Looking back to the days of the younger Chris feels like we are on the Coldplay nostalgia all over again! From being called as the sexiest vegetarian with the curly hair, Chris still remains to be the most humble and down-to-earth musician until today. See how Chris has changed over the years in photos:

2000

Source: Tumblr

2002

Source: inquisitr.com

2005

Source: people.com

2008

Source: thesun.co.uk

2011

Source: aceshowbiz.com

2014

Source: eonline

2015

Source: ohchrismartin.com

Present

Source: heyreverb.com

Once again..

Happy birthday, Chris Martin! :)

It's been a wonderful year in 2014 as Coldplay returned with their sixth album Ghost Stories. The band were taking a break from their usual world conquering stadium tours, in the favour of downsized and more intimate venues, where Chris, Jonny, Guy and Will could see the 'whites of peoples eyes'. The stage setup was elegant and the decor reflected the album's theme to a tee, which Coldplay are masters of since their French revolution inspired fourth album.

You can view the HD photos of Coldplay's beautiful Ghost Stories era on the Coldplaying gallery, which has been updated to include the latest live shows and appearances (more info to follow). If you've viewed our gallery within the past few months, you would of seen the snaps from their grand re-introduction at the iTunes festival in March, all the way up to Chris and Jonny's live charity appearance in Los Angeles at the end of October.

To give you a summary of Coldplay's live appearances since the last gallery update : In the middle of November, we were starstruck as Chris Martin and Bono were among the huge range of celebrities recording Band Aid 30, in the aid of Ebola. It was a quiet period on the live front (with the Live 2014 DVD and interactive Ink video keeping us entertained) and that soon changed, with a flurry of musical goodness to end the Ghost Stories era in style! The shock announcement that Chris Martin will be covering Bono as U2's frontman, in the Irish singer's absence, due to sickness, resulted in Chris, Edge, Adam and Larry kicking off December in fine fashion by performing U2's Beautiful Day and With Or Without You during the RED concert for World AIDs Day in New York. Thousands of Coldplayers cheered in pure delight as Coldplay decided to perform a 'one-off' Ghost Stories concert in Munich, Germany, during a winter's night at the BMW Welt, where Christmas Lights made its annual return.

The band's last proper concert was celebrated at the BBC, with a capacity of just a few hundred fans present in the BBC Theater. Coldplay would return to the nearby Earl's Court a few days later, where they last performed a live concert during the Twisted Logic tour in 2005. The band had the privilege of kicking off the first ever BBC Music Awards, with their most recognisable hit of the era, A Sky Full Of Stars. A pre-recorded performance and interview at the NRJ Awards in Cannes, France signaled the end of the Ghost Stories era, as Coldplay continue their work on the seventh studio album, A Head Full Of Dreams.

Click here to view the complete Ghost Stories Live 2014 gallery!

For the Coldplayers who enjoy reading articles/summaries, we will soon be moving onto the Ghost Stories era in February article, when Coldplay uploaded a new song out of nowhere, complete with a 'trippy' music video. You can view the January summary here. You also have a unique opportunity to write a summary yourself! Please visit this thread on the forums for details on which months are available and how to reserve your spot.

google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2178348667918002";

google_ad_slot = "6330442176";

google_ad_width = 336;

google_ad_height = 280;

Rave reviews from Coldplayers who were in attendance on Saturday, at the BMW Welt, for the band's penultimate Ghost Stories show, including a gallery from the performance and exclusive audio from the concert!

Our featured reviews are from luci&lia and Cheeetaz on the forums and they both give a very detailed view of their experience. Have a read through.....

Coldplay at the BMW Welt, Munich

Review by luci&lia

There must have been some good ghost bringing me back to my computer on 6 - Dec.- 2014, high noon. Back to an open window right at that moment when one of the last returned single tickets for the Coldplay show in Munich, only a few hours later, suddenly popped up. After four weeks hopelessly trying to get tickets I still almost can’t believe I was there. So it’s easy to understand all those who did not get any tickets,they hope for vids and pics and are disappointed about less than 90 minutes show. To me in the end time is not really an issue. This Coldplay phenomenon is neither to explain in length nor in amount, there is no measuring jug for something unique like this.

Organisation

The sadness of getting no tickets for those limited Ghost Stories shows indeed is a torture for many fans, especially when you notice at the venue there were invited visitors who even not really knew the band, others who admitted they had bought from the scalpers, also from sellers who told them the event was for 400 people only. Those latest still were disappointed about a crowd of 1000, others did not know there do exist any fan forums at all - just to mention this about the “Information Age” and to agree, this "chosen" audience unfortunately did not exist of fans only.

The event organisation at the BMW Welt seemed to be missing in experience how to seperate leaving car lovers from entering concertvisitors. Online they had announced the museum would be “closed at 4:00 pm” because of the concert. A visible sign on the museum’s entry failed. People ignored the fences and were sent back person by person from the securities. At the same time inside the building the first concert visitors were sent out again for a ticket control, some could not get their jackets back from the wardrobe and had to stand out in the rain in their shirts for over half an hour. On this concertevening the song “Oceans” indeed was missing.

Location

That confusion was forgotten when we finally made it into the Auditorium. A small venue, a stage almost being disrespectful to distance. One of the security guys felt pity for us for “standing too close to those loudspeakers”. He told us stories about other artists and ended up with something like “you all here are interested in those (Coldplay) only anyway.“ Probably about this he was quite right, about the speakers he was wrong, the sound engineering was perfect.

Listening recently the GS live album and being back to a live concert now this reminded me what GS era was or still is. The whole thing, A.M.I.H. connecting to the high spirit of MX era (with Charlie Brown, Paradise,ETIAW), including the thrill of Clocks and so on. Between all those the new GS stuff never seemed displaced and the older songs never seemed to break the thread of those mysterious Ghost Stories.

The show

The setlist, the one from Royal Albert Hall in July,with little changes: without Don’t Panic, Everything’s Not Lost and Oceans, then the change for Christmaslights in the encore.

To me one more GS song except from the opener and the singles would have been welcome. The variable parts were placed very well with TheScientist and Til Kingdom Come. This Munich crowd (although they did come from U.K. , U.S., Italy, Romania, Australia and whereever else) apparently gave more heart to the classics, so the chorus during Ink indeed was missing, not to compare to that live version taped in Paris. So in the end this setlist was exactly the right one for this audience and this show.

An enthusiastic Viva going down into a dark and beautiful Midnight, that rises up again to a raging E.T.I.A.W., before it includes with Fix You four eras during four songs to one of the many highlights of this evening. Not to forget a very intensive and passionate performance of all four GS songs, especially True Love.

To be honest: if they really had played a big surprise like Ghost Story or Miracles for the first time, one of the rare O performances, a never played live song like Up With The Birds to this exclusive audience - would this not be harder to all those ticketless fans? Maybe not the most exotic setlist, on the other hand a fair one for sure.

To conclude

“Coldplay will celebrate the release of the upcoming Ghost Stories Live 2014 concert film and live album with a one-off concert at BMW Welt in Munich”, this is what it was announced. Whatever made them to play there and the policy of VIP-inviting might be a mystery and sometimes hard to understand. Still we seem to have a more commercial way of thinking like the band themselves. When we hear “release” we expect album merchandising, a bigger venue, Coldplay playing almost the complete new album maybe, plus adding a special like Ghost Story or All Your Friends, and of course the most famous classics.

I think the emphasis belongs to another word here, it is “celebrate”. Finally this is it what it turned out to. All songs played there made you feel that moment you want to hear nothing else but this song at this moment and nothing else. In ancient times before recording was invented music had this special quality we might be not aware of it anymore today: it was only there as long as it was played, by someone who was there to play it (anything else would have been a musical box). Maybe it is this special thing Coldplay make us feel again. This experience is not really to tin, not even in the best live tape. A look at the merchandise stall confirmed my impression. There were only some shirts to purchase, no live album campaigns or ads, nothing, and this some weeks before Christmas. It was clear what this evening was made for: pure music to reload energy or something “like getting some crack cocaine” - to quote Chris about the feeling playing live again after a few months. A dose of drug, one without unhealthy side effects, it is there too on the side of the crowd, a substance that consists of celebrating the moment, not of counting songs or minutes. Let's look forward to the next chance for it, any time.

Coldplay at the BMW Welt, Munich

Review by Cheeetaz

Ok guys, i'm back home. Arrived last night, got straight to bed and i'm at work right now. Since Viva is playing on the radio as i type this and the memorry is still fresh i figured why not start my review. I'm not very good at this so it will be fairly short and please dont expect too much from it. Pictures will be up tonight when i get home from work and have time to organize myself again.

Getting there:

I basically had 2 options to get to munich. Train or Plane. Car was never an option because i would have had to cover 700km in just a few hours and had no idea in advance how the weather would be. So i decided to fly there. The cheapest flight departed at 6:35 in the morning on Saturday. Got up at 4, drove an hour to the airport and hopped on board. Quick 1 hour flight and i was in munich. As the sun began to rise i began to deccent back through the clouds into darkness, cold and rain. Great, not.

I then quickly got to my hotel and checked in. Since i waited until a week before the show i had to take what i could get. In my case, a very cheap, old hostel. One night was enough...

Munich:

After i checked into my hostel i went to the BMW Welt to make sure i know how to get there by subway and to chek out the place. It was 10am and i had the whole day in front of me. I took a quick walk through the Olympicpark. Pretty cold and windy... *freeeeezing* It was weird when i tried to imagine that the Olympics took place there in 1972.

After i almost froze to death and walked miles i decided it was time to get some food and load my phone back at my stay for the night. So i did just that.

The Show:

It was about 1pm when i made my way to the Welt for the thing i was there for in the first place. When i arrived at around 2pm there were 40-50 people waiting. I met Max aka. Lost Boy who i gave my spare ticket to and we walked around the Welt for a bit just enjoing the place.

Well, then the hole number and list confusion started. I dont want to get in it to deep because it will just confuse me again and it probably will confuse you too.

All i know is it was pretty much a chaos and very, very unorganized.

Greetings to the lady from Poland who almost started fighting and throwing punches at people. Maybe you should think about starting some kind of meditation routine to calm yourself down.

After all the madness, which resulted in one girl getting transported to the hospital, we finally got in and i got a pretty good spot in the middle/2nd row. We sat down and waited another 1 1/2 hours. Thank god it wasnt as hot as it was in Cologne earlier this year.

At 7pm it was finally time to rock. The show was pretty similiar to Cologne. Same stage, pretty much same setlist. No surprises. I loved how Chris was telling stories and jokes every few minutes. You could really tell they had a great time.

So did i. Obviously it was no comparrison to the RAH show but at the end of the day you cant really compare these two. I mean, the RAH is just one of the best venues in the world and since there were only seats back in July i had space to move and yell and dance like crazy. You cant do all that when you have 5 people sorrounding you in not even a square meter of space.

Afterall the show was great, the band was in an awesome mood and i had a lot of fun. I hoped they would play Ghost Story or change the setlist a bit. But anyway, it is what it is.

A lot of people are complaining about the fact they only played 75-80 minutes. Yes, its not that long. If you fly in just for the show and spent 100Euro just on the ticket you could expect a little more and certainly i wouldnt have hated it. But again, it is what it is. Maybe they'll have a longer setlist during the next real tour.

Also dont forget they played Christmas Lights after they finished the encore. They usually dont do that. Chris was struggling a lot with Christmas Lights, which wasnt a bad thing. He had to play the last few notes 3 or 4 times until he got it.

The show was just finished and i was just heading back to the main area of the Welt when i spotted Phil sorrounded by a lot of people. Got in line, took a few pictures and waited for thim to sign something for me. Unfortunately i have no idea what happened to my ticket. After i got in and sat down i must have lost it somewhere. I havent seen it again since.

