Coldplay'S Australian promoter has defended the hefty price of $142 each that fans will have to fork out to see their Australian shows next year, report the Herald Sun.

The band has come under fire for charging $142 for tickets to its shows at Rod Laver Arena. Promoter Michael Chugg said the price was reflective of soaring costs. "They are taking 18 trucks and 38 people with them on the road so it is a huge production," Chugg said. "We work hard to keep costs down. "It is going to have video, laser and lighting trusses that have never been seen in Australia before."

Chugg said he was anticipating strong ticket sales, despite the price tag. Coldplay will perform in Melbourne in March.

Coldplay played their penultimage US show at the Honda Center in Orange County, CA, last night, as they neared the end of their second US Viva La Vida tour leg. No surprises for this show... but the setlist showed that Life In Technicolor ii could be on the cards...

Setlist:

Life In Technicolor

Violet Hill

Clocks

In My Place

Speed Of Sound

Cemeteries Of London

Chinese Sleep Chant

42

Fix You

Strawberry Swing

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno version)

Talk (techno version)

The Hardest Part (Chris - piano instrumental)

Postcards From Far Away (Chris - piano instrumental)

Viva La Vida

Lost!

The Scientist (acoustic)

Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic - Will singing)

Viva La Vida (remix interlude)

------

Politik

Lovers In Japan

Death And All His Friends

-------

Yellow

(Life In Technicolor ii on setlist, but not played)

The Escapist (outro)

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

so the show ended about 30 minutes ago and I am on my way home. The setlist was normal but on the paper setlist I got it said they were supposed to play life in technicolor 2 . So I guess expect that soon.! It was an amazing concert. The highlight for me being chris singing human by the killers during viva la vida. Night coldplayers. [thanks kit42]

no seat upgrades.....the three of us got too nervous to ask straight-forward (and plus most of the roadies were intimidating ). BUT.....after the concert, one of the 'nicer' roadies gave me a SETLIST. However....it's FROM THE ATLANTA GIG?! Best thing about it is that they're 100000000X better than back in July during the start of the tour! to sum it up quickly:

~Cemeteries of London

~Talk at the B-stage (totally new for me, and i <3 it!)

~CHRIS ON THE PIANO FOR "THE HARDEST PART" ON THE B-STAGE (with Will singing backup!!)....I neeeeeeeed to find that footage ASAP!!

~Postcards From Far Away (b-stage)....i think?!

~I was THREE SEATS AWAY from the guys during the acoustic set!! [thanks talkingonsquareone89]

I wore my Viva La Vida tour shirt (had seen them on opening night at the Forum) and I got a poster and program at the concert. So my seats were in Sec 410, and they weren't too horrible. So we watch Sleepercar perform and then decided to go get a snack during the little break. We take all of our stuff with us and go to get some popcorn and we're waiting in line and I'm holding the stuff we bought and this girl comes up to us and she's wearing a VIVA jacket and she says do you guys want to come out of the line over here with me...and my mom was like uhhhh why? And so the girl said trust me it'll be worth it. And at this point I'm already a little freaking out because I think I know what this is...so I'm like MOM WE'RE GOING lol. So we move out of the line and go stand out of the way and she's introduces herself, she's Marta who's awesome...but she's talking to us just about being big fans, etc and says that she assumes we don't have the best seats. And she says so I'm going to ask you three questions and if you answer them we're going to upgrade your seats...so I'm shaking now. So she asks me to name 6 songs by Coldplay which obviously wasn't hard (don't remember exactly what I said but I mentioned Rainy Day and Prospekt's March and LIT ii). So Marta says whoa you even mentioned new songs I'll have to tell Chris...lol. Then she asks me what Chris's two kid's names are and I say Moses and Apple; and she mentions something about two other ladies she asked having no idea. And then she asks me to say the first bit of Viva La Vida and so I start with "I used to rule the world..." and OF COURSE my mind blanks and then she says that she doesn't even remember it very much and she's been on the whole tour lol. So then she asks me to say the chorus and I do. Then she said alright do you guys have your tickets? And we said yes and then gave them to her. And she said close your eyes and I'm going to put something in your hand. So me and my mom close our eyes and then she puts a ticket in each of our hands for THE FIFTH ROW!!! [thanks lifeisbeautiful]

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

The Sun's Gordon Smart continues his exlusive interviews with Coldplay's Guy Berryman, Chris Martin, Will Champion and Jonny Buckland, as the journalist travels with the band across America and on to the American Music Awards...

