Perceived as earnest but dull, Chris Martin and his band Coldplay have still managed to become pretenders to the Biggest Band In The World throne. Miranda Sawyer meets the misunderstood superstar.

If a celebrity magazine is in an airport lounge, I’ll have a look,’ admits Chris Martin. ‘I like gossip as much as the next man. But then, I’ll bump into someone I’ve read about and I’ll say, “Oh, I read so-and-so” and I curse myself, because I hate people coming up to me and going, “Chris, I read that you’re macrobiotic, is that true?” And I say, “Well, no, not really.”‘ But you and Gwyneth do eat all your meals naked in front of a mirror, to keep you from over-eating, right? ‘No. Sorry. But when I talk about the tariff barriers on Ghanian rice I always do that with no clothes on.’
[Read more]

Their third release, ”X & Y,” will likely be the year’s best-selling album

Age 7

MustworthinessThe London band’s third release, X&Y, will likely be the year’s best-selling rock disc. Blender and Q proclaim: ”Masterpiece!” PEOPLE: Four stars! The New York Times: ”Insufferable!” (Can’t win ‘em all.)

Bracelet Yourself What’s that band on Chris Martin’s wrist? ”Oh, this is a hangover from my trip to Ghana,” says the 28-year-old frontman. (Martin took off on that trip during X&Y’s final sessions to get reenergized about his favorite cause, fair trade.) ”It [represents] an Oxfam campaign called Making Poverty History. But,” he admits, ”it’s also a flashback to my childhood, when I used to be into a-ha, whose singer, Morten [Hacket], always had all this stuff around his wrists.”

Writer’s Block ”There’s a few times on this album when I tried to sneak in literary references, and it’s always the drummer who’s like, ‘Uh, can you change that, please? It’s pretentious.”’

On His Must List ”I think it’s a good idea for a baby to arrive in the world with Sigur Rós playing,” says Martin, providing a clue to the early musical influences of Apple, his 1-year-old daughter with Gwyneth Paltrow.

Battle of the Bands ”I think Radiohead are better than us,” says Martin of his group, which includes guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion. ”They’ve pushed themselves further. Them and U2 are tough to catch up with. But my mission is to beat those bands out of town. When the world ends in 200 years, it’d be nice to have it be ‘Oh, yeah, and the best band was Coldplay.”’

Next Months — and years? — of touring.

EW 17/06/2005

Rock’s reigning regents pack their coronation ceremony with new national anthems

The polling booths have barely opened, but the result of the General Election Of Rock 2005 is already decided. And already, in the Coldplay camp the tickertape cannons are primed for victory. Pre-sales for X&Y’ that make ‘Be Here Now’ look like an unannounced Limp Bizkit acoustic EP. Swathes of critical frothing declaring them the best band since sliced U2. Queues around the block for this tiny Radio 1 gig from 4pm the previous afternoon. Rock’s swingometer is, frankly, off the scale.

NME.com
So as the Close Encounters space ‘whaarmp’s of ‘Square One’ throb out and Chris Martin bounces through the floodlights like the alien that hopped down the ramp in box-fresh Adidas, there’s a tangible air of triumph; of backlashes dodged and paranoia allayed. In the 48 hours since ‘X&Y’ prematurely hit the internet, it has unravelled its slow-burning wonders and announced the coming of age of one of the most grandiose, shiversome and brilliant bands for generations. So, uniformed in black outfits and white trainers like four Sith lords on dress-down Friday, Coldplay make tonight a victory march on the palaces of cultural hegemony - as ‘Politik’ begins its violent futuristic goose-step stomp you imagine Oasis trembling in a bunker somewhere beneath the Number One slot, sensing that their empire has crumbled and handing out the cyanide capsules.

And you know the Coldplay Republic will rule longer than a dozen Pope John Paul IIs because they’ve reached the U2 Super League utterly unencumbered with pretence. There are no fly shades or phone calls to Nelson Mandela, no Thom Yorke political obscurisms, no Liam sneering; no gimmicks, no flash and flam, just simple, beautiful wail-along songs fired direct from Chris Martin’s heart to yours. And, bar ‘Trouble’, they do them all tonight. The searing torch laments of ‘Everything’s Not Lost’ and ‘The Scientist’; the chiming enormo-pop of ‘Speed Of Sound’, ‘In My Place’ and ‘White Shadows’ which make Chris do his hop-on-the-spot-while-reaching-for-an-invisible-cake-in-the-sky dance; a stripped-down segment for ”Til Kingdom Come’ and ‘Don’t Panic!’ . And if at 9.30pm you heard a cheer like England won the World Cup or Justin Hawkins just fell off a bridge, that was ‘Yellow’.

