Coldplay are still number one on Canada's album charts with Viva La Vida Or Death And All HIs Friends. HMV said it also expects U2’s remastered first three albums to knock “young” pretenders Coldplay off the number one spot worldwide after tomorrow’s release of the “new” editions. Boy, October and War have all been remastered from the original analogue tapes.

The Canadian top 5 is as follows:

1 Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends - Coldplay

2 Nas - Nas

3 One of the Boys - Katy Perry

4 Tha Carter III - Lil Wayne

5 Lost in the 80s - The Lost FingersHere’s a tip: Dredge up some work you did in the early days, add a few new sleeve notes and photos, and bang it out to the shops for those fans who just have to have every-thing you’ve ever released. Almost three decades after breaking into the music-buying consciousness, U2 still have that chart-topping wherewithal. And this time they didn’t even have to make any new music.

Coldplay axed their expensive stage show as they kicked off their world tour on Monday night (14.07.08).

Despite spending six months planning the shows, the British band opted against using computer graphics and video screens in Los Angeles. Instead, the group – dressed in military-style outfits - went for a more “intimate” feel with basic lighting and a backdrop of artwork from their latest album, ‘Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends’, at the venue.

Explaining why they started the tour in the US, frontman Chris Martin told the sell-out crowd: "This is the first night of our tour since we became the new version of our band. We thought where better to kick it off than our home away from home, Los Angeles."

Chris also praised the lively audience, insisting it was one of the best shows the band has ever played. He gushed: “We couldn’t have asked for anything better in a hot night in LA. Some audiences are s**t and we have to lie, but between you and me, you are Grade A.”

Chris previously claimed their stage show would be based on classic Disney movie ‘Mary Poppins’. He said: "We grew up with 'Mary Poppins' and all those sorts of things. We love making big shows up and trying to work out what lights will look cool. We get very nerdy about it because we can't believe we're allowed to do it."

Coldplay's Chris Martin spoke to Nova 96.9FM (Sydney radio station) that aired this morning on the Merrick & Rosso & Kate show. Good news for Australian Coldplay fans - Chris says that Coldplay will hopefully tour Australia in February or March next year.

Listen to the interview here [thanks Little Miss Clumsy & Fixed]

Congratulations to Music Industry student Jonah Delso! Delso was selected to open for Coldplay on July 25 at the Wachovia Center, Philadelphia, PA, through a video contest run by local rock station 93.3 WMMR. Stay tuned for an interview with Delso in the July 25 issue of The Triangle, but for now, check out the winning video here

You may remember Coldplaying.com was involved in a campaign on 6th April 2006, courtesy of Coldplaying member jbarry5503, to distribute 12000 'USA Loves Coldplay' flyers at the Wachovia Center, during the final US Twisted Logic show last year.

For those Coldplayers who are interested in becoming a Coldplay sign gang participant again please follow the instructions here

The Brazilian arm of EMI Music (that also revealed the cover of the new album Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends) are reporting that the video of 'Viva La Vida', the second single taken from the new album, will be available from July 25th and will be broadcast on TV music channels across the world from the beginning of August.

Coldplaying.com recently reported that Coldplay were set to work with film director Anton Corbijn for the video. The band's spokesperson told NME the director and the band would conduct the shoot for forthcoming Viva La Vida video on a Dutch beach. Corbijn previously directed the video promo for the band's 2005 single 'Talk'. Speaking about the collaboration Chris Martin said, "We're trying an experiment with him. It could be a disaster, but it could be OK."

Meanwhile, if reports are to be believed, Viva La vida will be released as CD-Single + Bonus Track from June 18th (this Friday!) More on this here [thanks Big Fat Noises, johnnymax865, chileandude1, Chavi & Coldplayzone.it]

For more than a month, there’s been a heated battle happening on the weekly Billboard albums sales chart, waged between 2008’s best-selling albums: rapper Lil Wayne’s Tha Carter III and Coldplay’s Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends.

After Wayne’s latest debuted at #1, selling more than a million copies, Coldplay’s LP swooped in, knocking Tha Carter III from the top spot, where the rockers’ record stayed for two weeks. Last week, Wayne made a comeback, reclaiming the peak position.

