More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 1400 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

May 21, 2010 - submitted by Robbie, United States of America

Q. You mentioned Travis in one of your previous posts. I love Coldplay, and also really enjoy Travis, and while reading about the the latter, I found that they are said to be one of Coldplay's main influences. Is this true, do the guys really like Travis, and how well do the two bands know each other? Both bands are in my top 5 and it would blow my mind to know that stuff is true!

The Oracle replies:

Coldplay were inspired by and influenced by Travis; they were definitely fans. Travis were also fans of Coldplay right from the start and whilst on tour in the U.S. plugged the band to local radio stations that they visited.

May 21, 2010 - submitted by Heitor, Brazil

Q. Q. Hello oracle! So, in the show in Sao Paulo in Brazil, in the song STRAWBERRY SWING, Chris said: "This is for my sister, Happy Birthday!". Chris Martin has a twin sister?

Thanks...

The Oracle replies:

Rosie is Chris's younger sister and her birthday is a few days after his. She was on tour for his celebrations but left for home a couple of days before hers.

May 20, 2010 - submitted by Irazu, Mexico

Q. Is it true that in the Guadalajara's concert some girls threw their bras to the band?

The Oracle replies:

That is indeed true. It happened when the guys were on Stage C performing their acoustic set!

May 20, 2010 - submitted by Lalo, Mexico

Q. Dear Oracle. How does Coldplay fly home? An Airway, Private jet, Bicycle?

PS. Your concert, the best one ever

The Oracle replies:

They take a regular flight home with an airline; they do hire a plane during long tour stints but not to actually get to the destinations as far away as U.S, Latin America and Australia etc.

Coldplay blends and fanart (by Jen LondonSkies)

View more photos at Flickr now!

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 1200 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

May 19, 2010 - submitted by Abraham, Mexico

Q. Dear Oracle, last night show in Monterrey was amazing; however, my friends and I were a little bit confused by the presence of some mariachis near down the stage, were they supposed to make a performance? I went to Guadalajara's gig too and did not see any mariachis near the stage.

The Oracle replies:

There was no Mariachi band set to appear on that final night; it was the backline crew members who dressed up for fun as it was the very last concert of the Viva tour.

May 19, 2010 - submitted by viviana, Colombia

Q. i want to know the name of the last song performed by Bat For Lashes in Bogota, it was a great song!!!

The Oracle replies:

The song was called

May 18, 2010 - submitted by Taylor, United Kingdom

Q. Dear Oracle, I keep seeing "Bat for Lashes" around the site. What is Bat for Lashes? Thanks!

The Oracle replies:

Bat For Lashes is the name of a great band who recently opened for Coldplay on tour.

May 18, 2010 - submitted by Rachel, United States of America

Q. Is it possible to fall in love with someone after two months of knowing each other with a few dates here and there, but never actually have an incredibly deep conversation? Or is it just being confused for infatuation and/or lust?

The Oracle replies:

I think you can certainly fall in love that quickly - quicker in some cases - as we can have a connection with people immediately. The tricky thing is it could quite easily be infatuation or lust as you say. It's a tricky area because as time goes on feelings can either grow, stay the same or diminish. There are so many different variations on what love is and how long it lasts. You could be with someone and love them but then meet someone who makes you feel incredible. Maybe you had that with the person you're with and had forgotten. People enjoy that rush so much that they believe they are in love with more than one person. That's entirely possible of course but the feeling could pass. Some people are only looking for that rush which is why many people have affairs. Anyway, I digress... I do tend to think that if you're attracted to someone physically or whatever, it can be mistaken for love. I don't think it's possible to generalize on this as some people believe in love at first sight and it lasts a lifetime where for others, when the shine wears off the love disappears.

Pictures of Chris Martin in New York City (23rd April 2010):

Source: http://infdaily.com

Registration for Coldplaying.com's 2010 FIFA World Cup fantasy league is now open, with the game launch date set for 4 June. Until then, read the rules, register and prepare! For all the details and discussion on creating a team and joining the Coldplaying league, click here into the News & Sport forum. You can also reminisce over the 2006 Coldplaying winners' list. Who will take the title away from Ondes Martenot?

This week, coaches formally handed in their provisional squads for the 2010 FIFA World Cup™, a move that sent many fans into a fever as they agonised over squad inclusions and exclusions. For fantasy managers, the announcement means that it’s time to register your fantasy teams and prepare for the launch of the McDonald’s 2010 FIFA World Cup Fantasy game on 4 June.

The game launch takes place shortly after the announcement of the final 23-man squads for all participating 2010 FIFA World Cup teams. The Grand Prize for the overall winner of McDonald’s 2010 FIFA World Cup Fantasy is a Kia car. There will also be tons of prizes up for grabs up in each of the sevens rounds.

Please ensure you have registered a team and joined the Coldplaying league by Noon, 11th June 2010 to start gaining points from the outset.

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 1200 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

May 17, 2010 - submitted by Beth, Australia

Q. O Oracle, In Roadie #42's blog number 98 there is a voice near the beginning when he's looking at the people through the stage barrier and a muffled hello. Is that Mr 42's voice. Also that blog was hilarious! Love from Australia. We eagerly await the bands return!

The Oracle replies:

No, that's not Roadie #42. It's a live version of Strawberry Swing and that's Chris you can hear.

May 17, 2010 - submitted by Jude, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, I really want to see the rockumentary "It Might Get Loud," based on the trailer I saw of it. Jack White made something at the beginning of the trailer, what is it? (also, have you seen the movie, any good?) Thanks

The Oracle replies:

Jack is making a one string guitar; the sound he gets out of it is incredible. This film was showing on the plane over to the Latin American tour. Guy watched it and thought it was OK.

May 14, 2010 - submitted by Debora, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, Hopefully you can answer my question just on time. Tomorrow I'm going to go see Phoenix the band and I was wondering who in the bloody hell is their drummer??!! I know they have one for that I am sure of but he never appears in their videos or interviews. Thanks!

The Oracle replies:

This has puzzled a few folk but the drummer is Thomas Hedlund.

May 14, 2010 - submitted by sophie, Spain

Q. This just came to me today and it's a rather weird question but ... you get heterosexuals, homosexuals and bisexuals, but is it possible to not feel attracted to either men or women?

The Oracle replies:

Yes that's also possible; people can also be asexual.

Pictures of Chris Martin in New York City (23rd April 2010):

Source: http://infdaily.com

Coldplay, Lily Allen and Susan Boyle rule the roost when it comes to combined Facebook, Twitter and YouTube followers, according to Famecount this week. Coldplay have 3.8 million Facebook fans, 2.8 million Twitter followers and more than70,000 YouTube subscribers according to Famecount.com, the world's first online media measurement service. More discussion on this is at the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks mimixxx]

It gives the band a Famecount index of 57.9 per cent, making them just over half as popular as Barack Obama, who gets a 100 per cent fame count and the No.1 spot when it comes to online presence. Globally, Coldplay come 12th in the world as a social media entity.

