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

April 1, 2009 - submitted by Tim, Germany

Q. "Coldplay and Eno to record in zero gravity" is a April Fool's joke, isn't it?

The Oracle replies:

It is indeed an April Fools' day joke.

April 2, 2009 - submitted by Jade, Australia

Q. Hey I should probably be shot for asking this but why is Coldplay's 'pad' called 'The Bakery'?

The Oracle replies:

Bit harsh isn't it? The answer is as obvious as it may seem but I don't reckon anyone should be shot over it! The building used to be a bakery.

April 2, 2009 - submitted by Christopher, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle...when the boys are out on tour, who decides where the puppets should go to have their pictures taken? Are there any requests from the band on where they should go?

The Oracle replies:

It's actually Dan, their trainer, who organizes and takes the puppets on their sight seeing tours.

April 2, 2009 - submitted by Solvi, Iceland

Q. Q. Dear Oracle. Lemon or honey in my tea ?

The Oracle replies:

Actually I put both in mine. Yum!

April 1, 2009 - submitted by Abby, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, I am going bored out of my mind. I'm sick and stuck in bed. Do you know of any interesting websites, games, etc. that might pass the time. Thanks a billion!

The Oracle replies:

I like some of the applications on Facebook, particularly word games; Scrabble being my favourite but the one I use excludes U.S and Canada so wouldn't be good for you. Maybe try Lexulous a very close copy, in fact there was a legal wrangle over copyright issues when they were formerly Scrabbulous. There are many free online games.

April 1, 2009 - submitted by Zeashanashraf, United Arab Emirates

Q. How did the idea for the VIVA logo come up? Was it first painted on Chris' piano or used as the site's logo? Who's the mastermind behind it?

The Oracle replies:

The band came up with the idea but it was Will who painted the logo. It was originally painted on a wall at The Bakery (their HQ). There was another colour option before the black/red combo was decided upon.

April 1, 2009 - submitted by Stephen, United States of America

Q. Hello Oracle, I was wondering if you could distinguish for me the difference between an opening act and a supporting act? Thanks in advance.

The Oracle replies:

Essentially they're the same though Coldplay don't really like the term support act due to the amazing calibre of acts they get to open the show; hence their preferred term, opening act.

Sacha Baron Cohen [pictured] has pulled in two high-profile conspirators with his prank-happy character, Bruno. British newspaper the Mirror reports that U2 frontman Bono and Coldplay warbler/Gwyneth Paltrow beau Chris Martin have banded together with Sacha—in his guise as gay Austrian TV personality Bruno—to record a single.

The song, rumored to be titled "Dove of Peace," mocks the efforts of charitable music foundation Band Aid—which Bono participated in with the 1984 single "Do They Know It's Christmas?"

Martin has also developed a reputation as a musical do-gooder, particularly with his support of fair trade practices. But that didn't stop the pair from playing along with Cohen's spoof. The song, which has already been partially recorded at legendary Abbey Road studios, bears the couplet, "For people of Africa who live in hell/ They will never wear Chanel."

"Chris Martin was in stitches throughout the recording and only just managed to get his lines out," says a spy at the session.

Other songsters rumored to be participating in the song include Madonna, Sting, Elton John and the Village People. The track will be included in the upcoming movie Bruno: Delicious Journeys Through America for the Purpose of Making Heterosexual Males Visibly Uncomfortable in the Presence of a Gay Foreigner in a Mesh T-Shirt. Interstingly, Bono recently insulted Martin during a BBC radio interview, characterizing the Coldplay singer as a "w@nker."

Apparently, the power of satire is strong enough to bring anyone together.

More on this story is at the Coldplay forum here onwards.

Sigur Ros fooled many of their fans into thinking singer/guitarist Jon Thor "Jonsi" Birgisson and keyboardist Kjartan "Kjarri" Sveinsson were working on the new Coldplay album with an April Fool's message posted on their website today (Wednesday).

"we are now happy to announce that kjartan (keyboards) will be writing and arranging strings for 4 songs on coldplay’s as-yet-untitled follow up album to 2008's acclaimed 'viva la vida'," the message reads.

"kjartan has already completed most of the arrangements, which are set to be recorded in late spring. in addition to kjartan’s contribution, jonsi will join chris martin on vocals on one of the album's songs. "we were fortunate enough to be allowed to visit coldplay's rehearsal space while jonsi and chris were rehearsing their collaboration, which promises to be nothing short of amazing. we filmed a short video from the session, which is viewable on youtube

If you click the link, you'll soon find out it's not actually a video of the session. Duh.