According to the latest figures released by Nielsen SoundScan, Wayne’s newest will hold at #1 on next week’s top 200, selling another 124,700 units and bringing total sales of the disc to 1.8 million. Coldplay’s Viva la Vida clings to the #2 spot with sales reported at 112,600. Meanwhile, the soundtrack to the Disney Channel original movie “Camp Rock“ follows at #3 — a position it’s held since its release four weeks ago — with 88,500 scans.

Climbing two spots next week to #5, with 61,000 sold, is Kid Rock’s Rock N Roll Jesus, which experienced a 35 percent sales boost on the strength of the LP’s latest single, “All Summer Long.” Now That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 28 follows at #6 with 48,000 sold, while Rihanna’s Good Girl Gone Bad moves one spot to #8 with 47,000 scans. G-Unit’s T.O.S. (Terminate on Sight) follows at #9, selling another 36,400, while John Mayer’s Where the Light Is rounds things out at #10 with 33,700 sold.

As far as new releases go, there are a total of 23 making their impact felt on next week’s chart, with two opening in the top 10. Beck’s latest, Modern Guilt, enters the chart at #4, having sold 84,300 copies, while the soundtrack to the big-screen adaptation of “Mamma Mia!“ bows at #7 with 48,400 sold. Elsewhere on the chart, the Maine’s Can’t Stop Won’t Stop debuts at #40, scanning 12,100 copies, while New York electronica outfit Ratatat’s LP3 follows at #82, selling 7,800 units.

3Oh!3’s Want enters at #89, having scanned 7,500 copies, with Hit the Lights‘ Skip School, Start Fights trailing at #97 on sales of 7,000 and change. Maroon 5 and Whitechapel are tied at #117, as Live from Le Cabaret and This Is Exile both scanned exactly 5,907 copies. Kerli’s Love Is Dead bows at #126 with 5,500 sold, while Strokes guitarist Albert Hammond, Jr.’s sophomore solo offering, ¿Como Te Llama? debuts at #145, after selling 4,500 copies. The Melvins‘ Nude With Boots follows at #148 with 4,400 sold, while Me First and the Gimme Gimmes‘ Have Another Ball claims the #164 slot with 4,000 scans.

Source: MTV

Coldplay’s hugely anticipated new album was released on June 12th and has been flying off the shelves at Woolworths stores at a rate of 20 copies every minute.

The sales rush sets the album, called Viva La Vida, on course to be the biggest selling record of 2008. Over 302,000 CD and download sales in the first three days alone ensured it hit the top of the UK album chart. The previous week’s number one album, Paul Weller’s 22 Dreams, sold 63,000 in its first week of release.

“The new Coldplay album has been selling at the rapid rate of 20 copies every minute this morning at Woolies,” says Alan Hunt, Woolworths’ CD and DVD trading manager on release day morning.

“They are currently the biggest British guitar band and they are certainly the biggest draw at the tills. Any new Coldplay release is an event in stores like ours and this morning hasn’t disappointed with thousands of fans rushing in to be one of the first to own the CD.”

Viva La Vida has also topped the US Billboard charts, selling a staggering 720,000 copies in the opening week. The album costs £9.97 at Woolworths stores for the CD, the album is also available to download from www.woolworthsdownload.co.uk for £4.97.

More on this story here

Coldplay.com: Good afternoon. Tomorrow evening (July 17th), Coldplay will play an outdoor show as part of the Summer Concert Series on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno. A limited number of tickets will be available from NBC from 8am tomorrow morning. Tickets will be first come, first served.

The Guest Relations offices are located at 3000 W. Alameda Ave., Burbank on the California Street or west side of the studio facilities. You'll need to be at least 16 to attend and anyone under 21 should bring photo proof of age. The ticket office information number is: (818) 840-3537. Anchorman.

Just a reminder as previously reported on Coldplaying.com that Coldplay will be appearing on Tonight with Jay Leno, which will be airing tomorrow [17th July] at 11.35pm on NBC.

