPad app, this weekend. Mylo Xyloto by Coldplay is released on October 24. Pre-order the new album on iTunes and get new single Paradise now. Tracklisting:

Mylo Xyloto

The title track from Coldplay’s forthcoming album consists of two strange sounding words. The meaning of which is intentionally ambiguous. An ethereal, cosmic-sounding instrumental it suggests a shift away from the band’s traditional melancholic rock.

Hurts Like Heaven

This guitar-heavy track is also from their new album and has been a staple of the band’s summer festival sets. Chris Martin has said the track is proof the band are taking risks and evolving their sound, helped along by the likes of ambient master Brian Eno.

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face

Released in July 2003, this is one of the melodic rockers’ bounciest numbers. The fourth single from their successful second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, it was a hit with fans and critics alike who were seduced by its soaring vocals and groovy drum patterns.

Viva La Vida

The title track from their last award-winning album became the band’s first single to top the charts on both sides of the Atlantic and was even featured on an episode of The Simpsons. It’s a fine example of the baroque pop sound Coldplay have made their own with sweeping strings, heavy percussion, catchy bass lines and Chris Martin’s heartstring-tugging vocals.

Clocks

A late addition to their second album, this popular track features a distinctive piano riff which Chris Martin apparently dreamt up during a late-night studio session. Regarded by critics as one of the band’s finest songs, it charted at number 9 in Britain. Its opening piano arpeggios have been much sampled by the likes of superstar DJ David Guetta and hip hopper Lupe Fiasco.

Fix You

This anthemic rock ballad was rumoured to be inspired by the death of Chris Martin’s father-in-law. The sentimental lyrics, delivered in the singer’s trademark falsetto, offer advice on dealing with pain and sorrow. The track peaked at number 4 in the UK and proceeds from the sale were donated to help victims of Hurricane Katrina in the USA.

Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall

The first single from the new album, this crowd-pleasing number is laced with classic Britpop guitar sounds. More upbeat than their usual tear-jerking fare, it’s a fine example of melodic stadium rock that deserves to be played over and over.

The free download will feature the following tracks, which Coldplay – currently cementing their position as the UK’s most popular band – recorded at the Roundhouse in Camden on 22nd July, and will offer the perfect tease for their upcoming October release of new album Mylo Xyloto. That iTunes performance was effortlessly brilliant – as ever with Coldplay – and the opportunity to pick it up on CD for free should not be missed. Though of course the small print would have to say that access to the newspaper’s website actually costs £1 for the first 30 days then £2 for every subsequent week – but it still works out as a pittance of an amount for seven outstanding live tracks.

According to Stereoboard today, next week will see Coldplay announcing a UK winter tour. They don't say whether the European leg of this tour will also be announced at the same time, but if it is we expect it will be along the lines of the recently rumoured schedule which was posted several weeks ago. Here's what Stereoboard had to say:

Only days after the release of new single 'Paradise', more good news is expected for Coldplay fans next week. That's all we can say at the moment, however, if you're a Coldplay fan, you should definitely check back to Stereoboard early next week for some big Coldplay news. Be sure to check back to Stereoboard next week for an expected big Coldplay announcement! In the meantime, here's a quick game to pass the time. Have a go at rearranging these words to make a sentence...sorry there isn't a prize! UK, Winter, Announce, Coldplay, Tour.

More on this to follow... in the meantime you can discuss Soundboard's article at the messageboard now... [thanks the_escapist]

Coldplay's UK arena tour 2008 may be a distant memory, but excellent photos of various concerts were published online by photographer Peter Hill. A few of his photos are below, to see them all visit his website here. The photos are from the following venues: Sheffield Arena, Birmingham NIA (x3), Liverpool Echo Arena, Glasgow SECC (x2) and the London O2 Arena.

Coldplay, Lady Gaga and Elbow are to top the bill for a huge Children In Need concert organised by Gary Barlow, reports are saying this morning. The show - to take place at Manchester's MEN Arena - will also feature Michael Buble, JLS, N-Dubz and Hugh Laurie. Tickets go on sale on Friday with details at www.bbc.co.uk/pudsey. More on this reported date is at the Coldplay Live forum now.

David Tennant, Fearne Cotton and Chris Moyles are to host the November 17 concert Children In Need Rocks Manchester, to be broadcast by BBC1 and Radio 1. Further names and surprise guests are to be added to the bill, which ties in with the BBC's annual fundraising spectacular. For the past two years the concert has been staged at London's Royal Albert Hall and the move to the north-west of England ties in with the relocation of several BBC departments to Salford.

Take That and X Factor star Gary said: "I'm so thrilled that these incredible artists are giving their time for such a special charity that is very close to my heart. There are still some great acts we're keeping up our sleeve to announce in the coming weeks and who knows, I might even sing a little something on the night too."

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 2000 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

September 12, 2011 - submitted by Cecilia, Mexico

Q. What happen with Moving to Mars, why it doesn't appear in the new disc ?

The Oracle replies:

There were many discussions about whether MTM would make it on to Mylo Xyloto and in the end it was decided to release it as part of the ETIAW ep. As Major Minus was also on the ep and is going to be on the album, it made sense to leave MTM off.

September 12, 2011 - submitted by Kelly, United Kingdom

Q. Hey Oracle! Just heard Paradise. ITS AMAZING!! Love it! But after, I saw news that Rihanna was going to be featured in Princess of China?? I heard the original via YouTube, and I LOVE IT AS IS. Is Rihanna going to be featured? Thanks! Lots of fangirl love! Kelly

The Oracle replies:

I've had a lot of mail about this since the news broke. The first time I heard POC it was just an instrumental. The second time I heard it Chris & Rihanna's vocals had been added. I have to say it sounds amazing. I then heard the band perform it live. I liked it a lot, but not quite as much. For me it was wise to drop it from the set because it simply didn't sound the same without Rihanna. It was written with her in mind so it makes perfect sense. When you hear it, you will see and hopefully agree.

September 13, 2011 - submitted by Mark, United States of America

Q. Hey dear Oracle, I have a question for you! In the song Clocks by Coldplay I noticed that the lyrics don't even mention the word "clocks"... Why is that?

The Oracle replies:

There are plenty of songs that don't mention the title within the lyrics, though Clocks isn't one of them: Confusion never stops. Closing walls and ticking clocks.