Lily Allen's 602,000 Facebook fans, 2,136,799 Twitter followers and 8,128 YouTube subscribers gives her a Famecount Index of 31.3 per cent and the number two position in the UK index chart. The BBC came in third with No 10 Downing Street number four. Britain's Got Talent star Susan Boyle is the most successful British reality TV star with a Famecount index of 9.1 per cent.

"For the first time we can see which Stars are most popular across major social networks as a whole," said Daniel Dearlove, founder of Famecount.com. “We can identify not simply who are the most famous, but which stars are embracing social media and using it most effectively – and thereby attracting the most online fans. Interestingly some of the biggest U.K. stars, particularly on YouTube, have built their fame entirely online.

"As the success of Canadian star Justin Bieber shows, it is no longer simply a case of existing celebrity transferring onto social media channels. If the content is good enough, then the Web could well start to become a more regular birthplace for emerging stars."

Pictures of Chris Martin in New York City (23rd April 2010):

Source: http://infdaily.com

EMI might not be in good hands but it will remain with Guy Hands. His company Terra Firma will hang onto EMI after a last minute funding raise has saved it from the evil clutches of Citibank. More discussion on this is at the Coldplay forum here onwards.

EMI chief Guy Hands has raised £105 million to keep the Citibank wolves from the EMI doors. EMI’s parent company Terra Firma was reported to owe Citibank £120 million this month but Citibank but the £105 million of new investment has settled them down.

The new investment also saves EMI from being bought by a competitor which most likely would have been Warner. Warner and EMI have been courting for years and have twice gone down the aisle with Warner being jilted at the altar on both occasions.

In common with much of the recorded music industry, EMI has been hit hard by illegal downloads and falling album sales. EMI's executive chairman, the former ITV boss, Charles Allen, said: "We are very pleased to have received this confirmation of an additional investment."

Guy Hands had been hoping to raise £360m ($532m), which would have seen EMI financially stable through to 2015. EMI is the current home of Coldplay, The Beatles and Gorillaz. However, in recent months Paul McCartney announced he was moving his back catalogue to Universal. Queen were reported only this week to also be contemplating a move to Universal.

Pictures of winning auction items (Jonny Buckland's VIVA guitar - Blacky) in the Coldplay end of decade clearout sale (by Jason-DeBord):

Pictures: Jason-DeBord

Coldplay are expected to return to Glastonbury next year, according to festival organiser Michael Eavis. The band last topped the bill at the festival when they played in 2005. More discussion on this is at the Coldplay forum here [thanks mimixxx]

But, speaking on BBC radio station 6 Music today, Eavis predicted they would be back for 2011. "They've played four or five times already but they'll be back next year, I'm sure," he said as presenter Lauren Laverne hosted her show live from Worthy Farm in Pilton, the site of the festival.

Meanwhile, 6 Music will be the radio home of Glastonbury for its 40th year, next month. The digital station will dedicate 40 hours to continuous coverage, with live performances, exclusive interviews, festival news and material from the Glastonbury archives.

Lauren Laverne will join fellow presenters Steve Lamacq, Cerys Matthews, Craig Charles, Tom Robinson, Gideon Coe and Tom Ravenscroft on-air. Festival headliners Orbital are also set to present a special show for 6 Music on Sunday 27th June ahead of their live festival set.

There will also be coverage on other BBC Radio outlets. Radio 1 will bring their listeners highlights from the festival with Fearne Cotton and Jo Whiley both presenting Glastonbury specials of their regular shows from the site. Over on BBC Radio 4, they will focus on spoken word with the Glastonbury Poetry Diaries. Five poets appearing at the festival keep poetry diaries of their experiences. There will also be some comedy performances over the weekend.

Andy Parfitt, BBC's Controller of Popular Music, said: "6 Music will be back at Worthy Farm to offer the same breadth of coverage and capture all those quintessentially Glastonbury moments, from the headliners on the Pyramid Stage to the next big thing on the BBC Introducing stage. Complemented by Radio 1 and Radio 4's own take on the festival, BBC TV's consistently excellent capturing of the iconic Glastonbury performances and the extensive online offering, the BBC's coverage of this major cultural event will prove once again to be a must see/hear experience."

Pictures of winning auction items (Jonny Buckland's Fender 'thinline' Telecaster guitar) in the Coldplay end of decade clearout sale (by Texasluvsjonny):

Pictures: Texasluvsjonny

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 1200 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

May 13, 2010 - submitted by Angelica, Philippines

Q. I heard a bit of a song on YouTube and it goes like this: "six feet of snow and water deep wish you would let your troubles sleep"...something like that... is there anyway that they could continue working on it and the release it...cause i really did like it.

The Oracle replies:

You were close enough with the lyrics. That song, Christmas Lights, was indeed worked on but as with all work in progress, whether it's ever officially released in any form remains to be seen. Plans constantly change during the writing and recording process so what starts as a clear song or album idea can frequently change back, forth and back again. Check out Roadie #42's Blog (#119 - 16.04.10) to see what I mean.

May 13, 2010 - submitted by Robert, United States of America

Q. What song mentions balloons? Have I stumped the Oracle?

The Oracle replies:

Er, do you mean aside from 99 Red Balloons? No, you didn't stump me at all there.

May 13, 2010 - submitted by Anna, Brazil

Q. Out of pure curiosity... have you ever replied any question with a mere 'yes' or 'no'?

The Oracle replies:

Yes.

May 13, 2010 - submitted by Mayra, Colombia

Q. Hi Oracle: Thanks for the information about the address of the old photos. I will be sending but yesterday I find out here in Colombia about how I can send the photos and how much it is. It's very costly :( What would I do? Thanks for the answer!

The Oracle replies:

The important thing to remember here is that Guy's looking for old photographs from all over the world so you don't have to send more than one. You can if you like but please don't send more if it's expensive to do so and remember do not send any of your own family or friends.

May 12, 2010 - submitted by Andrew, United Kingdom

Q. In the X&Y album in the cover booklet there are many Baudot Codes as album art. I'm wondering if you could please translate them all and the ones on the single versions of the songs from it? Thank You!

The Oracle replies:

To work out the one code you need to look at each vertical column as they are what represent each letter/character. Therefore the album cover's code says "X&Y", the back has "Make Trade Fair" as a message and each of the singles is simply the track's title e.g "Fix You". Try the generator I posted a couple of weeks ago and it might make more sense.

