Coldplay in Japan - Ghost Stories tour

Setlist

#coldplayjapan #ghoststoriestour - Tokyo, Dome City setlist - June 12th. pic.twitter.com/IcC4Drsy0e

— Coldplay News (@coldplaying) June 12, 2014

Online reactions

Thank you to all of our amazing audience in Tokyo today. We love playing here. Thank you so much! CM

— Coldplay (@coldplay) June 12, 2014

A Sky Full of Stars with amazing people with amazing haircuts #ColdplayTokyo pic.twitter.com/WdYTyoVhUv

— Atlas Project (@ColdplayAtlas) June 12, 2014

Reviews and discussion

Blast from the past!

Coldplay - Magic.

In a series of articles on the Ghost Stories tracks, under a month since the full album release, we move on to the second track of the album, Magic, after Always in My Head was summarized recently. We will delve into the realm of live performances, fan reaction, the music video and Guy Berryman's influence on the song!

The magical track from Ghost Stories was announced with the album details as the first official single on March 1st. Magic was available to download as an 'instant grat' track if the album was pre-ordered and it made an instant impact in the charts, reaching #14 in the US and #10 in the UK. It would then prove to be a moderate hit, peaking within those chart positions, similar to how hit single from Mylo Xyloto, Paradise was received at first but unfortunately, the emphasis swiftly moved onto A Sky Full of Stars, greatly reducing the possibility of Magic being a 'slow burner' within the charts. The song received a positive reaction from fans across the globe. According to the 'like meter' on Youtube, Magic was more popular than Midnight, the first 'promo' track we heard a week before the release of Magic. The Jon Hopkins produced Midnight, has the experimental electronic vibe which drew comparisons with Bon Ivor and Justin Vernon and was popular among a range of music fans but the radio friendly vibe of Magic and its R&B influences with its infectious bass riff from Guy Berryman, made it the overall popular choice.

Magic recieved its live debut at the iTunes festival in Austin, US on March 11, the gig that celebrated the triumphant return of Coldplay after the Mylo Xyloto tour and their routine break from the spotlight. The funky track had a more subtle tone live and wasn't as 'loud' as the studio version. Magic proved to be an early highlight of the band's live performances with its laid back vibe and the band's extended jamming at the end!

As Coldplay were recording Ghost Stories, Magic was one of first songs listed for inclusion on LP6, along with the likes of Atlas, which ended up being a standalone single for the Hunger Games : Catching Fire soundtrack. According to the revealing BBC Radio 1 Zane Lowe interview and The Making of Ghost Stories on Sky Arts, Guy, who produced Coldplay's new album partly, came to Chris with the bass riff for Magic, after being encouraged by Chris because of Guy's ability to write songs. Will added a drum beat on top of the loop but the track was forgotten about for a couple of months until Chris heard the partially made track and suddenly, in such a short space of time, as Guy had a cup of coffee! Chris had written Magic on top of the loop track Guy and Will had provided. Guy Berryman explains his influences in making the catchy riff for Magic...

The music video

On 7th April, the official video for Magic was released. The music video was directed by Jonas Åkerlund and it featured famous actress Zhang Ziyi, starring as Cecile, the stage magician with her assistant, Christophe, otherwise known as Chris Martin! Her evil husband, the drunk magician was also played as part of a double role by Chris. The video has a 1920's silent movie theme. Watch the video for Coldplay's first official single from Ghost Stories below (the video to date has over 26,000,000 views!)

Live highlights

Since the chilled track, Magic was debuted at the iTunes festival in March, Coldplay have performed it on many occasions as their track of choice including live TV appearances such as on Australian TV. An early highlight was their rendition of the track on BBC Sport relief for charity in the UK.

Magic really set the tone for their live shows and their BBC Radio 1 live lounge appearance was one of their best offerings and really showed the chemistry of the band. The small studio really complimented the track which is aimed at sounding better the more intimate the surroundings are!

During the Ghost Stories film, originally broadcasted by NBC in America, Magic proceeds Always in My Head, as Chris closes his eyes and by Magic, the wonderful and enthusiastic audience of Coldplay fans surround the 360 stage and start clapping to Guy's infectious bass riff!

Fan reviews and reactions

By the_escapist

by RhysBP

Coldplayers were asked on the forums to vote around the time of the Ghost Stories release and the verdict is mixed. The average rating is 7.5 as opposed to the much higher grade when Magic was first released. 7.5 is not a bad rating by any means and Magic still remains a popular track among fans but it has an apparent 'Speed of Sound effect', where the popularity dipped after the initial hype and album release. Overplayed and/or overshadowed by the second single as possible reasons.

Got a tattoo and the pain's alright!

We will move on soon to the proceeding track (number 3) off Ghost Stories, Ink.

Coldplay - Always in My Head

Ghost Stories has been out in the big wide world for just over 2 weeks. For those who have immersed themselves in the emotional Ghost Stories, it may feel like an age away since the iTunes festival in March showcased some of the new material. Coldplaying.com will look back at where it began for each Ghost Story, the fan reaction, live performances and more.

Today, we start off with Always in My Head, which surprisingly appeared at the start of their appearance at SXSW iTunes festival in the Austin Convention Center on 11th March 2014. In recent times, we are used to an uptempo start to Coldplay's live shows like Hurts Like Heaven, which kicked off proceedings on the Mylo Xyloto tour. Always in My Head represented a slower pace but also gave us a glimpse into what we should of expected from Ghost Stories and captured the beautiful love story theme.

Chris Martin and the boys return in March 2014

Always in My Head has been a prominant feature in Coldplay's live performances so far in 2014, mainly as the opening track. The song was been widely praised by fans since the first live performance, while there were some criticisms for the length of the track with some fans thinking the track feels 'incomplete' due to the swift ending, "This, I guess, is to tell you you're chosen out from the rest".

The first taster of the studio version was from the preview clip of BBC Radio 1's Zane Lowe, interviewing Chris Martin.

The studio version features an angelic choir that adds a beautiful layer to the song in which Chris Martin's daughter, Apple Martin features on backing vocals as revealed during the said Radio 1 interview. Chris was asked by Zane in the emotional interview whether Ghost Stories took shape after finishing Always in My Head and listening back to it, to which Chris replied,

The simple lyrics, especially at the start of the song, are really effective and become a common theme throughout the album but most importantly, Chris is very genuine with these lyrics and it really adds to the atmosphere and theme of the brilliant LP overall.

Live highlights

There is no doubt, Always In My Head has been one of the live highlights of this era. The highlights of the live performances have arrived when the venue has been as intimate as possible which really compliments the song. A prime example of this is performance on the Jimmy Fallon show. Chris has had better vocal performances than this such as the iTunes festival but the compact stage really captures the chemistry of the band and Jonny Buckland was also fantastic in this as with the rest of the band!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tDFXcjcUKF8

Another undoubted highlight was the opening of the Ghost Stories film / TV special, where Chris was flying (in a pink harness apparently from the lucky fans who were present) as the band were playing in an empty theater before Chris closed to eyes to end the first track of Ghost Stories and perform Magic!

Fan reviews and reactions to Always in My Head

By Christa42, one of the Coldplaying moderators

By the_escapist on the Coldplaying forums

And RhysBP also shares his opinion of Always in My Head

Now, for the overall Poll results of Always In My Head since the release of Ghost Stories!

Just under 50% of Coldplayers voted the opening track a perfect 10 out of 10!

There are no doubts, that Always In My Head will be considered one of the greatest Coldplay album openers and the band have released some absolute cracking tunes to start of each album. That speaks volumes!

What do you think of Always in My Head? please leave a Facebook comment below and let us know!

Next...

Call it Magic, Call it True, stay tuned as we move onto the magical second track off Ghost Stories soon!

A Sky Full of Stars physical single release

Coldplay's 2nd single from Ghost Stories, A Sky Full of Stars is set to be released as a physical single later on this month. It was already confirmed to have a June 30th release date in the UK but that was as much information as we could get. This morning, Warner music (who own Coldplay's record label) have now confirmed, A Sky Full of Stars will be available in Germany supposedly from 20th June. The tracklisting can be seen below. No US release date is available as of yet.

Slow burner or low key?

Onto a major talking point of Coldplay's 2nd single, A Sky Full of stars. The energetic eighth track from Ghost Stories was majorly hyped before the digital version was released on iTunes. When the track came out to an initial mixed reaction, mainly favorable, it was an agreed opinion that the song would become a worldwide smash, which certainly appeared that way by smashing the iTunes charts of over 70 countries upon release. But after the initial hype and during the release of Coldplay's new album, the attention (in both charts and radio airplay) has died down.

The recent boost it received when Coldplay performed on the final of The Voice USA was short lived, rising up to number 8 before slowly sliding down to its current #32 position on the US iTunes chart. In the UK, the band rocking the Big Weekend in Glasgow gave the album itself a boost with little to no effect on A Sky Full of Stars in the charts but the performance on The Graham Norton show has boosted the band back up to #12 on the iTunes charts. Airplay has been lacking still with the single only on BBC Radio 1's B-list for the third week running as of tomorrow, a sign that could go either way, a long run on the A list or an impending drop out!

There are a few things to consider however. One of them is the possible official music video which is surely on its way soon. With the summer almost in full bloom (well, in some places!) and a possible promo campaign with a music video for the 2nd single, A Sky Full of Stars could revert back its original destiny of a summer global chart topper! Time will tell and time is certainly what it will be afforded with the feel good song being the biggest potential hit off the album. For the 3rd single, an end of year release seems the likely option as the record label will be trying to avoid a repeat of 'Lost!', which was overshadowed by its predecessor, Viva La Vida in 2008.

Chart update for Sunday 1st June

UK Charts :

A Sky Full of Stars up 1 place to #14 in the singles chart.

Ghost Stories down 1 place to #2 in the albums chart, 75,000 sales (considerably higher than MX's 2nd week according to Buzzjack music forum)

US Charts

A Sky Full of Stars down 18 places to #28 on the US hot 100 singles

No album information yet for 2nd week sales.

Ghost Stories animation - compilation & behind the scenes

If you have not seen this on our multimedia forums already, Trunk animations, the company who provided the artwork video for Coldplay's streaming of Ghost Stories on iTunes, have released a behind the scenes video for the making of it with the full animation released too in just one song, Always in My Head. Enjoy! (thanks to RevolutionDude on the forums)

Clip of Chris Martin's performance with Peter Gabriel

As reported a few months ago, Chris Martin inducted Genesis lead singer, Peter Gabriel into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. The complete show was aired on HBO in America last night. The full video is unavailable but you can watch a high quality preview clip of Chris Martin's incredible singing below :

Ghost Stories review - Official Coldplaying review by the community

It has been a whole week since the new Coldplay album, Ghost Stories has been available worldwide. While we have all been absorbed into the band's latest effort, we will take a detailed analysis with many thanks to the Coldplaying community who have been asked over the past week to submit their reviews! So without further ado, we will start off with the beautiful opening track, Always In My Head.

Always in My Head

By aschall : This is the first time where I feel like the simplistic nature of Chris's lyrics has done a Coldplay song some good. Always In My Head is a truly heartbreaking song, and one of Chris's strongest vocal performances yet. The way he croons as he delivers the line "And so my mouth waters to be fed," evoked such a strong emotional reaction from me the first time I listened to the song. And apart from Chris, everyone else's touch on this song just makes it even better. Jonny's guitar is beautiful (as always) and it's really what I associate to most when I see the title. In other words, it is definitely the highlight of the song, and without it, Always In My Head would basically just be an RnB track. Will is sleek, swift, and modern on the drums and slyly gives the song a bit of pace, even though it feels slow in nature. The rapid, trap-esque ticks give this song a modern and nuanced feel. And finally, Guy's bass just really bolsters the emotional weight of the track. This, coupled with Chris's vocal just makes me want to cry every time!

Always In My Head is hands-down my favorite track off Ghost Stories. Everything from the lyrics to the production is a stroke of genius, and this track serves as the best example of how throughout the years, Coldplay have managed to evolve their sound while still maintaining that heart and emotion of their debut album.

Magic

By RhysBP : Magic is one the strongest examples of how much Coldplay have changed their sound. Everyone knows Madness by Muse and it’s easy to see the similarities Magic shares with it. Consider it its sister.