Sigur Ros' most recent release is last year's Med Sud I Eyrum Vid Spilum Endalaust. They shot this performance of "Vid Spilum Endalaust" for La Blogotheque's The Take-Away Shows earlier this month.

Sigur Ros don't have any tour dates scheduled at the moment, but you can see Coldplay here:

May 15 West Palm Beach, FL @ Cruzan Amphitheatre

May 17 Atlanta, GA @ Lakewood Amphitheatre

May 18 Birmingham, AL @ Verizon Wireless Music Center

May 20 Virginia Beach, VA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

May 21 Bristow, VA @ Nissan Pavilion

May 23 Hartford, CT @ Meadows Music Theatre

May 24 Hershey, PA @ Hersheypark Stadium

May 26 Philadelphia, PA @ Susquehanna Bank Center

May 27 Saratoga Springs, NY @ Saratoga Performing Arts Center

May 29 Scranton, PA @ Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain

May 30 Pittsburgh, PA @ Post-Gazette Pavilion

June 1 Darien Center, NY @ Darien Lake Performing Arts Center

June 2 Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre

June 4 Cincinnati, OH @ Riverbend Music Center

June 5 Indianapolis, IN @ Verizon Wireless Music Center

June 6 Nashville, TN @ Sommet Center

June 9 New Orleans, LA @ New Orleans Arena

June 10 San Antonio, TX @ AT& T Center

June 12 Des Moines, IA @ Wells Fargo Arena

June 13 Omaha, NE @ Qwest Center

June 15 Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre

June 17 Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome

June 18 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place

June 20-21 Vancouver, BC @ General Motors Place

July 2 Arras, France @ Main Square Festival

July 3 Werchter, Belgium @ Rock Werchter Festival

July 5 Roskilde, Denmark @ Roskilde Festival

July 10 Portland, OR @ The Amphitheater at Clark County

July 11 George, WA @ The Gorge Ampitheatre

July 13 Mountain View, CA @ Shoreline Amphitheatre

July 14 Sacramento, CA @ Sleep Train Amphitheatre

July 16 San Diego, CA @ Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre

July 18 Carson, CA @ Home Depot Center

July 19 Irvine, CA @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

July 21 Dallas, TX @ Superpages.com Center

July 22 Houston, TX @ Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion

July 24 Maryland Heights, MO @ Verizon Wireless Amphitheater

July 25 East Troy, WI @ Alpine Valley Music Theatre

July 30 Toronto, ON @ Rogers Centre

Aug. 1 Montreal, QC @ Parc Jean Drapeau (Osheaga Music And Arts Festival)

Aug. 2 Jersey City, NJ @ Liberty State Park (All Points West Festival)

Aug. 3 Mansfield, MA @ Comcast Center

Aug. 6 Raleigh, NC @ Time Warner Cable Music Pavilion

Aug. 7 Charlotte, NC @ Charlotte Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre

Aug. 9 Tampa, FL @ Ford Amphitheatre

Aug. 16 Herning, Denmark @ MCH Messecenter Herning Kongrescenter

Aug. 19 Bergen, Norway @ Koengen

Aug. 22 Stockholm, Sweden @ Olympic Stadium

Aug. 25 Hannover, Germany @ Hannover Stadium

Aug. 27 Dusseldorf, Germany @ LTU Arena

Aug. 29 Munich, Germany @ Reitstadion Riem

Aug. 31 Udine, Italy @ Stadio Friuli

Sept. 2 Bern, Switzerland @ Stade De Suisse

Sept. 4 Barcelona, Spain @ Estadi Olimpic

Sept. 7 Paris, France @ Parc Des Princes

Sept. 9-10 Nijmegen, Netherlands @ Goffertspark

Sept. 12 Manchester, England @ Lancashire County Cricket Club

Sept. 14 Dublin, Ireland @ Phoenix Park

Sept. 16 Glasgow, Scotland @ Hampden Park

Sept. 18-19 London, England @ Wembley Stadium

It's been quite a day for rather unique news stories. It seems like just about every major artist has chosen April 1 as the day to foist major announcements upon the world. It's almost as if they were playing some sort of elaborate joke or something.