The revelations, though, come sprinkled from ‘X&Y’. The Ode To Unrealistic Pessimism that is ‘What If?’ , the sprawling alien soundscape of ‘Square One’ and particularly the roof-lifting choir of heartbroken seraphim that close the stupendous ‘Fix You’ point to a band with the potential, the will and unit-shifting clobber to gradually recraft the mould that Radiohead broke with ‘Kid A’. If ‘Parachutes’ was Coldplay taxiing modestly to the runway and ‘A Rush Of Blood…’ was the thrust of engine throttle, ‘X&Y’ is their magnificent coast at 35,000ft - a band at the very peak of their powers with only a stratospheric unknown above them. A landslide, then, and the right guys won.

Coldplay’s gig tonight at KOKO in Camden Town kicked arse a MILLION different ways. The guys were truly on form. Piccies are here and vids are here.

I’m loving the new material from your latest album X&Y [released today]. I was a bit gutted I couldn’t sing along like the rest of those who illegally downloaded the album before it’s release the die hard fans [same difference, I guess...]. I’m loving ‘Speed of Sound’ a hell of a lot and I’m looking forward to hearing the whole album and letting it permeate my being before the next gig…

But the old standards - oh they RAWKED!
[Read more]

There are lights of all shapes and sizes and colors in Times Square, neon and fluorescent and hi-def digital, all constantly running in horizontal and vertical trajectories, all urgently blooming and disappearing — and all trying to sell you something. The whole effect is dizzying and loud and a bit surreal, kind of like being inside the world’s largest pinball machine. There are many adjectives that could be used to describe the everyday scene here; subtle is not one of them.
[Read more]

[PRE-X&Y RELEASE TOUR]
January
27/01/2005 England London Whitfield Street Studios
March
04/03/2005 England London Music Bank - Rehearsal room
11/03/2005 USA Los Angeles, CA Troubador
KCRW Sounds Electric Evening
12/03/2005 USA Santa Monica, CA Universal Amphitheater
April
06/04/2005 Netherlands Amsterdam Melkweg
07/04/2005 Germany Colonia Gloria
11/04/2005 Spain Madrid Pacha
RTL2
13/04/2005 France Paris
[End of PRE-X&Y RELEASE TOUR]

Top Of The Pops Uk
15/04/2005 England London BBC Studios
MTV Global Gig
18/04/2005 England London

[PRE-X&Y RELEASE TOUR]
MTV Live secret show
19/04/2005 England Hackney Round Chapel
Hard Rock Hotel & Casino Bash
29/04/2005 USA Las Vegas, NV The Joint
Coachella Festival
30/04/2005 USA Indio, CA Empire Polo Field
[End of PRE-X&Y RELEASE TOUR]

May
Pepsi Smash Session
02/05/2005 USA Los Angeles, CA

[PRE-X&Y RELEASE TOUR]
04/05/2005 USA San Francisco, CA The Fillmore
06/05/2005 USA Chicago, IL Metro
102.1 The Edge Acoustic performance
09/05/2005 Canada Toronto, ON Edge street-level studio
11/05/2005 Canada Toronto, ON Kool Haus
13/05/2005 USA Boston, MA Avalon
HFStival
14/05/2005 USA Baltimore, MD M&T Bank Stadium
[End of PRE-X&Y RELEASE TOUR]

VH1’s Storytellers
16/05/2005 USA New York, NY Brooklin Academy of Music - Harvey Theatre

[PRE-X&Y RELEASE TOUR]
17/05/2005 USA New York, NY Beacon Theatre
[End of PRE-X&Y RELEASE TOUR]

MTV Live Leak
18/05/2005 USA New York, NY Times Square Studios
Charity Concert
20/05/2005 USA New York, NY Jacob Javits Centre
Saturday Night Live
21/05/2005 USA New York, NY NBC Studios
June
Jonathan Ross
03/06/2005 England London BBC1 Studios
MTV Secret Gig
05/06/2005 Netherlands Dutch Mtv Studios

[PRE-X&Y RELEASE TOUR]
KOKO - Camden
06/06/2005 England London BBC1 Studios
[End of PRE-X&Y RELEASE TOUR]

Later With Jools Holland
08/06/2005 England London

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]
09/06/2005 France Paris Olympia
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]