Spin website offers Coldplay archive

Coldplay.com: Good afternoon. We can reveal that the website of US music publication Spin has launched an online archive of all their Coldplay coverage, from the band’s first mention in December 2000 right up to this month’s cover story. Cleverly, Spin have called the archive, “Everything’s Not Lost”. For more on this breaking news, click here.

Here’s how Spin first introduced Coldplay’s Chris Martin in a story from our Noise section in December 2000:

Chris Martin legs his way up Primrose Hill like a schoolboy, bouncing a red-and-white-trimmed cricket ball from one hand to the other, eyes fixed on an unusually sunny London skyline. Martin’s band Coldplay is the current darling of the U.K. scene, but he can’t imagine that Americans would care about him. “I don’t know why we’re doing this interview,” the lanky 22-year-old says, apparently unaware that for his first encounter with a U.S. publication, he’s supposed to bust out the standard Oasis-style “we’ll conquer the colonies!” prediction. “We don’t have to take over the world on one album,” he says.

Four albums, however, have proven to be quite another story. If Martin and Coldplay aren’t already wielding the emperor’s scepter with last month’s release of the mammoth, chart-topping opus Viva la Vida, then they’ve already stormed the castle gates and have their swords at the current sovereign’s throat.

So after you read our our July ‘08 cover story about, in Martin’s consistently self-deprecating words, “the world’s biggest bland,” browse these links to SPIN’s complete coverage of Coldplay throughout the decade.

>> December 2000: The New Nice Rock? Sensitive indie rockers Coldplay are Britain's brightest hope in a post-Britpop world

>> January 2001: Top 20 Albums of 2000: Parachutes, No. 19

>> May 2001: Live Review: Seattle

>> July 2001: The Empire Strikes Back: A New Generation of Britpop

>> September 2002: Review: A Rush of Blood to the Head

>> October 2002: Look at the Stars: Coldplay interview

>> May 2003: Live Review: Denver

>> January 2005: Coldplay: 2004's Band of the Year

>> October 2005: Live Review: Hartford, CT

It was the same setlist as the night before, except for the addition of What If instead of Trouble. Photos from Coldplay’s 2nd night at the Los Angeles Forum [including some fantastic ones by ali_baba7, Aaron Weinstein and bronwynlewis] are in the gallery here.

Setlist: Life In Techicolor / Violet Hill / Clocks / In My Place / Viva La Vida / 42 / Yes / The Scientist / Chines Sleep Chant (B-stage) / God Put A Smile Upon My Face (B-stage, new version) / Square One / Speed Of Sound / What If / Lost / Strawberry Swing / Yellow (acoustic) / Death Will Never Conquer (acoustic, Will Champion vocals) / Fix You / Lovers In Japan / Death And All Of His Friends

Some highlights:

-In the beginning of The Scientist, Chris' piano was only playing. I think Johnny's guitar wasn't plugged in. Something happened. It was funny.

-Chris wanted to tell us in "starbucks terms" that the first night was "grande" and that the second night was "Venti"

-When Chris was up in the Colonnade, he said "So this is what it's like?"

Read some more highlights from this show here [thanks lillylove]

LA Weekly blogs have posted an excellent article after following the photographer around at last night's opening LA show at The Forum. Read the full report and all the superb pictures here. Some excellent fan videos have also been uploaded here and we'll be adding more tour images every day to the Coldplaying gallery. Watch this space!

9:37 PM – No shooting until the after the song when Chris is done playing the piano. That’s not what we were told, but that’s what I find out. They’re not kidding either.

9:42 PM – Our first song is just over and the media contact lets us know that there is one more song and that security wants to see me (and another guy) after the shot. Christ, what now? Can I say that in church?

9:47 PM – Back in the catacombs and security is checking my images to ensure that I didn’t shoot Chris at the piano. I didn’t. I let her know that I was only setting up. She thanks me and one other accused and we’re on our way back to the “lounge”.

Coldplay.com: For the next five months, Oxfam will join us as we take the Viva La Vida tour around the world. To keep you up to date with life on the road from an Oxfam perspective, they'll be posting a regular blog at http://www.oxfamblogs.org/coldplay/. Head over there now to read what they made of last night's first show... (here's an excerpt of the latest entry below):

What a show. Lights, cameras, and action. The band and the crew did a fantastic job tonight. As if the crowd weren’t excited enough by doing the ‘wave’ before the show. They then had the pleasure of watching Coldplay at their best. What a great way to start the week..