All i had with me for Phil to sign was my temporary ID i got just a few weeks earlier. Why not?

Phil was obviously a bit confused about what i asked him to sign. You could easily see he thought somehting like "what the hell is this"

He asked for my name and signed my ID anyway. When i told him it was my ID he looked even more confused. Well, who wouldnt.

And because i forgot it in the heat of the moment: Thank You Phil, it is much appreciated.

After the show i met again with Becky, Frank aka fraetes, and Oz. We chatted a bit, relived what just had happened and then decided to go for some food and a drink to some place in the city. We ended up at a small place where some birthday or something took place and where the owner looked like Tony Soprano. Kim Dotcom was there too!

So, that is about it. Flew home last night at 9:45 and was happy to get some good sleep in my very own bed.

Finally, huge greetings to Oz (hope you got some sleep and had a safe trip back home), Max aka. Lost Boy (it was great meeting you in person and thanks for showing me the Welt), Frank aka. fraetes (Thanks for a great trip to the airport at midnight , taking me to my Hotel afterwards and the great music during the ride) and of course Becky (Thanks for your overall great companion and introducing me to Glühwein...)

When the year began i hadnt met anyone of you before. Now it becomes more and more clear to me, this isnt just about the band and their music, it's about meeting great people in great places and having unforgettable experiences together.

I had an amazing time with all of you this past weekend and it was a perfect way to end the year.

See you all again very soon!!

Oopps, looks like it is longer than i expected it to be...

Spelling mistakes are yours to keep.

Gallery

Thank you to the Coldplayers who posted on the social and the forums, with great images from the BMW Welt concert and in particular to galle69 for a large portion of them!

[nggallery id=1038]

Audio Download

Thanks to KaeEM for the audio of the show!

You can find the link on the forums, here

google_ad_client = "ca-pub-2178348667918002";

google_ad_slot = "6330442176";

google_ad_width = 336;

google_ad_height = 280;

Coldplay's frontman sang to the most famous of U2 classics, With Or Without You! in what was arguably the highlight of the historical evening. Chris Martin put his heart and soul into the performance, summed up perfectly by the image below.Just before leaving the stage, the leader singer of Coldplay expressed his thanks to The Edge, Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen JR as well as sending his love to Bono!The whole event escalated very quickly with both sets of U2 and Coldplay fans only finding out approx. 5 hours before the RED event was due to take place, due to Bono's recovery. Many fans were bewildered by the announcement and it was met with huge delight through the Coldplaying community. Let us know what you think by voting below![socialpoll id=2235077]The charity event for World AIDS Day also included Carrie Underwood, Kayne West. Remember to donate and pledge your support for RED :

Well that was quite a moment. If you enjoyed it, please donate at http://t.co/wsH7zpZEpF. A #onestep4RED @RED pic.twitter.com/lYEgrf8cn5

— Coldplay (@coldplay) December 2, 2014

The Coldplaying.com Live 2014 gallery is now online! Hundreds of pictures, showing highlights of the band's live shows from the past year as they travelled across many major cities such as Los Angeles, New York, London and Paris for their Ghost Stories 'mini tour' are now online for your viewing pleasure!

Relive the intimate shows in picture form before the Ghost Stories Live 2014 film set is upon us later this month. Many thanks go to the amazing Coldplayers on the forums who have posted these throughout this era of Coldplay's music.

Click here to go straight to the new Live 2014 gallery now!

The Live galleries for 2013, 2012, 2011, 2010 and 2009 are all available to view in addition to various Coldplay images. Live shows pre-2009 are on the way still and once the full Coldplaying Gallery is completed, there will be an staggering 128,000+ images of our favourite band! I doubt even our most serious of browsers on the site would be able to go through that in a short space of time so bit by bit, we will delve further in Coldplay's live archive. Enjoy!

A Sky Full of Your Stars!

We'd love to see your origami star once you've made it. Please tweet us a photo (ideally taken somewhere interesting…) using #ASFOSstar. A

— Coldplay (@coldplay) July 18, 2014

This is the sort of thing you're aiming for with your origami #ASFOSstar (instructions: http://t.co/R25hzNKDVE) A pic.twitter.com/VwhtE22FsQ

— Coldplay (@coldplay) July 18, 2014

#MTVHottest #ASFOSstar Re-tweet for those of us who aren't as artistically inclined! pic.twitter.com/cmI4rjZwML

— Coldplay News (@coldplaying) July 20, 2014

Coldplay at the Royal Albert Hall

We will have a look at the highlights, fan reviews and media from the Coldplay fans who saw the Magic before their eyes as the band completed their final venue of the intimate Ghost Stories shows. This was the setlist for both shows....

It was however, worth every moment for those who were even lucky enough to go and see both shows! The first show can heard and downloaded here, recorded from the Absolute radio stream most of us who couldn't attend that night listened to. In the 2nd show, Chris Martin shouts "its just you and its just us, and nothing could be bettter", in addition to his usual One Direction jokes! Jonny also took center stage during Don't Panic, on the leading vocals an extra time for the 2nd show! You can watch the videos from inaseperatesky on Youtube for the 1st July and myself for the 2nd July :

Both occasions almost lifted the roof off the whole Theater, the highlights of both nights for many indeed. Fans of uninterrupted live Coldplay would of preferred Til Kingdom Come the second time round. The first performance was interrupted by a screaming Coldplayer in a comedic fashion, the same as the 'ostrich moment' at the Sydney show. There was a fan screaming towards the back of the stalls but it was too far and not loud enough for Chris to hear! There were minor variations all around with song dedications throughout on both nights, including a moving one during Fix You. The reviews from delighted Coldplayers across the globe will tell you more!

Coldplayer reviews - 1st July

Short and sweet review by hayachris on the forums :

And a gallery from hayachris' pics and various other fan pics, thank you for posting!

[soliloquy id=35217]

Coldplayer reviews - 2nd July

This one is going to be a long one as most Coldplayers attended the gig on the 2nd July!

The Master/Hannah on Coldplaying posted an outstanding review on the forums. This one is best viewed within the forums due to the layout and the spoiler tags!

Amazing in depth review from nev72 on the forums :

Our excellent and regular reviewer, Batman/Thalia looks back at her experience!

Finally, check out the stunning HD photos of the final gig on Coldplay.com here!

Don't Ever Let Go

Share your memories with us, by posting on the forum thread for each show on this section on the forum or let us know via Facebook below. The band outdid themselves once again, it was truly out of this world!

Coldplay live 2012

The Coldplaying gallery has been updated with 10,000+ images from Coldplay's 2012 live performances! The gallery, upon competition, will have over 128,000 images with 950+ galleries! One of the biggest galleries online, dedicated all to Coldplay!

2012 was the year we saw Coldplay's groundbreaking Mylo Xyloto tour in full swing. Jason Regler's invention, the Xyloband was the focal point of the tour, lighting up stadiums across the world in spectacular style! For Mr Regler himself, he was almost declared bankrupt before the Xyloband idea. His dreams soon took off with his invention and before he knew it, he was touring the world with Coldplay.

Coldplay conquered the world once more in 2012, travelling across the globe to places such as Rio in Brazil, Sydney in Australia and Munich in Germany. A landmark destination for the band was Madrid and Paris, where the Live 2012 DVD was filmed in front of ten's of thousands of Xyloband wearing Coldplayers! Paradise was Coldplay's big hit off Mylo Xyloto. You can watch the band perform Paradise from 'Live 2012' below!

Another highlight from the 'Live 2012' DVD was their intimate but thunderous performance of Violet Hill

The UK hosted the Olympics the same year, in addition to the Paralympics, which Coldplay had the pleasure of running the closing ceremony to end the complete Olympic games of 2012 in style! Their performance also featured Jay-z and Rihanna, who was on hand to perform Princess of China with the band. The video is over 2 hours long (Coldplay start playing around 40 minutes in) so connecting your HDMI cable to the TV and bringing out the popcorn is best advised! It was different to other Coldplay shows we have seen, with the unique visuals and songs brought back such as 42.

Live 2012 Gallery

Here it is, the Coldplay Live 2012 gallery! Enjoy over 10,000 images from the course of 2012. This may bring you back memories of the shows you went to. Please leave a comment below (Facebook social plugin) and tell us your Coldplay live 2012 memories!

http://www.coldplaying.com/gallery/coldplay-live/coldplay-live-2012/

It has been a few days since Coldplay released the official music video for 'Magic' and we have received an overwhelming positive response. over 60% of our forum users have voted the video 10/10 while another 27% have voted either 8 or 9 out of 10! The perfect figure is even higher on our website poll.

Have something to say about the music video? Do you rank it high up with other Coldplay videos like Paradise, Fix You and Scientist or are you disappointed in the approach of the video?

Here is the spectacular gallery for the video with all the best snaps!

(Thanks to the escapist, jonny and the cake, coldplay respect! and febrian)

[soliloquy id=22499]

Here are some more photos, this time from behind the set of the 'Magic'

(Thanks febrian)

[soliloquy id=22519]

And a special treat....

This edited photo was found on tumbler with shows our own Jonny Buckland making a special appearance!

Sean Penn's Help Haiti Home Gala, which took place on Sunday (12th January) at the Montage Beverly Hills, saw Chris Martin spend $650,000/£395,000 on a painting of a heart shaped balloon, by the British street artist Banksy. Full discussion on this is at the Coldplay forum now [thanks Tash, walewein]Chris and his wife Gwyneth Paltrow were amongst celebrities who attended this star-packed evening. Chris Martin left the gala with the 39 x 48' wood panel. The Heart Balloon is a variation of the New York street piece which appeared last October during Banksy's month long residency "Better Out Than In."Chris was seen using his bidding paddle for the work of art bidding against E! chat show host Chelsea Handler. He put in the final bid a record price for a Banksy work of this type.

Blimey... Chris Martin just bid $600,000 for a new Banksy painting at Sean Penn Haiti fundraiser. Gwyneth giggling...

— Piers Morgan (@piersmorgan) January 12, 2014

#banksy 4 seanpenn #helphaitihome @armani goes for $650K 2 #chrismartin amazing!! http://t.co/qPXlEdfkGX

— Krista Smith (@KristaSmith) January 12, 2014

Coldplay played a secret gig at the Ring O'Bells pub in the Somerset village of Compton Martin near Blagdon, England last night (16th December) to an audience of a hundred people in an apparent warm-up show for the forthcoming Under1Roof gig on Thursday.The setlist according to photos was: Yellow, Clocks, The Scientist, God Put A Smile Upon Your Face, Viva La Vida, Charlie Brown, Paradise, Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall and Christmas Lights.Full discussion on this secret event is at the Coldplay Live forum now [thanks cleeson7, Tash, The Master, gai, TraceOddity, Lodder]Cleeson7 wrote:

Locals were reported to have been turned away from the Ring O'Bells pub because Coldplay were performing, however an article from ITV suggested that the pub confirmed that all the 'real regulars' were allowed to stay and watch. The MailOnline however, posted a different slant. They said:

I'm told locals @Ring_O_Bells involved in big argument after being "kicked out" and told to drink in another pub because @coldplay were in

— Rupert Evelyn (@rupertevelyn) December 16, 2013

Wow!! @coldplay just casually playing Ring O' Bells #onlypubinthevillage pic.twitter.com/TdB1EzxIRf

— Parlophone Records (@parlophone) December 16, 2013

what a great night :) The band were in fine form - small intimate and LOUD

— Jason Regler (@Jayreg1969) December 17, 2013

Six feet away from Coldplay in a pub. Extraordinary experience. @ring_o_bells pic.twitter.com/NNqqYE7DfU

— Rob Baker (@robnitm) December 16, 2013

rubbish photo but just watched @coldplay in a pub with 99 people amazing way to end an amazing year thanks @levvis_ pic.twitter.com/18dlBQxjt4