Oui Fm Session
09/06/2005 France Paris Studios Davout

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]
15/06/2005 Germany Hamburg Volks Park
17/06/2005 Germany Colonia Fuhlinger See
19/06/2005 Germany Berlin Wuhlheide
22/06/2005 Republic of Ireland Dublin Marlay Park
Glastonbury Festival
25/06/2005 England Pilton Worthy Farm
27/06/2005 England London Crystal Palace National Sp. Centre
28/06/2005 England London Crystal Palace National Sp. Centre
July
01/07/2005 Scotland Glasgow Bellahouston Park
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]

Live 8
02/07/2005 England London Hyde Park

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]
02/07/2005 Scotland Glasgow Bellahouston Park
04/07/2005 England Bolton Reebok Stadium
05/07/2005 England Bolton Reebok Stadium
07/07/2005 Netherlands Arnhem Gelredome
09/07/2005 Germany Munich Coubertin Platz
10/07/2005 Austria Pielachtal Nuke Site
11/07/2005 Italy Verona Arena
Moon & Stars Festival
13/07/2005 Switzerland Locarno Piazza Grande
Festival Les Voix du Gaou
14/07/2005 France Six Fours Les Plages Ile Du Gaou
Fuji Rock Festival Green Stage
29/07/2005 Japon Naeba Naeba Ski Resort
August
02/08/2005 Canada Toronto, ON Air Canada Centre
03/08/2005 Canada Montreal, QC Bell Centre
04/08/2005 USA Hartford, CT Meadows Music Theatre
06/08/2005 USA Boston, MA Tweeter Center
07/08/2005 USA Philadelphia, PA Tweeter Center at The Waterfront
09/08/2005 USA Cincinnati, OH Riverbend Music Center
11/08/2005 USA Pittsburgh, PA Post Gazette Pavilion
12/08/2005 USA Indianapolis, IN Verizon Wireless Music Center 13/08/2005 USA East Troy, WI Alpine Valley Music Theatre
16/08/2005 USA Seattle, WA White River Amphitheater
17/08/2005 USA Portland, OR Amphitheater at Clark County
19/08/2005 USA San Francisco, CA Shoreline Amphitheater
20/08/2005 USA Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
21/08/2005 USA Irvine, CA Verizon Wireless Amphitheater 24/08/2005 USA Albuquerque, NM Journal Pavilion
25/08/2005 USA Phoenix, AZ Cricket Pavilion

26/08/2005 USA San Diego, CA Coors Amphitheater
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]

MTV Video Music Awards 2005
28/08/2005 USA Miami, FL America Airlines Arena
WDET Live !
29/08/2005 USA Detroit, MI WDET 101.9FM Detroit Public Radio Studios

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]
30/08/2005 USA Detroit, MI DTE Energy Music Theatre
31/08/2005 USA Columbus, OH Germain Amphitheater
September
01/09/2005 USA Darien Center, NY Darien Lake Performing Arts Center
03/09/2005 USA Holmdel, NJ PNC Bank Arts Center
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]

Acoustic Session (a.k.a. Japan Acoustic Session)
05/09/2005 USA Philadelphia, PA WXPN World News Cafè Studios

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]
06/09/2005 USA New York, NY Madison Square Garden
07/09/2005 USA New York, NY Madison Square Garden
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]

ReAct Now: Music & Relief
08/09/2005 USA New York, NY VH1 Studios

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]
09/09/2005 USA Charlotte, NC Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
10/09/2005 USA Raleigh, NC Alltel Pavilion
13/09/2005 USA West Palm Beach, FL Sound Advice Amphitheater
17/09/2005 USA St. Louis, MO UMB Bank Pavilion
18/09/2005 USA Nashville, TN Starwood Amphitheater
20/09/2005 USA Minneapolis, MN Target Center
21/09/2005 USA Kansas City, MO Verizon Wireless Amphitheater
23/09/2005 USA Dallas, TX Smirnoff Music Center
Austin City Limits Music Festival
25/09/2005 USA Austin, TX Zilker Park
28/09/2005 USA Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
29/09/2005 USA Virginia Beach, VA Virginia Beach Amphitheater
30/09/2005 USA Bristow, VA Nissan Pavilion at Stone Ridge
October
26/10/2005 Belgium Anversa Sports Palace
28/10/2005 Germany Oberhausen Arena
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]

Nordic Music Awards 2005
29/10/2005 Denmark Copenhagen Forum

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]
30/10/2005 Denmark Copenhagen Forum
31/10/2005 Norway Oslo Spektrum
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]