Instantly, listeners will hear the sounds of a heavy electronic drum beat, a very steady bass line, but no Jonny or Chris. They eventually come in but with more gusto than the previous track. The funny thing is that Jonny starts off on the piano as Chris goes solo with his vocals. Still, the quartet deliver an instrumentation thats sound as optimistic as any One Direction song. This comes mainly from Jonny’s occasional piano.

Again, the lyrics are all about separation, with Martin going on about how the time spent with his loved one is simply magic. Yet the chorus, which is made up mostly of the repeated line “I don’t”, lacks a bit of polish. It is at this point that the song begins to sound a bit too repetitive and mind numbing. However, the band have a trick up their sleeve (no pun intended). After the repeat of the chorus, the band bring out of the best sounding verses on the album. As Martin sings about how far he wants to fall, Jonny comes in with some of his trademark guitar work and you feel the song growing a new lease of life. This then leads to an all-out jam and as a result, the most pleasurable part of the song. The song ends with Martin stating that he still believes in magic before the song quietly fades off into the distance.

Ink

By the_escapist : Amazing upbeat drums start this song, accompanied by an acoustic guitar with an incredibly catchy tune. Chris vocals soar and probably it is the rhythm that captures anyone's attention. The lyrics are not so great and quite depressing considering the music behind, but still the song achieves to be one of the greatest on the album. It is a new type of love declaration for Coldplay. The climax comes with the last verse (I see the road begin to climb...). This indeed are four friends just making great music and all I know, is that I love this song, so much it hurts.

True Love

By RhysBP : True Love would have to be one of the three best songs off the album. It can be compared to older Coldplay as it sees the band going back to pre-Viva days when strings wouldn’t make such a dominating presence.

At first, the song sounds like it is continuing on with the upbeat vibe left over from Ink. However, as Martin takes centre stage, you can tell it’s going to be another story of separation agony. The chorus is made up of Martin asking his lover that even if she doesn’t love him, she should lie to him anyway. Ouch! From then on, you can tell that True Love is one of the saddest songs on the album.

In similar fashion to Strawberry Swing, the percussion heard on True Love is very minimal but very effective. Featuring a mix of electronic drum beats and a bass drum from an unlikely source in Timbaland, the riff is capped off by what sounds like a hand clap. It doesn’t change much from that formula but its repetition doesn’t seem to drag the song down. You can almost thank the string arrangement for being played at over the top of it.

There are two really shining moments on this song, the first being Martin’s falsetto. He doesn’t sing pass the three minute mark but in that short time, his falsetto is magical. It is well exemplified in the chorus, where he draws out the world ‘lie’.

The second part occurs not long before the end of the song. Buckland comes in with a demanding guitar solo from that literally slices through the song like a hot knife through butter. If it wasn’t for this solo, the song would’ve petered out very quickly.

Overall, this song is so heartbreaking but so addictive to listen to at the same time. I won’t be surprised if this was released as a single in the future.

Midnight

By lennyrott2 : Midnight, Coldplay's surprise single from Ghost Stories is perhaps its best crafted. Based on a Jon Hopkins track, it quickly becomes Coldplay's own, a pulsating dark, shimmering, and symbolic piece of work that brings the band's strengths for atmosphere to fruition. The song smartly takes its time to build, adding texture and electronics slowly and beautifully. Chris' vocoded voice is refreshing and haunting at the same time, and while properly drawing comparisons to Bon Iver and Imogen Heap, they remain distinctly his. The bleak lyrics also exemplify the vocal minimalism that is needed for such a track, and helps make the it all the more peaceful. The building synths near the climax are the best Ghost Stories has to offer, and the deep bass drum and unique flutelike notes paint an absolutely sublime picture of a dark, hazy sky speckled with stars. This is easily one of Coldplay's most beautiful and effective songs.

Another's Arms

By RhysBP : By The song features the same elements as some of the other songs on the album - electronic drums, idling synthesizers and the occasional piano. However, the main ‘star’ on this song is the pre-recorded voice of an anonymous female vocalist. Like the piano on the previous track, it helps bridge the verses.

Seeing as this one of four songs heard live before the release of the album, fans were greeted with a demanding burst of passion and exuberance. However, on the studio recording, the production makes the song come off a bit soft sounding. That’s the only disappointment I can find in the song.

Having said that, the last two minutes of the song are quite special. Buckland delivers another guitar solo and although it could’ve been more prominent, it instantly demands your attention. The melody changes slightly to allow the song to sound more aching and even a vocal sample of Jane Weaver’s song Silver Chord can be heard. The song finishes off nicely with a repeat of the opening chorus and thus completes the saddest song on the album.

Down the track, I don’t know if the band will play this song live after the Ghost Stories era but one thing can be said. Along with Politik, Major Minus and God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Another’s Arms is a song that sounds much better live.

Oceans

By the_escapist : A standout moment of the album, Oceans takes you back to the Parachutes era while retaining modern elements since the song is based on several electronic arrangements like the haunting submarine beep made by Will Champion, which sets the beat throughout. Guy and Jonny provide ambient while Chris (playing acoustic guitar) sings one of Coldplay's saddest songs about being alone. The song ends with a synth which sits perfectly while Chris sings the last lines of the record, a heartbreaking story after being with someone. A true gem in the album.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i6nvhpdOlWk

A Sky Full of Stars

By mayrn43 : A Sky Full of Stars is a rousing song on a minimalistic, serene album. The opening piano is upbeat and a complete change of mood from the previous track on the album, Oceans, which was a more mellow and stripped-back affair. Chris Martin's vocals are sharp and his lyrics are hopeful. The production of A Sky Full of Stars was done by Avicii, a solid DJ/producer who has been behind many EDM hits of recent times. This song explodes into an instrumental EDM type chorus that undoubtedly sounds similar to big house songs that have found success in the charts. But, in its entirety, A Sky Full of Stars would just be another one of those mainstream house songs if it wasn't for Martin's excellent delivery and the perfect guitar licks done by Jonny Buckland. A Sky Full of Stars is still not the most original song, but it is catchy, and a fun celebration on a gloomy record.

O

by ARoBttH14 : Probably better described as the hidden gem of Ghost Stories, O (Fly On) is the true heart breaker of the album; delicately placed at the end to leave what ever is left of your composure (and dignity) in ruins. It is beautiful from start to finish. A simple piano riff runs throughout, played with such sensitivity it is as if Chris is plucking at your own heart strings. The hook ("A flock of birds") used as a metaphor to how love can land in some places temporarily but, inevitably, must eventually take off, leaving nothing behind but fond memories of how they moved in unison and how beautiful it was. The chorus (" And I always look up to the sky, pray before the dawn") represents on how Chris is left alone, casting about for something he cherished so much and praying for it to return to him. He then slips so easily and proficiently back into his falsetto, cooing: "Cause they fly always, one minute they arrive, next you know they're gone...they Fly On." Again, he is emphasising on how inevitable it is that love will always end. He then alters the piano chord scheme ever so slightly before exclaiming: "Maybe one day, I can fly with you." This is him looking to the future and how he is not suitable enough to fly among those he has lost and how it will take time for him in order to learn how to love again.

The outro (O) is a stunning piece of music. It follows the intro of the album, making the album loop, only in this case, Apple Martin and her friend: Mabel Krichefski are the lead singers. This is something very precious as Chris and Gwyneth often keep the children behind closed doors in order to protect them, but Chris making this exception makes it sound astounding. Guy providing a small subtle bass line with the two girls whispering: "Don't ever let go" something of a catch phrase off Chris' own father. This makes the outro sound haunting, almost creepy, but unique and inspiring at the same time. In conclusion, my personal favourite emotive song of the past decade, on par with Fix You and The Scientist and just below Politik in my opinion. A lovely song that combines the old with new in such a way, it cannot be put into words. An absolute work of art!

That concludes the main album review. Try reading the review while listening to Ghost Stories if you haven't already! There may be something you didn't notice before or perhaps give you a different perception on the concise but detailed sixth album from the boys.

US fans will have been able to buy the deluxe edition of Ghost Stories from US retailer, Target. Coldplayers outside of the US may have found alternative methods such as buying 2nd hand with international delivery or have simply streamed the extra tracks instead such as on the full Ghost Stories lyric video below :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pybIIXwdcmI

The deluxe version of Ghost Stories is reviewed below :

All Your Friends

By lennyrott2 : All Your Friends is notably the darkest track on Ghost Stories Deluxe Edition. The misty atmosphere, leading bass guitar, Massive Attack style drumbeat, and echoing guitar are very reminiscent of the The xx. In many ways, I imagine this song belonging on an album with Moving To Mars, as often the electronics and piano become deep, spacey and sharp. It certainly sounds like a Coldplay B-side, as it is difficult to classify in their discography, but the track is very enjoyable and fresh sounding. The lyrics are overall decent, and I especially like the electronic flare at the end of Chris' "fire." Most of all, it does a wonderful job in balancing live instrumentation with production value, something that Ghost Stories as a whole could have done better, making this track very welcome.

Ghost Story

By getithom : Ghost Story is easily a completely remarkable and tremendous song. I know I keep saying '____ is one of the best things Coldplay has produced', but honestly, Ghost Story is in my list of favorite Coldplay songs. In fact, it's now sitting right behind A Rush of Blood to the Head for favorite title track song. (Though, I don't see how anything will ever beat that song, by any band, ever.)

Lyrically and musically, it's completely different from anything else on the album, but goddamn does it flow well. Almost immediately, it plays like the brother of the B-sides from the A Rush of Blood to the Head days. My friends and I talked if Coldplay were possible of ever returning to the glory of those days way back in the early days of Ghost Stories. They did, and it exceeded any expectations I had. Listening to this song still puts a giant smile on my face. Everything from Chris' vocals, to the drums, to Jonny's solo and to the wonderful bass is almost overwhelming.

O (Reprise)

By the_escapist : After hearing this version of "O", one asks itself: Why this one did not feature in the album instead than the other? Probably it was because it has a more edgier and rockier sound than the normal one. These features, in my opinion, just lift the song. Jonny's guitar at the beginning is fantastic and Guy's bass goes with it perfectly. Those angelical voices singing "Don't ever let go" with Jonny's riff behind is the best way for the album to finish. I love this one so much because it is Jonny all over the place instead of Madeon's sound and electronic music (which still features a bit in this one) on the regular one. Delightful to hear.

Congratulations to those featured (more than once in some cases!) and thank you for forming this detailed review of Ghost Stories. Please remember to share this on Facebook and Re-tweet on Twitter!

Coldplay on The Voice USA - Ghostly illusions!

The final show of The Voice USA took place late last night on NBC and Coldplay were one of the live features of the show. Chris Martin appeared as an adviser to contestants on the show earlier on in the series through 3 episodes. The humour we love Chris for made Chris a very popular figure on the show and there were no doubts the producers of the show would pull out all stops to get Coldplay to play on the final show!

I'm sure most of us remember Chris' funny comments on the show such as when referring to Miley Cyrus, "Does she twerk in that song"?! Below is a video which seems to have passed most of us by in between the appearances by Chris on the show and the pre Ghost Stories build up. More hilarious Chris moments, enjoy!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rt4MGyNImI4

Now, for Coldplay's performance on the show last night in which they played A Sky Full of Stars! The very interesting illusion show at the beginning sprung a surprise with a dark, ghostly stage and a screen of each band member playing an instrument including Will Champion playing the tambourine and the drums at the same time (a man of endless talents!) until the main explosive chorus arrives to which all 4 band members playing live became apparent and had much of the audience jumping up and down in excitement! Watch the brilliant performance of A Sky Full of Stars below!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bIHDRVXPOFk

This performance has boosted A Sky Full of Stars to #8 on the iTunes chart from just below the top 10 overnight!

Midweek chart update (UK, partly US)

Yesterday, as you may have seen on our Facebook and Twitter page, Ghost Stories had sold 82,400 copies on its first day on sale in the UK which included a lot of pre-orders. After two days, Coldplay have sold 105,800 copies of Ghost Stories which is an absolutely great achievement for the band. In this declining sales climate, the new album would be considered a huge success if it even matches the sales of Mylo Xyloto which itself did not sell as well as Coldplay's previous effort before that, Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends. Mylo Xyloto at the same point within 2 days of sale had sold 122,508 copies. Mylo Xyloto went on that week to sell 208,090 copies.