— Pete Smith (@PetePoweron) December 16, 2013

Chris Martin and Michael J. Fox performed together on stage at a fundraiser for the Michael J. Fox Foundation for Parkinson's Research, on 9th November at the Waldorf-Astoria hotel in New York City. Full discussion on this event is at the Coldplay forum here onwards [thanks gai, Tash, coldplaii13, Charlie B]

Wrote The Wall Street Journal in review:

New photos of Chris Martin with Michael J. Fox at Fox Gala, New York (9 November):

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

Chris Martin gave a solo performance at LA's Hotel Café on Tuesday night (5th November) during a low-key set, and unwittingly put on a comedy show to boot. More discussion on this performance is at the Coldplay forum and also the multimedia forum where you can download the best and latest versions of the songs performed. Read on for reviews, photos and videos... [thanks jeremyy, teernabh5, gai, wabbit, Coeurli, wisna, 563JD, play, Comicforce]Writes ContactMusic: "Chris can be seen in one video settling down behind his piano to applause and beginning to play the first few bars of Clocks - however, he hits a wrong note and rather than styling it out and carrying on he stops playing. "Let me just preface this by saying I might be a little rusty on this one and I'm missing my band which is sad, y'know?" He tells the audience, who are laughing raucously. "I have to practice this because on Saturday I'm doing a concert in New York with Michael J. Fox for his Parkinsons charity and I get to play songs from 'Back To The Future' with him. Which is great for me because that's what got me into music and without that film there wouldn't be this song."He kicks into the performance again and makes it into the first verse but this time he stops because he thinks he's got the words wrong. He rustles about in his music sheets before deciding that he actually got the words right. The crowd begins to laugh more and Martin pleads jokingly: "Please don't put this on YouTube - I know someone already fucking has!"After finally managing to finish 'Clocks,' Chris picked up his guitar and gave a performance of his "favourite Bob Dylan song," 'Simple Twist of Fate,' and returns to his comfort zone with a performance of 'Viva La Vida' and 'Atlas'. Chris is about to play 'Paradise' when he realises that he has forgotten to tune a guitar. "I haven't tuned my own guitar since 1986," he admits sheepishly whilst twanging away. After several fruitless attempts, he is forced to give up and ask for another guitar. With little more luck with this one, Chris has his original guitar handed back to him and he settles for an intimate performance of 'The Scientist.'

Oh you know, just the usual. Seeing Chris Martin play to 100 people at Hotel Cafe. @coldplay… http://t.co/Bi49OCIJb5

— Boulevard Recording (@BlvdRecording) November 6, 2013

1 guy from Coldplay. 150 people at Hotel Cafe. Still not sure how I lucked out to be one of them.… http://t.co/XgeAnfGU8b

— Lindsey Dupuis (@LindseyDupuis) November 6, 2013

More questions answered by The Oracle... (circa. 5000! questions now answered - submit yours now. Also via Twitter!)

October 31, 2013 - submitted by Anna, United States of America

Q. Greetings mighty Oracle, Can you tell me why the Don't Panic single was never... popular I guess? Eg. it's not on the website. Can you tell me about Without Parachutes? Is Harmless the only new song on it? When was it released? All that.

The Oracle replies:

Don't Panic was not a single; it was released in a few territories only so it doesn't count on our discography. There are a few other select releases missing in that respect. Without Parachutes isn't on our discography either because it's unofficial, unauthorized - call it what you will - and has no rights to have an unreleased song on it at all. Harmless is not "new", it was a demo that was leaked from recording sessions around 2001/2. It was discarded and never released on any album, single, E.P etc.

October 31, 2013 - submitted by German , Mexico

Q. Let me tell you that Mexicans are ones of the most intense fans of worldwide bands. Simply, Metallica and Muse had been here for long periods giving sold-out concerts. So, do you still think that coming here is worthless?

The Oracle replies:

Woah! Hang on, German we have NEVER said that and have NEVER thought that so not sure why you're under that impression. The band love Mexico and always have a great show there. They have played the country several times and have been not only to Mexico City but Guadalajara and Monterrey too. They will be back I'm sure.

October 30, 2013 - submitted by Arianna, Italy

Q. Hi Oracle :) Who is Dave the cat? Where does he live?

The Oracle replies:

Dave is the cat belonging to Rik Simpson so she (yes, she is a female) lives with him but does accompany him to the studio sometimes - he lives pretty close.

October 30, 2013 - submitted by Em, Great Britain

Q. Hi, Pleeeaseee, can you tell me where could I see a video of Chris in a top hat? And as I remember he was playing accordion/harmonica.

The Oracle replies:

At first I thought you meant

October 30, 2013 - submitted by Kerry, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, As much as I hate people who ask questions that aren't about the band, I feel the need to become one of them. How do you tell your girlfriend that you hate her perfume? I don't consider this issue big enough for a break up, but I can't keep smelling that awful stuff every time I'm with her. Even if you don't choose to answer this, I at least hope I made you smile with my ridiculous problem.

The Oracle replies:

I have to confess my initial reaction was to laugh! However, now I'm thinking how terrible that situation would be. I have three suggestions: 1. Tell her. Obviously don't hurt her feelings but gently explain how you feel. I don't think she'd want to wear something you hate; 2. Sneeze a lot and claim you're allergic to it; 3. Buy her a new scent that you like & think she will too. If you decide to tell her why, that's up to you. Have a think, if this was the other way around, how would you like her to approach the subject. Don't assume she will be happy about it though - it's all about your delivery of this news. p.s No need to hate people who ask non-band related questions - we encourage that.

October 29, 2013 - submitted by Matt P, United Kingdom

Q. Hello Mighty Oracle, I know it's been mentioned on here before that Coldplay only played a handful of shows before they were signed, but how many completed songs did they have at that point, and did any of them make it onto an album? Thank you so much!

The Oracle replies:

The total number of songs depends on whether the band were counting discarded songs. Their set list was short and as you may know, they had so few songs to perform live at their first shows that they would sometimes play a song twice. The Safety EP consisted of 3 songs and they followed that up with a tape of 2 (Ode to Deodorant and Brothers & Sisters) but there was another cassette before these demos existed that contained about 5 other tracks. They didn't play all of these live but of those 10, only 2 made it on to an album; Don't Panic and High Speed were both on Parachutes. There may have been more songs that were never recorded but to my knowledge, this is their repertoire circa 1998.

October 29, 2013 - submitted by Anna, United States of America

Q. Greetings, Oracle :) In the liner notes for the A Rush of Blood to the Head CD, on the copyright page, it says "The scientist is Dan." Can you explain this to me? Who is he, why, etc.?

The Oracle replies:

This has cropped up before: here and here. I do recall at the time Dan was going through a painful break-up (as was I) and that was somewhat the inspiration behind the song.

October 28, 2013 - submitted by ColdplayFeels, twitter

Q. Hi dear Oracle. Have the boys ever considered making another Acoustic album, perhaps longer? Can you or Anchorman sing?

The Oracle replies:

Another? Coldplay haven't ever released an official acoustic album. There was a free giveaway known as Acoustic. It was a promo E.P (extended player), not an L.P (long player). Yes, Anchorman and myself can both sing though there haven't been any duets as yet.

October 28, 2013 - submitted by Margaret, United States of America

Q. This is probably a stupid question, but: Sometimes you said you ask the band or Phil for answers to questions. Besides that and work, do you guys ever just hang out and chat? Go places together? Or is it always business?

The Oracle replies:

It's not a stupid question. Sometimes we do, sometimes it may not be all of us at the same time. I suppose like other people who work together, we sometimes play together. There may be parties or occasions where we find ourselves together and obviously there are work social occasions too. We once had a paintballing day out - that was just an excuse to hang out away from work as there aren't all that many opportunities. Everyone has their own stuff going on outside of work of course - family, friends etc. so one of the best ways to hang out is during a tour. For example, I may hop on board a day trip to France to see their show. It means you can catch up at the airport or on the plane. It's not uncommon to have a friend or family member along for the ride - it's always a great way to spend a day.

October 28, 2013 - submitted by Phil, twitter

Q. Did Chris have a guide as to what Atlas had to sound like due to it being for a film? Phil.

The Oracle replies:

The band don't write to order but obviously being familiar with the book and films in general helps when writing for a soundtrack. It's not necessary to explain how a song should be or what's expected. That may be true for ad agencies and clients who do request jingles or soundbeds to be a certain way but personally, I think it'd be pretty insulting to ask that of a band with an impressive back catalogue when inviting them to create a soundtrack. That's the key - like most "jobs", you wouldn't ask someone to do something if you didn't think they could deliver.

New photos of Chris Martin on Santa Monica pier with fans (27th October 2013):

More questions answered by The Oracle... (circa. 5000! questions now answered - submit yours now. Also via Twitter!)

October 24, 2013 - submitted by Saakshi, India

Q. Hey Oracle! Can you please confirm the date when Mylo Xyloto released? Was it 19th October or 24th October? Also, which is your favourite song from the album? I'll be very glad if you answer my question. Thank You, Saakshi

The Oracle replies:

It depends what territory you live in. For example, the release day for albums in Japan is Wednesday. However, in the UK it's Monday (sometimes Sunday) and in the U.S it's Tuesday. This means that MX was released in Japan on the 19th, the U.K on the 24th and the U.S on the 25th. There were other release dates for other territories.

October 24, 2013 - submitted by filiprasmusson, twitter

Q. @filiprasmusson Is there any reason that only Chris performed Atlas?

The Oracle replies:

For anyone that missed the news, Atlas received this year's Hollywood Song Award. Chris collected the award & performed the song at the ceremony (21 October). In answer, it was purely a logistical decision. Chris has performed at such events on his own before - or with Jonny. Atlas worked perfectly with just Chris singing at a piano. It was a fantastic performance.

October 24, 2013 - submitted by Olivia, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, What's the strangest question you've ever been asked on here? P.S. Do you know of anywhere I could watch Coldplay's performance on Hollywood Film Awards?

The Oracle replies:

Too many strange ones to be honest (no offence, chaps!). I have watched it online, albeit a shaky, amateur phone recording. We haven't got an official link so it's a case of searching the web. It's not the band by the way, just Chris & a piano.

October 23, 2013 - submitted by Ethan, United States of America

Q. Hello Oracle, I hope all is well, I am just curious is there such an instrument that made the beginning /main sound in Life in Technicolor? Have a great day, Ethan

The Oracle replies:

Absolutely. The opening of the

October 23, 2013 - submitted by Forrest, United States of America

Q. Ok so I went and listened to Brian Eno's track An Ending (Ascent) that you posted and it sounds exactly like the music that was playing in a World War II museum I went to in New Orleans. Was it? There was this room that was showing footage of the atom bombs the U.S. dropped on Japan and I remember music playing that was so moving for the terrible things on screen. Was it this song??

The Oracle replies:

I've never been so I don't know! Have you called the museum and asked? I was at Disney when I was younger and wanted to track down a piece of music I heard in the Epcot Centre but nobody knew, so they may not be able to answer you. Shame they didn't have app like Shazam, it would have saved me years of searching. Anyway, An Ending (Ascent) was taken from the album Apollo: Atmospheres and Soundtracks, I suggest you listen to that in case it's on there. You never know, it could be what you're looking for. As an aside, the music was also used on the film For All Mankind that I have mentioned previously.