There is one huge drawback being in a globally successful rock ’n’ roll band on the road – missing The X Factor. Coldplay have been touring the US for most of the latest series, missing out on the phone vote drama and bickering judges on the TV talent show juggernaut.

Before I could even ask a question in the band’s dressing room in Salt Lake City, Utah, on Saturday night frontman Chris Martin insisted on a full update from the show. He said: “We haven’t seen The X Factor for about ten weeks. Is Laura still in, that nice girl from Manchester (She’s actually from Bolton)? She was our favourite. She should win.”

Read the full interview article and see new pictures of the band here

The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has released its tally of Gold and Platinum albums for October, and Coldplay’s Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends has been certified 2x Platinum, report fmqb.com.

While all four of Coldplay’s studio albums are multi-Platinum, Viva La Vida gets extra credit for matching Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter 3 as the highest-selling album certified this year. Additionally, Metallica’s ninth album, Death Magnetic, went both Gold and Platinum within the first month of its release. The group’s career sales now surpass 63.5 million albums since unveiling their first effort in 1983, according to the RIAA.

Meanwhile, Scottish act Snow Patrol scored their first ever Platinum plaque for Eyes Open, while their 2004 major label debut, Final Straw, was also certified Gold in October. Two Disney channel stars – Miley Cyrus and the Jonas Brothers – earned quick Gold and Platinum status as well when their respective summer releases, Breakout and A Little Bit Longer, sold more than one million copies each.

Jason Mraz’ Atlantic album, We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things, also reached Gold standing as his hit single "I’m Yours" earned Mraz a Platinum single certification. Other infectious singles, such as Saving Abel’s "Addicted" and The Ting Tings’ "Shut Up and Let Me Go," each sold more than 500,000 copies to earn their very first Gold digital single awards in October. Double digital single nods went to Katy Perry for two songs: "Hot N Cold" reached Platinum status, and "I Kissed A Girl" went Gold, Platinum and 2x Platinum to denote more than two million downloads sold.

U2, Coldplay and The Killers have all recorded songs for a new weekly music service which will benefit HIV-infected people in Africa. This will be launched next month.

Each issue of RED(WIRE), which will cost $5, includes an exclusive song from a major artist, as well as a musician the charity hopes to promote. The service will launch on World Aids Day (December 1st) with The Killers' Christmas collaboration with Sir Elton John and Pet Shop Boys Neil Tennant, entitled 'Joseph, Better You Than Me'.

A song by U2, which was recorded last Wednesday, will feature as part of a later issue. In addition to MP3 tracks, which can be download automatically onto iTunes, users will receive a multimedia piece such as video or photography.

More on this news story here [thanks Jpw48]

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

November 25, 2008 - submitted by Simon, United Kingdom

Q. Dear Oracle, I'm going to see Coldplay in Birmingham on Monday. My problem is i live at least an hour from Birmingham and i have college which doesn't finish till 4:30, and I don't get home til 6. Which it says on the ticket is when the doors open. It also says 7:30, which at first thought meant that , that is when the opening act starts. But since I seen the bit where it says the doors open, I am rather panicking about what time to get there for. If I leave college early then I miss out on vital work, especially with exams so close. What time do I NEED to be there in order to not miss a moment of Coldplay or be locked out?

The Oracle replies:

Fret ye not Simon, the show won't get underway until the first band have been on and so you should have plenty time. Maybe you should go straight to the venue from college just to be safe but you can expect the band to be on around 9 o' clock.

November 25, 2008 - submitted by Morgan, Canada

Q. Dear Oracle, I like this girl and I'm good friends with her. but we're not in the same group. like if you to find us in a grocery store i'd be with the fruits and she be with the candy. if that doesn't make sense don't feel bad I don't get it either. got any good ideas on what I should do?