Coldplay took to their site to let it be known that they plan to record their next album not in a traditional studio, but on a modified Boeing 727 aircraft, in zero gravity. "Later this year, the band will board a modified Boeing, which can provide zero gravity for periods of 20-25 seconds at a time," a statement on the site read. "Wearing self-designed outfits based on early Russian cosmonaut suits, they will be joined by producer/collaborator Brian Eno, who will use custom-made 'heavy' microphones to record the sessions on a 1969 analogue cassette player."

"We've been searching for the right environment to record the perfect snare drum sound for many years now," Chris Martin added, "and I've just got a gut feeling that zero gravity is the place to do that, y'know?"

Perhaps not wanting to be outdone, Kid Rock, who announced via his Web site that he had signed an unprecedented deal with his hometown team, the Detroit Tigers, for exclusive naming rights to their stadium, formerly known as Comerica Park.

"This has been a dream of mine for a long time, and with the banks in trouble, it seemed like the right time for me to reach out to the fine people at Comerica Bank," Rock said in the post. "Since they relocated to Dallas after opening the stadium here, they were very open to the idea of making this deal. I've never been more excited for opening day, and I'm proud to be able to add my name to the legacy of my favorite baseball team."

Rock also announced that he had partnered with the Michigan Brewing Company to produce "the official beer of the Detroit Tigers."

Equally groundbreaking is Trent Reznor, who decided to one-up practically everybody by dropping a brand-new Nine Inch Nails album (being free of those major-label shackles sure is liberating) on his site.

Produced by none other than Timbaland — who also helmed Chris Cornell's solo album — the new NIN album is called Strobe Light and features songs like "Everybody's Doing It" (featuring Chris Martin, Jay-Z and Bono); "Even Closer" (featuring Justin Timberlake and Maynard James Keenan); and "Still Hurts" (featuring Alicia Keys). It's available for $18.98 — plus a $10 digital delivery convenience fee (how Web 2.0!) — by simply entering your e-mail address.

And finally, Icelandic ingénue Björk chose April 1 as the day to drop the news that she had accepted the position of lead singer for Led Zeppelin and that she would join the band for a world tour starting in June (we know, right?!?). Writing on her site, B said she only took the gig out of concern that Zep's long-standing touring plans would fall through without her behind the mic.

"It was evident that their world tour was in turmoil after original singer Robert Plant decided to concentrate on live work with Alison Krauss," the statement reads. "Björk has put forward her wish that they only cover songs from [Zeppelin albums] I and IV. The tour kicks off in June, after Björk has fulfilled her other engagements."

Seriously. All that happened today. We need a break. What's the deal with April 1 anyway?!?

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

March 31, 2009 - submitted by Jorge, Mexico

Q. Dear Oracle, I am a fan of Harry Potter books and of Coldplay too and I really want to know why do Coldplay met the Professor Snape in 2002?

The Oracle replies:

Alan Rickman, the actor who plays Professor Snape, went to see the band at London's Wembley Arena. He met them afterwards and was at the aftershow party. Guy made a joke about being sorry for his late Potions homework, which Professor Snape taught before Defence Against the Dark Arts.

March 31, 2009 - submitted by JD, Ireland

Q. Are the guys really taking a break because there is no mention of it on the main homepage?

The Oracle replies:

And there you have your answer!

March 31, 2009 - submitted by Leonidas, Greece

Q. Dear Oracle, I hope the question isn't that big and answer me. I wanna know why Coldplay never came here in Greece as in the Europe Tour..? And the second question...I split up,with my girlfriend yesterday..after 1 year and 1 month relationship...but i still need her, I still love her..the problem is that we fighting for a lot..and maybe we lost the magic..:( what should I do..? Give to the boys a big hug..from me..and Greece of course. Sorry for the big..question. Kisses :D

The Oracle replies:

It's just one of those places that is rarely on any band's tour schedule but that doesn't mean never. Never say never... As for your other question, all I can say is right now you are hurting but try to think through your feelings because I would hope that you don't "need" her, you want her and that's different. It only happened yesterday so you're bound to feel incredibly sad. If you were fighting a lot, time apart sounds like it might be a good idea. Breaking up with someone you still love is so painful but remember this and hopefully in time you will believe it; if someone doesn't want to be with you for whatever their reason, you really are better off without them. Have faith in yourself, you will find love again with someone deserving of your love. Just give yourself plenty of time to heal from the hurt.