October 23, 2013 - submitted by Ian, United Kingdom

Q. Hi Oracle, I was listening to Mechanical Bull, Kings of Leon's new album. Their track Temple sounds very, very similar to Don Quixote/Spanish Rain... It seems to have a very similar tempo, chord sequence and sound. Not to say that Coldplay will, but could the band legally question the song's similarity to a track they did not officially release? Have the band ever questioned other artists from pinching their music, or is it a touchy subject? Many thanks in advance! Jamie

The Oracle replies:

Really? When I first heard Don Quixote/Spanish Rain I said it sounded like Kings of Leon so I'd say you have that the wrong way around. Not that it matters because songs are bound to have similar chord progressions and tempos to others as there aren't infinite numbers of either. I hadn't heard Temple so I decided I should. This is not and never would be a legal issue at all not just because of the friendship between bands but because as far as my ears can tell, there's no issue full stop. There's a fine line between plagiarism and similarity and if it's anything, it's the latter. It's not always a case of "pinching"; semblance does not necessarily mean theft. As you know, Coldplay have always credited their sources and paid royalties in accordance. Whether a song is released is a grey area - but as it exists and has been heard, one could argue by whom, when & where. Hard to prove but I'd like to think that if somebody knowingly takes a sample or whatever, they'll pay for it. That's how we would always do things around here as we're a moral, decent bunch. I've written jokes, slogans and thoughts that I may never have publicly performed to large audiences but they've appeared in the ether. I'd say that us humans aren't all that unique and it's highly likely someone else had the same idea that I did. Same goes for music. It's not an impossibility.

October 22, 2013 - submitted by Teresa, India

Q. Hello Oracle! I came across Brian Eno's track An Ending (Ascent) yesterday and could have sworn I've heard it in the opening of a Coldplay track but I can't remember which one! Google says a portion of it was used as a run-up to Politik on the AROBTTH tour, but I can't shake the feeling that I've heard it as an actual part of a track, on one of the albums! Please put my doubts to rest, won't you? :) Hope you're having a great week! Love from India.

The Oracle replies:

October 22, 2013 - submitted by Carrie, United States of America

Q. Just a quick question. Do Coldplay actually pen their own music to paper during the writing process and then refine it or, do they have recordings of songs in various stages and put them down on paper after the music is refined? Or is it neither or both?? Many thanks!

The Oracle replies:

Chris writes the lyrics down and maybe notes for chords and whatnot but as he can't read music, he can't write it either.

October 22, 2013 - submitted by Tyler , twitter

Q. How much influence, if any, did Oasis have on Coldplay?

The Oracle replies:

Oasis were a MASSIVE influence on Coldplay. Mind you, I'd wager that was the same for every indie / rock band around that time.

October 21, 2013 - submitted by Isabelle, France

Q. Hello Oracle! Can you tell me why How You See The World have 2 versions? And only 1 on colplaying.com ? I'm very curious about the story of this song :-) Thanks a lot! Isa

The Oracle replies:

I think you mean Coldplay.com? Coldplaying is an unofficial fan site so I can't comment on their content.

The first version of the song appeared on the Japanese release of X&Y as a bonus track. Chris re-recorded vocals with new lyrics for the second version that was re-written for the Help!: A Day in the Life album. The version we have on our site (the b side to The Hardest Part) is listed as it appears on the sleeve as How You See The World but it is actually no. 2.

October 21, 2013 - submitted by Josh, United Kingdom

Q. I saw in an interview that Coldplay used to be called Trombolese. Free from desire by Gala just came on shuffle and I noticed when the singer says "strong beliefs" it sounds weirdly like trombolese. This song also came out around the time the band was formed. Could this hilariously be the inspiration behind the shortlived band name?

The Oracle replies:

Tsk, tsk! Josh if you're going to send the same question FIVE months after I have answered it, prepare to do some detention. Drop and give me fifty! We do have an Oracle search option so if in doubt, check there first.

Latest photos of fans (@Bignells and marina_) meeting Coldplay at the Bakery/Beehive (11th/15th October)

More questions answered by The Oracle... (circa. 5000! questions now answered - submit yours now. Also via Twitter!)

October 17, 2013 - submitted by Cindy, Indonesia

Q. Hi Oracle :) I was just wondering about the instrument Will used in Up In Flames-- what is its name? It sounds so unique! :D

The Oracle replies:

Will is playing electronic drums on that track - nothing more exotic than that I'm afraid.

October 17, 2013 - submitted by Frances, United States of America

Q. Hello Oracle! I know that Will began playing drums when the other person didn't show up, and we know that Will is the fabulous drummer he is today, but do you think that other person regrets not showing up, or do you think he probably thinks nothing of it? Thanks!

The Oracle replies:

Do you know, until you mentioned it, it has never occurred to me. I don't even know who the guy is! I wonder what became of him? Hopefully he's very happy and doesn't regret not being home when the band popped round. If I get a chance to ask the guys at some point, that's definitely a question worth asking!

October 17, 2013 - submitted by Christian, United States of America

Q. I'm on my way to Mars - Racks by Young Chris - "And guess what, in 30 seconds I'm leaving to Mars" - Price Tag by Jessie J Ft. B.O.B.; 30 Seconds to Mars (The band's name itself) - They'll be tearing us apart moving us to Mars - Moving to Mars by Coldplay. ...and I swear I've heard from other mainstream artists lyrics related with going to Mars or leaving Earth. My question is: Is it coincidence? Why do artists nowadays sing about this? Are the label companies have a conspiracy behind this? My Government professor told me that big label companies tell artists what to write about because the message thrown out is what these companies want it to be. I ask these because I love Coldplay so much that I would like to know everything behind their written lyrics. Looking forward to know when are they playing in Mexico. Thank you Oracle! (By the way, why do you use an owl as your symbol?)

The Oracle replies:

No offence to your government professor but what utter nonsense! Labels don't dictate what to write about and what possible gain would there be for singing about planet Mars? It's not even coincidence, it's just something that interests people. Ok it's more niche and not as popular as songs resonating about love but outer space - especially Mars - has always been of fascination to us earthlings. David Bowie deserves special mention. His incredible Space Oddity, The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders from Mars plus Life on Mars? showed a repeated theme but I assure you there was no label cajoling him him into writing about the subject. The owl is considered wise...

October 16, 2013 - submitted by Lara, Netherlands

Q. Hello :3 I was just thinking about buying something from the Coldplay store, but I cant find how much the shipping cost ;o And because I'm from Holland, maybe that will be very expensive, so do you know where I can find that? Thanks already

The Oracle replies:

To give you a rough idea, if I chose to buy a cap, the shipping to the U.K would be £3.

There are quite a few steps before the payment page so rather than look at the shipping costs in the HELP section of the shop, all you need to do is select what you'd like to buy and follow all the instructions on the screen. When you click checkout you'll have to sign in or as a new customer enter your name and address. Click "next step" to see a summary. Below the summary is the option to select (from a drop down box) your shipping option. Click "next step" to calculate your total which will show on the following payment page. Until you enter credit card details, you haven't bought anything so don't be afraid to try it.

October 16, 2013 - submitted by Evelien, Belgium

Q. 'I would do anything for love, but I won't do that', Meat Loaf sings. What is it that he won't do?

The Oracle replies:

Funnily I was discussing Meat Loaf with friends recently. We were talking about Jim Steinman who in fact wrote most of Meat's songs including this one. It appears that even Jim hasn't revealed a specific "that". There are conflicting reports that it was meant to be ambiguous vs. it should have been "and I won't do that" which would completely change its meaning. Maybe it's whatever you want it to be?

October 16, 2013 - submitted by Giorgi, Georgia

Q. Hi dear Oracle, On this link at 0:20, listen what does he say? "Sakartvelo"? I really wonder what he said because it sounds like Sakartvelo and it's my country's name. Thanks a lot.

The Oracle replies:

This show was filmed in Madrid and so what you hear is Chris repeating what he says at 0.18 - "Let's jump together" - in Spanish: "Saltar por favor" which means 'jump please'.

October 15, 2013 - submitted by Carrie, United States of America

Q. Hello there :) I have been wondering lately about how Will joined the band. He didn't play drums until he joined so how did it all come about? Was he friends with the others beforehand? If he didn't play the drums previous to joining, what was his role going to be in the band? If you think about the info out there, it kind of sounds like they were all sitting around one day, talking about who they could get to drum and Will said, "I've never played but I'll give it a go," and the rest were all, "Well... okay. Sure. Why not?" Also, according to Wikipedia (which is always true HAHA), Will joined the band on July 31, 1997, which is a very specific date (and not just Harry Potter's birthday but Will's birthday also!) Is there a story behind it that could be shared? Would you mind filling in the story of Will joining Coldplay a little bit for all of us? Thank you so much! Carrie, Houston, TX

The Oracle replies:

Yes, Will knew the others; he & Chris used to busk on guitars together. I have no idea of the exact date that Will joined the band or what date in 1998 the following occurred. Will's flatmate was supposed to drum on some tracks for Chris, Jonny & Guy but when they went round to their flat, he wasn't in. They waited a while and eventually Will (being the multi-instrumentalist as he is) said that although he wasn't a drummer if they were stuck, he'd give it a go. The rest, as they say, is history.

October 15, 2013 - submitted by Ari G, United States of America

Q. Hello Oracle, I was watching a video on YouTube of The Police at the Live Earth concert playing Message In A Bottle featuring John Mayer, and they pan to a shot of the crowd and in the front row I could have sworn it was Phil looking very happy to be there. Is this him?

The Oracle replies:

Yes! Good spot, Ari. A close friend of the band & team was heavily involved in the project and

October 14, 2013 - submitted by Abby , United States of America

Q. Hello! Just a weird question. Does Coldplay travel with a nurse/health professional? I work for a production company but am getting my nursing degree in college. Just thought that combo would be pretty rad. Thanks!

The Oracle replies:

Ha! Nice try, Abby. If you think about how often the band may need medical assistance on the road, a health care professional would be surplus to those requirements for much of the time. Their personal trainer travels with them but a nurse / doctor is on a need basis only.

October 14, 2013 - submitted by Anna Maria, Thailand

Q. Hey Oracle! I recently came across a clip from a Family Guy episode (I think it's a sort of The Simpsons spinoff...) and the character said "I got kicked out of Coldplay" and it showed a clip of him and a cartoon version of Chris, Will, Guy and Jonny, and the character said "Hey guys, why don't we write a song that's not whiny bullcrap?"??? What is this madness!? How on earth did the producers get permission to say something like that?! I'm sorry, Oracle, but I am very upset about this. And I am never going to watch Family Guy. (It should be Family Guy Berryman! :) )

The Oracle replies:

Don't be upset - it's called freedom of speech. Just see it as artistic license. There have been far worse things said about people on that show and that's not the only time Coldplay have come under fire.

Though I also don't like the derogatory comments about the band, (fiercely loyal, proud and defensive) Family Guy is still one of my favourite shows. It is not a spin off by the way. It's of far more adult content and nothing to do with The Simpsons. Family Guy was created by Seth MacFarlane many years after Matt Groening created The Simpsons. FYI Coldplay have made a guest appearance in The Simpsons.

Latest photos of fans (@Bignells and marina_) meeting Coldplay at the Bakery/Beehive (11th/15th October)

Tinie Tempah recently gave a video interview with NME to discuss his second album 'Demonstration'. In the interview, Tinie talked, amongst other things, about working with Chris Martin. [thanks Open, Politik]

During the interview Tinie said said: "One of the people I really wanted on the record was Chris Martin. I went to his studio, and played him a lot of the record and played him the record I could 'hear him on' and he gave me all this feedback on what he thought, what he really liked, and didn't like so much. We spoke a couple of after that as well. It was a really great experience, especially when I still consider myself quite a new artist so to be in that environment, getting pearls and jems from someone who's been in the business a long time and had a lot of success and longevity was incredible."

Speaking of the NME, they have released its list of the Top 500 Albums of All Time, and Coldplay feature twice; A Rush Of Blood To The Head is 266th and Parachutes is 272nd. If you want to see the full 500 list, you can now via the Consequence of Sound website. [thanks guda4siempre]

Apparently, say COS, voting was done rather last minute, and the magazine got in touch with writers and staff from years past to compile their personal lists before tallying up all the votes. The No.1 record was The Smiths’ The Queen Is Dead is the greatest album of all time, ahead of The Beatles (Revolver) and David Bowie (Hunky Dory).

