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):
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