Bono and Chris Martin have teamed up for a song which mocks Live Aid. The pair - both keen charity campaigners who were instrumental in getting together Band Aid 20 for their charity cover of 'Do They Know Its Christmas?' - appear on 'Dove Of Peace', taken from Sacha Baron Cohen's latest movie 'Bruno...'.

Studio insiders say Bono and Chris were so amused by lyrics to the fashion-spoof song - which include 'For people of Africa who live in Hell/ They will never wear Chanel' - they were almost unable to record their lines. A source said: "Chris Martin was laughing throughout the recording and only just managed to get his lines out."

"'Bruno...' promises to be the funniest and most outrageous film this year and in it Sacha's character releases a brilliantly cheesy but subversive single - 'Dove Of Peace' - which mocks the likes of Band Aid. It runs close to the bone but it's very tongue-in-cheek."

'Fields of Gold' singer Sting is also due to record a part of the song, while 'Ali G' creator Sacha is keen to get his friend Madonna involved too. The source added to Britain's Daily Mirror newspaper: "Madonna worked with him for her cover of 'American Pie', when he appeared in the video, and he's approached her to get involved. It will be quite a coup if he does. If the film is successful, there's every chance the song will be released as a single."

More discussion on Coldplay's participation is at the Coldplay forum here onwards.

Coldplay and Sigur Ros will be collaborating on Coldplay's new album. A video from the session is now available on YouTube

we are now happy to announce that kjartan will also be writing and arranging strings for 4 songs on coldplay’s as-yet-untitled follow up album to 2008’s acclaimed ‘viva la vida’. kjartan has already completed most of the arrangements, which are set to be recorded in late spring. in addition to kjartan’s contribution, jónsi will join chris martin on vocals on one of the album’s songs. we were fortunate enough to be allowed to visit coldplay’s rehearsal space while jónsi and chris were rehearsing their collaboration, which promises to be nothing short of amazing.

Meanwhile, Brian Eno and Alan McGee are still fighting for that parachute. Come on Brian, you can do it!

Coldplay have been confirmed by the organisers as headliners for this year's Osheaga Music and Arts Festival in Montreal on 1st August 2009, just a day before they play the recently announced All Points West Festival in New Jersey.

The Osheaga Music and Arts Festival is a two-day rock festival in Montreal, Quebec, that is held annually at Parc Jean-Drapeau on Île Sainte-Hélène in September. The 2006 festival attracted a crowd of around 25,000 people. The second edition was held on September 8 and 9, 2007. The 2009 edition is scheduled for July 30 - August 2.

Full discussion on Coldplay at the Osheaga festival is in the Coldplay Live forum here [thanks montreal, mimixxx, murphy & vanessarrent]

This just in from Coldplay.com regarding Pete Yorn and Howling Bells completing the list of support acts for the recently announced summer tour of North America:

Following yesterday's news that Snow Patrol will be playing with Coldplay in June, we can now announce that singer-songwriter Pete Yorn will be the main support for the shows between 15th May and 4th June. It's also been confirmed that indie-rockers Howling Bells will open from 15th to 21st May. The final list of North American supports is thus as follows (click their names to visit their websites):

Opening act:

Howling Bells: May 15th- 21st

Kitty, Daisy & Lewis: July 10th- August 9th

Main support:

Pete Yorn: May 15th- June 4th

Snow Patrol: June 5th- 21st

Amadou & Mariam: July 10th- July 24th

Elbow: July 25th- August 9th

It appears that Coldplay may well now be back on home soil in the UK (for 6 weeks anyway) just two days after Saturday's unforgettable, 'thunderous' and 'enlightening' outdoor concert at the Emirates Palace Hotel in Abu Dhabi, UAE. This is what Miller (aka Roadie #42) had to say earlier today via Twitter:

Less than 18 hrs after an outdoor gig in a virtual monsoon, on my own safa with a sunday dinner watching ice skating. Fall y'buggers!

Meanwhile, you may remember last year Coldplaying putting out a competition to win cinema screening tickets to The Escapist, the film which included Coldplay's song of the same name in the soundtrack. Well, Coldplay.com reports today that the film finally gets its US theatrical release this week, reporting: From Thursday (April 2nd), it will be playing in New York and Los Angeles and will roll out across the country in selected cinemas. It will also be available via the IFCFilms website to watch on demand. Meanwhile, in the UK, the film has been released on DVD. Click here to check it out at Amazon UK (where you can also watch a trailer).