September 13, 2011 - submitted by Samuel, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, It has come to my attention today (about two days late) that I won the Bowers & Wilkins contest to see and meet Coldplay at Austin City Limits Festival in Austin Texas on September 15th-17th. The reason I was so late is that I don't have internet at my house until this coming Monday because I have recently moved into a new house and it has not been set up it (I am sitting at a friends house right now because I knew I hadn't been able to check my email in 2 days, go figure this would happen). Unfortunately because I was unable to respond I believe I have forfeited this amazing opportunity and out of curiosity I thought I might ask if there was anything you might be able to do. As I'm sure you could imagine, this is a dream of an opportunity to go and meet my favorite band and I am already so frustrated that I am even in this situation because I don't think there is any chance I can still redeem my prize (after numerous phone calls/emails). Even if there isn't anything you can do, thanks for reading this and I hope to hear from you either way. All the best from an enormous fan of you and the band, Sam.

The Oracle replies:

I am sorry to hear that and honestly feel your pain. This is a Bowers & Wilkins competition so it's out of my hands. I did link to their terms and conditions last week and in them it clearly gave the closing date. It also stated the turnaround time that winners had to confirm attendance once winning notifications had been sent. They have to ensure that all the winners can attend or they could have no audience. This is why it is so important not to just tick the "I have read the t&cs" box. I doubt Bowers & Wilkins will make an exception but I'd keep trying just in case.

September 9, 2011 - submitted by Ian, United Kingdom

Q. Other than the random noises, this video sounds like a true studio version of Charlie Brown, did it leak?

The Oracle replies:

As I explained the other day, Charlie Brown is being used (officially) for soundbeds. It's not a leaked version as that would be a huge breach of copyright to use it. Maybe I should have explained. A soundbed is the music that runs underneath something else such as the background music when a radio DJ is talking etc. They're not random noises, they are clips from TV shows. It's NOT an advert by the way - a few question askers are still confusing trailers for commercials. The version of Charlie Brown used is an edited version of the studio recording.

September 8, 2011 - submitted by Lorena, Spain

Q. Dearest Oracle, Today I was watching, as usual, MX and Hurts Like Heaven live at Rock am Ring festival and I saw "stole a key took" written on the front of Chris' piano. Is that part of Charlie Brown's lyrics? Thanks for everything!

The Oracle replies:

There are lots of lyrics written on the piano and some of the guitars so yeah, those words are from Charlie Brown.

September 8, 2011 - submitted by Alex, United States of America

Q. First off, hope everything's going great for you Oracle! I have a question. I know it is very, very, VERY early to even remotely think about this question, considering Mylo Xyloto is still months from release, but I was wondering if you knew if there might be a good chance for another EP after MX's release because as we all know Coldplay has a stash of material in stock relevant to this era that might just not fit with MX. It just occurred to me and I was just wondering if they might have already talked about it or tossed the idea around; I just want as many great new songs as possible! Thank you very much for your time! :)

The Oracle replies:

Wow Alex, you sent this to me on the 2nd of September and consider October 24th to be months away? I reckon you may be a time traveller or something. In 6 weeks time we will almost have the 5th album in our clutches. I for one cannot wait! I haven't heard of any EP to follow it but as you say, it's early days. Prospekt's March is the only time the band have released an EP after an album but it's not something I would regard as a blueprint for the future. There are many tracks that are discarded throughout the writing process and not all ended up on any impending recordings.

September 8, 2011 - submitted by Tama, Israel

Q. I've read Coldplay's last tweets, and saw that some of them end with A. What/who is A?? Am I missing something?

The Oracle replies:

Yeah you are missing my explanation of what each initial stands for a while back: A is Anchorman. Head over there now to read Chris' tweet from earlier.

September 7, 2011 - submitted by Ilana, Canada

Q. ORACLE! Will Coldplay be playing a secret/ small venue show while in Toronto performing at Much Music. If so - how can I get tickets?! I'm a huge fan, travelled the world to see them and wouldn't want to miss them in my home town. thanks! xo

The Oracle replies:

No, they won't be in Canada long enough to do anything other than Much Music on this occasion Ilna.

September 7, 2011 - submitted by Michael, United States of America

Q. When you are in Atlanta in a few weeks... think you can play Fix You? I just can't think of anything funny right now (obviously cause I'm sad and want to hear Fix You).

The Oracle replies:

I'm sure they'll play Fix You at ACL so don't worry but in the meantime, here you go.

September 7, 2011 - submitted by Tom, United Kingdom

Q. Is DLIBYH an acronym, or is that the actual song title? Thanks very much, Tom

The Oracle replies:

How exactly would you be pronouncing that then Tom? It's an acronym just as other titles to songs on the album have appeared: UATW, CB, ETIAW, MM, MTM, HLH and POC. The most asked question over the past 24 hours has been 'what does DLIBYH mean?' You know I can't reveal that but there's only been one guess cropping up.

September 6, 2011 - submitted by William, United States of America

Q. When does the Bowers & Wilkins comp to meet the band and listen to the album close?

The Oracle replies:

It closes "on or around the 8th September" with the winners being notified "within one business day" of that draw according to their facebook rules.

September 6, 2011 - submitted by Laurens, Belgium

Q. Hey Oracle, I saw the clip Walk from Foo Fighters and the bumper sticker from Coldplay and Dave Grohl's giant sigh! Thought it was funny. What do you think about it? Are the Foo Fighters not a big fan of Coldplay? Tnx

The Oracle replies:

It IS funny. They are fans and friends so it was done in jest. I see it as a nod* to the band if anything. *nod; Idioms: Give the nod to. Informal. To express approval of; agree to: The board gave the nod to the new proposal.

September 6, 2011 - submitted by G, United States of America

Q. Have the band heard Willie Nelson's new cover of The Scientist and what do they think about it?

The Oracle replies:

We did actually draw attention to it back on 31st August. We wouldn't share it if we didn't like it, so yeah, we think it's great!

September 5, 2011 - submitted by Sebastien, Switzerland

Q. Dear Oracle, Do you know if the new single Paradise will be aired on a radio before its release date? Thank you a lot! Greetings from Switzerland! Sebastien

The Oracle replies:

Given the single is out next week it's not looking likely that it'll be played before.

September 5, 2011 - submitted by Daniel, United States of America

Q. Oracle, I have a question regarding the leaking of the album name before it was officially announced: did the leak have anything to do with the decision by the band to reveal it when they did? And how frustrating is it for the boys to see a secret like that come out to light? Are they seeking any damages from the source that leaked the name? Was there (or still is) a reason for the secrecy to begin with? Ok, I know, I said one question and it's more like 4, but I guess that will make up for all the other times my questions have not been answered. With much love, Dan.