May 12, 2010 - submitted by Brandon, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, Do you think its a good idea to put forums on this website? I think it would be a great one. Then everyone could have a place to go and talk about Coldplay and how great they are!

The Oracle replies:

In a word, no. There used to be a forum on Coldplay.com but sadly it became quite a hostile environment and some fans were being bullied. Forums don't always attract fans and sometimes haters can join and make people miserable. It was decided to close the forum a few years ago and to be honest with community sites such as Facebook and MySpace etc. there are plenty of ways for fans to keep in touch as well as Coldplaying.com's forum.

Pictures of Chris Martin in New York City (23rd April 2010):

Source: http://infdaily.com

Coldplay have thrown their weight behind a campaign to save threatened BBC station 6 Music, Music Week have reported on their website. The band have lined up alongside the likes of La Roux, Sigur Ros, The Zutons and Delphic as the latest acts to back the digital service, which has been recommended for closure alongside the BBC Asian Network. Both stations' futures are now subject to a BBC Trust consultation process, which closes for submissions on May 25.

“We would like to voice our strong opposition to the dropping of 6 Music and the Asian network from the BBC’s roster,” Coldplay said in a statement. “We have noticed on our travels that two of the things which people most love about Britain are its musical output and the BBC. They’re both widely recognised as being second to none.”

Artists including Snow Patrol, Depeche Mode, The Ting Tings, The Cure and Elbow had previously already added their support to the campaign, via the BPI’s website The Joy of 6. BPI chairman Tony Wadsworth says, “The clamour of voices from the artist community is getting louder and clearer – some of Britain’s biggest bands are deeply concerned about the proposed closure of 6 Music and many artists are also afraid that it will deny newcomers the opportunity they’ve had to get started.”

This latest artist support comes as a new survey conducted via The Joy of 6 found almost half (49.1%) of the station’s audience listen every day, while nearly another third (32.5%) listen most days of the week. The study also found that 98.1% agreed it played a lot of music they did not hear on other stations, while 97.7% of respondents liked discovering new music and three-quarters had gone to see bands live after hearing them on the station.

“6 Music’s listeners have told us that they love discovering new bands and, for them, the station is airing new music that isn’t getting playlisted elsewhere,” says BPI chief executive Geoff Taylor. “The proposed closure of 6 Music would mean less exposure for new music, which would have a significant and negative impact on Britain’s cultural heritage.”

Among the survey’s other findings were 28.4% had listened to 6 since its 2002 launch, 42.0% had listened for three or four years and 10.7% had started listening in the past year.

DAB was the most popular way of hearing the station, one selected by 80.6% of respondents, followed by 53.2% via the BBC webiste, 39.7% through the BBC iPlayer and 36.4% via Freeview or satellite TV.

Pictures of winning auction items (Jonny Buckland's VIVA guitar - Blacky) in the Coldplay end of decade clearout sale (by Jason-DeBord):

Pictures: Jason-DeBord

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 1200 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

May 11, 2010 - submitted by Izzy, Australia

Q. Hey there I was wondering what is the address to send the photos to Guy? Thanx :)

The Oracle replies:

The final details of a holding address for the post has just been confirmed and details will be posted by Anchorman soon. Keep an eye on the home page and/or news.

May 11, 2010 - submitted by Karen, Mexico

Q. Dear Oracle: Today is Mother's Day here (Mexico) but I was wondering when is it in England? You got one right? by the way I would like to say hi to all the moms (including yours and the band members) and wish them a great day, but if they're already in heaven I'll pray for them all :) Love you!!

The Oracle replies:

Well it's sort of strange as we also call it Mothering Sunday; it's always on a Sunday here (as most of the world) but you celebrated it yesterday, on a Monday. As it happens we had just arrived back from Mexico the day before Mother's Day which in the U.K was March 14th.

May 11, 2010 - submitted by Sunny, Korea South

Q. Hi lovely, Who made this website? I really love this design! Bye!

The Oracle replies:

Wendy & Brian at Slender Fungus respond with great creativity when presented with ideas from the band camp. They're pretty cool dudes it has to be said!

May 10, 2010 - submitted by Eli, United States of America

Q. Who created the portrait of Coldplay for the 51st Grammys? Thanks for your answer.

The Oracle replies:

The 51st Grammy Awards chose a subtitle, Music Makes Us (aka Celebrating the Music that Makes us), with selected artists chosen to reveal their musical inspirations. Those song titles were then used by the design company TBWA/ Chiat/Day to form an image of the artists. At the time we ran a little feature which I think you'll like.

May 10, 2010 - submitted by William, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, Was the original parachute globe bought specifically for the album cover, or was it just a globe that one of the band mates had lying around at their house?

The Oracle replies:

It wasn't bought for the album cover. The globe was used during their live shows at the time and was only used for the cover as a last minute idea.

May 10, 2010 - submitted by Valery, Mexico

Q. Dear Allmighty Oracle, Do the band memebers like Amy Winehouse? Do you? I love her songs especially one called Valerie (GUESS WHY! haha)it would be interesting to know if you like her too.

The Oracle replies:

The band don't know Amy personally but as an artist, yeah and I have to say I love her and have since Frank but Back to Black is amazing. I can guess why you like Valerie but thought you'd like to check out the original. Amy collaborated with

Mark Ronson on his version which appeared on his album, er, Version; an album of covers.

Pictures of Chris Martin in New York City (23rd April 2010):

Source: http://infdaily.com

Sony Music said it is considering a bid for ailing British rival EMI, while its main rivals deny any interest or decline to comment on their intentions, according to Reuters this morning. "We are in a position that allows us to seize every opportunity in the market - including EMI," the head of Sony Music, Rolf Schmidt-Holz, was quoted as saying by German Sunday paper Frankfurter Allgemeine Sonntagszeitung.

EMI's owner, buyout firm Terra Firma, the private equity owner of music group EMI, is believed to have persuaded its investors to commit to ploughing more money into the company ahead of a crucial Friday deadline.

Terra Firma has until May 14 to inform its lender Citi-Group of its plans to pay its debt, or risk losing control of the company to the bank. Terra Firma boss Guy Hands has been lobbying its investors to plough £360 million of new investment into EMI, to be paid in two instalments to Citi.

The first tranche of £105 million will bridge the latest demands from the lender and the remainder, to be gathered in a few months, will see Terra Firma through to the end of the facility.

Warner Music Chief Executive Edgar Bronfman on Thursday declined to comment on speculation that the U.S. music company was eyeing assets of EMI. The head of BMG, the music venture owned by Bertelsmann and KKR, told the Financial Times last week BMG would not bid for EMI in the near term, even though it was seeking to replicate the success of its U.S. deal-making in the Britain. The world's largest music company Universal owned by Vivendi, said in March it was not holding talks with Terra Firma about a deal for EMI.