The light show was awesome tonight. The Forum lending itself perfectly to all sorts of illuminated activity. I thought they’d be ironing out problems for the first couple of weeks. It looks like they’ve nailed it already. On the way out, people were still singing the chanting chorus to ‘Viva La Vida’. It didn’t take them long to learn those words.. (w-o-a-h, w-o-a-h!).

Reminder: Work For Oxfam America And Get Into Coldplay Shows For Free!

“I can tell this is gonna be a good one,” Chris Martin declared just two songs into Coldplay’s rousing tour kickoff Monday night at the Forum, the band’s first of two shows at the hallowed arena.

Even at that point, after the crowd erupted for “Violet Hill,” singing along as if its melody were as ingrained as those of “Clocks” or “Yellow,” it wasn’t hard to determine why Martin felt so optimistic. Here, like at no Southern California show the quartet has played, you could feel waves of ecstasy and electricity rippling through the audience the way they so often do at U2 shows – that overwhelming, inspirational sensation Coldplay has been aiming to achieve all along, and now finally has.

Main set: Life in Technicolor / Violet Hill / Clocks / In My Place / Viva la Vida / 42 / Yes / The Scientist / Chinese Sleep Chant / God Put a Smile Upon Your Face / Square One / Speed of Sound / Trouble / Lost! / Strawberry Swing / Yellow / Death Will Never Conquer / Fix You / Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love

Encore: Death and All His Friends

Read the full opening show review here

Setlist: Life In Techicolor / Violet Hill / Clocks / In My Place / Viva La Vida / 42 / Yes / The Scientist / Chines Sleep Chant (Sidestage) / God Put A Smile Upon My Face (Sidestage, new version) / Square One / Speed Of Sound / Trouble / Lost / Strawberry Swing / Yellow (Crowd acoustic) / Death Will Never Conquer (Crowd acoustic, Will Champion) / Fix You / Lovers In Japan / Death And All Of His Friends

The band started playing at around 9:30 with Life in Technicolor... which was absolutely fantastic! The drums were incredible, it was so extremely intense... guy was wearing a red shirt with a black thing over his shoulders, and he was wearing black pants with silver stripes down the sides.... everyone else was wearing the viva la vida shirts and the pants... jonny had his hat on like the usual. will was incredible on the drums, i was SO impressed with him. Chris did a wonderful job of singing everything... they have never sounded better than they do now.

Violet Hill came right after Life In Technicolor... which was absolutely amazing. The TV balls were extremely cool... the effects that the cameras had on the band were amazing.

One thing that really made me laugh SO hard that they did is that they played someone on the news talking about how Coldplay "stole" somebody elses song (yeah, right!).... and they showed the person saying that chris martin wasn't man enough to come on the show and defend himself... THE WHOLE CROWD BOOED HIM IT WAS HILARIOUS!

More on this show at the 14 July LA show discussion thread [thanks JCold35 & ForrestTheFish]

A reminder that Coldplay and All Their Friends -- including Shearwater, Santogold, and possibly you-- are set to launch into orbit, hopefully with magic balls (pictured) on Coldplay's world tour in support of their fourth album.

The tour kicks off tonight (July 14) in Los Angeles and takes the band across North America, the UK, Europe, and Japan. Don't forget, to celebrate their tour beginning, Coldplay are offering a free download of a new song not included on Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends on their website. The song is called "Death Will Never Conquer", and if you haven't already you can download it for free here.

Coldplaying.com will be bang up-to-date with latest news from the tour, starting with the 14 July LA show discussion thread, which will be updated with setlists, videos, pictures and coldplayer reviews.

Beck's eighth studio album, Modern Guilt, is likely to end up with a final sales tally somewhere between 75,000 and 80,000 copies in its first week of release, according to Hits Daily Double.