In case you missed them, here are some of the latest Coldplay photos from Saturday's 'monsoon' concert at the Emirates Palace Hotel:

The BBC has been criticised for its promotion of U2 and Coldplay in recent months, it has emerged. Commercial radio body RadioCentre accused the corporation of giving undue prominence to the bands' work in broadcasts and online.

The organisation has also taken issue with the use of the Radio 1 logo to promote Coldplay's Viva La Vida tour. It argued that the BBC should spend its funds on up-and-coming artists, rather than larger established acts, The Daily Telegraph reports. RadioCentre chief executive Andrew Harrison said: "The BBC's excessive promotion of some artists, using licence fee funding, overwhelms any opportunity for commercial competitors. If BBC = U2, then by definition commercial radio does not = U2."

More on this at the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks mimixxx]

It has been announced today that Coldplay's main support for the North American shows between June 5th and June 21st will be Snow Patrol.

Meanwhile, Oxfam America are looking for volunteers to help out at these shows, as well as the rest of the May-August tour. If you are interesting in working for Oxfam at the shows, fill in the form here for your application. If you wish to apply to more than one concert please fill out one application per concert. Spaces are limited to 20 per show.

The dates Snow Patrol will be supporting are as follows:

JUNE:

5 Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center [discussion]

6 Nashville, TN - Sommet Center [discussion]

9 New Orleans, LA - New Orleans Arena [discussion]

10 San Antonio, TX - AT& T Center [discussion]

12 Des Moines, IA - Wells Fargo Arena [discussion]

13 Omaha, NE - Qwest Center [discussion]

15 Winnipeg, MB - MTS Centre [discussion]

17 Calgary, AB - Pengrowth Saddledone [discussion]

18 Edmonton, AB - Northlands [discussion]

20 Vancouver, BC - GM Place [discussion]

Coldplay, Tool and the Beastie Boys will headline the second annual All Points West Music & Arts Festival, to be held July 31- Aug. 2 at Liberty State Park in New Jersey, just across the Hudson River from lower Manhattan.

Tickets go on sale April 3. Single day tickets are $89, while three-day passes start at $199. Organizers are offering several lay-away options as well. A portion of the proceeds will benefit Friends of Liberty State Park, which is working to make environmentally friendly improvements to the venue.

Full discussion on this new date is at the Coldplay Live forum here onwards.

Coldplay last night won the International Album of the Year award at Canada's JUNO Awards. The band won the same gong - the only international category at the JUNOs - for X&Y in 2006.

Other winners included eight-time Juno winner Sarah McLachlan who was honored with the 2009 Allan Waters Humanitarian Award, recognizing her contributions to a range of charities and organizations in both Canada and abroad. Montreal indie rockers The Stills saw double in Vancouver, picking up the best new group and best alternative album Juno Awards,Canada's top music honors, for their 2008 album "Oceans Will Rise."

The Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Science (CARAS) handed out 32 Junos at the non-televised warm-up, attended by 1,200 music artists and industry folk. The remaining seven top awards will be given out during Sunday's primetime broadcast (CTV, 6 p.m. PST), hosted by comedian Russell Peters.

More on Coldplay's win at the Coldplay forum here [thanks mimixxx]

Coldplay played at the outdoor Emirates Palace Hotel venue in the pouring rain this evening as their Middle Eastern Viva La Vida tour came to a dripping wet conclusion in the United Arab Emirates. Apart from the odd lighting strike and a sodden crowd, the show went ahead as planned.

[discussion] [photos] [videos] [wiki reviews/setlist] (updated over the next 24 hours)

Setlist: (unconfirmed, although reports back say it was the same as the Singapore set)

Life In Technicolor

Violet Hill

Clocks

In My Place

Yellow

Glass Of Water

Cemeteries Of London

42

Fix You

Strawberry Swing

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno version)

Talk (techno version)

The Hardest Part (Chris piano, Will)

Postcards From Far Away (piano instrumental)

Viva La Vida

Lost!