The Oracle replies:

Opposites attract Morgan but you're sure to have something bigger in common with this girl, it's just a case of finding out exactly what that is, regardless of you being in different groups. You're already friends so there must be something drawing you together. Don't worry it does make sense, but you've heard of a Toffee Apple right?

November 25, 2008 - submitted by Tyler, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle,My music professor is the master of classical music. From Bach to Britten he seems to know everything about great composers. However, when I mentioned the name Coldplay, he had now idea who I was talking about. Which Coldplay song do you think I should recommend to him?

The Oracle replies:

If classic composers are his thing, maybe start with Postcards From Far Away. This is very short at under a minute but it's a sublime track on Prospekt's March. It will certainly prick up his ears.

Coldplay will return to Australia in February but Adelaide will miss out on the tour because of concerns with the city's leading venue.

Promoters are loathe putting shows into Adelaide until the cities major venue, the Adelaide Entertainment Centre, is given its overdue facelift. $50 million was budgeted for a facelift for the venue but the South Australian government has been non-committal in moving forward with the plans. Coldplay last toured Australia in June 2006 when they performed 10 sold-out shows around the country. The four-city tour will include multiple shows for Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane, plus a show in Perth. Tickets go on sale on December 4.

Meanwhile, an online petition has been comissioned by advertiser.com.au which when completed will be presented to Chugg Entertainment. If you have signed it let us know here [thanks teenage.revolution.x]

Coldplay.com continue their run of money-can’t-buy Coldplay prizes by offering you the chance to win one of Jonny Buckland's plectrums, as used during a show and autographed by Mr Buckland himself.

If you’d like to win it, simply email your name and address to competitions@coldplay.com before Monday 8th December. One entry per person, please. Remember, it’s really not nice to enter twice.

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

November 24, 2008 - submitted by Luis, Italy

Q. You're a great bastards because people who buied the first version of your last album viva la vida now they can't spent other 20€ for the new limited edition...why are you so bad???????

The Oracle replies:

Blimey Luis chill your boots! Maybe it would be a good idea to check your facts before you come bargin' in here shouting the odds! You DO NOT have to buy the special edition album; you can buy the E.P on its own. And by the way, loads of other artists are gearing up for their "Deluxe" version of previously released albums for Christmas so there's something to be thankful for, we're not doing that!

November 24, 2008 - submitted by dizrythmia, Australia

Q. Do Coldplay have any ties to Crowded House / Split Enz / Neil Finn?

The Oracle replies:

Yes they do. Neil's son Liam supported Coldplay in Australia with his band Betchadupa five years ago. The Oracle is a long time fan because they're great. Check 'em out.

November 24, 2008 - submitted by Laura, Spain

Q. 1)...Agh come on! please be in Birmingham in January... I'm coming from Barcelona (Spain) to do some practics in a primary school. I'm studying Teacher Training of English (for my country) And I've seen you'll be there in December... what about a private concert for me?? lol 2) I'm planning a weekend trip to London during the time I'll be there, I really love musicals. What do you recommend me best: Phantom of the Opera (I'm a big Andrew Lloyd Webber fan, specially of Cats) or Wicked? As I'll be in Birmingham only a month (from 11th Jan to 6 feb) I'd love to see something worth seing and paying for ('cos they are expensive!!!) By the way Mr Oracle, tell the lead singer that he's very good looking and he's got lovely eyes (I bet he already knows) If you're wandering why I write so much...because I'm bored at this very moment and don't want to work on the project handout of my practics at schools...;P See ya and "brake a leg"! PS: my name is Laura and I'm 26yrs old.

The Oracle replies:

As you say, they'll have played Birmingham (U.K) in December so the chances of them playing again in January are... nil! Go see Phantom of the Opera, it's awesome and as you're a fan of Lloyd Webber it won't disappoint!

The Sun's Gordon Smart is 'kidnapped' by Coldplay's Guy Berryman, Chris Martin, Will Champion and Jonny Buckland, as the journalist bags an exclusive interview with the band during the American Music Awards...

One thing I never thought I would say in my career is that I have been kidnapped by Coldplay. But a routine interview in a drab American city with Britain’s biggest band turned into one of the best weekends I’ve ever had.

Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Will Champion and Jonny Buckland didn’t just grant me a chat about their new EP and the announcement of massive outdoor gigs next year. They gave me a seat on their private jet, a fancy hotel room, my own space in their dressing room, a key role in their football team and, most important, a chance to wear one of their Viva La Vida uniforms (which I once suggested were smelly — they are not).

Read the full interview article and see new pictures of the band here [thanks mimixxx]

Coldplay.com have announced that Jay-Z [pictured] will be supporting Coldplay at the three UK stadium shows which were announced this morning. The September 2009 shows will take place at Old Trafford Cricket Ground in Manchester, Hampden Park in Glasgow and Wembley Stadium, London. Tickets go on sale at 9.30am on Friday, November 28 through various UK ticket outlets.

Chris Martin has been friends with Jay-Z for several years, and helped produce Coldplay's new album, while the rapper features on a re-worked version of the song Lost! called Lost+.

Click here to check out the video for Lost+, the version of the track featuring Jay-Z which is on the Prospekt's March EP. The EP is released officially today (November 24) featuring eight new songs. If you'd like to download either the EP or the Prospekt's March edition of the album, then click on your country's links at the official site here to purchase it from your local iTunes store (and/or the 7 Digital store if you're in the UK).

Coldplay frontman Chris Martin has joked that the band will resemble Hulk Hogan at their 2009 UK stadium shows.

The group will play gigs in Manchester and Glasgow before concluding at London's Wembley Stadium on September 19th. In an interview with BBC Radio 1's Chris Moyles, Martin said the band would follow a strict fitness regime before the dates. "By the time we play the gigs we're going to look like Hulk Hogan,” he said. “If you're going to play stadium gigs you got to have pectorals."

Martin added that if Moyles could develop his own six pack in time for the shows he could join the band on stage for 'Yellow'. The shows will wrap up a busy 18 months for the band after the release of their fourth record Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends. Tickets for the gigs go on sale this Friday (28 November) at 9.30am.

Listen to Chris Martin's radio interview with Chris Moyles here

Coldplay's tour dates are:

Manchester, Old Trafford Cricket Ground - September 12

Glasgow, Hampden Park - 16

London, Wembley Stadium - 19

Chris Brown was the big winner at the 2008 American Music Awards Sunday night (November 23rd) taking home the Artist Of The Year award. Brown said, “I would have gave it to Coldplay. I’m at a loss for words. I just want to thank all the fans, I really love you with all my heart.” Brown also won for Best Male Soul/R&B artist and Best Male Pop/Rock Artist.

Coldplay started out the night with four nominations, but they failed to win a single award. In addition to Artist Of The Year, they were up for Favorite Pop/Rock Duo or Group, Favorite Album Pop/Rock for Viva La Vida and Favorite Alternative Rock Duo Or Group.

It was a great night for Kanye West, who won at the awards for the very first time. He picked up Favorite Rap/Hip-Hop Album for Graduation and Favorite Male Rap/Hip Hop Artist. West — who’s been very vocal in the past when he’s felt snubbed at various awards show — said he wanted to give the second award to fellow nominee Lil’Wayne instead of keeping it for himself.

Rihanna also picked up two awards, one for Favorite Female Soul/R&B Artist — her second in a row — and another for Favorite Female Pop/Rock Artist. Alicia Keys had started out the night leading with five nominations, and took home Favorite Pop/Rock album and Favorite Soul/R&B album for As I Am.

Other winners included Jonas Brothers for t-Mobile Breakthrough Artist, Daughtry for Favorite Pop/Rock Duo Or Group, Taylor Swift for Favorite Female Country Artist, Brad Paisley for Favorite Male Country Artist, Rascal Flatts for Favorite Country Duo Or Group, Linkin Park for Alternative Artist and Jordin Sparks for Adult Contemporary Artist.

Annie Lennox, who won an Award Of Merit for her artistic and humanitarian work accompanied herself on piano in a powerful performance of her song “Why.” This was the first time she has performed since undergoing back surgery in August. The 53-year-old easily stole the show from the younger performers and earned a standing ovation from the crowd. Lennox graciously thanked her Eurythmics band mate, Dave Stewart, when she accepted her award. Her award was presented by special “surprise” guest Justin Timberlake.