Terra Firma borrowed £3.2 billion from Citi in 2007 to fund its purchase of EMI, which has The Beatles, Coldplay and Kylie Minogue on its books, when the market was riding high. Relations between them soured after Terra Firma launched legal action against Citi, claiming the bank misled it over the sale of EMI. Terra Firma alleges that Citi did not inform it that a rival bidder had dropped out of the process, which they say falsely inflated the price.

Pictures of winning auction items (Jonny Buckland's VIVA guitar - Blacky) in the Coldplay end of decade clearout sale (by Jason-DeBord):

Pictures: Jason-DeBord

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 1200 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

May 7, 2010 - submitted by Abbie, United States of America

Q. My dearest Oracle, Would you complete this line from the LRLRL version of Fix You: 500 meters from the ___, and ________. Thank you, it has been puzzling me!

The Oracle replies:

I will indeed. Chris sings "Well high up above or down below. 500 metres from the band at a Coldplay show".

May 7, 2010 - submitted by Rita, Lebanon

Q. Hello Oracle, if cinema is the 7th art what are the other 6? Thanks.

The Oracle replies:

The other 6 arts are architecture, sculpture, painting, music, dance and poetry.

May 6, 2010 - submitted by Lottie, United Kingdom

Q. Dear Oracle, When Coldplay played at Wembley in September I noticed a globe on top of a box on the stage (sort of behind Guy). If the parachutes globes were all in storage what is this globe and what was it's purpose? Lottie

The Oracle replies:

That wasn't a globe as they were indeed all in storage. The original globe was auctioned off for Kids Company and raised a whopping £8,230.

May 6, 2010 - submitted by Jean, Philippines

Q. Hi Oracle! How come it was stated in the album booklet of Viva la Vida album: "Paintings by Eugene Delacroix" though what I read in Wikipedia was: the painting used in the album cover art was by Frida Kahlo?

The Oracle replies:

No, the album name was taken from a Kahlo painting but the actual cover was Liberty Leading the People, a painting by Eugene Delacroix.

May 6, 2010 - submitted by Caroline, United States of America

Q. Hi Oracle, I was wondering if you could recommend some new bands/ artists for me to listen to? Something similar to Coldplay, The Killers, Keane, Snow Patrol. Thanks in advance!

The Oracle replies:

Ok so today's delights are: Animal Kingdom, The Drums, The XX, Jonsi, Bon Iver and finally Midlake. Some aren't as new as others but still may be new to you; they should keep you going for while or at least until the next Oracle recommends spot...

Pictures of Chris Martin in New York City (23rd April 2010):

Source: http://infdaily.com

They once wanted to break free — and now they have: the veteran rock band Queen have quit Coldplay's beleaguered music label EMI for its rival Universal. Queen, who have been with the heavily indebted British label for almost 40 years, are believed to have been lured to Universal with a new contract worth tens of millions of pounds, The Times Online are reporting today. More discussion on this is at the Coldplay forum here onwards.

The band’s exit follows the departure of Sir Paul McCartney, who took his solo and Wings back catalogue to Concord Music this year. There have been concerns that the financial turmoil at EMI, whose private equity owner Terra Firma is trying to raise at least £105 million to save the company from bankruptcy, could prompt an artist exodus. Music industry insiders have suggested that Pink Floyd could also quit the label.

However, people familiar with the situation said yesterday that Queen had moved to Universal primarily for the money. “EMI just decided they couldn’t compete. It was too much to pay and they want to spend that money on developing new talent,” one music industry insider said. Another person close to the deal said that Queen, whose Greatest Hits has sold 5.4 million copies, making it the UK’s highest-selling album, would not move to Universal immediately. The band, whose former lead singer Freddie Mercury died in 1991, are expected to see out their contract, which expires at the end of this year.

The move comes as the Terra Firma boss Guy Hands tries to tempt the private equity fund’s investors to back a bailout of the music group, which it took private in 2007 for £4.2 billion. It is understood the investors have already been briefed about Queen’s departure and the move has been factored into a turnaround plan drawn up by EMI executive chairman Charles Allen.

Mr Hands has told Terra Firma’s investors they could make a profit up to 58 per cent if they invested an extra £360 million in the company. In a presentation sent to investors last week, he said that the “upside case” for saving EMI from its lender Citigroup with a bailout of that size is that, if the company were to be sold before 2015, investors would pocket £208 million, thus recovering all their equity investment.

The presentation also shows that Mr Hands has backed down from earlier plans to present a wholesale £360 million bailout as the only option for investors. Terra Firma had argued that a payout that big was the best way to ensure a turnaround at EMI because it would protect the company from Citigroup until 2015.Mr Hands is now asking investors for £105 million now, plus £255 million later. The music giant needs to find £105 million by next Friday to avoid a covenant breach and will fall into the hands of Citigroup unless investors stump up that money. People close to the situation said yesterday that Terra Firma has had verbal commitments from its investors that they will put in the £105 million.

Queen are essentially a catalogue act, although Brian May and Roger Taylor — two of the band members — still perform live, albeit infrequently.

Pictures of winning auction items (Jonny Buckland's VIVA guitar - Blacky) in the Coldplay end of decade clearout sale (by Jason-DeBord):

Pictures: Jason-DeBord

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 1200 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

May 5, 2010 - submitted by Colm, Canada

Q. Oracle, I've pre-ordered Matt's upcoming book on Amazon about 2 weeks ago. It was mentioned here that it would be out on May 4th. Has that date been pushed back by any chance? Because when I called Chapters, they told me they would begin selling it on the 1st of July! Please clarify this for me! I don't want to wait 2 more months!

The Oracle replies:

The whole volcanic ash disruption means that Matt's book will now be out (in the U.K at least) on May 14th.

May 5, 2010 - submitted by Pam, United States of America

Q. Hi! Oracle, this may sound dumb, but is this a boy or a girl?

The Oracle replies:

this is...

May 5, 2010 - submitted by Tanya, Italy

Q. Dear Oracle... Just wanted to ask you if you or Coldplay ever heard about the Viva La Vida version Lady Gaga did a couple of weeks ago on Radio 1 live lounge? If yes, did you like it? I thought it was pretty cool and a nice tribute to Coldplay (even though she forgot or changed the words sometimes!) Bye!!!

The Oracle replies:

Eh Tanya? That was over a year ago?? I remember hearing it at the time and never telling Chris that I didn't like it. The he asked me last December what I thought about her; he's a big fan of her work.