The Oracle replies:

It's not a legal issue so no, there'll be no action taken. I know you'd like me to elaborate but it's just the nature of the beast and more than expected these days. I just hope you understand why when pressed I tried to divert people from the name. Why? Well, I can't put it any better than Tom Waits has.

Chris Martin has revealed that Rihanna will feature on Coldplay's upcoming album Mylo Xyloto. Chris explained that the 'S&M' popstar has lent her vocals to new song Princess Of China for the band's forthcoming record, which comes out on October 24th. "She has such an amazing voice and it's so different to mine," Martin told The Sun. "When the vocal happened I thought 'Wow, you sound different' but I think that's also because she was singing a different song to what we are used to hearing from her and it is written by a bloke from Devon."

Martin also recalled the moment when he asked the Bajan singer whether she would be up for the collaboration, admitting that he was initially nervous about approaching the star. "The album is designed as a whole piece. It has boy and girl lead characters and top of our list for the girl part was Rihanna... but it took a while to pluck up the courage to ask her," he said. "We did a show in Las Vegas and I met her and said, 'Do you think there's any chance?' I was very Hugh Grant-like and spluttering about it."

Read on for the full article... and let us know in our new poll whether you want Rihanna on the album. (we'll have your feedback comments on another article - there are so many of them!)

The Sun article which confirms Rihanna as a collaborator on Mylo Xyloto:

Chris Martin is the frontman for one of the biggest bands on the planet and is married to Hollywood A-lister Gwyneth Paltrow, so you'd have thought he could play it cool in front of anyone. But in an exclusive interview, the Coldplay legend explained how global pop queen Rihanna reduced him to a bumbling, Hugh Grant-style rom-com mess. After revealing to The Sun that the band had pulled off the coup of persuading the sexy Bajan to appear as a guest vocalist on track Princess Of China, on new album Mylo Xyloto, Chris, 34, said: "The album is designed as a whole piece. It has boy and girl lead characters and top of our list for the girl part was Rihanna... but it took a while to pluck up the courage to ask her.

"We did a show in Las Vegas and I met her and said, 'Do you think there's any chance?' I was very Hugh Grant-like and spluttering about it. She has such an amazing voice and it's so different to mine. When the vocal happened I thought 'Wow, you sound different' but I think that's also because she was singing a different song to what we are used to hearing from her and it is written by a bloke from Devon."

Chris and bandmate Jonny Buckland, 33, were talking ahead of the launch of their eagerly anticipated fifth album — and it soon became apparent it is not only Rihanna the lads are huge fans of. After racking up worldwide record sales of 50million, you would think they had earned the right to call themselves Britain's biggest band. But in a startlingly honest admission, modest Chris reckons the lads will never be able to rival the success of Take That. Chris said: "We're never going to be as good as Take That but that's OK. We're too old to worry about that now."

And using a footballing analogy, Chris lavished praise on the manband's Gary Barlow. He said: "Gary's like the captain of music — the John Terry of English music. It's different for us. We're like one of those players that signs for a club in Italy — we're not necessarily as popular at home as we are elsewhere. But Gary's definitely the number one."

Despite Coldplay's array of awards, including seven Grammies and six Brits, they are not ashamed to admit they are huge supporters of the manband. Take That crop up several times in our chat, whether it's praising Robbie Williams doing Let Me Entertain You at Wembley as one of the greatest ever live performances, or talking about touring and admitting: "Unless you're Take That, you can't be assured anyone will want to come."

Chris is even looking forward to Saturday nights settled down in front of his telly watching Gary on The X Factor — but not until the painful audition stages are over. He said: "We love The X Factor like everybody else. I can't watch this phase when they're telling people they're bad, but once it gets to the live bits I enjoy it. For all the slagging off it gets, every week they're singing really great songs and introducing old music, so it's great. I didn't think it would work without Simon Cowell but it really does. That's because Gary's the man."

But don't expect Chris, Jonny and bandmates Guy Berryman and Will Champion to appear on the ITV1 show anytime soon, even though Paul McCartney has performed as a guest. He explained: "Paul was in The Beatles — he's different. I think we love watching it, but anything after that, I don't know."

Coldplay's intriguingly named album Mylo Xyloto is released on October 24. It is pronounced My-low Zy-letoe... and even the lads admit the title doesn't mean anything. Chris says: "At the moment it seems a bit ridiculous and I accept that.

"Something about it feels quite fresh. The title doesn't have any other meaning. I think we're a band with a lot of history now so it's nice to come up with something that doesn't have any history at all. We've had that title for about two years on a board and any other potential titles had to be written next to it. Other ones made more sense but we just liked this one, that's all we can defend it with."

Guitarist Jonny jokes that the process of finding a title was "like naming a child". And Chris — dad to daughter Apple, seven, and son Moses, five — admits he has received a fair bit of banter about his name choices. He says: "I've had trouble with that too. I don't regret that either. It's just a feeling of a fresh start."

If Chris Martin went to school with The Inbetweeners, the chances are he would have been kicking around with Will, Simon, Neil and Jay. And he definitely felt like a bit of a bumder when the band were knocked back by James Buckley, who plays Jay, when they asked him to be in a video. Chris said: "I love it. The Inbetweeners is amazing. When we did the single Christmas Lights we asked the guy who plays Jay if he could be in it. He couldn't so we changed the idea. We were very much turned down and, having seen the movie, they were right to stick to that. I'm glad it's doing great."

Despite their enormous global success, the Coldplay boys clearly feel there is a lot resting on this album. Speaking of the passion invested in Mylo Xyloto, Jonny said: "We want to do everything to the absolute maximum, whether it's playing live or recording. This could be our final chance. There's no such thing as 'established', you're still fragile. One s*** record and you're finished."

Chris added: "We're getting to the age where you've got to deliver or quit. Just because we were popular then, doesn't mean we are now. It would be great to not have it in the bargain bins by the Thursday of the week of release. Anyone who buys the album will really like it, except if they really don't want to like it. Then they'll have to wait a year and then admit they like it. The thing you have to accept in return for having very loyal fans is you have a lot of other fans that want to kill you. And that's OK. It's hard to accept at first but after a while you have to be comfortable with it."