November
MTV European Music Awards
03/11/2005 Portugal Lisboa Atlantico Pavilion

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]
07/11/2005 Sweden Stockholm Globe
09/11/2005 Germany Leipzig Arena
10/11/2005 Germany Mannheim Maimarkhalle
12/11/2005 Switzerland Zürich Hallenstadion
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]

Che Tempo Che Fa?
13/11/2005 Italy Milan Raitre - Studi Rai

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]
14/11/2005 Italy Milan Filaforum
15/11/2005 Italy Bologna Palamalaguti
17/11/2005 France Marsiglia Dome
18/11/2005 France Tolosa Zenith
20/11/2005 Spain Barcelona Palau Saint Jordi
22/11/2005 Spain Madrid Palacio de los Deportes
23/11/2005 Portugal Lisboa Atlantico Pavilion
25/11/2005 Spain San Sebastian Velodromo Anoeta
28/11/2005 France Lion Tony Garnier Hall
29/11/2005 France Paris Bercy
30/11/2005 Belgium Anversa Sports Palace
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]

December
Friday Night With Jonathan Ross
02/12/2005 England London BBC1 Studios
Conan O’Brien Show
07/12/2005 England London NBC Studios
KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas
11/12/2005 USA Los Angeles, CA KROQ Studios
Jay Leno
12/12/2005 England London

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]
14/12/2005 England London Earls Court
15/12/2005 England London Earls Court
16/12/2005 England London Earls Court
18/12/2005 England Newcastle Telewest Arena
19/12/2005 England Manchester Evening News Arena
21/12/2005 Northern Ireland Belfast The Odyssy Arena
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 1ST LEG]

Maida Vale Session
22/12/2005 England London BBC Maida Vale Studios
Live Ken Bruce Show
27/12/2005 England London Maida Vale Studios
CD:Uk
31/12/2005 England London

2006

January
NRJ Music Awards
21/01/2006 France Cannes

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 2ND LEG]
25/01/2006 USA Seattle, WA Key Arena
26/01/2006 USA Vancouver, BC GM Place
27/01/2006 USA Vancouver, BC GM Place
30/01/2006 USA Sacramento, CA Arco Arena
31/01/2006 USA Oakland, CA Oakland Arena
February
01/02/2006 USA San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 2ND LEG]

Live 105 Radio Private Performance
02/02/2006 USA San Francisco, CA MMC Studios - The Metreon

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 2ND LEG]
03/02/2006 USA Las Vegas, NV MGM Grand Garden Arena 04/02/2006 USA Los Angeles, CA The Forum
06/02/2006 USA Anaheim, CA Arrowhead Pond Of Anaheim
07/02/2006 USA Anaheim, CA Arrowhead Pond Of Anaheim
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 2ND LEG]

48th Grammy Awards
08/02/2006 USA Los Angeles, CA Staples Center

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 2ND LEG]
Live@Abbey Road Studios for Radio 2
13/02/2006 England London Abbey Road Studios
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 2ND LEG]

Brit Awards 2006
15/02/2006 England London Earls Court
Tv Total
16/02/2006 Germany Pro 7 Studios

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 2ND LEG]
19/02/2006 USA Denver, CO Pepsi Center
20/02/2006 USA Omaha, NE Qwest Center
22/02/2006 USA Detroit, MI Palace Of Auburn Hills
23/02/2006 USA Louisville, KY Freedom Hall
25/02/2006 USA Houston, TX Toyota Center
26/02/2006 USA Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
27/02/2006 USA Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center
March
02/03/2006 USA Washington, DC MCI Center
04/03/2006 USA Orlando, FL T.D. Waterhouse Center
05/03/2006 USA Tampa, FL Ford Pavilion
17/03/2006 Canada Ottawa, ON Corel Centre
19/03/2006 USA Milwaukee, WI Bradley Center
20/03/2006 USA Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena
22/03/2006 Canada Toronto, ON Air Canada Center
23/03/2006 Canada Toronto, ON Air Canada Center
25/03/2006 USA East Rutherford, NJ Continental Airlines Arena
26/03/2006 USA Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
27/03/2006 USA Uniondale, NY Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
30/03/2006 USA Chicago, IL United Center
31/03/2006 USA Chicago, IL United Center
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 2ND LEG]