May 5, 2010 - submitted by Nicky, United States of America

Q. Hello Oracle, I really like Coldplay's music and I like the song Lost+ with Jay-Z. The bad thing about that is I have started to like him and my parents don't approve of it. I told my Mom and she seemed fine with it but I don't really want to tell my Dad because whenever I do something wrong he gives me a big long lecture and practically yells at me about it. And even worse, I like the explicit versions because those are the artists' original ideas. What do I do??? Nicky

The Oracle replies:

Don't do as I did as a teenager... I was playing Frankie Goes to Hollywood's Relax full blast and my Dad made me turn it off. He didn't like the poster of the artwork on my wall either. All I can say is thank God he wasn't in when I discovered Prince's Erotic City! Anyway, like most things it's going to depend a lot on your age. While we live under our parents' roof, we abide by the house rules, even if paying a monetary contribution. Maybe you should listen to it on your headphones that way you won't be offending him if he disapproves. Many people don't like explicit language or content and that's fair enough. You're entitled to enjoy music but better to respect your Dad while living in his house.

May 4, 2010 - submitted by Mirko, Chile

Q. Dear Oracle: In the LRLRL's song Death Will Never Conquer Will sings it. My question is: Who played the harmonica just after Will sings? Thanks. Mirko

The Oracle replies:

Death Will Never Conquer was, as you say, sung live by Will (also on guitar as was Guy). Jonny was taking charge of a tambourine and it was Chris playing the harmonica.

May 4, 2010 - submitted by Josh, United Kingdom

Q. We want to adopt an Auntie and we met a nice friend of our real Auntie but we haven't heard from her. Do you think we should contact her?

The Oracle replies:

I bet she would just love to hear from you! It certainly put a smile on my face. I feel sure she would be happy to be adopted; you've nothing to lose but an Auntie to gain!

Pictures of Chris Martin in New York City (23rd April 2010):

Source: http://infdaily.com

Check out the video at the Coldplay forum in which American Idol stars Kris Allen and Allison Iraheta cover Coldplay’s ‘The Scientist.’ We've set up a poll there to ask you what you thought of the performance - don't forget to cast your vote!

They gave the performance on Friday in Los Angeles for Oprah Winfrey’s No Phone Zone rally. Winfrey’s No Phone Zone is an initiative that encourages people to avoid talking and texting on their cell phones whilst driving.

Meanwhile, X-Factor finalist from 2008, Diane Vickers, has talked to The Mirror about Coldplay. She says there's only one person she wants to duet with - Coldplay's Chris Martin. "I'd love to duet with Chris. I'm a huge fan of his voice, the band and his writing. I hope I at least get to meet him. To perform with him would be a dream come true."

In news from last week which didn't make the Coldplaying headlines, Courtney Love has revealed that the New York Times' "The Case Against Coldplay" article helped her deal with her own album reviews. Taken from Spinner Music, here's what Love said about critical praise:

Well, I don't really read reviews. I read, like, David Fricke [of Rolling Stone], I read Robert Hilburn [of the Los Angeles Times]. I read [Jon] Pareles [of the New York Times]. Pareles gave me a pretty good review, actually, which he's never given me a bad review. He wrote something on the case against Coldplay. So vicious. But [his Hole review] was like, "Swagger. Incorrigible. A star." And that was his Twitter. I was having this huge identity crisis and the reason I know about the case against Coldplay is because I'm friends with Chris Martin and Gwyneth [Paltrow], and [Gwyneth] told me about it. I would never use someone else's misery to make myself feel better, but I was having an identity crisis, so this is how important it is: At three in the morning, I pulled up the 'Case Against Coldplay,' read it aloud to my friend and then I read my review next to it. I felt better! Which is a horrible, horrible, horrible thing to say. The New York Times matters. Otherwise, the rest of them, I don't give a shit."

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 1200 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

April 30, 2010 - submitted by Marcial, Argentina

Q. Oracle, what a fool I am! I've always wanted to know this: Who is the person who sings along with Chris in How You See the World when they say "we don't wanna be..."?. My second question: Do you answer twice to the same person?

The Oracle replies:

The version you are quoting is actually How You See the World (pt. 2) and although you can hear 2 voices during the track they both belong to Chris; it's an overdub. When they performed the song live on the Twisted Logic tour, Jonny provided backing vocals. I don't pay too much attention to whether I have answered the same person more than once. I'd like to give more people a chance to get their question published but am sure a few have had more than one. That puts a nice pressure on everyone to put their thinking caps on to ask the best questions possible!

April 30, 2010 - submitted by Abby, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, do you like riddles?? Well, I have one for ya, see if you can figure this out: There was a green house, inside the green house was a white house, inside the white house was a red house, inside the red house was lots of babies. What is it? Thank you and good luck it took me a while to figure this out...

The Oracle replies:

I do like riddles Abby but this appears to not be one! I thought about it and realized that it wasn't going to have a proper answer so I Googled it (yes, even the Oracle Googles!) and apparently it's a watermelon so I confess I am glad not to have wasted much time on that; not so much a riddle is it? A watermelon is not a house.

April 30, 2010 - submitted by Marsh, Sri Lanka

Q. Ooo! Is it true that Chris and Guy are going to play for Slaughters United?? :D That would be so cool!!! Thanks!

The Oracle replies:

There's no truth in that at all. Apparently the club have invited Guy & Chris to play but as you know, the band are currently in the studio so there's no way they have the time.

Guy Hands has 12 days to persuade investors to stump up fresh funds for EMI or risk losing control of the troubled music group, home to top acts such as Coldplay and Katy Perry, The Times Online are reporting today. More discussion on this is at the Coldplay forum here onwards.

A handful of the largest backers of Terra Firma, Hands's investment vehicle, have given verbal commitments to contribute £105m - enough to plug the latest breach of its borrowing agreement with Citigroup. But Hands still needs to secure the support of 75% of his fund's 200 investors by May 14 for the money to be drawn down. That is the date Terra Firma must submit a "compliance certificate" to Citi showing EMI can meet the terms of its £3.2billion loan.

If Terra Firma fails to win enough backing, it will tap outside investors for fresh investment. However, it is unlikely to have enough time to do so by a week on Friday, giving Citi a chance to seize control. The cash needs to reach Citi by June 11.

Hands was forced to scrap plans to raise £360m in one go because of time pressures. He calculated that this sum would have covered top-up interest payments until 2015, when the loan is due to be renegotiated.

Instead, he has targeted £105m, enough to cover March's loan breach and carry EMI through to next spring. The figure is less than initially thought because the music group's trading was better than expected in the final months of the year.

The plan is to approach investors again for £255m later. As soon as it has secured some breathing space, EMI is expected once again to attempt disposals. Analysts believe its Christian music label, based in Nashville, Tennessee, will be offloaded. Plans to license its American music catalogue will also be revived.