Thank you very much to the great music forum, Buzzjack for sourcing the information below

So can Ghost Stories match Mylo Xyloto's first week sales in the UK? Because the figures for the first two days are lower, its unlikely but it is possible as Coldplay are due to play on the Radio 1's Big Weekend in Glasgow this Saturday which can create a late boost for the album. Another big factor emerged this afternoon when Google play announced Ghost Stories is available at a lower price of £4.99! 7Digital has followed with the same price and with pretty much the same value in the US too at $6.99!!

Coldplayers worldwide will be pleased to know that Ghost Stories has reached #1 in over 100 iTunes stores worldwide! For US fans, Ghost Stories is expected to sell just under 400k by the end of the week (no official figures yet!), just slightly short of the 447,000 sold for Mylo Xyloto in the first week!

Coldplay on TV : The making of Ghost Stories documentary

Up late night watching TV yesterday?! if you were in the UK, you could of seen the making of Ghost Stories followed by the Ghost Stories film itself in full, featuring Ink, Midnight and O which were omitted during the NBC version of the film. Elsewhere, if you did not have access to Sky or are outside of the UK, many of us later on Monday evening watched the live stream of the iHeartRadio album release party which was posted on our Twitter and Facebook pages in addition to the Coldplaying forums.

If you are with Virgin Media or Sky in the UK, you can watch the documentary on demand via SkyArts1, if you do not or live outside of the UK, the link to watch the making of Ghost Stories documentary is below (with great thanks to comicforce). During the documentary, Guy Berryman talks about the riff for Magic and making the album in his own house. Will Champion talks about the inner band chemistry and what drives them on to succeed. Chris Martin explains the very personal lyrics within Ghost Stories while Jonny Buckland tells us about the anticipation with the release of the album.

You can use this direct link if the video below does not load on your browser.

http://www.mediafire.com/view/1n4d9hvm1z96rg5/Interview%20Ghost%20Stories%20making%20of.mp4

Coldplay on TV : iHeartRadio release party

As mentioned, a live stream was posted on various Coldplaying portals yesterday. This was not a live event but a recording that was released as a live stream via Yahoo. The show had already been recorded a few days before it was released. The show, hosted by the charismatic Elvis Duran, featured 5 songs played by the band which were : Magic, Viva La Vida, A Sky Full of Stars, Paradise and True Love. Fans who were lucky enough to attend reportedly heard Clocks and O in an encore. On questions to the band, we learnt that the foul mouth member of Coldplay is Jonny and the grumpy one in the morning is Will!.

The recording of this event is not available currently, watch our multimedia forums for when a new video link is posted.

Reminder : Coldplay will perform on the final of The Voice USA tonight, on NBC, at 9 PM Central time we believe. Visit the Coldplaying forums for discussion as it happens!

Coldplay album sales : The past, present and future

With the release of Ghost Stories, Coldplay are set to score a sixth UK number 1 album in a row, only one behind the seven The Beatles accomplished from their debut, Please Please Me in 1963 to Revolver in 1966 and set to be one in front of fellow UK band, Keane, who also have a perfect run of number 1 albums in the UK! Coldplay have also enjoyed a 100% album number 1 record in Norway. In the US album market, Coldplay are about to achieve their fourth US number 1 album in a row since their first number 1 album, X&Y.

The humble beginnings : Parachutes (2000)

Coldplay immediately made their mark on UK album charts, after the 1st single from Parachutes, Shiver, reached the top 40 then the follow up, Yellow, became one of the biggest hits of the year 2000, Coldplay landed their first UK number 1 album and their success did not stop there! The band made waves in the US, a market which was almost impossible to break for new British rock bands, saw them reach a very respectable #51 position on the album charts and gaining many American fans in the process. The success in the UK was repeated in Norway which became Coldplay's second recorded number 1 hit worldwide with Australia, New Zealand and Ireland charting their debut album in the top 5.

As Coldplay's popularity grew even further, sales for Parachutes rised along with it and their US sales reflected the bands growing popularity which reached has reached well over 2 million copies and achieved 2x platinum status. In the UK, platinum status was reached over 7 times with sales over 2 million! These were the reported Coldplay album sales figures from 2006 which have risen even further since announced and Parachutes is believed to have sold 8.5 million copies since its release at the turn of the new millennium

Coldplay album sales : Copies sold of Parachutes (2006)

UK 2,100,000 7xplatinum

Usa 2,000,000 2xplatinum

Canada 200,000 2xplatinum

Europe 2,000,000

Total worldwide sales = est 7 millions. (Reported latest figure, 8.5 million copies worldwide)

First week sales in the UK : 70,935

Single sale figures to date (estimate) : Yellow (US) : 800,000, Yellow (UK) 260,000

Setting a precedent? A Rush of Blood To The Head (2002)

In 2002, On the back of a very successful debut album, Coldplay were preparing to elevate that success and return with an absolute blockbuster of a 2nd album, A Rush of Blood To The Head. Spearhead single of the album, In My Place became a hit in multiple countries including the UK, Canada and Ireland where the single charted at number 2! Coldplay agonizingly missed out on the number 1 spot in the UK to the Pop Idol runner up at the time, (now known as XFactor) Darius, with debut single Colourblind. That was soon to be forgotten as first week Coldplay sales figures for the new album, debuted at 273,924 sales on the first week! A Rush of Blood To The Head went on to reach the top 5 of all major charts and scored a second consecutive number 1 in the UK and Norway!

The album was critically acclaimed and was given a boost when it won 'Alternative album of the year' at the grammys in 2002 followed by Clocks winning the top single gong in 2003. The most successful Coldplay album has gone on to sell over a staggering 15 million copies since release in 2002!

Coldplay album sales : Copies sold of A Rush Of Blood to The Head (estimate to date)

UK 2,800,000+ 9xplatinum

Usa 4,400,000+ 4xplatinum

Canada 400,000+ 4xplatinum

Europe 5,000,000+

Total worldwide sales = est 15 million +

First week sales in the UK : 273,924

Single sale figures to date (estimate) : : The Scientist (US) : 530,000, Clocks (US) : 1,600,000

The hype machine! - X&Y

Returning from their most successful album worldwide, Coldplay had a huge task ahead of them, one which they were ready to meet with ambition as X&Y was ready to go out in the world. Their first single from their 3rd LP was Speed of Sound which became a huge airplay smash in the UK, became the first single from a British band since The Beatles to reach the top 10 in the US Billboard charts. In the UK, Coldplay had to settle for a 2nd number 2 single as viral phone ringtone, The Crazy frog controversially beat them to the Number 1 spot. The triumphant X&Y went on to top the charts in all major countries around the world, reaching number 1 in the UK and the US. There was another record for Coldplay album sales as X&Y sold a whopping 464,471 copies of X&Y in the UK on the first week, becoming at the time, the 2nd fastest selling record of all time behind Oasis . The top of 5 selling tracks of all time in the UK are listed below with X&Y still in the top 3!

Coldplay's third LP was a huge success and lies with A Rush of Blood To The Head as their two most successful albums, sales wise. X&Y has to date sold around 15 million copies!

Coldplay album sales : Copies sold of X&Y (estimate to date)

UK 2,600,000+ 9xplatinum

Usa 3,100,000+ 3xplatinum

Canada 400,000+ 4xplatinum

Europe 5,500,000+

Total worldwide sales = est 15 million +

First week sales in the UK : 464,471

Single sale figures to date (estimate) : Speed of Sound (US) : 1,200,000 Fix You (UK) 330,000

Viva la revolution?! - Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends (2008)

After another successful album and achieving their first number 1 album in the US, Coldplay had a massive platform to build upon for their fourth album, titled Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends. The change in sound was apparent with new producers such as Brian Eno hired and Phil Harvey back as the bands fifth members. Coldplay started off an era with a bold move which saw first promo single, Violet Hill given away as a free download for a week. Despite this, Coldplay somehow achieved yet another top 10 hit in the UK (Coldplay had never at the time had a single which charted lower than the top 10 until Lost! was released as the third single from the album), despite the album been given away for free! Violet Hill also charted at #40 in the US and top 10 in multiple European countries. The success story of the album was title track, Viva La Vida which could be downloaded at the time as an 'instant grat' track for pre-ordering the album. After the album was released, the before chart ineligible, Viva La Vida began to take off across the world, featuring in iTunes adverts then eventually became Coldplay's first number 1 US Billboard hit along with Coldplay's first number 1 UK hit, exorcising those chart demons of the past in the form of Darius and The Crazy Frog!

The album itself was huge, like X&Y, Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends reached number 1 worldwide, in even more countries this around! The differences in the music world were quite huge since their last album. The singles market was almost fully digital and download based. The album went on to sell 302,074 copies within 3 days as the album was released on Thursday, had it been released on Monday like previous albums, Coldplay may have broken their own record that was set by X&Y! In the US, the album sold over 700,000 copies in the first week of sales. Coldplay's fourth album went on to sell over 10 million copies worldwide.

First week sales in the UK : 302,074 (3 days)

First week sales in the US : 700,000 +

Single sale figures to date (estimate) : Violet Hill (UK) : 200,000 Viva La Vida (UK) : 550,000 Viva La Vida (US) 4,000,000

Coldplay album sales : Copies sold of Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends (estimate to date)

UK 1,400,000+ 4xplatinum

Usa 2,700,000+ 4xplatinum

Canada 334,000+ 3xplatinum

Total worldwide sales = est 10 million +

The colourful evolution?! - Mylo Xyloto (2008)

The bright and colourful new era arrived within the usual gap of three years before Coldplay's previous album, Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends. The album was Mylo Xyloto which was announced in August 2011, before the album release in October the same year and after the release of first single, Every Teardrop is a Waterfall which became a moderate hit across the globe in the new on air and release fashion for singles which was now common place in a music market that has been on the decline post-2008 with record sales dwindling. The energetic hit landed a #6 position the UK, #14 in the US and reached at least top 20 in various single charts worldwide. The follow up single, Paradise which was preferred to Charlie Brown which eventually didn't fare too well charts wise, reached number 1 in the UK, starting off as a slow burner on the charts to eventually blowing up at the start of 2012, with the band appearing on popular show, The Xfactor, a week or two before. Paradise also reached number 1 in Norway, number 15 in the US and top 5 in a host of various countries.

Looking back at the performance on the album, Mylo Xyloto, it was expected to sell less because of the decline in album sales and the much different musical landscape than during their last effort, 'Viva La Vida...' but it didn't stop Coldplay from the usual record breaking when they smashed the record for most downloaded digital album. The first week was a hit but not an overwhelming one to previous standards, as Coldplay sold 208,090 in the UK to be the 3rd fastest selling album of 2011, behind Lady Gaga and Adele while in the US, they sold 447,000 copies as they topped the Billboard album chart for the third album in a row! Mylo Xyloto has ended up selling over 8 million copies worldwide, mainly as a slow burner on the charts, charting 1 number in practically every country but with a lot of sales built up over time with the delayed success of Paradise and the Mylo Xyloto tour in 2012.

First week sales in the UK : 208,090

First week sales in the US : 447,000

Single sale figures to date (estimate) : Paradise (UK) 903,000

Coldplay album sales : Copies sold of Mylo Xyloto (estimate to date)

UK 1,050,000+ 4xplatinum

Usa 1,600,000+ 3xplatinum

Total worldwide sales = est 8 million +

Back to the present - Ghost Stories (2014)

So, we look forward to Ghost Stories, the sixth studio album from Coldplay, making an impact in the charts again. Will Ghost Stories be as or even more successful than Mylo Xyloto? or will it be more understated this time around? The change in the sales climate suggests it will struggle to reach the same 200k+ (in the UK) and 440k+ (in the US) figures we saw before. It would be fairer to compare it to other albums at the end of the year to see what artists or bands Coldplay compares to in contrast! Remember, 21 by Adele defied the odds despite being one of the biggest selling albums off all time in such a short period! The producer of that album, Paul Epworth, also produced Ghost Stories funnily enough. The impact we saw when Midnight and A Sky Full of Stars was released is an indicator of how huge the pre-orders for Ghost Stories are so lets be optimistic, if there ever is a band to break records, its Coldplay!