It was definitely ladies night, with performances by teen stars Miley Cyrus and Taylor Swift; Beyonce, the Pussycat Dolls and Rihanna strutting their stuff; Natasha Bedingfield, Pink, Christina Aguilera, Leona Lewis and Mariah Carey all showing off their pipes; Sarah McLachlan and Pink in a lovely duet of “Wings Of An Angel” and a finale of Keys, Queen Latifah and opera star Kathleen Battle on Keys’”Superwoman.”

The men were represented by New Kids On The Block, Coldplay, The Fray and Kanye West.

Jimmy Kimmel hosted the show and kept things moving. He did make one joke about the Jonas Brothers getting a lot of girls for guys who have pledged to keep their virginity until marriage, but he didn’t go on and on about it like MTV VMA Awards host Russell Brand did in September. At the VMAs, Jordin Sparks chastised Brand, but when she went up to present an award she left Kimmel alone, saying “I’ll stick to the script. I promise.”

Rocker Scott Weiland, of Stone Temple Pilots and formerly of Velvet Revolver, seemed to have some difficulty with his introduction of Pink’s performance of her song “Sober.” Kimmel made fun of his slurred speech later, saying “And what a 16th birthday party (Billy Ray Cyrus) put together for Miley tonight, right? In fact, now that she’s old enough to drive, maybe she could give Scott Weiland a ride home.”

Presenters included Lance Bass, David Archuleta, Jamie Foxx, Steven Tyler, Joe Perry, Nickelback, Jesse McCartney, Paris Hilton, Demi Lovato, Colbie Caillat, Akon and Juliette Hough.

Coldplay have announced big UK shows for September 2009. Chris Martin called up BBC Radio 1 to announce that Coldplay are playing a string of stadium shows in September. "It's like a dream come true," said Chris about the dates on the radio just now. The dates are as follows:

Saturday 12th September - Manchester LCCC

Wednesday 16th September - Glasgow Hampden Park

Saturday 19th September - London Wembley Stadium

Tickets for all three shows go on sale at 9.30am on Friday 28th November. They will be available online from www.gigsandtours.com, www.ticketmaster.co.uk and www.ticketline.co.uk. Or, if you'd prefer to buy over the phone, the numbers are: Manchester - 0161 832 1111, Glasgow - 08444 999990 and London - 020 7734 8932.

More discussion on these concerts at the Coldplay Live forum here [thanks mimixxx & twistedleksi2008]

Coldplay have been shortlisted for three awards at the NRJ Music Awards to be held in Cannes on 17th January 2009 and televised on the TFI channel.

The awards celebrate the top music releases in France. Coldplay have been nominated in the categories International Album of the Year, International Song of the Year and International Band of the Year, following on from the success of their last album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends (which has sold over 300,000 copies in France) and the single Viva La Vida.

You can cast your vote (as many times as you want) for Coldplay by clicking here and you can discussion Coldplay's nominations at the Coldplay forum here [thanks a-chan]

With the American Music Awards happening at 8pm tonight on ABC, most of the big stars will be performing in one place. The event will be held live at Los Angeles' Nokia Theatre, LA.

The performers for the AMAs this year are quite impressive. Scheduled to appear this Sunday night at the Nokia Theater in L.A. are Mariah Carey, Coldplay, The Fray, The Jonas Brothers, Alicia Keys, Annie Lennox, Leona Lewis, Ne-Yo, New Kids on the Block, Pink, Pussycat Dolls, Rihanna, Taylor Swift and Kanye West, with most of them also nominated for awards.

The AMAs are seen as the first of the “Big Three” music award shows, and honor artists based on popularity over quality. It also allows the fans — not industry insiders — to vote for the winners. Created by Dick Clark in 1973 for ABC, the AMAs were meant to compete with the Grammys after they moved to CBS. Now in its 35th year, the show is still on the same network, but has undergone a few changes.

Join the discussion as the event happens at the Coldplay forum here

Chugg Entertainment today confirmed that Coldplay would return to Australia next February on their “Viva La Vida” tour, in support of their new album of the same name.