That's good enough to debut in the Top Five on this week's Billboard album chart but not quite the amount needed to displace either Coldplay or rapper Lil'Wayne from the top spot. One of those acts will once again be Number One after several weeks of trading back and forth, with the loser likely to finish in second place again. The full chart arrives on Wednesday (July 16th).

Whoever lands at Number One, whether it's Coldplay or Lil'Wayne, will join Jack Johnson and Alicia Keys as the only three acts so far in 2008 to spend three weeks at the top of the chart. Only Johnson did it three weeks in a row.

Beck issued Modern Guilt last Tuesday (July 8th). The singer-songwriter co-produced the record with Danger Mouse, who is one-half of the alt-funk duo Gnarls Barkley. Modern Guilt is the final release under Beck's contract with Interscope Records, although there's no word yet on his future plans.

The first official single from Modern Guilt is "Gamma Ray," although Beck released some tracks earlier online.

Source: http://www.kbsradio.ca

Coldplay are number one in the album chart for the fifth week in a row with 'Vival La Vida.'

The indie outfit's fourth record has now shifted in excess of 600,000 units, meaning that it is already double platinum in the UK. The album has gone to the top spot in an incredible 36 countries, and has been certified platinum in 31 of those and double-platinum in the UK and Canada.

Despite 'Viva La Vida's global success, it's still only the second biggest selling album in the UK this year with Duffy's 'Rockferry' taking that honour having sold 1million copies.

Elsewhere in this week's album chart, Black Kids notched up the impressive chart entry of 5 with Partie Traumatic, while Beck made a debut at 9 with 'Modern Guilt.' Dizzee Rascal's collaboration with Calvin Harris, 'Dance Wiv Me', is number one for the second week in the album chart. It thankfully fought off competition from Basshunter at two.

There are plenty of people out there who are looking to make it big, but they just need a break to get there. Fendline is a Western Mass band with a lot of heart, a great sound, and some big goals. "My dream was to just stand in front of thousands and thousands of people and just play," said vocalist and guitar player Chris Lomma.

One day Fendline came across a radio contest from WFNX to be the opening act for Coldplay's Boston show. "Took a shot send the video in and see what could happen from it," said Lomma.

Now Fendline is part of the final 15, and competing for votes to get them one step closer to making their dream come true. They hope residents from Western Mass will help them out. "We're hometown kids, we've got big aspirations and we just want to do what we do. This is an amazing opportunity for us, and we're just hoping that the Western Mass community can rally behind us and send one of their own to Boston," said Barkyoumb.

Read the full article here

Pearl Jam, Foo Fighters, Incubus, The Flaming Lips, and Tenacious D took the stage to pay tribute to legendary rock band The Who and gave the audience a night to remember. The third annual “VH1 Rock Honors” honored the music and influence of revolutionary rock band, The Who. This was the first “VH1 Rock Honors” to salute just one band.

The show saluted The Who through spoken tributes and filmed packages featuring Sting, Dave Navarro, Billy Idol, Billy Bob Thornton, Noel Gallagher, Slash, Coldplay and many others. Throughout the show, VH1 gave viewers a nostalgic look at The Who through archival footage and interviews straight from the super-group themselves.

Read the full article here

Voting is now open for unknown acts to join the bill on Coldplay's upcoming "Viva La Vida" tour of North America.

Coldplay have announced details of a contest for six summer concerts, appealing for aspiring groups to submit video performances to their local radio station - which they have done in droves. Support roles are required for concerts in Chicago, San Jose, Philadelphia, DC, Boston and Hartford.

The members of Coldplay will then judge the three videos that receive the most votes across each station, and grant the winner a 20-minute opening slot before their performance. Here are the voting links currently available (more coming soon):

http://www.coldplayontour.com/live105/ (HP Pavilion, San Jose on July 18th)

http://www.coldplayontour.com/wtic/ (XL Center, Hartford on August 2nd)

http://www.coldplayontour.com/wwdc/ (Verizon Center, Washington on August 3rd)

http://www.coldplayontour.com/wfnx/ (TD Banknorth Garden, Boston on August 4th)

You can discuss your favourites so far on our support acts thread (if you're from one of the bands nominated come and say hello!)