I will leave you with some stats about Magic, A Sky Full of Stars and Midnight with massive thanks to Mackplay on our forums. Credit also goes to various users on Ukmix, Buzzjack, Billboard.com and The UK Official Charts Company for a lot of stats and facts in this article!

Magic :

Midnight

A Sky Full of Stars :

Ghost Stories launch : The day before the big release!

The Ghost Stories launch : one moment we have all been waiting for since the Midnight video was bestowed upon us months ago which may seem like an eon for some! The new Coldplay album of 2014, Ghost Stories will finally be released on Parlophone records in North America and the UK on May 19th, with the album already released in Australia and in various European countries such as Austria and Belgium on Friday just gone.

Ghost Stories - Coldplay

The tour will be more intimate than ever, in your living room!

Chris Martin has gone on record to state during multiple interviews including the famous Zane Lowe interview that the band will not be touring further than the current intimate tour which is halfway through. Instead, as the album is more personal, the band's efforts were concentrated on the Ghost Stories film they recorded during the secret LA show in March. Coldplay originally wanted to tour the world with the same set used in the upcoming film/TV special which is U2 inspired with a very cinematic edge but as Chris explained, they simply cannot afford it. To give you an idea of the costs involved, It would take $4 million a night to tour with the same stage! To tour this twice would cost over the whole amount Coldplay spent (est $7 million) on Xylobands during the Mylo Xyloto tour in 2012

TV special preview

The complete list from Coldplay.com of times for the Ghost Stories TV special are listed in full below :

US: 18 May, 7pm ET/PT - NBC

Canada: 18 May, 7pm ET/PT - NBC

UK: 19 May, 9.30pm - Sky Arts 1 HD

Italy: 19 May, 8.10pm - Sky Uno / Sly Arte 10pm / Sky Uno (replica) 11pm

Spain: 19 May, 7.15pm - Canal+1

France: 22 May, 11.25pm - France 2 in "Alcaline, le Concert"

Denmark – 31 May, 9pm, DR3

Finland: 1 June, 9.55pm on Yle Teema

For fans who do not have access to those listed TV channels such as Sky Arts in the UK which is not available on freeview, you can watch our multimedia forum for links to watch as soon as they are available!

We will take a sneak peek at the landmark TV special about to air, starting with a preview of Magic

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmMF7qCvFRg

See behind the scenes of the filming :

And a preview of the Sky Arts documentary about the making of Ghost Stories :

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HC06Row997k

Pumped up for the Ghost Stories launch? Good! Enjoy these shows wherever you are and watch Coldplaying.com for the news afterwards including the full documentary on the making of Ghost Stories!

And finally, for those who haven't heard this, here is a link on Soundcloud to listen to Ghost Story from the deluxe edition of Coldplay's new album.

Coldplay - Ghost Story

Chris Martin interviews - "Ghost Stories" album launch period

Photo by Sarah Carroll/AMP Radio

Coldplay frontman, Chris Martin is doing the rounds in various interviews supporting the Monday release of new album, Ghost Stories.

Chris Co-Hosts with Carson Daly on 97.1 Amp Radio

It was announced on short notice that Chris Martin would be Co-Hosting a radio show in Los Angeles. AMP 97.1 Radio to be exact with the regular DJ, Carson Daly. The audio of all three parts to the interview appears on AMP radio's website here

Carson Daly conducts an excellent interview and makes Chris, who recently opened up during an emotional Zane Lowe interview a few weeks ago, feel at ease. The highlights from the interview where EDM influences such as the production from Avicii, on second single, A Sky Full of Stars were explained and Chris compares the new album to a flavour of ice cream!

Chris Martin on the Ryan Seacrest show

Chris Martin also made an appearance live on air with Ryan Seacrest to which an 8 minute interviewed was aired. You can listen to the interview in full below which greatly features Chris' great sense of humour with thanks to ryanseacrest.com for the audio and the transcript of the interview!

Chris Martin on the Kevin and Bean show - KROQ

Another Chris appearance! This time on the world famous KROQ.

You can view the full article and all parts of the interview on their website here.

Chris talked about a range of topics including the 'Ghost Stories film'

Upcoming appearences

Upcoming interview airings are scheduled with Chris Martin and Will Champion on Sunday night in Australia. Watch the hilarious preview below!

A reminder : the first airing for the Ghost Stories TV special will happen on NBC North America on Sunday 18th May

Finally, as announced on the official Coldplay website, the band will appear for an album release party on Monday 19th May

The tracklist above for the deluxe edtion of Ghost Stories which appeared online shortly after the album announcement

The three additional tracks Coldplay recorded exclusively for US retailer, Target, All Your Friends, Ghost Story and O (Reprise) were found online earlier today and are in circulation. US Coldplayers, you can pre-order the deluxe version here. As Target do not deliver outside of the US, there is no way to purchase the additional tracks at this moment but there may be more information to appear after the album release. Unfortunately, There are no streams at present to listen so Google or communicating with members on our forums is the only method at this moment. Chris Martin has already stated during a BBC Radio 1 interview, the extra tracks are set to be released in around 5 months from now as part of an EP or even a surprise album possibly?! The details are vague at this moment.

The two tracks, All Your Friends and Ghost Story resemble a less produced, 'old Coldplay' sound which has proved to be very popular with a section of our fans. O (Reprise), only has a length of 1:37 and is played at the start and at the end of each Coldplay gig on the Ghost Stories tour, features Chris Martin's daughter, Apple once more and her friend, Mabel on vocals.

Haruka on the Coldplaying forums voted All Your Friends 7/10.

An enthusiastic review of Ghost Story, (which seems to be the most popular track out of the three) by poeincompany on our forums.

Meanwhile, the critic reviews have started to appear with generally positive verdicts.

Firstly, Here is a review on Ghost Stories by Billboard.com. They have given an excellent score of 85/100

Stereogum also gave a positive premature review of Coldplay's sixth LP

Update : The Chris Martin interview on the Ellen Degeneres show has now been moved to Wednesday 21st May when Coldplay will also perform tracks off "Ghost Stories"

The time we have all been waiting for has finally arrived! We can hear Ghost Stories in full on iTunes.

Sit back, watch the brilliant visual effects and enjoy this magnificent album!

Listen to the stream on iTunes:

Coldplay - Ghost Stories

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A few weeks ago, there were strong rumours on Twitter that Another's Arms was available to download on the Indonesian iTunes page and there was a popularity bar showing, this was accident and reports suggested it was quickly taken off by Apple. One twitter user posted a clip, of which was apparently the studio version of Another's Arms but it was a low quality recording and could of been an edit of the live iTunes version. Fast forward to just a week ago and a credible Twitter fan page uploaded a clip of the end of the 6th track on the upcoming album which was without doubt, the studio version. The owner of the unnamed fan page in question did not wish to leak the track but after all, as it emerged early on this morning, another Indonesian who downloaded the track at the time of the accidental release by iTunes, had leaked the studio version. We do not host or allow any links to copyrighted / leaked material but fear not....

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You can discuss Another's Arms here with the rest of the community

A streaming in full of Ghost Stories is rumoured to be happening on Monday and if not, most certainly later on this week, based on what generally goes on around any majorly hyped album release of recent history and for other bands recently such as The Black Keys, streaming has been available a week before general release. This will usually be the form of Itunes streaming or through another media outlet if they have the rights to it. Coldplaying will bring you the news as soon as it breaks!

While you waiting, you can discuss the possibility of live streaming in our leak discussion thread which is actually one of the fastest growing forum threads online ever! Growing at around 100 pages a day and at 3,500 posts!

Now, we don't need any reminded of the last time when Coldplay visited Paris for a live show, do we? Here is the absolutely brilliant live version of Violet Hill from the Live 2012 DVD, probably the best performance of the song they have ever done!

The tickets for Coldplay's show in Paris on the 28th May, will go on sale tomorrow morning at 10am CET, 9am GMT. To have a chance to see the band in a more intimate setting than the Live 2012 stadium tour (but not as intimate as the Violet Hill version above!), you can find the links to purchase the tickets for the show on the official Coldplay website (tour section, link below) as soon as they go on sale :

http://www.coldplay.com/tour.php

To close off the busy day in news, Coldplay have uploaded a new NBC trailer for the upcoming Ghost Stories TV special on 18th May, featuring A Sky Full of Stars.

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With just over a week until the release of Ghost Stories in European countries (16th May) before the North American and UK release on 19th May, this may be the last week of sanity before album info starts pouring out around the release!

This week, there isn't really anything planned apart from later on when Coldplay are confirmed (thanks to broadwayworld.com) to appear on the Jimmy Fallon show on NBC in America later on tonight. (10.30pm Central time, US)

Keep your eyes on here and the Coldplaying forum for updates as they happen. There will be a Coldplaying.com feature on the way featuring Coldplay pre-album releases and events over the past 10 years in addition to what we know so far on Ghost Stories!

Coldplay posted a video of the behind the scenes shoot of the 'Target' advert they were part of for US Coldplay fans. The actual advert/commercial is below and at the time, the band 'floating around' with the stars was rumoured to be a snippet from the upcoming A Sky Full of Stars video...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rR_bo_ctofk

However, the rumours have died down as it appears the scene shot may of just been for the video shoot with 'Target' only and not related to a music video.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jKDeBG1SkkQ

Finally, Coldplay have announced a UK date for the Ghost Stories TV special for when the album launches on 19th May. It will be broadcast by Sky Arts (unfortunately not available on freeview!) on 19 May at 9.30pm. The earliest date of the TV special is on the 18th May on NBC North America, you can be sure to keep up to date with the special as it happens with streaming links on the Coldplaying forums on the day!

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10 years of Coldplay album releases - Coldplaying.com.

The highly rated sixth studio album from Coldplay, "Ghost Stories" is about to be released! We will take a look at the hype that surrounded each album release within the last ten years, taking a trip down memory lane and talking about events before each album's release and the tracks which were heard while waiting in anticipation for the album, some unexpectedly appeared, others leaking and some which felt like a lifetime before they arrived!

Pre-order on iTunes :

X&Y

Its the year 2005 and upon on the back of the their second and most successful album, A Rush of Blood to the Head, Coldplay return to release the most hyped album of recent times, their third studio album.

Here is an interesting tracklist below that was spread around the net prior to knowing the third album would be called X&Y with a few correct guesses on the track names but the album name proved to be far off! (Looks more like a Linkin Park or Muse album in name!) During the early stages "Square One" was rumoured as the first single off LP3 from multiple sources.

The album was soon to be confirmed as X&Y with the release date in North America scheduled for June 7th. Speed of Sound was to be the first single, due for release on May 23rd and this was a time when singles were given their first play on Radio a few months in advance to being released, hype and radio airplay was key to a successful single in the early to mid noughties before the download era started to take hold of the charts. Speed of Sound was given its first play on the Steve Lamacq show on BBC Radio 1 in the evening of April 18th with many fans likening the first single off X&Y to the Grammy winning Clocks.

In the UK, Speed of Sound was an airplay smash hit, played constantly on radio stations and music channels but when release came, it was denied number 1 by the Crazy Frog, a mobile phone ringtone which went viral at that time. Chris Martin and the band were cursing their luck but saw the funny side of multiple occasions when Chris belted out "Crazy Frog, where are you now?" during live performances of Speed of Sound. Their rise in the US was evident when Speed of Sound reached #8 on the billboard singles charts becoming the first British Band since The Beatles to reach the top 10.

X&Y was then leaked onto the internet early hours of May 31st 2005, just over a week until the North American release date.

Heard songs off X&Y before album release or leak : Speed of Sound

The live leak they performed for MTV a couple of days before the release really captures the spirit of X&Y with thunderous performances of What If and Fix You.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j3QFihUhJm0

Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends

Following the success that was X&Y which was number one in 22 countries, Coldplay returned in the Spring of 2008 with their follow up, Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. Chris Martin's aim was for the band to "get better, not bigger" for their 4th studio album and Chris with his usual sense of humour added,

The band brought in famous producer and artist Brian Eno who worked wonders with U2 to produce Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends. He promoted more creativity from the band and to expand their sound with was evident with the title track, Viva La Vida. Chris Martin, as stated in a recent BBC Radio 1 interview , Eno kicked him out of the band during that period for a weeks to increase the confidence in the rest of the band.