In a rare move for the Australian market, Coldplay will go on-sale with two shows in each of the East Coast cities to ensure as many tickets as possible are made available to meet the demand that was set the last time they toured. The four-city jaunt will kick off on Friday 27 February at the Burswood Dome in Perth, travel to Melbourne for two shows on Tuesday 3 and Wednesday 4 March, and then move on to Brisbane at the Entertainment Centre on Sunday 8 and Monday 9 March. The tour finishes up at Sydney’s Acer Arena on Wednesday 11 and Thursday 12 March.

On their last concert tour of Australia in June 2006, Coldplay sold out a total of ten arenas shows, playing to more than 100,000 people, garnering rave reviews and leaving rapturous fans in their wake.

Read the full article at Tangled Magazine online here

Coldplay played the Energy Solutions Arena in Salt Lake City last night, as they neared the end of their second US Viva La Vida tour leg. No surprises to the setlist for this show... no return for Glass Of Water.

Setlist:

Life In Technicolor

Violet Hill

Clocks

In My Place

Speed Of Sound

Cemeteries Of London

Chinese Sleep Chant

42

Fix You

Strawberry Swing

God Put A Smile Upon Your Face (techno version)

Talk (techno version)

The Hardest Part (Chris - piano instrumental)

Postcards From Far Away (Chris - piano instrumental)

Viva La Vida

Lost!

The Scientist (acoustic)

Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic - Will singing)

Viva La Vida (remix interlude)

------

Politik

Lovers In Japan

Death And All His Friends

-------

Yellow

The Escapist (outro)

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

No surprises. I was hoping they would play Glass of Water but they left it out.It was a great show! [thanks SamH]

Concert highlights for any of you interested: -First of all there was the piano. I've never met a piano at a concert I didn't like. -There was a little stage set up on the floor near the back that they played on for awhile. -He was seriously funny. -At one point they all walked off the stage, only to reappear in walking up the stairs in the audience and coming to a little stand in the middle of a bunch of seats. There they had some guitars and a harmonica waiting, and they played there in the audience for a couple songs. [thanks hokehub.blogspot.com]

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

Seven shows in February and March 2009

As anticipated, following Australian media articles unveiling several new 2009 tour dates today, here is the latest word from Coldplay.com: Good evening (or morning, for our readers down under). We're very pleased to announce that Coldplay are heading to Australia early next year to play seven shows. They are as follows:

Friday 27th February - Burswood Dome, Perth

Tuesday 3rd March - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Wednesday 4th March - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne

Sunday 8th March - Entertainment Centre, Brisbane

Monday 9th March - Entertainment Centre, Brisbane

Wednesday 11th March - Acer Arena, Sydney

Thursday 12th March - Acer Arena, Sydney

Here are the ticket details:

VISA Entertainment pre-sale

Starts Thursday 27th November, 9am (local time). Ends Saturday 29th November, 5pm (unless pre-sale sold out earlier). Any Visa card holder can buy during the pre-sale from visaentertainment.com.au or ticketek.com.au

General on-sale

Starts 9am (local time) Thursday 4th December – tickets available through ticketek.com.au or 132 849.

Coldplay will snub Adelaide on its 2009 tour as they announced it will tour Australia in February and March of next year. South Australian fans will instead have to pay for flights to one of the band's performances in Perth, Brisbane, Sydney or Melbourne.

But a spokeswoman for touring company Chugg Entertainment said there were no plans to add Adelaide to the Coldplay schedule at a later date. That was despite the band playing at the Adelaide Entertainment Centre on their 2006 tour.

"We were given a specific window of availability for Coldplay's Australian tour and, unfortunately, despite our best efforts, it was not possible to route the tour through Adelaide this time around," the spokeswoman said.

Coldplay is the latest in a line of big-name acts to dodge Adelaide. Kylie Minogue is only playing Sydney and Melbourne when she brings her X2008 tour Down Under next month. Similarly, rapper Kanye West and American electro-pop group MGMT have only scheduled December concerts in the eastern states. Rock veterans Sting and Eric Clapton are also eschewing Adelaide in their forthcoming tours. The snub comes after punk-pop superstar Pink this week announced a fourth show at the Entertainment Centre in August, bringing the US singer's number of Australian dates to 34.