One woman who had her fair share of criticism, though more for her personal life than her art, was Amy Winehouse. Chris says her tragic death earlier this year is a huge loss to music. He said: "With a voice as special as Amy's, you could sing about baked beans and I'd still want to listen. That just cements her greatness but it's sad that it has to be that way. She was always going to be a legend because voices like that don't come around that often. But it's just sad because we all miss out — and where might she have gone? It was the same with Jeff Buckley. We're all just going to miss her in a musical way."

For all of their pre-album jitters, Coldplay will definitely be around for a long time yet. Jonny says he can't see a time they would ever want to split. And for all his love of Take That, Chris insists none of them plan to "do a Robbie" and go solo. He said: "We're all on the same side and we're lucky because not every band has that. But our main focus is making our band as good as it can be. "We love what we do and we're grateful we're allowed to do it. If we didn't have each other we wouldn't be able to do it. We've seen so many bands where they have changed a person or someone's thought they wanted to do something different and it just f***s the whole thing up. We really don't want that."

With the lads going from strength to strength, that is definitely good to hear.

Don't forget (how could you) that Coldplay's forthcoming single Paradise will be unveiled in full on Monday at 7.50am (UK time) when it will be first played on radio at the following stations: BBC Radio 1; Absolute Radio; (more to be added). Join the Paradise Listening Party at the Coldplaying messageboard (Paradise sub-forum) now! We will have a new 1-10 sliding scale poll on what you thought of the song shortly after it airs.

A 30-second clip has emerged online of Paradise via website Turntribe. The clip, which you can now listen to via a YouTube upload seems to co-incide with the already released official lyrics from Twitter on Thursday: "when she was just a girl she expected the world but it flew away from her reach so she ran away in her sleep and dreamed of paradise..." Already there are mixes and covers of the 30-second clip which you can hear now in anticipation for tomorrow's official release.

The Coldplaying Toolbar has been updated to include all the stations Paradise will appear on. Not all stations will work for everyone (often due to restrictions) but its a neat way of switching from station to station as you find somehwere to listen to the new song. Download and install the toolbar from: coldplaying.ourtoolbar.com now. (if you are having problems will any aspect of the toolbar let us know in the listening party link above and we will try and help you out).

Your mini-reviews have been coming in thick and fast over the last 24 hours - we appreciate your comments on what you thought of the preview. So far we have had some very mixed reviews of the 30-second preview - but that's all it is - a preview. We would love to hear your updated reviews of the full song from tomorrow onwards. Below are some of your early thoughts...

Your thoughts on the 30-second preview clip of Paradise uncovered on Saturday:

And dreamed of para-para-paradise... Yeeeeeeah...I'm probably not gonna like this one. Will reserve judgment for now, but it's certainly a pop number. Fortunately not dancey synth crap like ETIAW, but still. [thanks Corkus]

WOW, I really disliked that based on the preview. And I rarely come out and say that flat out without hearing the whole thing and then sitting on my first judgements for awhile. But to me, it sounds like an R&B boyband ballad, based on those 30 seconds. And this is coming from someone who actually loves ETIAW, as well. Oh God, I hope it either gets better in terms of the whole song, or that it's the only major dud on the album. [thanks ApproximatelyInfinite]

I would hate it if I am wrong (and I might be (80%) haha), but this is SO going to be all over the radio- I was sad when Major Minus wasn't played, people just don't seem to like it....It doesn't matter though- I <3 it, and I can't imagine I won't love this album. It [Paradise clip] came from a site that was allowing people to pre-order the song. I found some other forum or something that had a comment all the way at the bottom with the link. For some reason google didn't find the link :/ My only guess is that the people behind Coldplay WANTED us to find that. They wouldn't send a 30 second preview to song that shouldn't be heard until its released on Monday.[thanks Nagromathon]

The strings sound amazing, the first part of the clip was really promising but the bit where Chris started singing wasn't as good. It sounds like a Chris Brown pop song to me but without the autotuning. The way he sings para-para-paradise is pretty stupid and cements its position as a pop song. He also plays the piano like in one of those pop songs where each chord is played once. I don't want to make a full judgment yet but it sounds average at best so far. It certainly sounds better than ETIAW but I'm not impressed so far. [thanks Cleggy]

I'm overwhelmed, awesome melody! I'm really happy to say that my expectations were totally wrong, the title made me think of sth dance like you-know-what so... Yay!!! Can't wait! [thanks Steph589]

To me it sounds like a Bass heavy, with minor adjustments, version of Warning Sign from A rush of Blood to the Head. Then the verse started, and I didnt think that anymore, and everything sounded alright, then Chris had to go with the "para-para-Paradise" line and it ruined for me to be honest. I'm beginning to dread this poppy sound. And no, this isnt a disgruntled fan annoyed with their desire to explore new horizons and expand the types of sounds they have. I loved Viva and the new sound it brought. This...not so much. I still have hope, but goodness, I hope my current sentiments are changed as soon as possible. [thanks Zj23]

I dont judge from 30 seconds preview. And there is no reason to complain about it until we heard the complete song !!! Damn,theyre doing a great job and so Paradise will be !!! [thanks Ronnie O Sullivan]

Why everything sounds so dance/retarded in this album. I mean, the song seams great but the "sound", the "production" it's really annoying to me. It would be a huge surprise if it won't be worst Coldplay album by far. it sounds like OneRepublic trying to sound like Coldplay. Or like Coldplay doing the worst The National's You Were A Kidness cover ever. The chord progression in the intro it's similar to Amsterdam. So you can check the involution of the band comparing the lovely, natural sound in Amsterdam and the noisy, chaotic, electronic, lifeless and synthetic sound in Paradise. Seriously, Paradise it's a mediocre piece of music, and there are tons and tons of anonymous bands that are capable to do things a lor more creative than this Paradise but you will never listen to it because they haven't all the mainstream gears turning in their favour. Some of you are just deaf. Chris Martin burps and you just burst out into tears saying things like "ooooh happiest day of my life". Coldplay were great in 1999/2009, but 2011's Coldplay sucks. [thanks Bloody]

Those first 12 seconds are really catchy. Now I know why they chose this as a single, from the thirty seconds I heard, it sounds like a radio song (not saying that is bad). It's very interesting, I can't wait to hear the whole song. [thanks guda4siempre]