Terra Firma's annual review reveals that another €256m (£223m) has been written off from the value of EMI, confirming that the Pounds 1.8billion investors pledged in the 2007 buyout is all but worthless. Hands made a series of presentations to investors last week based on a revised five-year plan for EMI drawn up in part by Charles Allen, executive chairman of the recorded music arm.

Pictures of Coldplay at Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico (11th March 2010):

Photos by Galo González

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 1200 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

April 29, 2010 - submitted by Mariana, Mexico

Q. Hola Oracle, Como estas? I had the chance to go to the Monterrey gig and while the band was performing Yellow I saw Chris breaking his guitar on the the stage! I wanna know why did he do that? Is it a sort of a tradition for him? BTW I loved the way that the guitars were decorated! Who painted them? Muchas Gracias, Besos!

The Oracle replies:

Muy buen gracias. You know, I have to confess I did not even notice that on the night; I was too busy watching the crowd go nuts with the balloons. It's not a tradition in fact not a usual thing for Chris to do. I can only put that down to last night of tour adrenalin and knowing he wouldn't need it the following night but I can tell you, I am SO glad that wasn't a guitar that had been sold in the auction! Phew! As mentioned previously all the guitars (bar one) were painted by Vicki, the band's personal assistant.

April 29, 2010 - submitted by Pam, United States of America

Q. Hello, do the boys like Lil Wayne? Thanks!

The Oracle replies:

I've never heard them talk about him or seen them listen to him but again, going back to Dave their manager (who you may recall was listening to B.o.B in the back of the car), he loves

April 29, 2010 - submitted by Roberto, United States of America

Q. I very much like the Exhibition Room, there is some beautiful work there, especially that which is hand done verses Photoshop generated art. It seems Coldplay favors original creativity verses machine made. Is my observation correct, or am I imagining things?

The Oracle replies:

Neither is the case Roberto; the band don't select the exhibits so they're not favouring original over machine. Neither is the curator who selects pieces based purely on merit rather than how they were created. I'd struggle with that to be honest. I have to accept the Photoshop generated art and modern architecture of our world but I confess I love art and design of old the best.

April 28, 2010 - submitted by Kassandra, Canada

Q. Hi there! This has probably been asked a zillion times before but I can't seem to find your answer to it, so what is with the whole 42 thing? Why is that number special to the band? Thanks!

The Oracle replies:

It has been asked a few hundred times that's for sure Kassandra but like many of life's mysteries, this one is also remaining as such! There have been many theories; it's not so much that it's a secret but the band do like to keep a sense of mystique about many things. It makes it open to interpretation by the fans too.

April 28, 2010 - submitted by craigsanatomy, United States of America

Q. Why do you end all of your tweets with "Anchorman" ? I love you guys, but that's going to get real old, real quick!

The Oracle replies:

Seriously? And you being an American too I would have thought it meant more to you than most! Anyway this is a blatant excuse to show a video... An anchorman is someone who delivers news which our, er, Anchorman does. Besides that it's also an hilarious movie starring the comedy genius that is Will Ferrell.

April 28, 2010 - submitted by Eduardo, Mexico

Q. Hello. I was wondering that If I ever go to the Bakery and ring the bell... Would somebody open to me and deliver a letter (written on recycled paper) to Coldplay?.

The Oracle replies:

Erm, probably not as most people based there are so very busy working - not to mention going up and down the stairs signing for deliveries etc. that I guess they'd prefer you use the letter box in the door! The band don't answer the door in case you're wondering as they're beavering away in the studio. All mail ends up at the Bakery whether it be via the management office in L.A or EMI records and of course if everyone turned up at the door they'd be queues for miles so it's not encouraged.

April 27, 2010 - submitted by Andreas, United States of America

Q. Dear wisest Oracle, Did Coldplay collaborate with B.o.B on his song "Not Lost", which is essentially a rap spin-off of Lost!? Much thanks in response!

The Oracle replies:

I first heard that song in the back of a car en route to one of the Latin American shows. It was played to me by the band's manager and so I can tell you that Coldplay did not collaborate with B.o.B on the track; it's a sample use only.

April 27, 2010 - submitted by Eduardo, Mexico

Q. Hi Oracle! this is certainly worth to answer! What does the projected Baudot codes mean in the "Fix You" video, when Chris is walking down the street? I know they mean something!

The Oracle replies:

It says Make Trade Fair - like in the album's booklet.

April 27, 2010 - submitted by Pam, United States of America

Q. Okay! Hello Oracle! On the song All Good Things Come to an End who is the girl singing? Thank you!

The Oracle replies:

The lady in question is Nelly Furtado.

According to Radar Online today, Coldplay have been considered for features on Glee next season. This comes just weeks after Glee creator Ryan Murphy revealed to E! News that Coldplay had refused permission to use their tracks.

But now, Murphy stated that while Coldplay initially refused to have their songs played on the show, they have reversed their decision. Murphy says the show's cast and producers only pick songs they like, and early on they wanted to sing some Coldplay songs; but Coldplay turned them down. He now says, "they changed their mind."

More discussion on this 180 is at the Coldplay forum now. Glee returned to the US on April 13 on Fox and continues in the UK on Mondays at 9pm on E4.

Pictures of winning auction items (Chris Martin's Fender Rhodes piano) in the Coldplay end of decade clearout sale (by lo&loud):

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 1200 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

April 26, 2010 - submitted by Pedro, Mexico

Q. During Monterrey's concert someone was wearing a donkey costume, who was in there and what was the reason of wearing it?

The Oracle replies:

There was a lot of dressing up on the last night of the Viva tour. The backline crew all wore traditional Mariachi costumes. Fransky, their tour manager, opted for a donkey costume. As you know burritos are a popular dish in Mexico and burrito means little donkey (in Spanish); there's your connection!

April 26, 2010 - submitted by Ana, Brazil

Q. Hi Oracle. I want to know, what does the expression "for good" mean, in the song "Shiver". I don't know if it means FOREVER or CHANGE IN A GOOD SENSE. Please help me, because here in Brazil, it's difficult to us understand some expressions ! Thank you

The Oracle replies:

Ooh another meaning question... when we say "for good" it means forever. Usually we'd say "change for the better" rather than "for (the) good".

April 26, 2010 - submitted by Brooke, United States of America

Q. Do British people use the phrase, "at a drop of a dime," even though they don't use dimes?

The Oracle replies:

No we don't use that phrase here we say "at the drop of a hat" and it means much the same thing. However "drop a dime" means to make a telephone call and we don't have anything similar to that.

April 26, 2010 - submitted by Anthony, United States of America

Q. Is Roadie #42 going to continue his blog? If his book is being released this spring...then are his new blogs not going to be included?