With Coldplay's tour billed as its biggest ever, there has been speculation the band may miss Adelaide due to the lack of an appropriate venue. This comes after the Sunday Mail reported last week that the Adelaide Entertainment Centre has come under fire from tour promoters for being "tired" and "poor and dated".

The comments, made in a Public Works Committee report tabled in Parliament last month, included a statement from Michael Chugg, director of Chugg Entertainment, the promoters behind Coldplay's Australian tour.

In the report, Mr Chugg – who has previously brought tours from Sir Elton John and Keith Urban to Adelaide – describes the centre as "well below the standards expected from a major capital city such as Adelaide".

Coldplay's Sydney and Melbourne concerts are being staged at the Rod Laver Arena and ACER Arena. Local concert promoter Trevor Hunt says AAMI Stadium would be more than suitable for such a tour. "When you look at U2, one of the biggest bands in the world, playing at AAMI Stadium . . . 60,000 people, they were very happy with the venue, as have a lot of the acts that have been down there," Mr Hunt said.

"We've never had a problem with outside venues here. AAMII Stadium has been used successfully on a number of highly successful tours, and likewise Adelaide Oval has been used successfully."

The record crowd at AAMI Stadium was 80,000 for Robbie Williams in 2006. Mr Hunt, the promoter behind Pink's upcoming mammoth Australian tour, said there were a number of factors behind why bands skip Adelaide. "It just depends on circumstances. It depends on the band, the timing, the tour schedule. Occasionally we do miss out on shows over here."

The tour announcement caps off a bumper year for Coldplay. Their fourth album, Viva La Vida (or Death And All His Friends), was released in June and sold millions worldwide. A deluxe edition of the album – Viva La Vida: Prospekt's March, with eight new tracks – is released in Australia this weekend.

Source: news.com.au

Coldplay will play Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena - on March 3rd and 4th, 2009, according to an article in today's Australian Herald Sun.

Visa pre-sale tickets are available from November 27 via visaentertainment.com.au, and then general tickets are available from December 4 through Ticketek (132 849), so expect an official announcement soon.

New discussion threads have been created for these two shows - 3rd March 2009 and 4th March 2009 and we will keep you updated on further tour dates in the Coldplay Live forum. [thanks jenjie]

Chris Martin spoke exclusively from Atlanta recently to announce Coldplay's Australian tour for February and March. A notoriously difficult interviewee, he was uncharacteristically candid with Insider during Australia's Daily Telegraph early-morning interview - perhaps because he felt guilty about the time difference and the fact the interview had been pushed back three hours.

Coldplay are touring America before heading to Europe. They will have played 103 shows by the time they reach Australia next February. And they've upgraded from entertainment centres to stadiums and arenas. They will perform two shows at Sydney's Acer Arena (March 11, 12) and two shows at Melbourne's Rod Laver Arena (March 3, 4), so far announced. Coldplaying.com understands that there will also be shows announced soon for Brisbane and Perth, but not Adelaide.

"It's a big show. Not as big as a Rolling Stones show, but not as little as a Tom Waits show. It's hopefully somewhere in between,'' Martin says.

Read the full article here

Coldplay will play Sydney's Acer Arena - formerly the Sydney Superdome - on March 11th and 12th 2009, according to an article in today's Australian Daily Telegraph.

Visa pre-sale tickets are available from November 27 via visaentertainment.com.au, and then general tickets are available from December 4 through Ticketek (132 849), so expect an official announcement soon.

New discussion threads have been created for these two shows - 11th March 2009 and 12th March 2009 and we will keep you updated on further tour dates in the Coldplay Live forum. [thanks jenjie]

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

November 20, 2008 - submitted by Melisa, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle,Why does the band refer to Will as "the frightening one"?

The Oracle replies:

He's not frightening but Will does have a very sensible head on his shoulder and when it comes to making band decisions he's really good at putting valid points across and keeping everyone focused. He frequently has the casting vote and his decision can sometimes override the consensus!