Next, Houston Press have named Coldplay the #1 artist to 'stop hating on', in an online article written recently. The other top five artists you 'need to stop hating' are Yoko Ono, Drake, Creed and unsurprisingly - Nickelback. [thanks Texas Rez]

Houston Press wrote: "Confession time - I actually love Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends, which was a damn good pop album no matter how you slice it. Brian Eno's lush production didn't hurt matters any either. Frankly, hating on Coldplay is just as played out as hating on any other band on this list, except it's even worse because they've done nothing so egregious as the others here.

Why do people hate Coldplay then? Some of it seems to be their preachy attitude. Admittedly, they wear their causes on their sleeves, and it can get almost as grating as listening to Bono or George Clooney. But there's nothing wrong with that! We just don't like it because it makes us feel bad for not being so charitable in our own lives.

It would be fine to hate Coldplay based solely on their music, though, except that their music is actually pretty good. They're talented, ambitious songwriters who work with some of the best artists in the business to build their music. Some of it may come out trite, but give credit where it's due for what they do right. If they weren't so damn popular, they'd probably be your favorite band."

And finally, Noel Gallagher has been his own outspoken self once more in a new interview and for what feels like the 20th time this year he’s 'slammed' both One Direction and Coldplay. Probably in jest, more than anything...

The former Oasis star has criticised 1D and Coldplay on many occasions previously, with fans of the former sending him hate and threats online after his last outburst. In a chat with GQ magazine last week week Noel got going again and was quizzed about his opinions on One Direction and blasted: "Fucking idiots. Bless ‘em. Bless ‘em, but fuck ‘em at the same time."

However he saved more harsh words for Coldplay and after once getting a look at their tour rider, he hit out at the whole band saying: "I’ve seen seeds in Coldplay’s dressing room. Fucking seeds! Where’s the parrot?"

Noel hasn’t spoken to his brother Liam in years and it doesn’t sound like he’s planning to bring the animosity to an end any time soon. He revealed that his mother doesn’t even try to intervene and play peacemaker between him and his famous sibling and continued: "She’s not arsed. We spoke about it once and that’s it. How can you be bothered about two grown men in their forties who don’t speak to each other? What’s she going to do? Order me to call my brother?"

New photos of Chris Martin on Santa Monica pier with fans (27th October 2013):

Last few hours to sign up to our Secret Santa 2013! (entry closed at midnight tonight CET) http://t.co/xoBPAd8Djl

— Coldplay news (@coldplaying) October 13, 2013

JayZ was amazing at the O2 tonight. Chris Martin came on and did a duet, his pants were ridiculously tight

— kelly-anne williams (@Kellyanne_W) October 11, 2013

Strange but yet perfect combo - #JayZ #ChrisMartin pic.twitter.com/FUC2ZZym6X

— Atlas Project (@ColdplayAtlas) October 13, 2013

Jay Z on the tube just now with Timbaland and Chris Martin >>> http://t.co/hfsYkGS4FM

— DJ Target (@DJTarget) October 12, 2013

What do Bruno Mars,Beth Ditto &Chris Martin have in common? They were all just stood within 5 feet of me. Lucky buggars #MoonshineJungleTour

— Roz (@RozzerM) October 8, 2013

More questions answered by The Oracle... (circa. 5000! questions now answered - submit yours now. Also via Twitter!)

October 10, 2013 - submitted by Erika, Italy

Q. Dear Oracle, nice to talk to you.. I've just discovered that Coldplay, on 16th July 2000 were in Misterbianco (Catania) at Sonica Festival when they had knew about their last album's success in UK. Is that true? I grew up in a town near there, and I'd be very curious to know it (I was 2 and I wouldn't have been able to go there however). Thank you, hope your reply :)

The Oracle replies:

On 16 July 2000, myself, Phil and a few select few gathered to listen to the UK album chart countdown. We did know already that Parachutes was heading for the top spot, but tradition is to listen to the radio on official chart day. The band were playing at Sonica Festival, Misterbianco and that's where they were when they found out their debut album was number 1 in the UK. It was a special day indeed.

October 10, 2013 - submitted by Miranda, United States of America

Q. I find it particularly endearing that you and Anchorman use Ha ha instead of Lol that so many World Wide Web users tend to use. My question is, will you second guess your use after having it pointed out to you or will you continue using ha ha without remembering my pointing it out to you? Or finally, will it stick in your mind that I asked but not cause you to second guess the style?

The Oracle replies:

I have a confession, Miranda. I hope it doesn't offend and I can only speak for myself. I absolutely abhor text speak. It's my top pet peeve. In my opinion it should be banned or at the very least reserved solely for use by teenagers or younger. The only thing worse than adults texting these abominations is hearing them saying them as words in actual speech. I have never used lol, lmao, rofl in any way. Lol should only ever mean lots of love to my generation. I don't respond well to these text / online abbreviations because if you can't fit it into a text or tweet, it's probably too long. That said, as a Prince fan I have been partial to using 2 for to and u for you in the past. I must be really old because I also get quite prickly when I see band names such as MS MR et al. I'm not so much bothered by MGMT because at least they had to change their name because The Management already existed. To (finally) answer your question, it isn't deliberate so much as a natural way for me to write it. Ha ha is an actual laugh out loud so I feel no need to "shorten" it - not that I ever will. Thanks, Miranda, I feel so much better for getting that off my chest. I wonder if Anchorman feels the same...

October 9, 2013 - submitted by Roger, Canada

Q. Who was involved in the production of the Atlas single as the sonics are breathtakingly beautiful? I would guess that Mr. Eno may have had a hand in some of those textures. Thanks in advance, R

The Oracle replies:

Apart from the creative input of the band it wasn't Brian, it was Messrs. Simpson & Green (Rik & Dan).

October 9, 2013 - submitted by Marie, France

Q. Dearest Oracle, I was wondering, when you think about the lyrics, don't you find Shiver to be kind of creepy?

The Oracle replies:

Ha ha ha! I hadn't listened to it in that way before. I have to say that no, I find it a sweet sentiment of unrequited love - which is what it is about.

October 9, 2013 - submitted by Penny, United Kingdom

Q. Hello. Isn't it a bit early for Christmas songs?

The Oracle replies:

Yes, I can just about get my head around Hallow'een!

October 8, 2013 - submitted by James, United Kingdom

Q. Hello Oracle! I know that the band are friends with Simon Pegg, and I was wondering if Simon has any cameo appearances in Coldplay's music videos? Also, is it really Simon singing the "Yeah"s at the end of 1.36?

The Oracle replies:

Yes and yes. Simon appeared in the Christmas Lights video as one of the violining Elvises. He did indeed provide the "yeah"s at the end of 1.36.

October 8, 2013 - submitted by Peter , United Kingdom

Q. I was just wandering if Coldplay will ever do a gig in Bath like at The Rec (home of Bath Rugby) like Westlife did or if not anywhere in the West Country.

The Oracle replies:

Coldplay have performed in Bath but granted it was a long time ago. They played at Bath Pavilion on 24 June, 2002 as part of a mini tour to warm-up pre-Glastonbury. It was partly because A Rush Of Blood To The Head hadn't yet been released and this was a way of getting the new songs heard ahead of the festival as well as practicing them live in front of an audience.

October 7, 2013 - submitted by Isobel, United States of America

Q. I heard a song by the guys but I don't know what its name is! The lyrics go like this: "And in the end, we'll lie awake and dream of making our escape". I have read that its called The Escapist and I've also seen that its called Life in Technicolor iii, but I'm so confused about it. Thank you so much!

Love from Florida!

The Oracle replies:

There is no Life in Technicolor iii. Those lyrics are from The Escapist - the hidden track at the end of Death & All His Friends which is the final song on the Viva La Vida album.

October 7, 2013 - submitted by Kelby, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, Can You PLEASE tell me what the name of this song is. It is this song that has this symphony and chimes is it, and it is played in the movie Serendipity with John Cusack and Kate Beckinsale. PLEASE answer me.

The Oracle replies:

I've not seen the film myself and it's not on my ones to watch list so hopefully this link will help you work out the answer to your question.

Latest photos of fans (marina_) meeting Coldplay at the Bakery/Beehive (11th October)

More questions answered by The Oracle... (circa. 5000! questions now answered - submit yours now. Also via Twitter!)

October 3, 2013 - submitted by Lou F, United Kingdom

Q. Hi Oracle, I came across a wiki page article today that talked about Coldplay working with Radiohead during the late 90s before OK Computer. I don't believe it's real. But it's rather amusing. Just wanted to clarify, this didn't really happen, did it?

The Oracle replies:

There is no truth in that wiki article at all. I do have an early days Radiohead tale to regale. Phil Harvey - who went to University in Oxford - took a Coldplay demo to a bakery. Why did he do that? I hear you ask. The bakery was owned by a relation of a Radiohead band member and Phil asked them to pass it along. Whether it was ever listened to remains a mystery. I can hear you ask again - no, this has nothing to do with Coldplay's studio being called The Bakery.

October 3, 2013 - submitted by Nicklaus, United States of America

Q. Dear Oracle, Being a sort of journalist on the website for the best band in the world, what advice would you give to creative writers and aspiring novelists?

The Oracle replies:

Many moons ago I wanted to be a journalist so feel blessed to have landed in this arena though I am far from being a pro journalist. My advice is two-fold. Do learn the craft as best you can and do write every single day. Take it as seriously as any job. Writing is a very competitive world and it could take your first or hundredth attempt before you get published - if ever. Don't give up. Keep a diary, write a blog, whatever but just don't stop writing.

October 3, 2013 - submitted by Frisby, United States of America

Q. Do you have a favorite fictional character?

The Oracle replies:

I have several but if I had to choose one, I'd have to say Rocky Balboa.

October 2, 2013 - submitted by Abigail, twitter

Q. @jcwg Do u have any remedies for insomnia u can share? #whenufeelsotiredbutujustcantsleep

The Oracle replies:

When I've suffered with insomnia I have employed various techniques to help. The first one I found really important: don't stress about it. I discovered that if I just lay still and rested without getting worked up over not sleeping, I wouldn't feel as drained the following day. That meant my body was rested so then I tackled the mind. Meditation was a great aid. That's what eventually worked for me. Also consider switching off all stimulating media devices well in advance of bedtime, no alcohol or caffeine, a warm bath, lavender scent on the pillow, low lighting in bedroom and perhaps even herbal remedies. Two other things I did were to shift the getting ready for bed routine (teeth brushing etc.) forward rather than immediately before bed which would wake me up. I also used to listen to relaxation music whilst lying on the floor with my legs vertically up against the wall. I know it sounds weird, but it just may work.

October 2, 2013 - submitted by Ruperto, twitter

Q. @ElChurroDeChris Hey Oracle, I was wondering were I could get LeftRightLeftRightLeft, I really want it :(

The Oracle replies:

I'm afraid that lrlrl is no longer available for download. To save you spamming me, I've answered a couple more: Yes, I've cried to Fix You. No, I won't marry you - but thank you. I'd say it's a close between Anchorman & myself who uses the Internet more but not sure either of us are "addicted". We love it though and would be lost without it.

October 2, 2013 - submitted by MF, United States of America

Q. I heard Trouble in a documentary called Maxed Out about people who use their credit cards so much that their lives are completely ruined. Which led me to wonder, does the band know every place their music ends up at? I know you've said plenty of times that the record label company makes the decision to allow it or not, but does the band get any say? It was kind of a weird inclusion of the song.

