footyfan10

Note: I'm posting this here because I think it could be bigger than just a normal fan sighting...although only slightly. So I decide after nearly a year in London I have to take a pilgrimage to the Bakery. I arrive and sit down on the bench across from the studio, ready for some Coldplay spotting, when an old Irish fellow sits down next to me. We had a nice old chat for half an hour or so, during which I saw Phil leave the studio heading somewhere. Eventually, the old guy left and I was able to return to more pressing matters. I have to admit I was kind of worried I'd only see Phil, not because it would only be Phil, but because I missed my opportunity to talk to him and ask him some questions. Well, I ended up seeing the whole band one by one and they were all heading into vans. For about an hour or so, a few vans pulled up and took various members of the crew or staff somewhere with boxes, some guitars (cases at least) and so on. I'm not sure what was in all the boxes, but they were throw together kind of haphazard. So the first band sighting was Will and Johnny walking over to the studio and I almost missed them. They stood outside the studio (but near it) and I can't really say what they were up to. I then saw Chris cross the street and we made a sort of awkward eye contact for a second or two. Which was kind of cool, but as I'm into women it wasn't cool in that way. Eventually, the whole band comes out and they're with a few women who I didn't recognize (I don't know what their wives/girlfriends look like) but seemed like staff. They all piled into the vans with a few small bags, such that it didn't appear they were heading to any airport or anything. I'm not sure what they were up to, but the urgency of it all made it seem like they might be heading to a video shoot. I don't know where else the band would be going like that, but it'd be awfully cool if I had seen that. Either way, apologies if this should be in The Bakery thread. I just thought everyone might want to know that the band looked pretty busy and it didn't seem like it had much to do with the festivals. I could be wrong, but I think we might be pretty close to some big news.

why the wink? got an inside scoop?

does anyone think the band will be in there studio in the next two days? i've been abroad in england for the academic year and soon i'll be heading back to the u.s., but i've been planning a pilgrimage to the studio and i figured the next week is the last chance i'll have before they go on tour. i hope they're there and they have a free copy of lp5!

Oh seriously??? I didn't realize that. Yeah, can't say that's cool...

I'm not sure that would be the case, but it's the type of crazy thought I LOVE :thumbsup: Edit: after watching it again I get the idea it is just a brilliantly clever cut of clips by someone on the Coldplay team (be it Roadie 42 or otherwise). However, the end sounds great.

I've never tweeted (as I don't twit) to a staff member, but I don't get what's so bad about it. People are just excited. And most of the people responding are essentially Coldplay's "media/public relations" team. It may get a bit annoying to have to say the same thing, but it's not like they're in the same room and a Coldplayer is just like, "SO...any news??!?!?!?!"...five minutes later..."SO...come on you must know something!!?!?!" Obviously, there's a line crossed when some people start being openly annoyed about the time the album has taken to be made and released. I don't mean on this forum, where we can say mostly whatever, I just mean to Coldplay or their staff. The person who caused Debs to initially answer the question about new material at festivals essentially called Coldplay daft if they didn't play new stuff - not really cool. But why can't people ask questions to those they're directed to? This much hype for an album is a good thing for Coldplay and EMI.

^yeah...

I worry that I may push my excitement to a fever pitch, but I was wondering if anyone would agree with what I think might be another clue towards the festivals being a means of promotion for the album. While the new site uses a number of new animations on the top screen, the one with Live Transmissions shows the UFO crossing the globe. Obviously, when the actual touring begins this will make sense. But does anyone think it might be meaningful for the festivals or, gasp, am I just another Coldplayer looking for hope!

I agree, it doesn't say specifically there will be no new material. Who knows if The Oracle was in on the information at that moment in time, but it certainly seems like she just said, "Playing old material is normal and still cool". So if the band have not come straight out and denied they would be playing new material, why would we believe otherwise? If the festivals were going to be a neutral phase, I don't believe the band would have changed their website. They won't be Viva and no one seems to think they'll be new stuff. It just makes more sense than not that the festivals would be a time to promote the album and sing a few new songs (if only one). Me thinks we're going to have a single soon. On a side note, I've been posting too much in this thread for someone who has exams...!

And in response to the oracle saying that most band's will be playing old material (or at the very least not just released material), I think we can agree that most bands are not perceived the way Coldplay is. Also, most people at these festivals tend to be hardcore music fans. And the bands that are there are bands, due to less popularity, that most people can't see because they tour much less. Coldplay isn't one of these bands. Even if you don't like Coldplay, you've probably heard most of their songs. Which makes me think a few new songs might just show up.