Coldplay have notched up their fifth consecutive week at the top of the UK albums chart with Viva La Vida. The album – full title Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends – has already sold more than 600,000 copies.

Still going strong after 19 weeks in the chart is Rockferry by Welsh songstress Duffy at two, with Chris Brown’s Exclusive and We Started Nothing by the Ting Tings just behind.

Top five UK albums

1 Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends – Coldplay (1)

2 Rockferry – Duffy (2)

3 Exclusive - Chris Brown (3)

4 We Started Nothing – The Ting Tings (6)

5 Partie Traumatic – Black Kids (new entry)

Partie Traumatic, the debut album from Black Kids, completes the top five albums. In the singles chart Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris cling on to top spot with Dance Wiz Me. Basshunter’s All I Ever Wanted and No Air by Jordan Sparks and Chris Brown move up slightly in a static chart where All Summer Long from Kid Rock is the only new entry.

Top ten UK singles

1 Dizzee Rascal and Calvin Harris – Dance Wiz Me (1)

2 Basshunter – All I Ever Wanted (3)

3 Jordan Sparks featuring Chris Brown – No Air (4)

4 Ne-Yo – Closer (2)

5 Ironik – Stay With Me (6)

6 Kid Rock – All Summer Long (new entry)

7 Chris Brown – Forever (5)

8 Gabriella Cilmi – Sweet About Me (9)

9 Rihanna – Take a Bow (8)

10 Busta Rhymes featuring Linkin Park – We Made It (10)

Coldplay are standing tall at the top of the European albums chart - Viva La Vida is the most popular disc for the third successive week.

The band held off competition from Welsh soul star Duffy's Rockferry, Amy Winehouse's Back To Black, and Madonna's Hard Candy. They all remain at second, third and fourth place respectively for another week.

The only new entry in the top five is Icelandic rockers Sigur Ros' Meo Suo I Eyrum Vio Spilum Endalaust. Meanwhile, Duffy remains atop the European singles chart with Mercy, while Madonna is at two with 4 Minutes and Kid Rock's All Summer Long rounds out the top three.

More on this week's charts as we get it!

Despite doing minimal publicity for it, Coldplay have reached the No 1 spot in 36 different countries with their latest album Viva La Vida, report Virgin Media.

It has been the No 1 best-selling album in the UK for the last four weeks, and enjoyed the top spot in the States for two weeks. In doing so, its success has surpassed that of the band's last album X&Y which reached No 1 in 32 countries in 2005.

Viva La Vida set the record for the highest first week album sales ever on the iTunes Store worldwide, in addition to being the biggest album pre-order in iTunes' history. It is also the fastest-selling album of the year in the UK, with over-the-counter sales of more than 600,000 since its release on 12 June, while in Germany the album is already the biggest-selling release of the year as well as the fastest.

2008 Concert Volunteer Application - Support Oxfam at Coldplay shows!

A reminder that Oxfam America are still looking for volunteers to help out at Coldplay shows in the US - there are still spots available for most Coldplay US shows - starting THIS MONDAY AND TUESDAY at The Forum in LA. 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.

An Oxfam America organizer will respond to you as soon as possible and will send more exact schedules along with other instructions to those volunteers who are selected and reconfirmed. Spaces are limited. Volunteers typically arrive 1-2 hours before the concert and stay about an hour after the concert.

There is more information on this here (and an opportunity to read latest information from Oxfam directly posting on the messageboard).

Album hits number one internationally

Coldplay report tonight that the Viva La Vida album has done pretty well recently:

Good evening. It was announced today that Coldplay's latest album, Viva La Vida, has now topped the chart in 36 countries. These countries are said to include the USA, UK, Australia, Canada, Austria, Belgium, France, Germany, Holland, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Sweden, Switzerland and New Zealand. More on this story as we get it.

It was announced yesterday that Coldplay stand tall at the top of the European albums chart - Viva La Vida is the most popular disc for the third successive week. The band held off competition from Welsh soul star Duffy's Rockferry, Amy Winehouse's Back To Black, and Madonna's Hard Candy. They all remain at second, third and fourth place respectively for another week.