September 13th, 2009

‘Stick To Being Coldplay, Thanks‘

I’ve had the privilege – some would say misfortune – of seeing Coldplay perform live three times following the release of last summer’s all-conquering studio album, ‘Viva La Vida’, and I think it’s fair to say that my own experiences of the tour have been somewhat varied. Just as every band has its ups and downs, so, of course, does every fan. From fluking my way into the best seat in the house for their first visit to Manchester last December, to being crushed within an inch of my life in a vain attempt to secure a decent view at Rock Werchter in July; each of my three pilgrimages have certainly been memorable, if somewhat unpredictable in nature.

You can apply much the same kind of assessment to Coldplay’s – and particularly Chris Martin‘s – performance. Whatever your opinion of the man – and let’s face it, even the most passionate Coldplay fan would be hard-pressed to deny that he’s capable of overdoing it from time to time – there can be no denying that what he lacks in style, he more than makes up for in effort. While his bandmates stick steadily to the formula, performing their duties with minimal fuss, Martin bounds breathlessly from left to right and back again, and yet, endearing though it may be, it’s akin to watching a toddler learning to walk; there’s an underlying sense of dread that you can’t quite shake off.

Pixie Lott tops the Singles Chart this week with her track ‘Boys & Girls’, while Muse enter the top 10 with ‘Uprising’. Over in the Albums, four of the classic, re-mastered Beatles albums enter the top 10, but it’s Dame Vera Lynn who has the top spot with her Best Of collection. The Cribs also managed to break into a busy top 10 with their new record ‘Ignore The Ignorant‘.

Top 10 Singles:

Former Stone Roses frontman Ian Brown has urged Liam and Noel Gallagher to pursue solo projects after Noel walked out on Oasis last month.

Rumours are rife that Liam is ready to continue working on Oasis projects without his brother, while Noel is widely expected to release a long-awaited debut solo album some time in the future.

Brown told the Press Association: “What’s a shame is that they’re brothers. From being ten and six scrapping on the carpet in the front room, now they are doing it in public and worldwide – I think that’s a bit of a shame for them. Life’s hard enough without scrapping with your brother when you’re a grown man. I would say go solo. I can heartily recommend it. It’s a fine way to be.”

Brown also commented on the praise the Gallaghers heaped upon his former band The Stone Roses when they first burst onto the music scene in 1994: “I always loved Oasis because when they came out, they did express that they loved us and they saw that we did it and they thought they could do it too. We’re lads like they are, and that inspired them. That means a lot to me.”