I think you're (as well as anyone else who sees the long lineup of shows upcoming) failing to see the potential in promotion through travelling all around the globe. Coldplay isn't touring. They're playing a few dates in a ton of countries around the globe, with significant bits of time in between them. If anything, this concert period could be a two month hype machine. The band will be able to do print and media interviews during this time in all major markets. All these festivals are some of the biggest in their respective countries. That means, even if they're playing in Texas (for example), the Austin festival is one of the biggest in the country and will attract music press from across the United States. Thank you everyone for your pessimism though, and I'm not being sarcastic or funny, because it was only in your saying things like this that I thought about the promotional possibilities of such a massive walk around the globe. In most respects, this will be a much better strategy than simply doing phone interviews with every major music magazine. It gives the boys some time in each place to really push Coldplay. Frankly, if this isn't what the band is doing with this festival stuff, I would be extremely disappointed that they didn't seize the opportunity. Although I'm sure its half hopeful of me to suggest all this, I think it's pretty plausible. The way Roadie 42 made it sound, the band really had all but finished the songs over a month ago. He said Will's parts were all done. I have to think the recent silence might be positive. Chris was also spotted in New York, where their mixer has also been silent. I think it all adds up. Also consider the way the band has trickled out this festival information. Obviously, they can only announce certain things when the festival allows them to, but it suggests they've been wetting the world's palette for a couple months now. Even though The Oracle said there would be no material, I agree with what someone said here, that it would be impossible to generate enough interest with general music fans if they were playing, what it would seem to everyone there, a greatest hits catalogue. I think we might just see a single or an EP released before the festivals begin or a little bit after. With the festivals giving the band time to present the new material as well as promote it in each respective country. So, what do you all think of this theory??? :)

Always good to see Locust7 come around and give everyone here some hope for news. Obviously, I'm hopeful that a big announcement may be "sooner than I would think". Hard to say what the consensus is on when an announcement would be anyways. Some people have been saying, "any day now!!!!!! <frothing at mouth>". :) Kind of disappointing Roadie 42 has been silent for over a month now. I think we got the impression we were going to be getting a steady stream of news. Something tells me that might be a good sign though. Obviously they're busy preparing for the festivals, but maybe we're closer to an album and single than it might seem. If they were still providing steady info at this stage, I'd have to imagine that meant they were trying to satiate us. Hopefully the pre-album unfolding will really kick into gear soon. I think we have to be positive about how they've already incorporated the new album themes into the presentation. That means a serious aspect of the final design is already complete or close to it. If all we're waiting on is mixing, than we may have a single soon enough. My hope is by June 15th. Mid-June.

Well I had hopes we'd get news by today, but it doesn't seem likely any longer. I suppose I thought Locust meant something in referring to Wild Beast's release date. Either way, if something is coming in May that's be great. I can't really discern anything from all we've been hearing lately. I suppose I still expect the release date to be technically in the fall. Which means no single till at least August probably. I'd love to be wrong... What they should do is put out an EP before the festivals. That way its not just a single that feels like its followed by nothing.

I actually didn't have any problem with any of the VLV song titles. I didn't know what they'd end up being, but I thought they were interesting. Alien Radio is a similarly interesting title to me. Princess of China is interesting, but I think it might be a bit much...as Lovers in Japan doesn't exactly infringe upon any Japanese culture - meaning the song never had to include anything distinctly Japanese. It could just be about two people in love in Japan. Whereas Princess of China is a bit different, as there's some cultural ownership involved in that song title. Unless Chris wrote a song about a Chinese woman (which I doubt, but I could be wrong) I'd prefer it not be on the album. Teardrops is frankly just an awful title. Even if the song is brilliant, the title will always suck. Not to mention, if the title is any lyric in the song it could be too much. I suppose there's something to "Every time you cry it's such a massive deal", which doesn't have to be stupid. But as a title it's a bit much. But yeah, I would say I'm interested in Alien Radio as a title. All this UFO/Alien stuff is a bit worrying to me, as I'm not sure how a theme like that could be pulled off, but I'm willing to wait a see.