Speed Of Sound (acoustic)

Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic - Will vocals)

I'm A Believer (Neil Diamond Cover - acoustic)

Viva La Vida (remix interlude)

------

Politik

Lovers In Japan

Death And All His Friends

-------

The Scientist

Life in Technicolor ii

The Escapist (outro)

Picture: Hoong Wei Long

It was so good. The lightning and pelting rain made it even better. The setlist was the same as Singapore I believe but they played some nursery rhymes about rain while we stood there drebched. Chris apologgized for his 'shit arabic'. The sound went out after yellow on stage left and was recovered a couple songs later. Guy's guitar thing didn't work when they played at trhe end of the runway. A girl called Sarah who was my friend - went on stage because it was her birthday and the hardest part was dedicated to her. Will type more when I get back to my IMac. Stupid BB and EDGE. The concert was sponsered by DU who provides cellphone service and what happens? No cell service! What the hell is the point of learning TwitterBerry and TwitPic. Whatever, Parc des Princes 7eme Septembre. Maybe the french and Orange have better coverage. [thanks ifpikad]

yea i believe he said marhaba, shukran. and keefak? which translates to how are you if i'm not mistaken. best night ever!!! the rain pouring down in yellow and the balloons. just perfect!! [thanks atk]

More on this concert including reviews, videos and pictures here onwards.

Now you can access the official Coldplay site on the move

Coldplay are pleased to announce that they've just flipped the switch to launch the brand new mobile version of Coldplay.com, which will help you keep up with Coldplay happenings when you're on the move.

It's set up so that if you head to Coldplay.com on your iPhone, Blackberrry or other mobile device, you'll automatically be diverted to the mobile version of the site, which should look a bit like this...

If, for some reason, your device doesn't automatically divert, simply go to coldplay.com/mobile/ (you can also use that url if you'd like to pretend your computer is a mobile and have a nosey around the new site). As well as the latest news and tour dates, you'll notice there are sections for videos and pictures - with YouTube links to every Coldplay video plus galleries featuring some hitherto unseen pictures of the band.

Coldplay hope you like it. And they look forward to accompanying you on bus journeys, trips to the seaside, mountain hikes and suchlike over the coming weeks and months. In fact, if you can persuade a friend to take a picture of you using the new mobile site somewhere interesting, then please email it to anchorman@coldplay.com.

Coldplay have decided to take a break because they fear people are getting bored of them. The group have postponed plans to begin work on the follow-up to 'Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends' to figure out which direction to take their music in next.

Guitarist Johnny Buckland revealed: 'We ended up doing much more touring than we originally planned so there's no time to do proper justice to a new project. And anyway people may need a bit of a break from us. We're taking a little break and let's see where we get after that. We've got a lot of ideas but we want to find a new way to go and that may take some time.'

Johnny also spoke out about the military-style uniforms the group have donned to promote the album and accompanying tour, and claims the band - singer Chris Martin, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion - hand-stitched each one.

He added to Time Out Dubai magazine: 'Guy came up with the direction. Then we all got together in our studio to work on the outfits. We had someone who helped us make the jackets and trousers. We made them ourselves. We really wanted this whole album to be homemade again, we wanted to take it back and have it all come from us.'

What do you think of this exclusive news? You can discuss Coldplay taking a break at the Coldplay forum here onwards.

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

March 26, 2009 - submitted by Paul, Korea South

Q. Dear Oracle, I've been trying to find an answer to this question everywhere, but I finally decided to ask you, which seems to be the best solution. The question is; was Brothers & Sisters released as a single or as EP? Some sources say it's EP (e.g. iTunes) but the official Coldplay website here, doesn't refer to it as EP, while other websites call it a single. What's the truth? Thanks, Oracle.

The Oracle replies:

It's widely referred to as a single. I recall the term EP being banded about and the term does indeed fit. Basically a single would usually consist of an A side (the lead single) and a B side (another track). Brothers & Sisters was released with 3 tracks in total so technically it is an EP (extended play). An EP usually consists of 3-5 songs.

March 26, 2009 - submitted by Roffe, Sweden

Q. Does Guy have a twin brother who lives in Sweden?

The Oracle replies:

It just so happens that Guy does have a brother who looks like him and guess where he currently is? Sweden!

March 25, 2009 - submitted by Christi, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, Forgive me if this is common knowledge but I'm a fairly new Coldplay fan. What are the paintings on the cover art of the Viva la Vida and Prospekt's March?

The Oracle replies:

Both feature original paintings by Eugene Delacroix. The first being Liberty Leading the People, the latter is called the Battle of Poitiers.

March 25, 2009 - submitted by Katie, United States of America

Q. I am getting married in September, and I really want to walk down the aisle to Reign of Love just the piano version, do you know where I can buy that? And if I could get also Lovers in Japan just the piano version?

