Making simple and affecting pop songs, COLDPLAY have become one of the biggest bands in the country. Their follow up will make them even bigger. Words: Mark Robertson
8 THE LIST
I was T in the Park 2000 that I realised there was something
special abottt (‘oldpiay It was a beautil‘ully sunny Sunday
afternoon but the queue to get into the King Tut's Tent was stttpid. As I shoe-horned my way through the curious throng I came to a halt ten feet from the entrance where I saw two grown men end tip in a ruck over who was getting in to see (‘oldplayz Yes. the much maligned indie Tops derided by a certain ginger record label mogul l’or bedwetting and generally being shit. The two men inyolyed in the scul‘lle would haye undoubtedly been part ol' Alan McGee‘s colossal ()asis Army during the Britpop wars and now they had the handbags out oycr who would get to hear ‘Yellow‘.
'Yellow". Now there‘s a song. One man‘s albatross is another scrumptious. eternal meal ticket to rock Valhalla. (‘oldplay haye realised the signilicance of that song and instead ol‘ trying to chew off the hand that feeds them. they hayc embraced that quirky little pop song without becoming overwhelmed by it.
Just for the record. (‘oldplay are not one hit wonders. Their debut. Parachutes. is a clutch ol‘ instant. slightly melancholic songs which inyoke no particular musical era or iconic artists. A Rush of Blood In the Hard is their second album. It has no ‘Yellow‘ on it. It has a couple ol‘ "l‘rouble‘s and an ‘liyerything's .\'ot Lost or two mind you. bttt despite what some may regard as a foolish omission. the collected el‘l‘ect ol‘ the album means you are never l‘ound craying that ‘hands in the air" spirit.
Parachutes was instant in eyery way: an instant outlet for languid. longing choruses and an instant success for the band. Alter the melee at T in the Park they were whisked ottt lroni under otir noses to the [.'S as 'Yellow‘ l‘eyer spread stateside. The band linally made it back to Scotland: at a lestiye shindig at the Liquid Room they were more than a little bewildered alter months of touring and the recording of the .lools Holland New Year Hootenanny the night preyious (this was only early December). Many considered it to be the last chance to see them tip-close and sweaty. and they eyen treated the throng to a rendition of (‘arly