From their first album Parachutes to their more recent A head full of dreams, Coldplay is known for its soul-stirring lyrics and music that just doesn’t get out of your head. As the band makes it’s way to India for their first performance on November 19, 2016, here’s all about their journey to stardom.
It was at the University College London, 1996, when lead singer Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland came together to form Pectoralz. When bassist Guy Berryman joined the duo, they changed the band name to Starfish, and the trio performed at small clubs in 1997. Will Champion completed the performing line-up by taking over percussion. Phil Harvey, the band manager and currently the creative director is often referred to as the fifth member of the group. The band officially changed their name to Coldplay in 1998 after Tim Crompton, a local student suggested that they use the name, which was originally his band name.
Coldplay got it’s first break when they signed up a five-album contract for the record label Parlophone. Soon, as is the case with most music bands across the world, a rift in the group made their early stages rather difficult and stressful, but they decided to set aside their differences and continue working together. This made way for their first successful album Parachutes. The tracks Yellow and Shiver from the album topped the music charts in the UK and the US. The band received awards for —Best British Group and Best British album at the Brit Awards, and also for Best Alternative music album at the Grammy Awards. The rest is history.
The journey so far
The band began their journey when the era of Britpop was over. They took the path less travelled and popularised a new genre of music — the fusion of American rock with Indie and experimental music. Their music often considered as alternative rock has been compared to bands like U2, Oasis, Radiohead and Travis.
The band themselves have spoken about the influence of Scottish band Travis. Coldplay has also tapped into art rock, by elevating rock music to artistry and experimenting with jazz, classical and experimental rock. They have worked with different instruments ranging from honky tonk pianos and tablas to acoustic and electronic elements.
Be it an ode to James Bond through Spies, or mending the trouble amongst the band members through Trouble, or talking about infatuation through their track Shiver, Coldplay is known for bringing out life experiences through their lyrics.
The India connect
The song A hymn for the weekend, from their recent album A head full of dreams, which was shot in India received a lot of backlash for portraying Indian stereotypes of Holi, a dingy movie theatre, and Beyonce as an overly made-up Bollywood actress. But controversies apart, what we cannot deny is the fan following they have across the world.
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