Before the album was announced, 42 was rumoured to be the first single off LP4 and was given a lot of hype given the description of a rocky sound a Jonny Buckland's solo within the track. This was proved to be untrue and after the album announcement, Coldplay confirmed the first airing of the new single, Violet Hill. The track was given a first play, like Speed of Sound was, by BBC Radio 1 on Monday 28th April with Coldplay giving away the track for free the next day in a surprise move which saw over 600,000 downloads of the song within 24 hours of release! Even more impressive was the fact Violet Hill reached number eight in the UK singles chart that week through paid downloads of the track!

On one morning, a video of Coldplay in the studio with Brian Eno, performing Life in Techicolor, Yes and Chinese Sleep Chant was found by a fan on the official Coldplay website. The videos were promptly taken down as it spread across the web. You can watch the leaked (at the time) recording of Life in Technicolor below.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJ6mUSJFSRw

Viva La Vida also appeared one morning on our multimedia forums with Coldplayers such as myself been the lucky ones online at the time to hear the future hit in full before anyone else. The breathtaking title track was released as an 'instant grat' track for downloading the album which was quite a new release strategy at the time.

The album was leaked a week before the release in the UK, which was June 12th.

Tracks off 'VLVODAAHF' heard before leak and release : Violet Hill, Viva La Vida, Life in Technicolor, Yes, Lovers in Japan (Acoustic), Death and All His Friends (a slightly longer and different version) and Chinese Sleep Chant

Mylo Xyloto

Fast forward just under three years and we were getting ready for the colourful Mylo Xyloto era. Read the expert below from NME on the meaning on the album and the infamousCar Kids which was predicted to be an album track or b-side before based on clues off the famous Graffiti artwork that formed the core of the Mylo Xyloto era.

The album title was not released until 12th August 2011. It started off with the sudden announcement from Will Champion on the official Coldplay website of Every Teardrop is a Waterfall, the first single off their fifth album, being available to download on Friday 3rd June 2011 to when the Youtube audio video was posted revealing the track to the world for the first time. It received mixed reactions at first from fans as it was synthesizer heavy, especially the first minute of the track which stood in favour for other fans. Major Minus and the very popular Moving to Mars (which was expected to be on the album) were released as part of the Every Teardrop is a Waterfall EP. Every Teardrop is a Waterfall became a moderate hit in a chart which has seen a rapid shift in style from when Viva La Vida hit number 1 in 2008 towards a more dubstep and dance oriented chart which was even more heavily influenced by reality shows such as The Xfactor.

On the same day as the 1st single release, Coldplay performed in Germany with a completely revamped setlist where many new songs from the forthcoming fifth LP at the time were given their first play. Unfortunantly, this was not broadcasted, so we did not much to go on other than a few low quality Youtube videos and below was one of them and perhaps the most intriguing of the night, Princess of China, the only live version recorded with just Chris, no Rihanna! There was a very long wait between hearing this and the official album version that featured Rihanna.

Coldplayers were about to see some of the new songs played at the following gig the next day at Rock AM Ring festival in Germany which was broadcasted live across the world which included Charlie Brown (formerly known as Cartoon Heart), Hurts Like Heaven, Major Minus, Us Against the World and they were met with great response from stoked fans.

Paradise, the eventual second single which was decided to be the follow up to Every Teardrop is a Waterfall by the band in favour of Charlie Brown, which was the fan favourite at the time. Coldplay and their management thought Paradise represented the feel of the album and what it was about more than Charlie Brown which still an integral part of their live performances and went on to be their third single off Mylo Xyloto. In hindsight, this was a good move as Paradise went on to enjoy much more success than Charlie Brown as a single and became Coldplay's 2nd UK number 1 single!

Mylo Xyloto leaked online on the 17th October, seven days before its official release on the 24th October.

Tracks off Mylo Xyoloto heard before leak and release : Every track, apart from the last songs on the album : UFO, Princess of China, Up in Flame, Don't Let It Break Your Heart and Up with the Birds

Ghost Stories

Now on our journey through time travel, Coldplay style, we arrive back near the present to when rumours of Magic as Coldplay's first single from their upcoming sixth album were strong as it was appearing in release schedules across various music forums. The general feeling within the Coldplaying community was that we should expect an album towards the end of the year but nothing near that time.

Suddenly, out of nowhere came the music video for new song, Midnight, directed by Mary Wigmore which was the perfect buzz track that had everyone across the music world talking with new found interest from neutral music lovers who really liked Coldplay's new sound on the Jon Hopkins produced and inspired track while there were others who did not like or understand the atmospheric value of Midnight. The ambient fifth track from Ghost Stories gave us a perfect insight into the feel of the new era just like Every Teardrop is a Waterfall did for Mylo Xyloto with all the colourful tones.

Just over a week later, the official first single off Ghost Stories, Magic was unleashed to us! The laid back track with R&B influences was met with very positive reviews in our polls with a large number of perfect 10's and the majority over 8/10!

For the first live performance of the year, Coldplay chose the iTunes festival as the perfect stage to mark their triumphant return to the global music stage!, revealing two unheard tracks in Always in My Head, the beautiful opener and the haunting Another's Arms. Magic with Guy Berryman's inspired jam line at the start and Midnight, where Guy played the laser harp were given their live debuts during the fantastic return show that was reminiscent of the Rock Am Park performance months before the release of Mylo Xyloto in terms of new material and the hype.

It was revealed during the album announcement at the start of March that the US retailer, 'Target' would offer the deluxe version of Ghost Stories which includes three extra tracks which can be seen below. O (Reprise) has been used at the start and end of Coldplay's live shows for this era while there is a lack of information regarding All Your Friends and Ghost Story.

[caption id=attachment_22383" align="alignnone" width="660]

On Friday 21st March, the unthinkable happened for many lucky Coldplay fans as the band performed the whole album in full during a secret show in Los Angeles! which was revealed to be for a TV special airing from May 18th in North America!. Us Coldplayers had to rely on the reviews posted on our forums and on reddit for the details which resulted in A Sky Full of Stars been the most hyped Coldplay song ever because of the blockbuster reviews it was receiving!

April soon appeared and Coldplay had released the official music video for Magic to which a sway of positive votes followed. The Magic video featured Chris Martin playing two roles in the silent movie inspired video as good and evil along with famous actress, Ziyi Zhang starring alongside Chris. News of an intimate Ghost Stories tour in six venues across the world came to the fore, starting with Germany and finishing with London on 1st July.

On Wednesday 23rd April, it appeared to be a day of rest in a busy week for Coldplay which saw the release of Midnight along with the official remix single to go with it and a whole range of live performances scheduled. Coldplay, as they like to do, gave us a string of surprises which started with the first airing of Oceans (the band also played Magic) in the BBC Radio 1 live lounge (UK) followed by announcements they will be playing the big weekend festival in Glasgow for Radio 1 on the 24-25th May!. As if that wasn't enough on a single day, a preview was released for an exclusive Chris Martin interview on Radio 1 with Zane Lowe for the following Monday and we took a sneak peak at the official trailer for the Ghost Stories TV special!. You can watch the sublime performance of Oceans below :

The hype for A Sky Full of Stars reached its limit after Coldplay had dazzled many amazed German Coldplay fans with their live performance in Cologne for the first date of the Ghost Stories tour and Chris requested the performance of the future hit not to be recorded. The energetic 2nd single was soon released on the following Tuesday, a day after the most emotional and revealing Chris Martin interview we have ever seen, conducted by Zane Lowe (to which you can watch the full interview below).

A snippet to give us a first taster of A Sky Full of Stars was played during that interview along with large parts of Always in my Head, Oceans and a snippet of O (Fly on), the final track on the standard edition album, which received raving reviews on our forums. A Sky Full of Stars appeared the following morning to smash iTunes charts all over the world in over 70 countries! in the form of single track downloads and a large amount of pre-orders on iTunes for Ghost Stories. The fun and energetic 2nd single was given a mixed reaction at first with some fans not liking the Avicii produced song while others loved the upbeat and dance vibe it gave. As our current poll suggests, it has grown to be a hit with most Coldplayers already!

To cap off the pre-release era of Ghost Stories, Coldplay performed a marvelous show to ecstatic fans at the Beacon Theater in New York on 5th May. During the encore, Chris, just like in Germany with A Sky Full of Stars, asked fans not to record the song they were about to play which was the epic heartbreak anthem, True Love and Coldplay fans, as great as they are, respected the decision as a majority, only the odd low quality recording surfaced online which was circulated to a small number of people, privately. On Sunday 11th May, Another's Arms leaked online in public after weeks of Indonesian fans being able to download track, after iTunes accidentally made the haunting song available for a very short time.

The first full availability of Ghost Stories was unexpectedly not through a leak but the official streaming on iTunes which was available on May 12th, directly a week before the North American and UK release and features a stunning visual video.

Tracks off Ghost Stories heard before streaming and release : Always in My Head, Magic, Midnight, Another's Arms, Oceans and A Sky Full of Stars. "O" through a tiny snippet only.

Tell us your favourite pre album release era on the Coldplaying messageboards now!

Many Coldplayers woke up (or are about to wake up!) this morning to news that the 2nd single off Ghost Stories, A Sky Full of Stars has been released! The hyped single has already reached #1 on the iTunes charts in over 70 countries within a few hours of release. This is also due to the large amount of pre-orders for Ghost Stories which was apparent when Midnight was released and has grown even more since.

Our Dutch compatriots have A Sky Full of Stars at #1 and Magic at #2! With 'ASFOS' outselling Magic by almost 8 times!

In other news, the final lyric has been found in South Africa this morning. You can see the lyrics to Ink here

Since the announcement of Ghost Stories, A Sky Full of Stars has been heavily rumoured to be a single, originally as the third single after they release Another's Arms which was listed by Amazon on their pre-order list for Ghost Stories shortly after the announcement. Another's Arms was shown to have a release date of April 28th while A Sky Full of Stars was listed to be released on 12th May, a week before the album release. These dates were quickly taken down by Amazon.

(Thanks to Tash for the image)

On Friday March 21st, Coldplay performed a secret show in LA in which they . After the show, Coldplayers anxiously waited for the lo-down on the new tracks. Below were one of many reviews of A Sky Full of Stars which was being described as the 'mega hit of the album' in the same way as Viva La Vida was of the same titled album.

(Thank you Trojanchick99 from u2interference.com)

The instant connection it had with fans and critics and being predicted as a 'Coldplay classic' made it a definite front runner for the next single.

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This was confirmed when an image of the Ghost Stories album cover appeared on Target, listing Magic, A Sky Full of Stars and the exclusive 3 bonus tracks.

According to a few reputable sources, A Sky Full of Stars will be released on Monday 5th May. The first single, Magic was released on 3rd March.

Magic - Ghost Stories

Surprise! Just as the 86th Academy Awards (Oscars to you and me) were wrapping up and most people with common sense were heading to bed (or were already there), Coldplay‘s new album Ghost Stories was made available on iTunes to pre-order. Join the evolving discussion at the Ghost Stories sub-forum now.

Nine tracks make up what was previously known as just 'LP6', including the experimental 'Midnight,' the video for which premiered last week, and new single 'Magic,' available as a download when you pre-order the album.

Ghost Stories has a May 19th release date. The album marks Coldplay’s sixth studio set to-date, and their first since 2011′s Grammy-nominated Mylo Xyloto. A deluxe edition of the 'Ghost Stories' CD, featuring three bonus tracks, is available exclusively from Target at target.com/coldplay.

As yet, little else is known about their forthcoming album, however coldplay.com currently shows an image of the album’s artwork – a pair of illustrated wings you can zoom in to view with a digital magnifying glass. This album cover — featuring angel wings floating over an ocean — can be seen on the index, and the tracklist is below.

More on this news is to follow...