The Oracle replies:

That's not strictly what I have said. It's true in some cases that the label and publisher make the decision but yes, the band do sometimes have a say. They're not always consulted but there are things they would be asked about or indeed know about and want to be involved in. However, the example you've given is one of several thousands that would be impossible to count. Those plays come under what's called a blanket agreement where permission isn't needed, not even from any third party. Artists still get paid but under a generic license rather than an individual one. ps Surely getting into debt got them into trouble. Tenuous link hence choice of song.

October 1, 2013 - submitted by Charl, United Kingdom

Q. I listened to Chris sing Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas on YouTube and I loved it instantly, so I just wondered if it is available to buy somewhere? Thanks.

The Oracle replies:

There was a compilation charity CD released in 2002 called Maybe This Christmas that the track appeared on - you should still be able to get it. Other than that, the only other official recording of it is on the Mince Spies CD but that was never available to buy as it was a free giveaway (in 2000). Copies do turn up from time to time on auction sites etc.

October 1, 2013 - submitted by Josue, United Kingdom

Q. Hi Oracle, I have a question: when you created the account @ColdplayOracle followed @Roadie_42 why not now?

The Oracle replies:

I wasn't concentrating. I was convinced Roadie #42 once had a twitter account but as it's not our fella, I stopped following. I will start following people soon but I'm hoping more followers get involved with asking questions and Team Oracle replies rather than retweeting first.

October 1, 2013 - submitted by Stephen, United States of America

Q. My friend and I are starting a small band in which we'll cover the almighty Coldplay along with a song or two that I've written. The problem is we can't decide what to name ourselves. I came up with Poppyfields and him with Perpetual Obscurity. We would like a name based on the Band or anything related. I would love to see what Team Oracle could come up with, too! Thanks. Stephen

The Oracle replies:

Poppyfields is infinitely the better of the two. I wouldn't even consider Perpetual Obscurity for a nano second. It sounds like a bad movie when taken out of context. I can hear the voice over man announcing "coming to a cinema near you". It's too pretentious a band name in my opinion. My advice is to choose the name depending on what audience you're aiming for. If you're doing your own stuff and a few covers by different bands, don't pick an obvious Coldplay related name. If you're going to be a Coldplay tribute act, decide whether you're wanting to appeal to die hard fans of the band or everyone. I'm sure there are many tribute acts out there with the same name but someone who has only heard the band's singles wouldn't get that Twisted Logic are a Coldplay tribute act. Many opt for a play on words (gosh, already a pun in itself) - Coldplace etc. I would ask Team Oracle but already got one in mind for this week and you may be in a hurry. I'll tweet it from my @ColdplayOracle for you & see what happens.

September 30, 2013 - submitted by Gabriel, Brazil

Q. Hello Oracle! I was listening to the excerpt of So Sad, by Coldplay Have you ever heard it in its entirety? Stylistically, is it similar to the other songs from the Safety EP?

The Oracle replies:

I have and yes, I'd say that it is closer to the Safety EP in style than anything else the band have released. It was written & recorded (for demo purposes only) around the same time as Don't Panic which although was being performed live, was originally discarded as a potential album track. It was quite a late decision to include it on Parachutes.

September 30, 2013 - submitted by Salete, Brazil

Q. Dear Oracle: The Anchorman is a young, old or is he immortal? PS: I love the Anchorman.

The Oracle replies:

Anchorman is as timeless as a work of art or piece of classical music yet like a fine wine he gets better with age. I'm more like a cheese that becomes more powerful but then goes a bit mouldy.

September 30, 2013 - submitted by Miguel, Mexico

Q. Dear Oracle: I read on a previous question about this time when the band left the stadium after the concert and half an hour later they were able to see the crowd leaving the venue from their plane because it was so close to the airport. My question is: Did this happen in Mexico City? Because our airport is literally a few blocks away from the Foro Sol stadium, practically in the middle of the city. (Did you know that pilots get paid more for landing in Mexico City because of how difficult and dangerous is to land at our airport?)

The Oracle replies:

Indeed I think it actually was, Miguel. That would have been after the show in March 2010. I was on that tour so it makes sense now looking back. I did not know that about the pilots but I doubt that applied to our flight. We had the same pilot for the entire tour. I recall the second in command was called Nacho.

The Bakery visits appear to have begun again, with this story by PrincessofChina on Monday (30th September). Present were Will and Jonny, Guy (not pictured), Phil and techies Dan Green and Matt McGinn - so we assume Coldplay are now progressing with LP6 again following some time off. Chris was in Los Angeles. If you haven't heard about the latest fan visit, read on...

Sooooo.. I went to the Bakery on Monday and THIS happened. I still can't really believe it. I've been there before and no one was there, so I tried not to get my hopes up and just go there without any expectations. When I got there, I saw the Smart car & a Vespa.. so I knew that at least some people must be around...

I sat down at the bench across the street, read my book for about ten minutes and when I looked up, I saw someone walking towards the Bakery. I looked twice to make sure that I wasn't going mental and seeing things that weren't there, but it was PHIL I walked across the street, went up to him and asked if he had some time to take a photo, but only if he had time cause I really didn't want to bother him if he didn't etc, etc. He laughed and said: "Oh no, don't worry about it, I have some time! We're used to having fans around here, so it's no problem at all!" Then he asked who I was, where I was from and why I was visiting London.. so we talked a little about that. Then I asked about the recording and stuff, and I can't remember his exact words but he answered that he couldn't say anything about the record itself, but that the recording is going really well at the moment and that they were going to do some more that day with Guy. I said that a lot of fans are very, very excited about the new album and he smiled and replied "Oh but we are as well! We are talking about it every day!" So then we did the photo, I asked if anyone else would be around today ("I know Guy is here.. Chris is in L.A. right now, and I have no clue if Jon and Will will be around today.. but you should just wait here for a bit, I'm sure someone will be out sometime soon!") He was so incredibly nice, it's crazy. I always hear everyone talk about how kind they are, and it's a 100% true. He really took the time to talk to me. Such a nice guy. (And so TALL!)

Anyway, Phil and his wife had a baby three weeks ago and when I asked if they were okay and healthy he answered "Yes, everything is great! We are very, very happy! And SO tired " So that was really nice to hear! I thanked him for his time, he thanked me for dropping by & he disappeared into the studio. I went back to the bench, tweeted my ass off cause I was SO excited and didn't have anyone to share it with there, haha. About 15/20 minutes later, Dan Green came out. I quickly talked to him as well, took a photo, but he was in a bit of a rush to get to the Beehive so that didn't take longer than half a minute ;p After that, it must've been about 10 minutes later, I saw Dan walking back to the Bakery on the other side of the street, with a rather tall man walking next to him. It was friggin GUY BERRYMAN! GUY! I noticed it a little too late (they were almost at the Bakery already) and I completely chickened out and didn't dare to shout and get their attention. Looking back on it, it kinda sucks cause Guy decided to not leave the studio again, but that's totally okay. I was already so happy that I had met Phil and Dan, my day couldn't be 'ruined' by something like this.

The photo with Phil:

With Dan Green (who is staring at something HIGHLY interesting floating somewhere in the air ):

Not knowing that Guy wouldn't come out again, I stayed there. Went to get some drinks and something to eat, but then got back there. Nothing happened for about 45 mins, but I did meet an incredibly 87 year old English lady who sat down next to me at the bench, to have a rest after getting her groceries. I ended up talking to her for about 20 minutes and she was SO nice! A really lovely lady, and I think she deserves a mention on here even though she'll never know or see. Peggy from Camden; you're amazing

Anyway, she left, I read some more, and then the best thing happened. WILL AND JON!!! They were just casually walking down the street like 'HEY let us go up to the Bakery and look absolutely beautiful whilst doing it and make that girl's day 10 000 times better'. Part of me wanted to stay at the bench and just be nervous and fangirly there, but the other (really random) part already jumped up to cross the street. They saw me walking up to them, smiled, and when I nervously asked if they had some time cause I really didn't want to bother them, Jonny told me not to worry about it and he asked me who I was etc. That part's just really vague right now (adrenaline apparently kills your memory skills) but I guess I told them I was staying with my friend who's on exchange in London, blablabla. Then I congratulated them on Atlas cause it turned out to be so absolutely gorgeous and I told them I thought it was absolutely beautiful and loved it. They both went 'Awhh thank you so much, that's so kind!" like they were programmed.

Anyway, when I asked about the new album they immediately got excited. Will: "The recording is going really well, but we don't know when it's going to be finished. Not this year obviously, cause it takes time, but we're really working on it!" Then we took the photo (yay for the selfie-mode on phones) and when my phone displayed the photo for a couple of seconds afterwards, Jon said "Oooh, that's a pretty shot!" I'll post it below so you can judge for yourself I thanked them for their time, asked if they could maybe ask if Guy was going to go outside and Jon: "No thank YOU! And yeah we'll try and see if he has some time. Bye! Have a nice one!" Then they left and I had to take a minute to realize what happened

Photo with Will and Jonny:

LOOK AT THEM. LOOK AT THEM. SO GOODLOOKING AND SMILING SO ADORABLY. About 20 minutes after THAT, Matt McGinn came out of the Bakery. He walked up to me, I told him I read Roadie and he looked adorably surprised when I told him I loved it haha. Like he didn't expect that or smth, it was cute. He told me that he couldn't get Guy for me, since he was recording things inside.

(!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!). A completely 100% valid excuse of course, haha. We took a photo, he left, to get back to me 5 minutes later. He asked if I had met anyone else besides him, so I told him what happened before that. "Ah ok, that's great then. Well have a good day, love." aaaaand that was the last thing that happened. I stayed for a while longer hoping for Guy to come back out again, but he didn't. Decided to go home and catch a breath cause this level of excitement really takes it out of ya.. Anyway, that's about it. Thanks for reading through my rambling

With Matt (and his brilliant photo face)

THE END! [thanks PrincessofChina]

More questions answered by The Oracle... (circa. 4700! questions now answered - submit yours now!)

August 23, 2013 - submitted by Ethan, United States of America

Q. Dearest Oracle, Could you please tell me more about the song You Only Live Twice. I stumbled upon it and I don't know much about it! Warm regards, Ethan

The Oracle replies:

There's not a lot to tell except that it's a Bond theme cover from the film You Only Live Twice. It was written by John Barry - the band have been longstanding fans of his work - and performed by Nancy Sinatra.

Coldplay covered it as early as 1998 and weirdly that was around the same time Robbie Williams used the string parts for the base of his hit, Millennium.

August 23, 2013 - submitted by Chris, United Kingdom

Q. What songs does Chris Martin plays when he was a teenager? How did he learn those songs because that time, there's no internet? Thanks!

The Oracle replies:

Some people are lucky enough to play by ear. Not literally of course but it means you can work it out by just listening. My Gran couldn't read music but that's how she played the piano - brilliantly too.

Before the Internet there was (and still is) sheet music so if Chris could read music - which he can't - he could have just used those. I haven't a list of songs he played but he loved U2, The Beatles, Bob Dylan and many more...

August 23, 2013 - submitted by Millie, United Kingdom

Q. Hello Oracle. I recently have noticed that many fans have met the band outside the recording studio known as the bakery. For me, this would be a dream but I was wondering whether there was an address for this? I was planning on writing a letter to the band and I didn't know what address to use! Thank You.

The Oracle replies:

We don't and have never publicized the studio address and so I'm afraid I wouldn't give it out. I'm sorry but we also don't have the resources to accept physical mail which is why we have a contact form for fan email though it's best to let you know that the band don't read or reply personally. As I am sure you can imagine, we receive so many.

August 22, 2013 - submitted by Rose, Turkey

Q. Hello Oracle! I want to ask you something which I was curious about since the concert. Who is this fabulous Roadie? We loved him too much in Prague show and he got a hell of an applause every time he went on stage check :) Also, did the band had a chance to visit the John Lennon Wall while they were in Prague? It is like a living artwork of MX cover :) Lots of love from Turkey!