The Oracle replies:

Matt McGinn isn't Roadie #42 so yes the blogs will continue on this website but given they are 2 different people the blogs will not be included in Matt's Roadie book.

April 23, 2010 - submitted by Jenn, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, I was wondering if Guy was going to run in this years London Marathon? I know he was injured, and unable to compete last year. Just wondering if he's all better and will be running. Thanks :)

The Oracle replies:

There was indeed an injury last year but no, Guy isn't running it this year. Don't worry he's in good health. Good luck to all those brave folk who are taking part!

April 23, 2010 - submitted by Gabriela, Papua New Guinea

Q. I really like my 40 year old teacher!!! What do I do?! He is more than twice my age! But he is single though...

The Oracle replies:

Do nothing! Never mind the age gap or whether he's single or not if the feelings were reciprocated it wouldn't be professional of your teacher to act improperly towards a student and he could lose his job. It is SO common to have crushes (or yes, even feel you have fallen in love) with a teacher but leave well alone. Concentrate on your studies and accept that you're feelings are normal but trying to take it further would be highly inappropriate.

April 23, 2010 - submitted by Grace, United States of America

Q. Dearest Oracle, I have gotten a new roommate for my same dorm room for my next year at college. I emailed her introducing myself and giving some info. My only request was that I could have the same side of the room I have this year since I already have my furniture in place. She wants the same side and disagrees, thinking the first one to move in should choose, but she is in band and moves in early. How can I talk to her Oracle?? I am at a total loss. Thanks in advance!

The Oracle replies:

Quite honestly Grace, she's being ridiculous! I know it's not "your" room but essentially you already live there and she is moving into the space vacated by someone else so should occupy that space and not yours. Perhaps ask a member of staff on Campus if there is actually policy on such things or at least etiquette to follow. It would be nice if the two of you could come to the same agreement but a teacher could surely step in on your behalf to keep the peace? After all, it could effect your atmosphere tremendously.

Coldplay's lable EMI is struggling to persuade its investors to stump up £360m to secure its future until 2015 amid scepticism about what the future holds for the music industry, which has been hit hard by illegal downloading and a collapse in CD sales, The Guardian are reporting today. More discussion on this is at the Coldplay forum here onwards.

Industry insiders say that investors are divided over whether to back an audacious attempt by Guy Hands, boss of EMI's owner Terra Firma, to drum up financing to plug a £120m shortfall against loan covenants agreed with primary lender Citigroup by mid-June. Hands is asking for an additional £240m to tide EMI over for a further five years even though the company lost £1.8bn last year. It owes Citigroup £3.2bn after the highly leveraged buyout of the music company by Hands in 2007. He paid £4.5bn in total.

A music analyst said: "Investors are being asked to make a leap of faith as they have already written down the value of their EMI holding to virtually zero." If Hands fails to raise cash, he risks one of his most high-profile investments being seized by Citigroup. But sources say Terra Firma, a private equity house, has lined up outside interests to furnish extra equity if investors – mostly US and Canadian pension funds – baulk at the idea. However, EMI has run up against a bearish report for the industry from PricewaterhouseCoopers. It says: "The recorded music market will contract at a 4.4% compound annual rate to $7.2bn in 2013 from $9bn in 2008."

Hands hopes that investors will be encouraged by a new business plan by Charles Allen, executive chairman of EMI's recorded music division. Allen is looking at the possibility of asset sales, with some analysts speculating it could offload its Japanese business for £200m, or sell parts of its back catalogue of jazz and classical music. Allen is also looking at a deal that could see Warner Music brought in to distribute EMI music in the US. Warner would pay an upfront payment of between £150m and £200m.

EMI was dealt another blow last week when Sir Paul McCartney quit the label, giving the publishing rights to all his solo and Wings hits to the Concord Music group. McCartney complained that he was treated like "part of the furniture".

Pictures of Coldplay at Estadio Universitario, Monterrey, Mexico (11th March 2010):

Photos by Galo González

Coldplay have turned down the use of their songs for the second time in a month, when it was revealed today that according to Idolator the band refused to approve the use of the sample to the song Lost for rap artist B.o.B.

Because it didn't make his forthcoming album The Adventures Of Bobby Ray album, the clip has already seen the light of day and you can download the MP3 now. This refusal comes just weeks after Glee creator Ryan Murphy confirmed to E! News that Coldplay had refused permission to use their tracks on the upcoming Glee episodes (the series started earlier this month).

Twice in a month... does it seem like Coldplay are getting their own back on all the plagiarism claims? Rightly so too. More discussion on the latest B.o.B. knockback is at the Coldplay forum now.

Pictures of winning auction items (Chris Martin's Fender Rhodes piano) in the Coldplay end of decade clearout sale (by lo&loud):

Ultimate-Guitar.com posted an article this week claiming the title of Coldplay's fifth album is 'The Beehive'. Whether or not this is a mistake, or just early judgment is uncertain. Here's the full quote: 'The Beehive' is a follow-up to 2008's 'Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends' and is set to be released by the end of the year. More discussion on this at the Coldplay forum here [thanks TyM218]

Meanwhile in previous album news, Coldplay have been named in Spin's 125 Best Albums of the past 25 Years. A Rush Of Blood To The Head (2002) came 107th in the list. Here is the entry for that album:

These British romantics resurrected sincerity, giving other musicians the right to wear their hearts on their sleeves -- and accompany it with strings. "Unless you consider sighing a form of aerobic exercise, Coldplay aren't really about body-moving," SPIN wrote in 2002. "They're about ballads. And the best ones here have a stately, spacy grace, like what Bono might come up with after a couple weeks on an iceberg with Nordic warblers Sigur Ros." John Mayer explained the thrill of songs like "Clocks" to the magazine in 2004: "Coldplay makes everyone feel like as if they are the stars of their own movie."

More questions answered by The Oracle... (over 1200 questions now answered - submit yours now!)

April 22, 2010 - submitted by Emma, United States of America

Q. HI ORACLE, I was in a video game/bookstore/random shop today and I bought a book called Coldplay: Look At The Stars. It's good so far, and the guy apparently met Chris and is associated with the music industry, so you'd think he'd be an expert, but the annoying thing is he always spells Will's name with one 'l' (Wil). Also he calls Politik, Politix. Everything else seems really accurate, but can you help me with all the errors and typos or something, Oracle! Plus, 'Will' is NOT a difficult name to spell! Really! Okay, THANK YOU!

The Oracle replies:

I can't help you with them because you already know that it's Will & Politik. I can tell you this though Emma, Phil O'Brien is a woman! She doesn't have any close association with the band and that possibly explains the errors. She's not the only one though; Martin Roach (Nobody Said It Was easy) got Chris's birthday wrong and even our own Matt (sorry Matt!) makes a mistake in Roadie (out soon) saying that the band played in Aberdeen on the first night of the A Rush Of Blood To The Head warm-up shows when it was in fact Edinburgh.