Ghost Stories tracklisting:

1. Always in My Head


2. Magic


3. Ink


4. True Love


5. Midnight


6. Another's Arms


7. Oceans


8. A Sky Full of Stars


9. O

Listen to Magic now:

The track titled 'Magic' serves as the album’s first proper single and is now available for purchase through iTunes. It’s also streaming below:

Are these the forthcoming release dates for singles? [thanks Tash]

Mark Poston, the Managing Director of both Parlophone Australia and Warner Bros. Records Australia held an online interview with The Music Network website, in which he gave a clear indication that Coldplay would be releasing new material soon. [thanks gai]

It's not much, but given the relative quiet on LP6 news, something is better than nothing. You can discuss this snippet at the LP6 sub-forum now. The article read:

With Parlophone, we’re kicking off with the Kylie single that will go this week, and of course she’s working incredibly hard living between London and Sydney, and appearing on The Voice, which will be a fantastic platform for the single and albums. We’ll have her in front of millions of homes every week. As always she’s so focused, she has a new management deal with Jay Z’s Roc Nation, she’s hungry to have one of her biggest records ever. A Coldplay record is coming soon, which is exciting. As a band, they’re really keen to reach new heights and make their best record ever. Lily Allen’s record is happening soon, there’s a Chromeo record, Bat For Lashes record, a Damon Albarn record. There’s rumours of a Gorillaz record, and will we ever get this Blur record? I caught up with David Guetta when he was here for Stereosonic. He’ll have a record in the middle of the year. He’s got a great list of collaborators and he’s definitely got the right attitude; he really set the bar and changed the game and has been such a leader. Tinie Tempah’s here in a few weeks for Future Music, 2 Door Cinema Club record will be a big one.

Parlophone, the legendary EMI division was sold as a requisite of Universal’s acquisition last year of EMI. Warner Music picked up the global Parlophone Label Group last February for £487 million (around $765 million at the time) and has integrated its asset across its markets. It was that mega-merger of Universal and EMI which also led to Mark Poston exiting EMI after more than a decade.

Mark Poston, Managing Director of Parlophone Australia and Warner Bros. Records Australia

Latest tweets of interest...

Photos: Chris at the Warner Music Group Grammy Awards celebration http://t.co/OF67SbjWxb

 

— Coldplay news (@coldplaying) January 27, 2014

Photo: Chris and Gary Clark, Jr. http://t.co/6Vf6rOVEvD T

 

— Coldplay news (@coldplaying) January 27, 2014

The new cover of the March 2014 issue of Q Magazine has been revealed - and shows a feature which is likely to become the first article of the LP6 era.The cover, below/after the jump, simply reads, "Coldplay - Q gets inside their triumphant return."This issue - Q332 - is out next Tuesday (28th January).More as we get it... [thanks @remco1993]

@coldplaying the next issue of @QMagazine has an article about @coldplay's 'triumphant return'... And so the LP6 era begins!

— Remco Slager (@remco1993) January 23, 2014

Here's an early look at the cover of our next issue, Q332 featuring 120 Great Stories in Rock'N'Roll: http://t.co/ea5GYRbuyx

— Q Magazine (@QMagazine) January 23, 2014

Word around the campfire is that Coldplay have been spending some time in an LA recording studio recording their long awaited follow up to 2011′s Mylo Xyloto report radio.com and various other US radio franchises today. More discussion on this is at the LP6 sub-forum now.

That should be great news for the Coldplay's fanbase whose appetites have been stirred up by 'Atlas,' their recent Golden Globe and Grammy-nominated track from the The Hunger Games: Catching Fire soundtrack.

Radio.com continue:

1. Go Achtung Baby

Another quartet of stadium-filling, socially-conscious rock stars, U2 were at their lowest ebb after their highest of heights via The Joshua Tree. Try as they did to avoid it, the band were on the verge of becoming the rock star buffoons that they attempted to provide the alternative to. So, how did they respond? They retreated to Berlin and made a weird, glammy, and funky LP layered with weird synthesizer and guitar textures and roundabout rhythms. Coldplay could use a little of that same spirit; an embrace of the fact that being in rock band is a fairly ridiculous career choice. It could be fun to hear them up that campy aspect of it and strip away as much of the celebrity ego that surrounds bands like theirs. And if they accidentally skip over Achtung and land instead in Pop territory, it should at least make for a fascinating failure.

2. Go Hail To The Thief

One of Coldplay’s biggest influences, Radiohead already proved their artistic bona fides via the amazing triple play of OK Computer, Kid A, and Amnesiac, albums that were layered with incident and sound. So when the band went into the studio to track Hail to the Thief, their m.o. was to work quickly and track as much of it as possible live. It’s an attitude that Coldplay could certainly use with their next full-length. As fine as their last few albums were, they were very audibly Pro-Tools aided constructions that have been polished to a blinding sheen. Bring some live-in-the-studio grit to the next album, and take a “first thought, best thought” approach to the songwriting. It’s doubtful any Coldplay fans will go running for the hills if it’s a little (or a lot) rough around the edges.

(Courtesy EMI)

3. Go Pin-Ups

This idea is a little trickier and could likely be seen as Coldplay just wasting time, but it could also be a lot of fun. At the height of his Ziggy Stardust period, David Bowie knocked out Pin-Ups, a tribute album to the songs that were his “favorites from the ’64-67′ period of London,” according to the album’s liner notes, featuring glammed up covers of artists like Pink Floyd, The Who, and The Kinks. Coldplay has done their fair share of renditions of tracks by influences such as Echo & The Bunnymen and Oasis. Why not knock out a dozen or so in the studio and really show the fans how their signature sound came to be? It could be nice diversion for the band and help get them out of their heads for a little while. Of course, if it ends up being an album full of Radiohead covers, then we’ll have a problem.

4. Go Music For Airports

Here’s a direction that will really mess with the heads of the hardcore Coldplay fans. After releasing five albums of warped glam pop and formless soundscapes, Brian Eno (who helped produce Mylo and Viva La Vida) decided to explore the idea of creating “environmental music suited to a wide variety of moods and atmospheres,” according to the liner notes. Hence, a collection of delicate instrumentals intended to be piped into airport lounges and boarding areas. The point is for Coldplay to follow their collective muse and follow whatever particular musical idea fascinates them. Could be a Timbaland-produced hip-hop/pop hybrid (Chris Martin has been vocal about his love of Justin Timberlake’s solo work), could be a bunch of songs created using only drum machines and synths. The band has the cachet and the money to burn. They shouldn’t be afraid to use either.

5. Go Don’t Believe The Truth

To hell with everything considered above and do like one of Martin’s other favorite bands Oasis and just stay the course. The Brothers Gallagher were stubborn in their adherence to a meaty rock sound, cut through only slightly with the occasional ballad. Nothing, not even the diminishing critical interest and commercial returns, would stop them. Like Oasis, Coldplay is now a legacy band in the UK music market, and their next album is surely a lock to hit at No. 1 on the charts (as all five of their albums already have). Why mess with a good thing?

[poll id=3]

An article has emerged online from Montreal-based Canoe Francais seemingly giving new information on Coldplay's forthcoming sixth album.The article, written in French has been translated and suggests that the album (which we currently call LP6) will be released as early as May or June of 2014, with sounds similar to that of second album 'A Rush Of Blood To The Head'. Read on for the nearest translation (and if you speak French, we'll add that below too).Discussion on this is at the LP6 thread in the Releases sub-forum now [thanks hps, Tash]English translation: (if you can do better let us know!)

French article:

Some of our latest community messages...

2013 Secret Santa: 16 out of 131 cards distributed so far. Have you sent yours yet? PM Santa Claus if so... http://t.co/SRXn7IdLWv

— Coldplay news (@coldplaying) November 13, 2013

Download from earlier: 2013-11-09 Chris Martin performs Johnny B. Goode @ Waldorf Astoria, NYC [MP4, 97Mb] http://t.co/uqzBnhtgMv

— Coldplay news (@coldplaying) November 13, 2013

More new photos of Coldplay at the Bakery/Beehive (11 Nov) http://t.co/ql0T10Rc60 (by Coeurli)

— Coldplay news (@coldplaying) November 12, 2013

Backstage at Wednesday's Brit Awards after picking up the prize for 'Best British Live Act', BBC Radio 2's Jo Whiley caught up with Will Champion and Jonny Buckland, who spoke briefly about plans for what would be Coldplay's sixth studio record. Asked about new material, Jonny hinted that there is a theoretical album in the works. Will went on to say: "Me and Jonny have been going into the studio just noodling; we go in and noodle for an hour and then go get a cup of tea or coffee! But no... there's rumblings [of a new album]."

When Jo Whiley proposed that Coldplay's next project could be more stripped-back and acoustic, as was the early plan for LP5, Will replied: "Yeah, that might be nice, actually. There's only so far you can go without becoming pompous and a bit overblown, so we'll tread that line very carefully. Reset. Recalibrate."

Will Champion earlier commented that the band's latest sessions were sounding 'absolutely dreadful', adding: "[it's] garbage, abstract, avant-garde nonsense. So you shall never hear of it, even if we released it you'd never hear it."

The Oracle also this week gave an indication of what's currently happening, saying: "[Coldplay] are busy behind the scenes. They're not in the full steam ahead mode just yet, but plans are being made and steps are being taken."

On the Brit Award success, Will said: "It is just brilliant to win this (Best British Live Act) one because we did put an awful lot of effort in and it's an amazing thing that so many people take the trouble to buy tickets and queue up, and every night is filled with people who are so willing to have a great evening. That for us was such a wonderful thing to be part of. We're so happy to win it."

Listen to the Jo Whiley interview with Will and Jonny at the Brit Awards 2013:

Over the last few weeks we have been inundated with comments on what you want the next album (and era) to contain. You can read the full discussion on LP6 (all 93 pages of it, and counting) at the Releases forum now. Read on and bring a little Coldplay Karma into your day...

Latest Coldplayer comments on the LP6 era:

"It's absolutely dreadful. Garbage, abstract, avant-garde nonsense." In other words, something that radiohead would make. I'm eager. [thanks guda4siempre]

Seems like there are some things happening behind the scenes. specially what Whiley said about her knowing that there are things to come. anyway, it seems like it will be a while until we get to know any official details about LP6. they don't seem keen to give anything away, at least for now. maybe they don't have anything concrete yet. anyway, i'm sure chris must have a bunch of songs that he has written already. he seems like the kind of guy who can work something up alone before bringing it to the others. [thanks gai]

I think LP6 should be radically different then MX era. I think it has to. How many people would be satisfied with MX 2.0? Coldplay got away with sort of making A rush 2.0 with X&Y, but even then, Coldplay had changed their entire live act into more of show rather than a 'watch the band jam' sort of thing they had going from 1999-2002. IMO, they need to increase the setlist to a reasonable 28-30 songs. They have a great number of hits on five albums (hopefully even more with LP6) and soon we will begin losing classics or entire albums are going to be forgotten like X&Y and Parachutes. But back on LP6, they need to remind the music world that they aren't just a top 40 band and they are still the Viva/A Rush Band. Remember, Viva La Vida (the song) went number one and it was hardly mainstream. And MX, an album more suited for the top 40, didn't have a song that made it to number one. So it shows you that the people are willing to buy good music. Now Coldplay just has to realize that and lose the synthesizers (To a point) and the electric beats and we are all good. [thanks Kingzilla]

The band really followed some interesting creative paths with VLVDAAHF that could have evolved further, but American pop, love it or hate it, hasn't exactly added to that evolution, imo. I like large chunks of MX, but I don't think it was a step forward musically. I hope they explore More diverse musical styles than just what's on top of the US pop charts. I realize Rihanna, Jay-Z and that crowd are Chris' friends, but I have great friends who make (IMO) crap music that has no influence on my creativity. Less 'Hollywood' and more homegrown sounds would make me VERY happy. (No offense to those who love these musicians, it's just my opinion.) [thanks TracieMorgan]

Sometimes though I wish they'd do another simple piano song... Maybe another powerful ballad like The Scientist. I thought Wedding Bells was defs going to be on MX but I suppose they're trying to move away from what they used to sound like. Not sure where the next album is going, but I wouldn't mind them building on what they started with MX. I love how MX was an acoustic-electric fusion. The only other album I can think of with the same kind of balance is "Hurry Up We're Dreaming" by M83. A collaboration between Coldplay and M83 would be a dream come true for me. [thanks DieProspekt]