The Oracle replies:

I'm afraid there are no instrumental versions of those songs. Another option would be to get someone to play the music live on the day or pre-record it. As there's also no official songbook for the latest album that might be easier said than done. Unless you rely on the Internet for unofficial music scores, there's nothing else I can suggest. God luck for the big day!

Ahlan Live have heard a rumour that Coldplay are putting on a private performance at the Cartier Polo Challenge taking place at the Desert Palm Resort & Polo Club tomorrow.

As a warm up for their concert the following night in Abu Dhabi, Chris Martin and the band are rumoured to be performing for the guests - including Italian star Monica Bellucci - who are attending the glamourous invitation-only event. Organisers of the concert in Abu Dhabi have advised ticket holders to come prepared for rain as the UAE's wet weather is scheduled to continue over the weekend.

More on a possible Desert Palm private show in the Coldplay Live forum here

Coldplay'S Chris Martin is set to become "the voice" for his childhood idol John Farnham, penning songs on the Australian singer's first album in two years. Martin and Farnham thrilled crowds with a duet of Your The Voice at Sydney's Sound Relief concert for Victorian bushfire victims this month.

Farnham's manager Glenn Wheatley revealed Farnham's iconic anthem was the first song Martin learned to play on guitar after its massive success on the UK charts years ago. "They were almost in awe of John, they'd grown up with Your The Voice as kids in the UK," Wheatley said on Thursday at the launch of the Big Sound Music Industry Summit in Brisbane's Fortitude Valley. Martin told Wheatley of the Sydney fundraising concert: "It's like I'm playing with the king of Australia."

Wheatley said Martin had offered to pen some songs for an album Farnham's been working on and which is slated for a pre-Christmas release. "There's certainly desire from Chris (Martin) to write some songs with John and he suggested 'I'd love to present you with some songs'," Wheatley said. But any prospect of Martin singing on the album with Farnham will depend on Coldplay's current world tour. "They didn't rule it out," Wheatley said.

In addition to a new album, Wheatley and Farnham are considering an Australian tour. The tour, if it goes ahead, will stage two concerts in each state in September or October, Wheatley said. "It's not confirmed, but we are considering it," he said. "If we do it, it'll be the usual Farnham grand production. We always overspend on that. It will not be on a small scale."

Farnham, who will turn 60 in July, is one of Australia's best-known performers with a career spanning more than four decades.

Source: couriermail.com.au

About 60 Coldplay fans saw red at the multiple Grammy-winning band's sold-out concert at the Singapore Indoor Stadium on Monday.

They had paid the top-tier $251 tickets for the first and second rows, only to be told at the venue on the day that both rows did not exist. Ticketing agency Sistic had made a mistake. Ticket buyer Ahmed M. Didi, a marketing manager from Maldives, is fuming mad at being left in the cold.

The 39-year-old Coldplay fan, who works in Singapore, had bought five of the most expensive tickets within an hour of their going on sale on Feb 16. Two of his friends flew in especially from Maldives for the show. Their joy at scoring seats in the second row quickly turned into a nightmare. Mr Didi said: 'I reached there about 7.30pm, then when we searched for our row, we found that the seats started only at row three, there was no row one or row two.

'We were so puzzled, we asked them: 'What happened to row one and two?' The staff said there was a slight mistake, some error.'

He was then offered seats further away from the stage. 'I said this is unacceptable,' he added. 'I have two friends who flew here from Maldives just to watch the show, and one of them is a pregnant woman. We can't just watch the show from the back when we paid for the first category of tickets.'

But there was nothing the staff could do as the concert was sold out. Mr Didi and his friends left half an hour after the show started. Although Sistic told him that he will be fully refunded, the irate customer wants the ticketing agency to refund his friends' air tickets. Sistic rejected his request.

Source: straitstimes.com

To Vicente ­Guerrero, 19, from ­Mexico, being a Coldplay ­superfan means locking himself in his bedroom to listen to their music for hours and playing their tracks ­before going to sleep each night, reports the thenational.ae.

To the British superfan, it means ­going to coldplaying.com, one of the internet’s biggest Coldplay fan sites, with more than 35,000 members worldwide. To Ivana Sudan, an obsession with the band meant that she travelled for seven hours from her Croatian hometown to Budapest for the chance to see them play live last September.