It sounds amazing. When I first heard ETIAW I was quick to cut it down and moan about how I wished Coldplay went back to their Parachutes/Rush Of Blood days. Since hearing Major Minus, Moving To Mars and the 30 second clip of Paradise I am starting to understand the direction that Coldplay are going in and all of the new songs that I've heard both studio recordings and live are starting to fit together. Basically what I'm trying to say is .. it all makes a lot more sense now that I've heard a few tracks and their new style has some context. By the way, I really do like ETIAW now. I understand! [thanks - DAN -]

Holy shit! Thank you for finding this! It sounds really amazing. Im gonna rip the audio and put it on my mp3 player so I can listen to it over and over again until monday! gosh now you got me all excited!!!!!! ahhhhhh!!!! I can listen to 30 seconds over and over! I don't care!! [thanks joecortazzo]

I don't mind the criticism. If people don't like the direction the band is heading, they have the right to say something about it. If Coldplay started sucking to me, I'd be really pissed off too. But I like it so far. I think, however, a lot of people should withhold judgements because this is just a 30-second sample of the song and there's bound to be a lot more meat to it. Something tells me that something kickass (Jonny guitar solo, Will pounding out some weird but awesome tribal beat, etc) is going to happen. I really don't think this song is a ballad. After all, the song is 4:38, so we've heard only about 10% of the song. Just imagine defining your favorite Coldplay songs in a 30-second sample. It simply isn't enough. There's a reason why iTunes switched to 90-second samples about a year ago: 30 seconds just isn't sufficient to pass a good judgement. [thanks Baw8cc]

This sounds AMAZING. I am so happy. The strings sound so nice, along with the "oooh"s and I even like the vocal parts as well. I think "para para" is in there because it works. I really need the full song to make this assumption, but I think the two syllables are repeated because of the time signature and making things fit. It'll sound fine once we hear it in the full version. The first half just kind of blew me away. The second half may sound like pop, but orchestra-sounding parts aren't usually found in pop songs. [thanks MajorM]

Alright people, stop hating. This is just 30sec out of a 4:38 song. Talk about judging a book by its cover!! If you are not excited by the preview, fine. Wait until you hear the whole thing. If you are excited by the preview, good for you and good luck waiting until "monday morning". But I advise you to stop listening to it already. Just wait. [thanks macky]

I'm not gonna click it :P I'm gonna wait 2 more days, it's bad enough that we know half the songs of the new album already so I'm gonna resist to make the album somewhat of a surprise. But I like reading the comments though, mixed opinions already. [thanks doritji]

First listen I wasn't impressed - not because it's bad, It's only a 30 second preview for chrissakes - but because It's not what I was expecting. I think your expectations can do that when something is so built up. however, upon a few more listens I actually really really like it, and can't wait to hear more. Really surprised it hasn't leaked this close. [thanks Bonus_mosher]

That 30 second preview actually doesn't seem that promising to me. Someone said something about it sounding like a Mat Kearney song when Chris starts singing, and I agree. I just hope it gets better after that...the opening bit is slightly promising but its not anything too special in my mind. It's very...mainstream hip-hop/pop stuff. Hoping I'm wrong about that. 30 second previews dont always sound great. But I'm kind of worried the music went in this direction. I've liked every other new song we've heard, but the first 30 seconds of this song seem...meh. [thanks footyfan10]

Well we know Chris loves hip-hop artists and I am sure he has been dying to incorporate some of that in Coldplay (starting from Lost), so it´s no surprise that the rhythms of hip hop find their way into MX. I think it´s all part of their evolution. I am constantly amazed at how they travel from genre to genre but never fail to move me. [thanks valypan]

I can't wait to hear the full song! Totally different than what I expected it to be. I must admit, at least from the clip, I'm not as hooked as I was on "Violet Hill" when it came out. We'll wait and see.. I'm sure it'll grow on me once I hear Jonny's masterful guitars. [thanks a2iel]

It's different. But I still am excited to hear the rest. Speaking of Violet Hill, I didn't really like it when I first heard it. I normally have to analyze a song fully to like it, its rare that Id like it the first time. But I love the lyrics. I can't wait. [thanks LadyBellaStrawberry]

I think the song relates to PoC Talking about a girl..? Maybe? I DON'T KNOW DAMN IT. But it sounds epic. Just the para-para-paradise bit, gets a bit annoying. can't wait till Monday though. [thanks kiwiboy527]

Don't know what to think about the song. I definitely excpected to hear something different - but there are only 30 seconds. I really like the beginning with the strings and the synth, but the verse is not one of that which create such a massive feeling inside me. I have to admit that I like the song more the more I listen to it, but until now its not better than Hurts Like Heaven, Charlie Brown, MM, PoC, UatW and ETIAW in my honest opinion. [thanks Major_Love]

The strings/synth sound similar to the beginning of X&Y (the song) - the same style, not melody . And the rythm/pace of the vocals is similar to a lullaby to me (like it was on Swallowed in the Sea), if that makes any sense? I don't know, but it's awesome! [thanks isrlns]

Okay, you know what... I absolutely love the sound of this. Love it. Admittedly the whole para-para-paradise thing may annoy me, but it's such a Chris thing to do. [thanks Nattatouille]

I think it sounds amazing! I heard it as soon as it got posted to youtube and I was overwhelmed. It sounds a lot different than their usual style, bit I really love it. I think it's going to be awesome! And just because it gravitates to some kind of pop style, that doesn't mean anything. Personally, I think it's stupid when you don't like a song just because it's popular. I don't really listen to popular music, but that's just because I don't like the song, not because it's popular. You listen to what you like and you shouldn't care if the others like it/dislike it too! [thanks Matej]

Coldplay have tonight announced the tracklisting for the forthcoming album, Mylo Xyloto . Discuss the official tracklisting now at the Mylo Xyloto subforum. In total there are 14 songs, most of which were already mooted for the record, but M.M.I.X. is a previously unknown track (if you were not aware, MMIX is Roman Numerals for 2009 - do you know the significance? Does it even stand for 2009?) Read on after the jump for the graphic containing the complete tracklisting.

DLIBYH is indeed Don't Let It Break Your Heart as was widely expected. Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall and Major Minus from the recent EP are both included in the album but Moving To Mars did not (as we feared) make the final cut. Hurts Like Heaven was included, following comments taken from previous interviews that it wouldn't be. Beneath the tracklisting (which we assume is the rear of the album cover) there are 14 symbols, each representing a track.

There are in total FOUR tracks that start with the letter U - Us Against The World, U.F.O., Up In Flames, and Up With The Birds. The significance of this? Well, back in November 2010, Chris said: "I'm trying to make sure there are three songs that start with the same letter. On the last album it was L. It might be U this time. One of them is Up With The Birds. It might be a duet, but we don't know who with yet."

Just some of your comments following the tracklisting announcement:

i'm over the moon, Charlie Brown, Us Against The World and Hurts Like Heaven have made my day 14 songs too! Glad to see Chris got his way with the number of tracks in the end. there's a logo for each song. 14 songs, 14 logos. just count them not hard to work it out. UATW logo is a CK turned sideways, making it look like a person, I doubt Car Kids made the album otherwise surely it'd be there or an extra logo would be. God dammit I can't wait for the 21st of October now!!! [thanks squibby92]

Finally! Happy to see so many songs, I can barely wait for the album... I just wish that the damn ETIAW wasn't there and MTM was... I am sad that they don't see how amazing MTM is... ETIAW in the damn middle? well that was unexpected! here's me hoping there are some instrumentals, cause otherwise it'd be far too long and cause i can't picture songtitles like UFO or MMIX having even decent lyrics.. [thanks Strawberry Swinger]

We have to give some credit to the boys. I think that it is a fantastic tracklisting, especially considering that it has 14 tracks. Furthermore, there is at least one track (M.M.I.X.) which we have never heard about. I concur with the comment that the transition from ETIAW to Major Minus won't be the best one, but we already got such transition in the ETIAW-EP. The best thing about this tracklisting is the fact that each song get's its own symbol, which I think it is pretty original. I really hope Mylo Xyloto is the only instrumental but I really doubt it given the rule on album's time that the band has. But who knows, I never expected a 14 tracks album. With that being said, I am now sure that I won't hear to anything else after Paradise in order to save half of the album (7 tracks) for the moment when I hear the whole thing for the first time. It's getting closer folks, the boys are back and I am sure they will rock the world AGAIN. [thanks the_escapist]

Not seeing why some are unahppy with MTM's exclusion from the album. I guess it's too bad for the average fan who may not ever know if its existence, but WE know it exists and WE heard it already. It does not matter (to me) whether MTM is or is not on the album since we heard it already. I would be saying the same if MTM WAS on the album and (for example) Major Minus wasn't. Again, all I wanted was to hear it and its exclusion or inclusion on the main album doesn't matter. [thanks jc90]

I am so happy with this, we could not have wished for more. I'm also happy that ETIAW is not the final track, because that would always be a small anticlimax for me, even though I like it. The only thing is, I'm afraid it will be too long.... Ah whatever. Edit: oh and I love the symbols. [thanks Blue Nails]

I think ETIAW stands in contrast with MM. Maybe it will function as an album divider, where the positive part is the first one and it culminates with ETIAW and then the "dark" part begins, starting with MM, going through Up In Flames, etc. Hopefully it will all have a happy ending though with Up With The Birds. Anyone else thinks M.M.I.X. does not stand for roman numerals? After all, if it is roman numerals, why the punctuation? I think it might be a new acronym of sorts. And I do not think DLIBYH is a cheesy title. Maybe by itself, but I think in the context of the album it might actually be very emotional...After all my heart would be breaking if everything just went up in flames. [thanks valypan]

I reckon Car Kids is on there as a hidden track. It isn't on any of the databases but Chris wouldn't have had Car Kids written all over the back of one of his shirts if it wasn't being used or even just a b side. Dont worry guys this album could be even longer than we expected. I think the whole 42 minutes long went out of the window ages ago! It seems like they have written too many songs! [thanks Samuel_94]

I'm extraordinarily irked that they didn't put MTM on there when they simply could have lobbed off ETIAW and attributed that to festival material. But there are 13 songs (I'm not gonna count a song that I'll always skip), so I suppose I can't complain too much. [thanks NumbersGirl]

I am very happy to see the tracklist and know that we will hear 8 tracks brand new never heard before! There is absolutely no way we're getting an EP after the album; Chris said in an interview they were going to finish 13 songs; judging at that point three were already out in the world (Every Teardrop is a Waterfall EP), and two are on the album tracklist (ETIAW and MM), that must mean 12 songs out of 13 are on there, but one has been left out. Even that might be released as a b-side at some point. Does this make sense? I don't know, so excited about the whole thing! Compared to the material from Viva era, there were 22 songs released by Coldplay, and I'm not even counting Fun, Lukas or Famous Old Painters, which were also mixed and mastered. So, perhaps this now is a situation where they've just put everything out, and that's fine by me! [thanks Miha]

14 songs? I bet a couple of tracks are very short instrumental/intermissions like MX, MMIX & A Hopeful Transmission. Might be completely wrong but thats my guess! [thanks bedtime83]

Thoughts and speculation: I'm guessing at least 3 of these are short instrumentals (MX, MIX and UFO?) What I would love is for each of Johnny, Will and Guy to get a solo feature in the instrumentals that could translate to the tour. On tour ETIAW would transition perfectly into a Will drum solo. Bass solo's just rock in general, and with Johnny getting alot of pub by the band for this record it would make sense for him to have a guitar solo track. The album is 46-50 minutes long, so about 4 minutes per track on average, then the instrumentals. I like the symbols correlating to each song. HLH, Paradise and Charlie Brown is going to be a killer part of the album. It looks like there will be no hidden tracks, which is great because I despise that gimmick. ETIAW was obviously going to make it as it fits what they said the theme would be perfectly, so I don't know why the haters are all upset. With how this is unfolding this may become my favorite Coldplay album. Pumped, glad this is out of the way before Paradise drops on Monday. [thanks The Duke]

I must admit I'm not a fan of some song titles and that Every Teardrop Is a Waterfall looks weird just stuck in the middle there, but I'm sure it'll all sound fine when we hear the album. There will no doubt be a lot (6, maybe 7) singles from this depending on how long they're touring for. And like I said, I'm expecting the album to be lengthy. 55-70 minutes I think. Which could be a problem, I mean their longest album so far is X&Y and I am not a fan of that album at all, it just can't hold its own weight in my opinion. [thanks TwistedPolitik]

Some terrible track names for sure, and ETIAW into Major Minus has to be the album transition from hell (at least I can skip it in one chunk), but at least the latter half of the album is stacked with thus-far unheard material. [thanks Corkus]

Oh dear, 14 songs? I guess Chris won out and got what he wanted. I hope it's not too long like X&Y. The only surprise on the tracklist is MMIX, which is Roman Numerals for 2009. The rest we already knew the titles of. Now we can finally stop all those silly tracklisting threads. Disappointed to see ETIAW on there but if there's a new mix and it works well in the context of the album I might change my mind about the song and learn to like it. [thanks Cleggy]

I'm disappointed that ETIAW is on the album. Not because I don't like it, but because now the artwork won't be on my phone since Moving to Mars' official artwork is the EP's text on white. (I'm a fanatic for having all the single artworks with their respective B-sides as tracks.) I really like how each song has an icon. Strange that UATW got the Car Kids logo though. I expected Car Kids to be a lyric of a song, so I would have assumed that logo to go with said song. [thanks periahdark]

I've mentioned it before, but I am severely glad all of our prediction of hearing half the album turned out to be false. All the festival songs are great, and the only song I plan on listening to is "Paradise" until October 24. We love you, Coldplay! You made my day. [thanks DundahMifflin]

There must be some short songs there. Eveything we heard until now are normal lenght songs (expect MX), so how to fit those 4-4 1/2 minutes song in a 42-45 minute album with 14 tracks? [thanks Prospector]

I'M EXCITED. No more cynicism from me (although I never really was about anything other than the ETIAW title)!!!!!!! I'm ecstatic that there are so many songs, and I can't wait for the songs we haven't heard (especially Up in Flames since R42 keeps talking it up) Overall, I'm super super pleased! Also, I'm not going to criticize titles before I hear the songs themselves. I also love the symbols at the bottom, that is awesome. Now I think I'll avoid listening to any other new songs that they debut live, because I want to leave some surprises for the album release! [thanks notlost92]

tracklist AND album finished!! Niiiice! I'm surprised by the 14 songs, but like many of you, I'm guessing a few instrumentals and/or 'parachutes' length songs. So the total length must be like VLV. Anyway, can't wait to hear what UFO sounds like xD!! [thanks a-chan]

Firstly: Great to have a final tracklist now! I'm glad that there are at least 6-7 songs which are unknown! Personally I believe the album will be around 50 minutes - a bit like Viva just without hidden tracks. I'm curious how much instrumental songs there are... but I think MMIX and UFO aren't instrumentals - not in the middle of the album! Maybe the short intro to ETIAW gives you an image of MMIX?! So sad that "Tomorrow" didn't make the cut - interesting song title. Well, now there are the titles and I'm looking forward to some explanations (album title and at least some info about the several songs...) [thanks Major_Love]

My only worry... is that we know too much! Obviously we heard ETIAW and Major Minus back in June. We will be hearing Paradise next week, and MX, Hurts Like Heaven, UATW, Charlie Brown, PoC have been heard at festivals and apparently Up In Flames and DLIBYH are being added to the tour setlist along with paradise...that means that we have already heard 10 of the 14 songs that are on the album! What I enjoyed about VLV was the fact that (if I'm not mistaken) we had only heard 3 songs: Viva La Vida, Violet Hill and the acoustic version of Lost before the album came out, so were there tons of new songs to hear completely for the first time...it won't be the same for MX! If I am right about DLIBYH and Up In Flames being debuted live before the release of the album, I think I will steer clear of listening to them before the album is released...I want more of an experience when I first listen to the album! [thanks iPsy]

I did not expect the tracklisting to be announced so soon afterwards, although I wish I had seen it happen live, but I had no idea that it was just about to be announced, so glad Charlie Brown, Hurts Like Heaven, Up In Flames, and Don't Let It Break Your Heart have made the album, I reckon personally that Mylo XYLOTO, Up In Flames, and Don't Let It Break Your Heart, could be epic 7 minute songs, and that we are in for a 70 minute album, and a real treat when October 24 comes for us English. [thanks Jamesfish]

I'm way late for the party. I went to work and then went to see Contagion right after work so I've been gone like 11 or 12 hrs. It's so nice to come home to this! Here's my two cents. I'm so glad the album has 14 tracks. There will be 5 songs of which I have never heard once I pick up the album and that makes me happy. I thought there would only be one or two tracks that I hadn't heard. I'm going to hear Paradise, DLIBYH, and Up in Flames all before the album comes out since they're playing them at Austin City Limits and I'm going to be there. I'm glad that ETIAW is not closing the album. The use of A Hopeful Transmission near the end of the album gives me hope that the album's story will have a happy ending. [thanks lotrobsessed101]

Ok, let's put this together: What we have here is a concept Album (Chris mentioned that before). The amount of Songs (14 in total with - maybe - a hidden 15th track) is typically for a concept Album but not for Coldplay. This got me excited first because (and i guess i speak for most of the audience here) the more songs the better. But here's the thing I stumbled upon: One time Chris said that every Album should not contain more than 42 min of music/songs. If this had been the ideal on MX too, then some of those songs would just be some short material/instrumentals to fill the gabs between the "main"-songs. It relates to the idea of a concept album aswell: some of these albums tell a story and you have to hear them as a whole (which is not bad actually) and some songs could be very short in order to fill story gaps.... I might be wrong but this aspect really got me wondering. 14 songs on a coldplay album? Damn, that's huge oO But if the 42-minute-ideal is given here, some of them will eventually be very short... [thanks Inko]

Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto is still more than a month away (it hits stores first on October 24th), which means there was plenty of time to tinker with the songs that will make the final cut - until now. The deadline for completing the album has passed! Roadie #42 has just tweeted today: "Bumped into Rik Simpson. Tells me: "We finished the album at 2am". It's on this USB stick. Get ready folks! R42" Let us know your thoughts in the Mylo Xyloto sub-forum now... [thanks Contra4you & Zj23]

Thursday - and again today - is when Coldplay were scheduled to begin rehearsals for a handful of shows leading up to the release of Mylo Xyloto. They'll headline the Austin City Limits festival on September 16th, hit the iHeart Radio Fest in Las Vegas and Atlanta's Music Midtown before heading to Brazil and South Africa for a handful of massive shows.

Meanwhile, the media have picked up on the latest Roadie #42 blogs and decided to run with the theme of detailing the progression of a pair of new songs, Up In Flames and DLIBYH (which we think is likely an acronym for "Don't Let It Break Your Heart"). Typical article examples come from MTV, Gigwise and Idolator.