I'll obviously love anything that they decide to do. But, Coldplay are kind of the only band I love that aren't punk, grunge or nu-metal or rock. So, I'd love it if they went a bit more rock, but kept the simple ballads, like Yellow. Y'know I'm not asking them to be Green Day mark 2.0 with a new version of American Idiot or whatever, but just that Coldplay would do something with more cool guitar chords and riffs, like in Violet Hill. Anyone else agree? [thanks Til_Kingdom_Come]

I'd prefer Coldplay to go down the road of cultured English folk music/tales. They can channel it pretty well as Cemeteries of London showed. There's a rich vein of cultured music stretching way back to the middle ages within their own country to become inspired by. Not Rihanna, Jay Z or shit like that. [thanks howyousawtheworld]

Personally, I think The core ideas the boys are using haven't changed at all. Sure their using more production in their songs, but that doesn't mean a overly produced song is less of a song than say a song with only guitars, drums, base and vocals in it. They both still have emotion and energy in them. Dare I say MX is more "Energized" than Rush Of Blood? I would, imo. But in all seriousness, I don't get why people degrade a song just because it has a lot of layers in it. It just gives the song a more "Filled" feeling, you know. That's my two cents for the day. [thanks TecHniCoLoR_MX]

There are simply too many layers in MX songs. Especially Charlie Brown, Major Minus, and DLIBYH. Not a single song off MX sounds better in the studio version than live. MX just simply has a shorter shelf life than VLV or AROBTTH because of this. A song can sound great if there is a lot of complexity in little subtleties. Viva la Vida is an excellent example of that. But Charlie Brown, for example, just has a lot of unnecessary noise and production. I think Coldplay need to take Hurts Like Heaven and use it as a model for their new material. It is hands down the best song off MX because it's very diversified and fresh-- it is not repetitive at all, which is what I think sets it apart from fan favorites like Charlie Brown or DLIBYH or ETIAW etc. I honestly don't know what to expect from LP6, but Coldplay, if you are returning to a previous sound, don't do MX. But, at the same time, Coldplay are smart. I'm sure I'll enjoy anything they put out. [thanks aschall]

I don't see why we have to label an album as something. MX wasn't just a pop album, it encompassed the old Coldplay acoustic sound, the Viva-fied wordless singalongs, the electronics of X&Y and a new direction. A couple of the riffs reminded me of A Rush of Blood songs, it wasn't just a package of "We are Coldplay we are working with Rihanna now and wearing fluorescent clothes and we have lights and synths and guitars are gay". They'll do the same thing on the next album; they'll incorporate bits of Coldplay that we love, bits that we didn't think we'd see again, and influences that they haven't shown us before. I find it slightly narrowminded that people want to box Coldplay up into "rock", "pop", "acoustic", "good" or "bad". If you want to box them, the word you're looking for is "evolution". LP6 will be as diverse as LP5. [thanks mrkjhnwht]

I have been very comprehensive with their experimentations and all, but I'm honestly done with the color splashes and with the fluorescent shoe laces. I did my best as a fan to follow and enjoy them throught MX, but give me love, give us a kiss or I'm going to close my doors to them until they find their "Let it be" state of mind. That's my thoughts for LP6. [thanks Teco]

Well, I'm afraid the Oracle has brought us the unfortunate news that it will be a while before we hear anything at all about the new album or what it will sound like (at least, we won't see it on Coldplay.com for a while). Hopefully, though, we'll get some news via word-of-mouth from the band outside of the website. Some people need to go over to the studio in the coming months and see if there's anything going on! Not to be persistent or overtly nosey or anything. Just to see if anyone's around and, perhaps, if anyone's available to talk! But make it a relatively brisk walk by the studio. Make it nonchalant and inconspicuous. If you happen to be/live in England, that is! Or just scrap that idea and wait and wait and wait until we have something new! *sigh* [thanks Rainy Day]

I like the idea of having a song with only Chris and his piano alone, but I think i'd like it even more if it were sort of a hidden song after a grand song. Similar with what they did with Everything's Not Lost! I would also love another song that have rapidly delivered lyrics, listening to Anichrist Television Blues right now actually aha. I really hope they explore the more artful side of themselves, music similar to Viva and Arcade Fire. I use to really want an acoustic record, but lately, been dying for them to simply make whatever record they would want, an album filled with acoustic, heartfelt or stadium songs, whatever the case may be. [thanks ColdplayBlop]

My own wishlist, inspired by aschall's one, sorry for copying you, but ... I love the idea : - I want LP6 to have a Story, like Mylo Xyloto, because ... I think it's just epic. They could use the idea they scrapped during the recording of Mylo Xyloto and make a cartoon's soundtrack; - I want to hear the voices of Guy and Jonny on LP6, because we have already heard Chris and Will singing abilities; - I want LP6 to sound like a Mix of Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends and Mylo Xyloto, half Art Rock, half Electro Rock. - But i also want LP6 to have more pianos and acoustic guitars ... Maybe a song with Will or Chris alone singing while playing guitar or piano. - I want Coldplay to make a symphony and include it to LP6's tracklist ... I know, 42 can be considered as a symphony ... But, it's too short, i want more ! - I want to hear Chris singing a song in French or Japanese ... Sorry, it's my patriot and otaku sides - But, i still think that a song with lyrics in two different languages is an interesting idea for LP6 ... Maybe another duet ? - And ... I want some hidden tracks, like the ones in Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends ! It was totally epic. [thanks KimPine]

Drifting off from the album title -- who wants to guess this is the year we start to receive small bits of information on LP6? MX will be two by the end of the year, and aside from the gap between Parachutes and AROBTTH, each album has released every three years. I'd even venture to say we'll have LP6 no later than Summer 2014. [thanks DundahMifflin]

Idk what else they could do that doesn't isolate a part of their fan base. I mean, sure, there a little things they could change, but they've done so much in five albums. Parachutes they had acoustic music. AROBTTH had hard rock. X&Y had ballads and synth driven rock. Viva had an exotic feeling to it. MX was a more pop album with a touch of rock. What's next? Jazz? Here's the thing, I think they can go either three directions from here. Go full on pop. Start smashing the charts, and smashing our hearts. I doubt they do that though. They could go to their roots and do rock/acoustic stuff. Or they mix it up. I truly believe that's the only way they could surprise us. Some people might disagree, and if so, please tell me a new genre for them to test. I hope they don't experiment any more. I hope they find out what music they can play the best and make a masterpiece like they did with Viva and AROBTTH. An album to shut up critics for good. Maybe I'm being too opportunistic, but I think other then Arcade Fire, Coldplay is one of the only popular bands left who can make an album that can be considered one of the best albums ever. Let me put it this way. The closest two albums CP has done are Parachtues and AROBTTH. They are both rock, just one is more lighter then the other one. Is it a coincidence that AROBTTH is considered usually the best album with the biggest songs? Not everyone will agree, but the fact that they had been playing and writing that type of music for more than three years makes me believe that you cant pull out a Viva every new album. Sometimes you have to settle and master it. Rant over. [thanks (again) Kingzilla]

I really hope they just move on and improve(don't want them to go back to things past), but I just think in terms of Bass and Drums I feel like Will and Guy haven't really used their maximum capabilities. They can do a lot better than they did on Mylo. And I think that's what people would like. [thanks 42JTR]

The B-Sides from A Rush of Blood to the Head are some of my favorite Coldplay songs, especially I Ran Away. I would love for Coldplay to go back to this sound, but at the same time, I want to see where they go forward. I think that this next album really needs to explore the musical spectrum, as a sort of combination, or rather, culmination of all their previous albums. Chris I believe needs to open his writing up and really attack the songs both emotionally and philosophically (as in lyrical content/message), Guy needs to expand on his attributes as Johnny (or Jonny) has done, and Will, well, his drumming at the end of Every Teardrop is a Waterfall proves that he can do quite a bit of masterful work. [thanks mvpgamer]

I just hope what they do next is balanced. I think MX the album is balanced, but the way it got represented in the singles and live favoured the "happy" songs by a lot. The thing about Politik, to follow that specific example, is that not only is its themery heavy, its musical style is also heavy. Which certain people might argue makes it have less mass appeal compared to a synth heavy track like Paradise which is not only more sing-along-friendly, its more time-relevant stylistically since that's the kind of stuff "we" like to listen to nowadays. That said, I think Coldplay is certainly smart enough to make something that encompasses both sides of this spectrum, both on the album and song level. In fact, that's indeed what they've been doing on the last two albums - even the happiest of the happy songs have pretty dark undertones in terms of where they come from: Hurts Like Heaven is about oppression, Charlie Brown is about a gang (sort of), ETIAW is about oppression too. A stylistic return to some of the dark stuff would be cool though. We had Major Minus and Moving to Mars as being the most reminiscent of AROBTTH; I'd definitely want more of that. Another thing - as posters above said, MORE BASS. I think every member of the band is coming out of their shell [as they said literally about Jonny] with their instrumentation. Which I hope will mean two things - continuance of their musically engaging material (HLH has SO MANY notes in the guitar solo, which is refreshing compared to Coldplay's early material), and less use of backing tracks. I think it's kind of telling that tracks like GPASYUF don't actually have backing tracks - because the band is working full time to make stuff loud without having to use too much extra junk. Same goes for Everything's Not Lost, Yellow, Life is For Living, Amsterdam; DAAHF and DLIBYH [well, there's a couple of backing track things that are subtle on these two]. [thanks MosesTheMarshmallow]

Photos of Will Champion and Jonny Buckland at the Brit Awards 2013 (20th February):

Despite rumours to the contrary, Coldplay will not, in fact, be taking a three-year break now that they've almost finished their extensive world tour behind last year's Mylo Xyloto, writes Ology in their blog already previewing Coldplay's sixth studio album. Read on for the rest of the article...

As clarified by NME, Chris Martin recently told an Australian audience that they'd be away for three years. (Translation: it'll be another three years before Coldplay writes, records, releases a new album and then makes it back down under on their next tour. Isn't all that confusing to me, but whatever, shrug.)

Instead, the band will head back into the studio to begin work on their sixth and definitely easier to pronounce album. In the meantime, the inevitable guessing game begins: where can Coldplay take their ever-changing sound next? Even deeper into the dense modern pop textures of Mylo Xyloto, or back to the lush post-Britpop acoustics of their early work? Let's weigh a few possibilities…

Mylo Xyloto Part Deux: Electric Boogaloo: Coldplay bets all their aesthetic chips on the plush, neon-colored sugary pop goodness that populated their last album. We're talking duets with Nicki Minaj, Katy Perry, Chris Brown, T-Pain, Lil Wayne… the whole works.

Likelihood: For better or worse, Coldplay hasn't stuck with one particular sound from album to album. Sure, X&Y was maybe a semi-watered down Rush Of Blood To The Head… so it's possible they'll retain some of the "Princess Of China" sheen of Mylo Xyloto on their next release. But a "not broke, don't fix it" follow-up seems unlikely.

Verdict: Nah.

The proper follow-up to Parachutes that old school curmudgeons keep screaming for: Coldplay gives the keyboards and day-glo wristbands a rest and returns to the densely introspective, gray afternoon on an even grayer beach style of their acclaimed debut album.

Likelihood: As much as I'd kill to hear Chris Martin write songs like "High Speed" and "We Never Change" again, I don't think that a return to the sadder, quieter side of Coldplay would bode well with the band's arena-flocking, hands in the air audience. Wishful thinking, but well, yeah.

Verdict: If only.

An entirely new direction that none of us saw coming: Coldplay defy all conceivable expectations and invent an entirely brand new sound that will alienate most fans and call down buckets of "hail, hail!" from the band's cynical critics. Folk-step? Jazz-DM? Cabaret-metal? The possibilities are (unfortunately) endless.

Likelihood: I wouldn't hold my breath for anything so drastic, but it's very likely (and appropriate) that Coldplay would want to make a major step forward or to the left or right of the last album's sound into something entirely different. Mylo Xyloto brought them, I think, to a major stylistic crossroads—they can go anywhere they want to from here, and the opportunity to surprise and confound will, I expect, prove too enticing.

Verdict: upwards-leaning "Eh."

A "classicist" Coldplay album that incorporates both old and new styles while maintaining the same lyrical, melodic and sonic elements that has made each of their previous records sound Coldplay-esque: Um, yeah, what he said.