April 22, 2010 - submitted by Christine, United States of America

Q. I am DYING to know, dearest Oracle, who the Table Tennis Champ of the Latin American Tour is?? Natasha or Chris (or was there a random underdog who blew them both out of the water)?? While I love Chris to pieces I'm a bit competitive myself so I'm pulling for the girl power and hope Natasha ran the tables :-) MUCHOS GRACIAS to the boys and crew for a killer finale in Monterrey - glad to know we were the loudest!

The Oracle replies:

The table tennis table saw many competitors come and go including Chris, Will, Phil, Chris's Dad & sister (the Martins are VERY competitive); Kelly (security), Dan (trainer), Dan (sound), Natasha, Charlotte (Bat for Lashes) and even I had a go. Chris likes to play to relax him before a show but don't be fooled into thinking he's not playing to win and win he did - over and over. Natasha was pretty good (as was Charlotte) but she didn't beat Chris. Don't get me wrong he got whipped a few times but overall Chris played the most and therefore is the tour ping-pong champion.

April 21, 2010 - submitted by Pedro, Brazil

Q. Did Guy go to see Ronaldo with Will and Jonny at Corinthians in Sao Paulo? There was a picture taken there during the visit where it is written that the one in the photo holding Corinthians shirt with Ronaldo was Guy, but I really doesn't think it was. This picture can be seen in many Brazilian magazines and internet sites...

The Oracle replies:

As you can see form this clip and photo Guy wasn't there. Phil went along as did Dan (trainer) who held up the shirt. It's a case of mistaken identity.

April 21, 2010 - submitted by Jason, United Kingdom

Q. Hey almighty oracle! Has the ash cloud had any bearing on the LP5 recording at all? I remember seeing some pictures of Chris in NYC the week before the volcano erupted and was wondering if he'd managed to get back? Thanks! Jason

The Oracle replies:

Nope not yet Jason but soon hopefully; we miss him!

April 21, 2010 - submitted by Tony, Cocos Island

Q. Dear Oracle, Why haven't these Coldplay fans figured out that Guy is using the photos for album purposes... like either for inspiration or for use in the album booklet? The "can't be returned" and the "not pics of your families" are giveaways...

The Oracle replies:

Last mention of the subject - it clearly says Guy's looking for photos for a personal art project so there's no point trying to speculate about the album folks as this is totally unrelated.

April 20, 2010 - submitted by Neon, United Kingdom

Q. Dear Oracle, I don't know what to do. I've been in a relationship for more than a year now. I'm beginning to feel a little unhinged from the world. I've stopped seeing my friends since I find myself with my boyfriend most of the time. I feel like I've put so much of myself into this relationship that there's not much left of ME left when I'm alone. I hate this, I feel dependent and never in my life would I have seen myself this way before. I don't like it. I miss my friends, I miss my old self, but I love my boyfriend. What should I do?

The Oracle replies:

There may be people out there thinking that this is an easy situation to solve but actually it's incredibly hard but very common so don't lose hope. It's good that you are aware of the changes and want to do something about it; losing yourself to another person isn't always a healthy way to be in any relationship. I'm sure your friends would understand if you explain to them, as you did to me, that you miss them and want to see more of them. It's natural when you fall in love to want to spend every waking moment with that person but you're right to acknowledge that it can be at the expense of your friends and ultimately YOU. I suggest you gently tell you boyfriend that although you love him you want to get back a little of what has been lost over the past year. He may feel hurt or he may understand and he actually may feel slightly relieved as maybe he feels the same? Relationships, including friendships, are about giving and taking so make sure you are getting back and compare it to what you put in. It's not advisable to give of yourself so much that you're experiencing this loss of yourself. There is no reason at all that you can't have a good balance of boyfriend, friend and you time. Remember who you were before and how you were, focus on that to reclaim your independence. Remind yourself; that happy you was the girl he fell in love with. It's great to love and be loved but don't forget to love yourself.

April 20, 2010 - submitted by Romy, Mexico

Q. Dear Oracle: I was reading about the old photos hunting and I have a lot of my family and my city when it was a little town (around 1920 and 1930), but I have them scanned on my laptop. Can I e-mail you those or Guy needs the photos on paper?

The Oracle replies:

Just to let everyone know as there's been a few people sending questions in about this; Anchorman has reported in detail that Guy's looking for original photographs - not copies - that cannot be returned. The piece does also state that Guy does NOT want any family/personal photos. Please only send in ones that fit the criteria. Another thing I was asked is if it's only open to people from the UK; that's the beauty of having such a global network of fans, we're going to get some amazing photos from all around the world and that's very exciting. We're not giving out any further details at this point though, so that will save me answering that one right now!

Work on Coldplay's new album is going so well the band have been forced to set up a Top Gear-style "cool wall" just to whittle down the best tracks, The Sun writes today in a review of last week's Roadie #42 blog (no. #119). Here is the rest of The Sun's article...

Word is we will definitely be getting a new album by the end of the year. So much for the lads having a rest. Chris Martin, Will Champion, Jonny Buckland and Guy Berryman have been busy working in their new studio The Beehive since their Viva La Vida tour ended. There was a break late last year after the Wembley dates and the whole thing ended for good after Latin American gigs last month...

Best of the bunch... track names on wall

But in that time they have already written more than 50 songs in their new HQ in Camden, north London. The choice is so great they have had to grade the tunes on the wall of a dedicated room as they map out a tracklist for the new album. One of Coldplay's roadies, who blogs on their website under the name #42, explained: "The names of every idea have been written down - each on their own piece of card. Inevitably, there's a huge number of cards.

"From tiny moments that were played only once to things that the fellas have been playing for months now, they're all up there. The cards are first arranged on the wall in terms of A, B and C. The A list are songs that have to go on the record. The B list are songs that might or might not. The C list contains things that are being left.

Guitar solo... more titles that could make album

There's enough in the unreleased vaults to outfit an entire career for a pretty successful band. It'd be an interesting project to one day pull out all the songs that fell off along the way - like rummaging through Coldplay's attic."

The band have posted pictures of the song cards. Sadly, they've left them deliberately low quality so we can't see the titles. The band moved into their new premises last year after outgrowing The Bakery down the road, where the last album was crafted.

As I've already reported, the turning point in the album came when frontman Chris commissioned roadie #42 and the rest of the crew to build a model of the solar system in the studio. The band members - plus producer boffin Brian Eno - have been getting inspiration from pretty big subjects. Let's hope the music is just as epic.

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