The Oracle replies:

His name is Ali. He was the RF technician on the MX tour which is why he has receivers clipped all over him. His job is to look after all the radio gear. The band didn't have time for sightseeing on the European leg of the tour. The wall looks pretty impressive.

August 22, 2013 - submitted by Jamie, United Kingdom

Q. Dear, The Oracle :) Following on from yesterday's question about whether Coldplay listen to their own music, how do they feel when they are perhaps travelling and a Coldplay song comes over the airwaves on the radio? Does it feel weird? Thanks :)

The Oracle replies:

Not as weird as walking into a club and the DJ deliberately playing a remix of a Coldplay song... True story, it happened in Colombia. It was rather uncomfortable.

August 22, 2013 - submitted by Harry, United Kingdom

Q. Dear Oracle, I don't expect to be the only person to ask you about exam results (GCSEs are released on Thursday) but I'd still like some help. I don't know if I'll still be motivated to work as hard as I need to after I have my results, so my question is how can I make sure that I am still motivated? Thanks very much and good luck to anyone else who is getting results, Harry. P.S The thought of Atlas is taking my mind off of results day :)

The Oracle replies:

The day is here, Harry. This question was a little bit like putting the cart before the horse. It's a "what if?" scenario. If your grades are good that could motivate you to keep on working hard to get where you want. If your grades aren't as good as you hope, use that to motivate you to work harder. I can't really help specifically as I have no idea what goal you are trying to achieve but I believe an education is very important. If you're struggling to get enthused about studying, try to imagine yourself in the future without all the things you wanted for yourself. School is such an important yet short part of your life, give it all you can and do the best you are able then you can go forward with knowledge and maybe a qualification or two. It may be the key to your success so don't give up. I haven't necessarily needed the qualifications I have for employment but it has certainly appeased me to have those - to fall back on if nothing else. I did return to study later in life (home learning as well as part-time night school) and you're never too old to learn. I'd like to think we learn our entire life so I'd say try to keep at it. Here's a message to everyone getting results today: Please don't worry if you didn't gain the grades you wanted or needed; there is still a big bright future awaiting!

August 21, 2013 - submitted by Elliott L, United Kingdom

Q. Dear O' Mighty Oracle :) After the success of the vinyl releases for Record Store Day, will there be any releases for the new event Cassette Store Day on 7th September? It would be great to have some Coldplay material on cassette :) Thanks

The Oracle replies:

Ahh cassettes. My second Coldplay demo was on cassette. Do people have cassette players these days? I have one but it was bought to record on rather than play. As for my ghetto blaster, it is so old that I don't think the double cassette players work anymore. I digress... though it would be great to have Coldplay material on tape, there are no plans to be involved. For a list of releases due on Cassette Store Day, click here.

August 21, 2013 - submitted by Chrissy, New Zealand

Q. Hi! I don't really have a question, but rather just a msg for you! I went to Coldplay's concert in Auckland and I uploaded some photos! Feel free to use them if you wanted photos taken from concert-rockers point of view haha. Your concert was like, perfectly amazing! Thank you! :) x

The Oracle replies:

As you can imagine, there are millions of photos taken over the course of a Coldplay tour and while it's not possible to peruse them all, we do encourage fans to upload their pictures to our website. Please do add yours to the Auckland show.

August 21, 2013 - submitted by Chandra, Nepal

Q. I am an 18 years old boy from Nepal. I am coming to the UK for my higher studies in couple of weeks. I know it is always a daunting experience travelling to a foreign country. But I am very much nervous as much as I'm excited. However, the reason I'm nervous is somewhat awkward. But I know that I got nothing to be ashamed of in front of you, dear Oracle. Actually, my height is only 5'4" and this is causing me a great inconvenience and troubling me about the fact that will I be a laughing stock in the University I will be studying?? Please, give me some courage, dear Oracle.

The Oracle replies:

Please don't worry, Chandra. There is a saying, "Good things come in small packages". I think 5'4 is a great height and if anyone says otherwise (though, I don't know why they would), just laugh it off. Personally, I'd ignore them as it's so utterly ridiculous, it doesn't deserve your time. It would be their problem not yours. Remember, people get bored if they see it's having no effect so they'll soon stop - if indeed they start. If you think it's something that will hold you back, maybe you should bring it up first - could be an ice-breaker. It's strange how we look at people who aren't what's considered average but really, it's what makes you different & I see that as something special. You've nothing to be ashamed of at all - unlike anyone that brings you any grief. Stand tall with your 5'4 and be proud.

August 20, 2013 - submitted by Steve, United States of America

Q. Hey Oracle, my name is Steve from United States. My favorite guitarist in the world is Jonny Buckland, and I always had a question about his rigs... I know he uses Fender Deville, but wondering if he's using stock speakers or others and what are some of his drive pedals that he uses to get the sound? If you could answer this for me, that will be the most awesome thing that will happen in my whole life...

The Oracle replies:

Steve from the U.S, you're about to have the most awesome thing in your whole life happen (well, for now).

I asked Matt Mc Ginn to answer this one as this is very much his domain. He's given quite a detailed response: Hope the following helps and isn't too techy! You're right, Jonny uses two 2x12 Hot Rod DeVilles live, hooked up in stereo for exta-silly delay effects. The amps are so loud we have to have one facing backwards, along with an equally earsplitting (ask Bash the drum tech) Marshall 1960BX 4x12 cab driven by a reissue 100w Superlead head. All Marshall pieces are stock but the Fenders are modded - they have Celestion Vintage speakers in, plus the pots have been changed so they effectively only go up to three instead of eleven, twelve, or whatever it is. They're the same vol, but the knobs are easier to use, is all. And a pair of DeVilles is plenty loud enough, even running at two and a half! You might notice more stuff than this piled up behind him on his riser; that's cos we have a spare of everything, plumbed in and ready to go. As for Jonny's tone, it's achieved in a quite old-fashioned way, which is to say we don't use master or gain, we just turn it up a bit. This, coupled with the humbucker pickups he has on most of his guitars, means he never really has a properly clean tone at all. It sorta starts off slightly dirty and just gets muckier, depending how hard he plays and what pedals we decide to switch on. There's all sorts of distortion and gain effects; Power Screamers, Rats, screwy echoes that break up, that sort of thing. Most stuff we punch in is running pretty hot too - if there's a meter on a device you'll be seeing a little red! You can have a look at the FX setup at their website.

August 20, 2013 - submitted by Violet, United States of America

Q. Why don't Coldplay put up unreleased songs online anymore like they did in the past. Even if they don't make it on a cd I'd love to hear them and enjoy it like all of their other unreleased songs. Or even demos too like they did for Viva la Vida. With Love from California! violet

The Oracle replies:

Unless I am having a severe senior moment (it's possible), I cant think of one unreleased song that Coldplay have ever put online. If you're referring to any demo songs you may have found on sites other than Coldplay.com, they are illegally there without consent. As far as I am aware, the band have never put unreleased songs online. The only (sort of) exception are the snippets (on this site withing the archived Timeline) of their first Starfish gig on 16 January 1998.

August 19, 2013 - submitted by Catrina, United States of America

Q. I really want to know about this one. I found a video it was a version of Fix You mixed with Kanye West and Eminem, and I wanted to know, was this a real recorded song? Or was it just a remix made by somebody online? I really love it because it's Fix You but has rap verses in it. Is it real? Does Coldplay know about it? Thanks, Catrina

The Oracle replies:

There are countless mash-ups and remixes out there but none are what you call a "real recorded song". A remix just takes parts of other songs that are then (usually) laid over an original foundation. I wasn't aware of this specific one and it has nothing to do with Coldplay at all. As I say, there are far too many to know of them all therefore the band may or may not have heard it.

August 19, 2013 - submitted by Alejandro, Peru

Q. Hello dear Oracle. I read you once met an old man in Peru who had no idea how old he was. When have you been on Peru and where? I hope you can answer this, I will really like to know, I'm your biggest fan :)

The Oracle replies:

I went to Peru in 2004 but that wasn't with the band. I flew into Lima, went to Cuzco and travelled to a few villages (including Ullyantambo) before visiting Machu Picchu and down to Aguas Calientes.

Unfortunately my trip was cut short and I had to get home fast so 2 weeks of travel was cancelled. I did get to see the Nazca Lines en route back to Lima via a 23 hr coach ride.

August 19, 2013 - submitted by Jerri, United States of America

Q. Hi Oracle! :) Okay what does LP6 mean? It's been driving me nuts that I haven't figured it out yet! And I'm a huge fan of Coldplay, since I was 5 (I'm 13 now), and I would DIE if I got a shoutout from Chris Martin or even better, the whole band! This really isn't just your ordinary fangirl type of thing, believe me. Thanks! :)

The Oracle replies:

LP is short for long player and a long player is an album. When you see LP6, it refers to the 6th album - of which there is no news right now despite any rumours.

Latest photos of Chris Martin at the 9th Annual Authors Night, East Hampton, New York (10th August 2013):

More questions answered by The Oracle... (circa. 4700! questions now answered - submit yours now!)

August 15, 2013 - submitted by Stefanie, Germany

Q. Hello dear Oracle, I was just asking myself the question whether the guys work in the studio from Monday to Friday and have the weekend off. Or do weekdays play any certain role - I mean creativity isn't fixed to certain times and days.

The Oracle replies:

Ooh Stephanie/Stefanie questions today! This isn't the same for everyone but actually creativity CAN be fixed to a timetable. People work in different ways and once ideas have been formed and demos recorded, it's easier to make being in a band very much like a day job with set hours Mon-Fri and weekends off. The band have families and they quite rightly want to spend time with them. Writers, artists, musicians etc. all have a creative flow that as you say can arrive at any moment. Chris has most definitely had moments where ideas strike in the middle of the night as with The Message.

August 15, 2013 - submitted by Stephanie, Australia

Q. Hello Oracle, hope you are well. I was talking to a friend of mine a few weeks ago, and we were arguing over what makes you a fan. She claimed that you are a true fan if you follow their tweets, and always know where they are and who with. I myself disagree with this, I think that celebrities should have their privacy respected, and that not by doing this you are still a fan. We then continued, and went into detail about what makes a person a real fan. So my question is, what makes a person a real fan. Is it by following everything to do with them, and basing your life around them, only after you have all their records, or been to a concert? Thank you.

The Oracle replies:

I'm going to be evasive here as I have seen quite a few people bickering over who is a a bigger/better fan... don't let anyone dictate what being a fan means to you; it's up to YOU! Fan is short for fanatic and by definition that means something extreme. However, over time the word has come into its own meaning. If you support a football team or whatever, that's being a fan whether you go to matches or not. I think of myself as a fan if I like anything be it an artist's music or a film director. That doesn't mean I have to become a walking encylopedia and know every fact. I don't need to be tested or take a Mastermind type quiz to grade my level of commitment. For example, I may be a fan of a certain band but that doesn't means I know all the members name or their history - I just love the music. All I will say is fandom should not be a competition so to me owning their records and going to a gig if I can is enough but there's nothing to prove. I agree with you, Stephanie. I prefer whatever I am an enthusiast of to have their privacy. They don't owe me anything. If anything, it's the other way around for me. Music brings me so much that I am forever indebted to my musical heroes.

August 14, 2013 - submitted by Maren, Germany

Q. Dear Oracle, I have another question about underground scenes in Video PARADISE. We all know it was recorded at Belsize Park Station but this station has no escelator and in Min 0:40, Elephant Chris is standing between signs Northern Line and Bakerloo Line. As you know Elephant wants to go to Heathrow. Only Piccadilly Line goes there. So he has to change. My question: Was it recorded also in Charing Cross Underground (because of Northern and Bakerloo Line) and he changes at Piccadilly Station to Heathrow?? Sorry for my bad English. Maren

The Oracle replies:

Well, the first thing to tell you is that a video isn't necessarily factually correct. That means that artistic license can be used to create illusion. The elephant appears to make that journey but that doesn't mean he actually did. You are right that Belsize Park Underground station doesn't have an escalator. If I was going to Heathrow from Belsize Park, I would take the Northern Line to Leicester Square and change for the Piccadilly Line there. However, it is indeed Charing Cross station that we see our elephant stood between signs for the Northern & Bakerloo line. London has several airports and none of them would require getting off at Charing Cross station. This is where the artistic license comes in. The video is shot and edited to tell a story but shouldn't be taken as 100% accurate. Some scenes look better with the benefit of those aesthetic choices (the escalator for sure). I'd never really paid attention to the details or inaccuracies but you went to a lot of trouble so I hope I made sense of it for you.

August 14, 2013 - submitted by Alba, Spain

Q. Hi, I have a question... Guy, Will, Jonny and Chris never tweet. Why? Coldplayers need their tweets, their photos and know about them. Thanks :)

The Oracle replies:

They DO tweet! Chris tweeted the lyrics to new song Atlas only last week. Their initials appear after the tweet so that's how you know who is who, with A being Anchorman.

August 13, 2013 - submitted by Jackeline, Panama

Q. Hi Oracle. Do you know where can I find the complete version of So Sad from 1998 Coldplay's album Live Pre-Parachutes?. I'll thank your quick answer :)

The Oracle replies:

If you've read "Live Pre-Parachutes" on any list, it isn't the name of an album; it's referring to a song that isn't on an album & before they recorded their debut. Though So Sad exists in its entirety, it's not available publicly anywhere.

August 13, 2013 - submitted by Steve M , United States of America

Q. Oh great Oracle, This a two part question. Team iPhone or team android? :) also, can I use Chris as a reference on my job application? I love you almighty Oracle

The Oracle replies:

We're Apple all the way! And er, no, sorry - you can't ;-)

August 13, 2013 - submitted by Julia, Sweden

Q. Hello there! I've heard that your handsome bassplayer does some photography. My question is if he has a page where he uploads the photos? Or could it be seen somewhere else?

The Oracle replies:

Yes, Guy likes photography but no he doesn't have a public page where he uploads them. Some of his photos appear in Matt McGinn's Roadie book but there were no individual credits so it's not possible to tell you which are Guy's.

August 12, 2013 - submitted by Liz, United Kingdom

Q. Salutations mighty Oracle! (First of all, thank you for existing, I read the Oracle posts on a near daily basis.) My question for you is if Coldplay has ever performed for a college or university.(With hopefully with a discount for students!) Thanks!

The Oracle replies:

The last time the band played a proper college gig was in (Alan Partridge's) Norwich back on Thursday, 27 October 2011. It was part of BBC Radio 1's Student Tour. Tickets for the UEA gig were priced £20 for everyone - not just students.

August 12, 2013 - submitted by Chris, United Kingdom

Q. Did Chris and Jonny became a school janitor? If yes, is it after college or while studying college? Hoping for your answer!

The Oracle replies:

This was at college. The band were on the verge of a record deal but they decided to finish their time at UCL (all bar Guy that is) before signing to a label. There is no way they had time to be janitors* post-studies as they literally went straight from college to touring and recording. *Here's a little interesting fact. From 1984-9 there was a band from the North-East of England called The Janitors. Their guitar / keyboards player was Craig Hope - our very own Hoppy!

August 8, 2013 - submitted by Arina, Sweden

Q. Dearest Oracle, I'm sorry to bother you, but I have been doing many researches but I still have no clue where this picture is from. Could you please explain what is actually going on in this picture? What woman is it with Chris? I really won't be able to sleep until I find out. Thanks in advance!

The Oracle replies:

This is from back in 2002 when Chris teamed up with WaterAid to promote a campaign for Glastonbury Festival goers to support the cause. I have no idea who the woman is but I assume someone who worked for the charity.

August 8, 2013 - submitted by Erica, United Kingdom

Q. Hello Oracle! What did Chris do this picture for?

The Oracle replies:

Ha ha! That's funny. It isn't Chris; it's Jake Gyllenhaal! I have never seen a studio shot photo of Chris shirtless. Someone has been creative...

August 7, 2013 - submitted by Ben, Germany

Q. Hallo Oracle, First: great show in Cologne, thanks for the great job all you guys do. My question is how or whether the band can get a feeling for the mood/power/atmosphere of the crowd through their earplugs? Is it possible for them or don't they really get any different feelings between different audiences? Best regards xoxcx Ben

The Oracle replies:

Those earplugs are in-ear monitors through which the guys can hear the mixed sound of the entire band at a controllable and comfortable level. They're not necessarily blocking out the crowd though and it definitely doesn't mean the band aren't picking up the energy from the audience - it's something they really feed off.

August 7, 2013 - submitted by Nyan, United States of America

Q. Would the members of Coldplay be willing to check out my band's music? We are about to start recording our first album, and we were wondering if they could give us any tips. Thanks, from Men of Leisure in the Florida Keys.

The Oracle replies:

I'm afraid that won't be possible; I get hundreds of emails asking the same. However, if you want a chance to be heard on this very website, you could always upload your video to our Hypnofeed. There's no guarantee it will be selected but it's worth a shot. There are loads of articles and interviews online that will give you tips by the way.

August 7, 2013 - submitted by Sara, Poland

Q. Coldplay... I didn't know what is a "Harveytown", so I'm not Coldplayer?

It's funny, but I'm ashamed. True Coldplayer should know it :( Someone's tell me: "You don't know what is "Harveytown? So you are not Coldplayer." It hurts me. I already know, but I feel sad.

The Oracle replies:

Don't feel sad, Sara. It only happened 3 months ago. Harveytown is a fictional place that was recently 'invented' by Chris. When the band reached 10 million followers, he tweeted: "Wow, 10 million followers! That's enough to start a country. The capital is Harveytown and Guy Berryman gets all the modelling contracts… CM". Now you know.

August 6, 2013 - submitted by Zach, United States of America

Q. Do you know if we'll ever hear Phil sing or play any instruments on any album or track?

The Oracle replies:

Phil has picked up a guitar in the past few years but other than his 3 video cameo roles, there's been nothing else performance wise. If he was to perform on a track I can't see him wanting to appear on stage (I'm dicounting the times he dressed as a violining Elvis) but he certainly has an ear that he lends in all senses.

August 6, 2013 - submitted by Andrew, United Kingdom

Q. Hi Oracle, I remember you mentioning a song the band wrote called Call Me (post on 12th August 2008) and they gave to another female artist. I know you said it didn't materialise into anything, does that just mean the band didn't use it? I know Chris wrote a song for Jamelia (who was under EMI) and had a song called Call Me on her first album which came out at the same time as Parachutes. Was this the song? If not, what artist recorded the track? Thanks.

The Oracle replies:

They didn't write Call Me for Coldplay (as you probably know from that previous post) - it was for their tongue-in-cheek side project, Pectoralz. They didn't "give" the song as it were, their A&R man at the time, Dan, suggested it. I still have no idea who recorded it but I always assumed it was someone who didn't have a hit with it. I never thought Jamelia's Call Me is the same song and I have it on good authority that it isn't. Apparently she wrote that one.

August 5, 2013 - submitted by Andres, Mexico

Q. Hi, Oracle! Have other artists ever used the Bakery or the Beehive, or are they Coldplay-only?

The Oracle replies:

The band don't hire their studios out but yes, other artists have used the facilities - some you will have heard of and some you may not have but the common denominator is they are all friends of the band.

August 5, 2013 - submitted by Margaret, United States of America

Q. When creating things like the Oracle, Hypnofeed and the Timeline, did Coldplay themselves think of these things to put on the website, or did someone else. Also did they have any say in all the past websites designs? Thanks and have a great day!

The Oracle replies:

The band have always been actively involved their website. They know what they want and how they want it to look - colours, fonts, layout... Phil leads a creative team including the web designers, Anchorman & myself and we also have input though the band have final approval over everything.

Latest photos of Chris Martin at the 9th Annual Authors Night, East Hampton, New York (10th August 2013):

Chris Martin attended the 9th Annual Authors Night at The East Hampton Library on Saturday (10th August) in East Hampton, New York. You can see the photos of Chris at the foot of this article - and more discussion is also at the Coldplay forum now [thanks wabbit, soss, gai & Tash]

The event, says the official Hampton website, was founded in 2005 by Alec Baldwin and Barbara Goldsmith. Originally featuring just a handful of diners and a few hundred attendees, the event has since expanded to become the premier literary occasion in the Hamptons with over 125 featured authors and more than 1,000 guests in attendance.

A review by Hamptonspartygirl on Wordpress said this of Chris Martin: "I didn’t get a chance to talk to [Gwyneth Paltrow] the Oscar-winning actress, cookbook author and fellow blogger but I did have a very nice exchange with her husband, Chris Martin of Coldplay, who was much cuter and taller than I expected. He was close by, though completely unnoticed (strangely), with daughter, Apple, on his shoulders and son, Moses, at his hand. I asked if he would mind my taking a photo and he said, “if you’re really asking, I’d rather not.” I replied that I wasn’t a paparazzi, rather an Arts editor, and that I wouldn’t do that to him and his kids, to which he thanked me and asked my name. We talked, I gave him my card and then directed him to Clive Davis and Nile Rodgers, who were also there to sign books. Nice man. And, seriously, I couldn’t believe how handsome he was, which I had never really thought about previously."

Tinie Tempah has revealed that he received advice on songwriting by Chris Martin, the NME are reporting this week.

The London-born rapper explained in an interview with GQ magazine why it has taken him so long to follow-up his award-winning debut album 'Disc-Overy', saying he was advised not to rush it. He said: "Chris Martin told me, "When you finish an album, write a couple more songs and see what comes out." So that's exactly what I did. At the end of the day, it's art. Nobody ever rushes a painter, or writer. No one's rushing JK Rowling or EL James!"

Grammarly, a writing enhancement company recently completed a study of the literal habits of the 100 most-followed musicians on Twitter, including our very own Coldplay.

Grammarly’s proofreaders combed through each artist’s most recent 25 tweets and found the average musician makes about 15 writing errors per 100 words. Beyoncé was the closest to perfection, with a mere 2.1 mistakes, followed by Coldplay at 2.8 mistakes. The worst: DJ Pauly D at 55.6 mistakes and Snoop Dogg at 35.8.

So does good grammar translate to high earnings? The relationship is eerily concurrent, but it’s more likely correlation than causation. Proving a link would be difficult, and Grammarly’s data set is limited. Adding to the murk: it’s often unclear which tweets are written by the artists themselves and which are penned by publicists.

Beyoncé and Coldplay earned a combined $117 million according to our latest estimates; Pauly D and Snoop Dogg combined for $19.5 million. But at a casual glance, many of music’s top earners also have the best grammar. Aside from Beyoncé and Coldplay, other strong spellers include Ludacris (5.4 mistakes per 100 words), who made $80 million over the past six years, and One Direction (3.5 mistakes); the U.K. boy band pulled in more than $50 million over the past two years.

There are exceptions, of course—namely, Justin Bieber, who earned $58 million last year. The Canadian youngster made 29.5 mistakes per 100 words, which have been broadcast to over 40 million followers on Twitter and tens of millions more across other social networks. They don’t seem to mind the miscues. “The fans want the connection,” Bieber explained to FORBES last year. “They want to see you Instagramming at a coffee shop in the morning.”

Judging by his spelling record on Twitter, perhaps Bieber ought to stick to Instagram.

Latest photos of Chris Martin at the 9th Annual Authors Night, East Hampton, New York (10th August 2013):