The first, 'Up In Flames', was written before the band's appearance at the iTunes Festival in London in July. “Apparently, Chris had started the song the previous night, so it was less than 24 hours old at that point,” R42 wrote. “It was hypnotic in its simplicity, but devastatingly, achingly gorgeous. The final version has lost none of this and is a masterwork of restraint. It hasn’t been crammed with a million ideas and embellishments. Every part is there simply to enhance the emotional impact. I can only predict floods of tears in every quarter.”

Next on the discussion table was 'DLIBYH', the actual title of which is cause for much speculation on the messageboards: “DLIBYH couldn’t possibly be heading in any more different a direction emotionally. It’s almost violently life affirming. I remember texting Phil during the Glastonbury rehearsals when they first played Charlie Brown in its live incarnation. I was amazed at how vast and invigorating it sounded. They’re going to blow the sodding walls out when they kick into this one tomorrow…”

Your latest comments on the completion of Mylo Xyloto...

Hey, i got a thought which is may totally wrong...but... Phil said in a earlier tweet "Paradise,Up in flames,Princess of China..lets get em out there"...now we got to know that in the upcoming festivals Paradise,Up in Flames and DLIBYH(!) will be performed...maybe a month ago it was meant to perform Princess of China but now they made an other choice....yeah its a bit confusing,but that was one of my first thoughts when i read the Roadie-Blog today...also i remember that Chris said in a former interview that there are "songs" which didnt fit as good as they thought they would fit into their live-sets,maybe one was Princess of China ?! On the other hand, is it a good sign for Princess of China to be on the album because they dont want to spoil that much of Mylo Xyloto and a bad sign for Up in flames and DLIBYH just to be performed in the upcoming festivals and maybe not be included on MX ?! [thanks Ronnie O Sullivan]

EPIC. I really want to hear Up In Flames... sounds very intriguing. But really one of things I'm really interested to know is what song the album ends on. ETIAW is the favourite for that spot, but methinks MX could fade easily into the intro as well as Hurts Like Heaven does. I wonder how the 'story' will turn out... [thanks AmbroseCadwell]

Now let's leak that shit ay? [thanks trinest]

CONGRATULATIONS to the boys! Can't wait to hear the final product. After all, what Dave Holmes said in the Billboard interview was right and the deadline with EMI was today - September 9, 2011 - and they worked on it until the last minute. [thanks the_escapist]

It's one thing after another. Some exciting news today about the album and people are still finding reasons to complain. 'WHY HAZ I NO TRACKLIST COLDPLAY HUH?' stfu and gtfo. [thanks Bonus_mosher]

Mylo Xyloto is now on a stick...

A US university student has turned a rare genetic condition into a viral video after he was able to play a rendition of Clocks while seated with his back to the piano keyboard. The video, which you can watch now at the messageboard shows Evan Petrone twisting his arms into a seemingly impossible position, then, after adjusting his shoulders, start to play the opening chords. "I've always been able to bend my arms all over the place," Mr Petrone says. "And I eventually began to wonder if I could play piano backwards."

Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome means he has unusually loose joints and ligaments. While this usually causes chronic pain for sufferers, in his case it makes for party tricks. Mr Petrone said he chose the song because it was simple and repetitive, but it still took him more than five hours to master. "I had to force my brain to play in a completely different way, and it was extremely difficult", he says. "You can tell there are still mistakes in the video. I feel bad getting attention for my EDS, because I literally have ‘the fun kind’. I know people who suffer chronic pain because of their EDS and live very restricted lifestyles."

Meanwhile if you haven't already seen it, Willie Nelson has covered The Scientist for a new Chipotle restaurants commercial that stands beside small farmers and in direct opposition of factory created pork, poultry and steak. The 2 minute video will play in theaters across the U.S. You can also watch The Making Of video as well. [thanks the_escapist & Saketblitz]

The video, called "Back to the Start," tells the story of an adorable farmer who turns his organic farm into a huge factory farm only to realize the error of his ways. The message: Industry and science are hurting the animals and food that we eat. Chipotle sponsored the video to show the importance of sustainable food and also to emphasize its focus on natural, organic products in its restaurants. The video will appear in movie theaters, and the cover song will also be sold in iTunes with $0.60 of each download going to the Chipotle Cultivate Foundation, which supports sustainable agriculture and education.

Coldplay’s original video for “The Scientist” showed a man grieving after his girlfriend is killed in a car crash, with the video played in reverse. “Back to the Start” takes the same concept of reversing time. It’s not a perfect fit, but Nelson, a long-time family farm advocate, makes it work.

Private equity group Terra Firma is launching another legal action over the music firm EMI, according to the BBC today. US bank Citigroup seized ownership of EMI in February after previous owner Terra Firma failed a solvency test on its £2.6bn debts. EMI is home to artists including Coldplay, Pink Floyd, Katy Perry and Iron Maiden.

Terra Firma has now asked the High Court in London to have accountants turn over documents relating to how the bank came to that decision. A hearing will be held later this year. Terra Firma, which says it did not miss any of its interest payments on its debt to Citigroup, wants to know how it was decided by PricewaterhouseCoopers that the private equity firm could not pay its debts. The US bank declined to comment and is not involved in the legal action.

This year's Rock In Rio festival, which will take place between September 23rd and October 2nd in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, will be streamed live via YouTube for fans outside of Brazil, according to reports on the messageboard today. (In Brazil, the transmission will be via MultishowHD and Globo.com).

Coldplay's last concert of the 2011 Festival Tour will be on October 1st, and they headline Rock In Rio. Coldplay will start at 00:20h (local time (Brazil / GMT -3:00)). The stream of all days will start at: 7PM Buenos Aires (Coldplay 00:20AM); 5PM C. de Mexico (Coldplay 22:20PM); 6PM New York (Coldplay 23:20PM); 11PM London (Coldplay 04:20AM); 7AM Tokyo (Coldplay 12:20PM). The YouTube link to see the concert is: http://www.youtube.com/rockinrioeuvou

Rock in Rio is a series of music festivals held in Brazil and later in Portugal and Spain.

Three incarnations of the festival were in Rio de Janeiro, in 1985, 1991 and 2001, four in Lisbon, in 2004, 2006, 2008 and 2010, and two in Madrid in 2008 and 2010. The shows were organized by Brazilian entrepreneur Roberto Medina. In 2011, Rock in Rio will take place in its original home, Rio de Janeiro.

Rock in Rio has been the largest music festival in the world, with 1.5 million people in the first edition, 700,000 in the second, about 1.2 million in the third, and about 350,000 people in each of the 3 Lisbon editions.