Coldplay Coldplay is an English alternative rock band formed in 1997 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and his friend Jonny Buckland, the lead guitarist. Bass player Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion joined the band shortly after.
Their debut album “Parachutes” was released in 2000. One of its songs, “Yellow”, made them known worldwide. Coldplay has been one of the most successful bands in recent years, selling over 40 million albums. Famous hits like “Speed of Sound”, “Clocks” and “Viva la Vida” entered the charts in many countries. Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland first met at the University College London in September 1996.
At this time, they were about twenty years old and studied, among other things, Latin, mathematics and astrophysics. They spent the first year together planning a group that was first called Pectoralz. After Guy Berryman, their classmate, had joined the band, they renamed themselves Starfish and performed in local clubs. Their first musical influence was the British rock band Radiohead. The group was completed when Will Champion joined to take up percussion duties.
It finally settled on the name “Coldplay”. After completing their final examinations, Coldplay signed to the agency Parlophone for a five-album contract in 1999.Until today, they have produced four albums: “Parachutes”, “A Rush of Blood to the Head”, “X&Y” and “Viva la Vida or Death and all his Friends”. In June 2010, Coldplay announced that the fifth album is nearly completed.
Coldplay was nominated for 122 awards and won 43 of them. Their secret of success is the innovative marketing strategy. Before releasing a new single, Coldplay publishes it on their own website. Everyone can download these songs for free for a short time. This way, “Viva la Vida” beat the download record. Coldplay’s music style has been defined as alternative rock, being compared to, for example, Oasis.
The music is often called emotional and meditative. In the first years, the songs were typical British and Scottish rock songs. The band toured Latin America in 2007 and took new inspirations from the local music. In “Viva la Vida”, the style was moving towards art rock by experimenting with different instruments.
Coldplay also included orchestras and classical instruments. Coldplay supports many charity organizations. Chris Martin is a visible celebrity involved in Oxfam Fair Trade and Amnesty International. The band is also performing in many charity concerts.
In 2010, they were raising money for the victims of the Haitian Earthquake. Furthermore, Coldplay supports “Meat Free Monday”, an extraordinary food campaign to help slow climate change by eating less meat. Lead vocalist Chris Martin is a vegetarian and practices yoga. He does not smoke or drink alcohol. In addition to his university degree he has got talents in playing musical instruments including piano, guitar, mandolin, clarinet and harmonica. Martin met American actress Gwyneth Paltrow in 2002 backstage at a Coldplay gig.
The couple married one year later. They have two little children.