For most of the 15,000 people ­expected to attend the band’s ­concert at the Emirates Palace on Saturday night, such levels of dedication might seem a little much. They will be able to hum merrily along to Coldplay tracks, and they will almost certainly know all the lyrics to Fix You, but they probably don’t linger on Coldplay fan sites posting questions about the best Coldplay ringtones for their mobile phones or discussing Chris ­Martin’s latest haircut as the ­superfans do.

Read the full article ahead of the Abu Dhabi concert this Saturday at the Coldplay Live forum here onwards.

Coldplay played the Asia World Arena this evening as their Viva La Vida tour continues into Hong Kong. The setlist was the same as the previous concert in Singapore...

[discussion] [photos] [videos] [wiki reviews/setlist] (updated over the next 24 hours)

Setlist: [thanks Eyelime]

Life In Technicolor

Violet Hill

Clocks

In My Place

Yellow

Glass Of Water

Cemeteries Of London

42

Fix You

Strawberry Swing

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno version)

Talk (techno version)

The Hardest Part (Chris piano, Will)

Postcards From Far Away (piano instrumental)

Viva La Vida

Lost!

Speed Of Sound (acoustic)

Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic - Will vocals)

I'm A Believer (Neil Diamond Cover - acoustic)

Viva La Vida (remix interlude including Coldwave)

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Politik

Lovers In Japan

Death And All His Friends

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The Scientist

Life in Technicolor ii

The Escapist (outro)

Just come home! I'm really tired now, jumping, screaming.... It was awesome! The pics I took was not so good, but I have some nice videos! I was on the 4th row, and when Chris came close, I was only 2 meters away from him! Most interesting thing was Chris asked Jonny to sing in front of 11000 strangers! My mind is still "Viva-ing"! [thanks lhmvic]

I have been singing/screaming/dancing for 2 hours straight, but I just keep going on this rush of adrenalin! The setlist was the same as Singapore ... Life in Technicolor gave me shivers, Chris Martin singing acoustic version of the Hardest Part made me cry, Viva la Vida with the whole crowd backing up was amazing, Lovers in Japan with all the konfetti coming from the ceiling was spectacular and The Scientist as the second-last was moving, beautiful and perfect. They played the best version of God Put a Smile Upon Your Face I've ever heard. Sort of dance-style, improvisation, really really really cool! I loved when they moved into the crowd and placed themselves on a small stage in the back performing Green Eyes, and WILL singing solo (can't remember what song ... i'm getting all confused now, sorry). I loved it when Chris kept excusing his British accent to the people that didn't speak English ... only thing is, HK is pretty international. I wish I could remember everything he said, cause he was really funny! Anyone remember? Ohhh... and the best part was ... WHEN I TOUCHED WILL, GUY, JOHNNY AND CHRIS!! One feet away from me. Seriously the craziest, best moment of my life. [thanks Eyelime]

More on this concert including reviews, videos and pictures here onwards.

Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland chatted to Time Out Dubia from a hotel room in Singapore last week before flying in for the Abu Dhabi show. Here’s what he had to say…

Did you specifically request a gig in the Middle East?

Well we always try to play somewhere new when we’re on tour. We’ve wanted to come to the Middle East for a while as we’ve never been before. We’ve also never been to Africa or India either so there are quite a few places we are looking to go some day.

There was a rumour doing the rounds that you’d record the Abu Dhabi gig to give to fans who attended. True?

No [Laughs]. We are trying to do a live album but it’s not ready yet. It’s made up of different stuff from the last few years.

Read the full online interview at the Coldplay forum here [thanks mimixxx]

Don't forget that Coldplay's latest competition closes for entries tomorrow. Here's a reminder of the details:

You might remember that we gave away a signed Grammys envelope last month, via the Messenger (it was won by Lynn from Mobile, Alabama). Well, it turns out that we've got another Grammys gift to offer you. This time, it's one of the band's tickets for the 2009 Grammys, signed by all four members. If you'd like to win it, simply email your name and address to competitions@coldplay.com before Thursday 26th March. One entry per person

If it passed you by, you can also see Coldplay's new discography on Coldplay.com. It features all of the band's singles and albums, with their UK release date, artwork and a 60-second clip of each and every song. The discography also contains all of the single's videos, plus the official lyrics for every Coldplay track, as approved by the band themselves. Click here to check it out.

Coldplay at the Grammys: