Coldplay
Coldplay are an English alternative rock band formed in London in 1998. The group comprises Chris Martin (lead vocals, keyboards, guitar), Jonny Buckland (lead guitar), Guy Berryman (bass guitar), and Will Champion (drums, backing vocals, other instruments).
Coldplay’s early material was compared to acts such as Radiohead, Jeff Buckley, U2, and Travis. They achieved worldwide fame with the release of the single “Yellow”, followed by their debut album, Parachutes (2000), which was nominated for the Mercury Prize. The band’s second album, A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002), won multiple awards, including NME’s Album of the Year. Their next release, X&Y (2005), received a slightly less enthusiastic yet still generally positive reception. The band’s fourth studio album, Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008), was produced by Brian Eno and released again to largely favourable reviews, earning several Grammy nominations and wins.Coldplay have sold over 50 million records worldwide.
Coldplay’s musical style has been defined as alternative rock, being compared to Jeff Buckley, Radiohead and Oasis. Lead singer/songwriter Chris Martin once labelled the band’s music as “limestone rock”. The band’s music has been called “meditative” and “blue romantic”; it “[reflects] on their emotions” and Martin “endlessly examine[s] his feelings”. Martin’s lyrical wordplay has been called feminist, similar to Andrew Montgomery of Geneva. The tone of the band’s first studio album, Parachutes, was described as melodic pop with “distorted
guitar riffs and swishing percussion”. It was also described as being “exquisitely dark and artistically abrasive”. In a review for A Rush of Blood to the Head, the songs were considered to contain “lush melodies and a heartbreak” and that they had a “newfound confidence.” The music on X&Y has been considered to be “ruminations on Martin’s doubts, fears, hopes, and loves.” They also acknowledge the Scottish alternative rock band, Travis, as a major influence on their earlier material.
Despite Coldplay’s worldwide popularity, the band has remained protective of how their music is used in the media, refusing its use for product endorsements. In the past, Coldplay turned down multi-million dollar contracts from Gatorade, Diet Coke, and Gap, who wanted to use the songs “Yellow”, “Trouble”, and “Don’t Panic” respectively.
During the early years, Coldplay became widely known in the media for claims they gave 10% of the band’s profits to charity, which they continue to do. Bassist Guy Berryman said, “You can make people aware of issues. It isn’t very much effort for us at all, but if it can help people, then we want to do it.” The band also asks that any gifts intended for them are donated to charity, according to a response on the FAQ section of Coldplay’s website.
In June 2009, Coldplay began supporting Meat Free Monday, a food campaign started by Sir Paul McCartney which attempts to help slow climate change by having at least one meat free day a week. From December 17 until December 31, Coldplay will be auctioning a quantity of significant band memorabilia, including their first guitars, on eBay. All items will either be signed by the four band members, or accompanied by a certificate of authenticity, again signed by them all. Proceeds will go to Kids Company, a charity which helps vulnerable children and young people in London.
U2
U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono (vocals and rhythm guitar), The Edge (guitar, keyboards, and vocals), Adam Clayton (bass guitar), and Larry Mullen, Jr. (drums and percussion).
The band formed at secondary school in 1976 when the members were teenagers with limited musical proficiency. Within four years, they signed to Island Records and released their debut album. By the mid-1980s, they had become a top international act. They were more successful as a live act than they were at selling records, until their 1987 album The Joshua Tree, which, according to Rolling Stone, elevated the band’s stature “from heroes to superstars”.
Reacting to their own sense of musical stagnation and a late-1980s critical backlash, U2 incorporated dance music and alternative rock into their sound and performances, replacing their earnest image with a more ironic tone. Similar experimentation continued for the remainder of the 1990s. Since 2000, U2 have pursued a more conventional sound, while maintaining influences from their previous musical explorations.
U2 have released 12 studio albums, with worldwide sales totaling more than 145 million records,and they have won 22 Grammy Awards, more than any other band.In 2005, the band were inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in their first year of eligibility.Throughout their career, as a band and as individuals, they have campaigned for human rights and philanthropic causes, including Amnesty International, the ONE Campaign, Product Red, and Bono’s DATA campaign.
Since their inception, U2 have developed and maintained a distinctly recognisable sound, with emphasis on melodic instrumentals and expressive, larger-than-life vocals. This approach is rooted partly in the early influence of record producer Steve Lillywhite at a time when the band was not known for musical proficiency.Despite these broad consistencies, U2 have introduced new elements into their musical repertoire with each new album. U2′s early sound was influenced by bands such as Television and Joy Division, and has been described as containing a “sense of exhilaration” that resulted from The Edge’s “radiant chords” and Bono’s “ardent vocals”.
Since the early 1980s, the members of U2—as a band and individually—have collaborated with other musicians, artists, celebrities, and politicians to address issues concerning poverty, disease, and social injustice.
Aside from musical collaborations, U2 have worked with several authors. American author William S. Burroughs had a guest appearance in U2′s video for “Last Night on Earth” shortly before he died. His poem “A Thanksgiving Prayer” was used as video footage during the band’s Zoo TV Tour.