Well I guess we pretty much know it's October - don't we? They'll be doing festivals most of June, July and August. Me thinks they'll sandwich a single and b-sides in there. If it's an October release, they could also release a single in August...which is later than I'd like but still its something. That'd be about when they would anyways, right? Six-Eight weeks before an album? I know some idiots do it way early, but we're past that point for Coldplay.

my guess is june before the festivals start we'll get some more "hard information" - but what that means could be minimal. i really kind of hope they release a single and an ep or something before they do the festivals. it feels it's been quite a long time since i had some new coldplay...

well said! it appears famous old painters is definitely real! which is really so cool to have heard it after so long. once again, this confirms to me that songs coldplay throw away are always great as well. if that had full instrumentation and vocals it would be just incredible. i'm also happy to have a version of lukas minus natalie imbruglia to be honest...

looks like all the excitement about new material at the festivals will go unrealized...

I completely disagree that Parachutes is their least impressive album. It probably has the least songs I love, but as an album it does a lot more than most debuts. There's a moment captured within Parachutes that real fans of the band I think will always be able to hold onto. For me, Viva and AROBTTH are probably tied for best album. And I consider them to be leaps and bounds better than Parachutes and X & Y. That said, to call Parachutes unimpressive isn't something I could do. It's a much more subtle album. And it's surprisingly confident in it's style. It's an important piece of their musical evolution and I could never give it anything but praise.

I don't feel like any Coldplay album, excepting Viva, has been big enough to get much response from most Americans. AROBTTH had massively succesful songs here, but no one cared about the band at the time of it's release. That said, I think X & Y got a pretty muted response from critics and probably very divided amongst Coldplay fans (as we see here). However, any casual listener will probably think of the singles from the album and I think most people reacted positively to them here. I think X & Y is bloated and overproduced. And as I like a lot of music by bands who include tons of production, I would say it was poorly overproduced. I don't think it's Coldplay at their best. I like where Eno and Dravs brought them back to. X & Y seems a singles album to me as well. Oddly enough, when I consider Coldplay songs I would listen to on a single listen without listening to an album straight through, there are just as many on X & Y as any of the albums. But as an album experience, I think it drops the ball.

It's not their ability to keep performing that I question. It's their desire to. The band has mentioned on a number of occasions that they're thinking about age and when they'll hang up their boots. I suppose I just think they'll probably say goodbye by 45. I don't see them as attracted to the stage in the way a band like U2 is or as interested in doing something new like Radiohead. Perhaps Chris keeps writing or doing projects with others, but I guess I think it'll be closing time if the band go another ten years. And I really would hope that twenty years of Coldplay got us at least ten records. I know it's possible. I just don't want the band to take so much time anymore. If it means limiting their touring, I wouldn't mind.

i just wish they'd hurry up and get the album to us. while i've got a ton of new stuff i'm listening to all the time, i'm a bit bummed that the album that was supposed to come by the end of 2009 and then 2010 is now 2011. It'll have been three and a half years. It doesn't make too much difference - summer or fall - but I just feel like Coldplay's timeline as a band is getting closer to it's end. If they don't pump more material out now, when will they ever? If they could do a double album or release a second album very soon after I'd feel good about it all. But as it is, waiting another three and a half years just seems too long. I do like the idea of the album fitting the autumn though - if the music style fits it. Strawberry Swing would be awfully out of place. The thing is also, if the album is supposed to be fall we could get the single by the middle of summer. Which doesn't sound too bad... :\

i'm really hoping february or march has some real news. a single would be EXCEPTIONAL! i really think the festival stuff is their way of hinting at the release date. i just don't want to wait forever for this album. the longer they wait to release something, the better it has to be...

Wait what? Are you saying we don't have studio versions of Crest of Waves and I Ran Away? As for songs, I thought it was cool to hear Phil said he loved Famous Old Painters. So at least he thought it was good. With any old songs I feel like it'd just be cool to hear them, but I'm fine with them staying in the vault. Although, all the songs they gave Natalie Imbruglia should be given their own Coldplay versions - Lukas, Fun, and whatever the other one was. Because they were really good songs. And someone said "School"? I thought Chris said that was just the first minute and a half (or so) of DAAHF?

i remember locust having secret information before too...i just don't remember what any of it was :P but why would what he's saying be anything more than a good guess. i mean, i know nothing about anything and i could guess may and we've been told by another source that the album was finished (that guy at the concert as i recall and related by bonusmosher). and i don't know who those mixers are, but if they've done stuff for the band before that wouldn't be too hard to say. but then again...why would anyone just go on a site and have info like that unless they were telling the truth. clearly they don't serve to gain anything.