April
Juno Awards
02/04/2006 Canada Halifax Halifax Metro Center

[TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 2ND LEG]
03/04/2006 USA Manchester, NH Verizon Wireless Arena
04/04/2006 USA Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Lunchtime mini-concert
06/04/2006 USA New York, NY China Club
06/04/2006 USA Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
June
Isle Of Wight Festival
11/06/2006 England Isle Of Wight Seaclose Park
23/06/2006 Australia Brisbane Entertainment Centre
24/06/2006 Australia Brisbane Entertainment Centre
26/06/2006 Australia Sidney Entertainment Centre
27/06/2006 Australia Sidney Entertainment Centre
28/06/2006 Australia Sidney Entertainment Centre
July
01/07/2006 Australia Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
02/07/2006 Australia Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
03/07/2006 Australia Melbourne Rod Laver Arena
05/07/2006 Australia Adelaide Entertainment Centre
07/07/2006 Australia Perth Burswood Dome
10/07/2006 Singapore Singapore Indoor Stadium
13/07/2006 Hong Kong Hong Kong AsiaWorld Expo
15/07/2006 Japon Osaka Intex Osaka
17/07/2006 Japon Nagoya Rainbow Hall
18/07/2006 Japon Tokyo Budokan
19/07/2006 Japon Tokyo Budokan
19/07/2006 Japon Tokyo Budokan
[End of TWISTED LOGIC TOUR - 2ND LEG]

September
London Show - Jay-Z Concert
27/09/2006 England London Royal Albert Hall
October
Extras with Ricky Gervais
06/10/2006 England London BBC Studios
November
Mencap’s Little Noise Session
27/11/2006 England Islington, Londra Union Chapel

New York Times News Service
Jun. 3, 2005 12:00 AM

There’s nothing wrong with self-pity. As a spur to songwriting, it’s right up there with lust, anger and greed, and probably better than the remaining deadly sins. There’s nothing wrong, either, with striving for musical grandeur, using every bit of skill and studio illusion to create a sound large enough to get lost in. Male sensitivity, a quality that’s under siege in a pop culture full of unrepentant bullying and machismo, shouldn’t be dismissed out of hand, no matter how risible it can be in practice. And building a sound on the lessons of past bands is virtually unavoidable.
[Read more]

C     C/D     Cadd9
Steal my heart
Cadd9    C/D    C
and hold my tongue
C     C/D     Cadd9
I feel my time
Cadd9    C/D    C
my time has come

C     C/D     Cadd9
Let me in
Cadd9    C/D    C
unlock the door
Cadd9/G  Cadd9  Cadd9/G  C/D  Cadd9  Cadd9/B   C
I ne       ver     felt    this way before

     C       Am      Fmaj7     C
And the wheels just keep on turning
             Am      Fmaj7     C
The drummer begins to drum
             Am      Fmaj7    C
I don't know which way I'm going
            Fmaj7    Gmaj6     C
I don't know which way I've come

C     C/D     Cadd9
Hold my head
Cadd9    C/D    C
inside your hands
C     C/D     Cadd9
I need someone
Cadd9    C/D    C
who understands

C     C/D     Cadd9
I need someone
Cadd9    C/D    C
someone who hears
Cadd9/G  Cadd9  Cadd9/G  C/D   Cadd9  Cadd9/B   C
For           you I've waited all these years

              Fmaj7
For you I'd wait
                C
Til Kingdom Come
              Fmaj7
Until my day
                C
my day is done
              Fmaj7
and say you’ll come
              Am7
and set me free
              Fmaj7
just say you’ll wait
  Gmaj6         C
you’ll wait for me

C     C/D     Cadd9
In your tears
Cadd9    C/D    C
and in your blood
C     C/D     Cadd9
In your fire
Cadd9    C/D    C
and in your flood

C     C/D     Cadd9
I hear you laugh
Cadd9    C/D    C
I heard you sing
Cadd9/G  Cadd9  Cadd9/G  C/D   Cadd9  Cadd9/B   C
I         wouldn’t change a single thing

     C       Am      Fmaj7     C
And the wheels just keep on turning
             Am      Fmaj7     C
The drummer begins to drum
             Am      Fmaj7     C
I don’t know which way I’m going
            Fmaj7    Gmaj6     C
I don’t know which way I’ve come

              Fmaj7
For you I’d wait
                C
Til Kingdom Come
              Fmaj7
Until my day
                C
my day is done
            Fmaj7
and say you’ll come
              Am7
and set me free
              Fmaj7
just say you’ll wait
  Gmaj6         C
you’ll wait for me

              Fmaj7
just say you’ll wait
  Gmaj6         C
you’ll wait for me