November 20, 2008 - submitted by elizabeth, Mexico

Q. hello oracle!! my question is: In the game of the glass of water, how can I ask the qustion??? I have tried many times but I just can't... thanks

The Oracle replies:

It's a game that's meant to be a bit of fun so you think of a question and can then say it out loud or in your head. There's no other means of actually asking a question.

November 20, 2008 - submitted by Tree, United States of America

Q. I now hate Coldplay because of this video competition. You post videos by people who are in the film/media business. You play favorites by featuring some videos and allowing them to get plays automatically--so they have thousands of plays more than everybody else. Some videos are on here twice. The ratings and the number of plays can be manipulated by people (and their friends and families) and are effected by how long a video has been on youtube--those features should be turned off for this contest. It's all very unfair and competitive--ugly really. It appeals to the worst in people. Good job Coldplay. Enjoy all that money. I hate you now. Tree

The Oracle replies:

Charming! Look, I am going to have to respond to this. People take heed! The competition is meant to be a fun thing but one can't help notice the bitterness that has arisen. Surely people are not under the illusion that ratings and views are what are being judged? If we're loving a video, we share that with you guys so you can see some of the amazing entries. We are looking for original, great videos, simple as that. Would you have preferred a clause saying "only open to anyone has never operated a camera before"? Nowhere in the rules does it say that professional media types can't enter and that's not fair to fans of the band that just happen to know how to make a film. Some people have made up production names for this event and have done brilliantly. I feel now would be a great time to mention one stand out video that's highlighted today from someone who didn't think their video was that good. In their humility they couldn't be more wrong it's great! There have been videos from 16-year-old students that are of higher calibre than some professionals so it really shouldn't matter. We're not the least bit interested in "who" has sent them, but what they have sent. If they appear more than twice that is actually due to YouTube's favourite heart not remaining red once it's been clicked. The team has watched ALL the videos and sometimes more than one person has clicked the favourite. Every single video (as long as they don't offend or breach any t&c's) has been added to the favourites. Don't forget as mentioned in the rules, a team is selecting the best videos for the band to choose an overall winner from, so it doesn't matter how many of your family, friends or pets you get to rate or view as the team has seen them all. I do sincerely hope your hate is reactionary and that it will pass. Hate will eat you up. Unless of course you submitted a video and actually that's what the issue is? P.s. This is a genuine competition, there's no ulterior motive or promotional idea behind it.

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

November 21, 2008 - submitted by Jared, United States of America

Q. Hey you basically already answered this question, but there has been a lot of news circulating about Chris' comment on the band breaking up after 2009. NME took their page down, but all the other sites seem really ligit. Are you really sure he was joking? It would be sad to see them break up in the middle of their peak, let alone at all! :(

The Oracle replies:

Remember, to the media this is newsworthy. If people are going to sell more papers or get more hits on their websites by reporting it, they will. They can take him literally if they like, but there isn't a calendar with a split date circled!

November 21, 2008 - submitted by cathy, France

Q. Q.I saw you answered that once before, so I tried my luck : I've got a small white dog, who is already called Gad but we want to find a second name for him, do you have some ideas ?

The Oracle replies:

All I can think of is About. Gadabout means to go in search of pleasure and maybe Gad already does that? I know that's not a name as such but there's also a character called Sir Gadabout so there's a bit of nobility to it if you wish.

November 21, 2008 - submitted by Jon, United States of America

Q. What ever happened to the globe on the cover of parachutes? I know the band took it on tour with them, but where is it now?

The Oracle replies:

They're all in storage. I say "all" because there wasn't just one globe lamp, there were several.

November 21, 2008 - submitted by shari, United States of America

Q. Does Coldpaly's original or current manager also have a child named Apple?

The Oracle replies:

Little bit of trivia but it's actually their booking agent in the U.S and that's where Chris first heard of the name.

November 21, 2008 - submitted by osama, Yemen

Q. hey going to my first coldplay concert was wondering do they allow video cameras? i see some of the concerts on tape on youtube. thanks reply asap please.

The Oracle replies:

No, you're not allowed to take any professional cameras of any kind into the venue. It usually says on the back of the ticket. These days so many phones have decent cameras and video capabilities; it's usually ok to use those.