Likelihood: Very. Honestly, does Chris Martin have any need or desire to reinvent the wheel? Wouldn't it be great to just hear a "proper" Coldplay record again? One with the immediately classic songs of Rush Of Blood paired with the experimental twitch of Viva La Vida and crossover appeal of Mylo Xyloto?

Verdict: Yes, please!

Read also: Coldplay reveal they already have title for LP6 - watch the Australian interview now

Read also: Noel Gallagher 'could easily be on Coldplay's next album' (media swoops on R#42's blog)

Read also: Coldplay schedule determined until 2015 - various reports

Photos of Chris Martin at the 12-12-12 Sandy Benefit concert, Madison Square Garden, New York (12 December 2012):

Don't forget to check out your tour discussion thread if you are getting Coldplay tickets or just getting excited for the European & North American 2012 shows and other forthcoming appearances:

FEBRUARY 2012

8 Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia (iHeartRadio) [discussion]

9 Los Angeles, CA @ Jimmy Kimmel Live [discussion]

10 Los Angeles, CA @ GRAMMY Week MusiCares Person of the Year tribute [discussion]

12 Los Angeles, CA @ 54th Grammy Awards, Staples Center [discussion]

16 Sydney, Australia @ 2DayFM, Mobile Live Set (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Sunrise (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

21 London @ Brit Awards 2012, O2 Arena [discussion]

MARCH 2012

2 New York, NY @ Good Morning America [discussion]

4 New York, NY @ The Secret Policeman's Ball, Radio City Music Hall (Amnesty International) [discussion]

APRIL 2012

17 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place [discussion]

18 Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome [discussion]

20 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

21 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

24 Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena [discussion]

25 Seattle, WA @ KeyArena [discussion]

27 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

28 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

MAY 2012

1 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

2 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

3 Los Angeles, CA @ American Idol show [discussion]

4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [discussion]

18 Porto, Portugal @ Dragao Stadium [discussion]

20 Madrid, Spain @ Estadio Vicente Calderón [discussion]

22 Nice, France @ Stade Charles Herman / Nikaia [discussion]

24 Turin, Italy @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

26 Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund [discussion]

29 Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Stadium [discussion]

JUNE 2012

1 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

2 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

4 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

7 Sunderland, UK @ the Stadium of Light [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Wembley Stadium (Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2012) [discussion]

9 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

10 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

22 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

23 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

25 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

26 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]

29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]

JULY 2012

2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena [discussion]

3 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena [discussion]

5 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

6 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

8 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

9 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

23 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

24 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

26 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

27 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

29 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

30 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

AUGUST 2012

1 Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills [discussion]

3 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

4 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

7 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

8 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

11 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

28 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium [discussion]

30 Stockholm, Sweden @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

SEPTEMBER 2012

2 Paris, France @ Stade de France [discussion]

4 Cologne, Germany @ Rheinenergie Stadium [discussion]

6 The Hague, Netherlands @ Malieveld [discussion]

7 Los Angeles, US @ Shrine Auditorium (Stand Up To Cancer) [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Paralympics Closing Ceremony [discussion]

12 Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion [discussion]

14 Leipzig, Germany @ Red Bull Stadium [discussion]

16 Prague, Czech Republic @ Slavia Eden Stadium [discussion]

19 Warsaw, Poland @ National Stadium [discussion]

22 Hannover, Germany @ AWD Arena [discussion]

NOVEMBER 2012

10 Auckland, New Zealand @ Mt Smart Stadium [discussion]

12 Sydney, Australia @ MAX TV intimate show [discussion] [NEW!]

13 Melbourne, Australia @ Etihad Stadium [discussion]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

18 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

21 Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stadium [discussion]

DECEMBER 2012:

29 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena [discussion] [NEW!]

30 New York, NY @ Barclays Center [discussion] [NEW!]

31 New York, NY @ Barclays Center (with Jay-Z) [discussion] [NEW!]

Read also: European Stadium Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the Europe tour)

Read also: North America Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the US/Canada tour)

Read also: 2012: Live Appearances - Easy Thread Finder (last updated - 12th January 2012)

Read also: 2012 tour date rumours (please post dates for ALL countries in here)

Kit yourself up for the forthcoming MX tour and get spotted with Coldplaying's new range of merchandise! [click on the items for the full shop]

The new range of Coldplaying merchanise (unofficial of course to the official shop) has hit our stores, with our biggest range of goods so far. Prices are as low as they can be for a Cafepress shop so more people will be able to afford them. We don't take any profits for the sale of the merchandise as a result. Take a browse in one of the online stores nearest to you: UK | US | Canada | Australia | European (shipping is worldwide, but you can choose what currency to pay in) - simply alter the country dropdown menu at the top of the shop page. [thanks to TracieMorgan and zzz]

Coldplay have hinted that they already have a name for their next album - according to Chris Martin during a pre-recorded radio interview on the Kyle and Jackie O show for Australia's 2DayFM that took place on the day of the intimate gig, 15th November.

Speaking about the difficulty of pronouncing Mylo Xyloto when the question about LP6 was asked, Chris Martin told 2DayFM: "The next one we're releasing is much easier to pronounce." Then, when asked the next album's title, Chris replied: "I can't tell you that!" before turning to Jonny Buckland and saying: "Can I give a hint?" Jonny shook his head and replied: "No."

During the interview, Chris also explained that it is Coldplay's aim to improve as a band. "We got to a point where we started thinking about other things, like perfume endorsements and reality shows, because we can," he said. "But we're so lucky in what we do and people will always want to hear music they like, so we want to just get better and better and better."

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w9mDFfBdA04

You can watch the whole uncut radio interview, and discuss this LP6 news in the Coldplay forum now [thanks Tash, zzz]

Meanwhile, also during the interview, Chris said it was "kind of sad" that he always forgets to buy his bandmates Christmas presents. "Will and Guy are very, very good and they always give us lovely presents and Jonny and I are not very good. It's kind of sad! It's hard to get presents for each other! But we do buy each other stuff, just not always for birthdays and Christmas. Like I might buy something for Guy tomorrow if I see something I think he'd like."

Chris also said that Coldplay no longer has crazy nights out while away on tour as they want to give their all during every performance. "Some of us did all that [partying] in the old days. Everyone does things in moderation but the worst feeling in the world is going on stage and not feeling quite right," he explained. "That is so terrifying; then you suddenly realise how many people are there. And then you think, 'God that person's come from work, that person's saved up for six months to be here and that person should be at school tomorrow.'"

Read also: Noel Gallagher 'could easily be on Coldplay's next album' (media swoops on R#42's blog)

Read also: Coldplay schedule determined until 2015 - various reports

New photos of Coldplay performing at the Allianz Stadium, Sydney, Australia (17-18 November 2012):

Photos courtesy of Paul Cush Photography (click for more!)

Don't forget to check out your tour discussion thread if you are getting Coldplay tickets or just getting excited for the European & North American 2012 shows and other forthcoming appearances:

FEBRUARY 2012

8 Los Angeles, CA @ Club Nokia (iHeartRadio) [discussion]

9 Los Angeles, CA @ Jimmy Kimmel Live [discussion]

10 Los Angeles, CA @ GRAMMY Week MusiCares Person of the Year tribute [discussion]

12 Los Angeles, CA @ 54th Grammy Awards, Staples Center [discussion]

16 Sydney, Australia @ 2DayFM, Mobile Live Set (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Sunrise (intimate show) [discussion] [CANCELLED]

21 London @ Brit Awards 2012, O2 Arena [discussion]

MARCH 2012

2 New York, NY @ Good Morning America [discussion]

4 New York, NY @ The Secret Policeman's Ball, Radio City Music Hall (Amnesty International) [discussion]

APRIL 2012

17 Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place [discussion]

18 Calgary, AB @ Scotiabank Saddledome [discussion]

20 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

21 Vancouver, BC @ Rogers Arena [discussion]

24 Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena [discussion]

25 Seattle, WA @ KeyArena [discussion]

27 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

28 San Jose, CA @ HP Pavilion At San Jose [discussion]

MAY 2012

1 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

2 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

3 Los Angeles, CA @ American Idol show [discussion]

4 Los Angeles, CA @ Hollywood Bowl [discussion]

5 Los Angeles, CA @ KROQ's Weenie Roast y Fiesta [discussion]

18 Porto, Portugal @ Dragao Stadium [discussion]

20 Madrid, Spain @ Estadio Vicente Calderón [discussion]

22 Nice, France @ Stade Charles Herman / Nikaia [discussion]

24 Turin, Italy @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

26 Zurich, Switzerland @ Letzigrund [discussion]

29 Coventry, UK @ Ricoh Stadium [discussion]

JUNE 2012

1 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

2 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

4 London, UK @ the Emirates Stadium [discussion]

7 Sunderland, UK @ the Stadium of Light [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Wembley Stadium (Capital FM's Summertime Ball 2012) [discussion]

9 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

10 Manchester, UK @ the Etihad Stadium [discussion]

22 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

23 Dallas, TX @ American Airlines Center [discussion]

25 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

26 Houston, TX @ Toyota Center [discussion]

28 Tampa, FL @ St. Pete Times Forum [discussion]

29 Miami, FL @ American Airlines Arena [discussion]

JULY 2012

2 Atlanta, GA @ Philips Arena [discussion]

3 Charlotte, NC @ Time Warner Cable Arena [discussion]

5 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

6 Philadelphia, PA @ Wells Fargo Center [discussion]

8 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

9 Washington, DC @ Verizon Center [discussion]

23 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

24 Toronto, ON @ Air Canada Centre [discussion]

26 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

27 Montreal, QC @ Bell Centre [discussion]

29 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

30 Boston, MA @ TD Garden [discussion]

AUGUST 2012

1 Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills [discussion]

3 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

4 East Rutherford, NJ @ Izod Center [discussion]

7 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

8 Chicago, IL @ United Center [discussion]

10 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

11 St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center [discussion]

28 Copenhagen, Denmark @ Parken Stadium [discussion]

30 Stockholm, Sweden @ Olympic Stadium [discussion]

SEPTEMBER 2012

2 Paris, France @ Stade de France [discussion]

4 Cologne, Germany @ Rheinenergie Stadium [discussion]

6 The Hague, Netherlands @ Malieveld [discussion]

7 Los Angeles, US @ Shrine Auditorium (Stand Up To Cancer) [discussion]

9 London, UK @ Paralympics Closing Ceremony [discussion]

12 Munich, Germany @ Olympiastadion [discussion]

14 Leipzig, Germany @ Red Bull Stadium [discussion]

16 Prague, Czech Republic @ Slavia Eden Stadium [discussion]

19 Warsaw, Poland @ National Stadium [discussion]

22 Hannover, Germany @ AWD Arena [discussion]

NOVEMBER 2012

10 Auckland, New Zealand @ Mt Smart Stadium [discussion]

12 Sydney, Australia @ MAX TV intimate show [discussion] [NEW!]

13 Melbourne, Australia @ Etihad Stadium [discussion]

17 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

18 Sydney, Australia @ Allianz Stadium [discussion]

21 Brisbane, Australia @ Suncorp Stadium [discussion]

DECEMBER 2012:

29 Uncasville, CT @ Mohegan Sun Arena [discussion] [NEW!]

30 New York, NY @ Barclays Center [discussion] [NEW!]

31 New York, NY @ Barclays Center (with Jay-Z) [discussion] [NEW!]

Read also: European Stadium Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the Europe tour)

Read also: North America Tour announced! (general discussion thread for the US/Canada tour)

Read also: 2012: Live Appearances - Easy Thread Finder (last updated - 12th January 2012)

Read also: 2012 tour date rumours (please post dates for ALL countries in here)

Kit yourself up for the forthcoming MX tour and get spotted with Coldplaying's new range of merchandise! [click on the items for the full shop]

The new range of Coldplaying merchanise (unofficial of course to the official shop) has hit our stores, with our biggest range of goods so far. Prices are as low as they can be for a Cafepress shop so more people will be able to afford them. We don't take any profits for the sale of the merchandise as a result. Take a browse in one of the online stores nearest to you: UK | US | Canada | Australia | European (shipping is worldwide, but you can choose what currency to pay in) - simply alter the country dropdown menu at the top of the shop page. [thanks to TracieMorgan and zzz]