Coldplay - Why the hate?

[gigpusher]

I don't hate them but by nature of having that ambition to be the biggest it means you will be much more in the public domain and for those who don't like their music it means you are exposed more to something you don't like which in turn increases your negative feelings about it I suppose. It's the same with all the more successful artists. There is also an earnestness about a lot of those bands/artists that I actually find quite sweet (even when they are not my thing) but some people seem to respond very negatively to. 

I think hate is a very strong word. I definitely prefer to reserve it for people much more deserving of it.  

[gigpusher]

5 minutes ago, jimmillen said:

Bit like other previous comments, I don’t hate Coldplay… I just don’t find them very interesting. 🤷‍♂️

Also a little bemused at just how big & successful they are - clearly there’s a massive audience for what they’re doing.

For me there have been many more exciting, more talented bands over the past 25 years who’ve not gone on to become worldwide stadium-selling-out megastars. Are Coldplay really better, or did they just get lucky?

Mind you, although I find them dull, I can appreciate they’ve worked damn hard, put on a great show & don’t seem to take their fans for granted. That’s more than many artists do & maybe explains their success after all. 

Tangential question I’ve always wondered: are Coldplay anyone’s absolute favourite band? 

Oh yes lots of people's I remember when 6 Music did a vote to find the best track and Coldplay won it apparently because a load of Coldplay fan forums hammered the voting because let's face it they are no longer really a band that get any airplay on 6 Music. 

[CaledonianGonzo]

They've got some decent songs, some good ones and some clunkers. But Fix You is bad. Like really bad. Worst of the decade bad.

[Hugh Jass II]

4 minutes ago, CaledonianGonzo said:

They've got some decent songs, some good ones and some clunkers. But Fix You is bad. Like really bad. Worst of the decade bad.

Fix You lost all of its resonance when it was made shorthand for "emotional" on shows like X-Factor where it was always played whenever the sap with the sob story started welling up.

[WestCountryGirl]

My parents were at Wembley on Wednesday night. It is years - maybe decades - since they took a trip specifically to London to see a band (normally go to Cardiff or Manchester as we have family there) but it was specifically on my Mum's bucket list to see Coldplay, as she and my Dad have always enjoyed them but never seen them.

They had a fantastic time, and loved every second. I knew my Mum's favourite moment would be 'A Sky Full if Stars' and it filled me with glee to think about what a spectacle that moment would be and how happy she would be with it. I love that song too and it was my highlight of their 2016 set, which I also enjoyed thoroughly and has been the only time I've seen them so far. 

So, to sum up - no hate here. But then, I also love U2, so I get how it is to have people judge you for lack of taste. One thing I will say though, and I was discussing this with my parents last night, is that I genuinely believe Chris Martin is a thoroughly nice guy. He doesn't bring that same "eugh" factor that Bono can. Even if we give Chris a hard time for showing up all over the place (at times) I never doubt that it is entirely motivated just by sheer glee at performing, and that is quite endearing (even if it can be a bit annoying for those in the audience who are bored by him). And then he showed some real self-awareness in picking up on the vibes after Glasto 2019. I don't know - he could just be one hell of an actor, but he's successfully fooled me this far.

 

[Skip997]

30 minutes ago, jimmillen said:

 Are Coldplay really better, or did they just get lucky?

There's definitely an element of luck in making it in the music business, but also a lot of hard work and determination.

I have several friends who are very talented musicians who have formed bands that are better than a lot of bands who made it, main difference is the single minded determination to get there.

[dingbat2]

I went to see them (and London Grammar) at Wembley on Tuesday and it was one of the most jaw dropping gigs I have ever been to, spectacular in every way, the wrist band stuff was amazing as was the music and the energy of Chris Martin, I am not sure how he does it after 20 years

Seen them quite a few times, including Glasto 2005, always put on an incredible show, but nothing like Tuesday's gig. Took the family who had never seen them and they thought it was the best gig they had ever been to, especially my 13 and 16 year old boys. Bought the cheap seats for £70 (which I didnt think was too bad for a stadium gig) on the front row of the top tier, and probably had the best view as you could see the lights across the whole stadium and the fireworks. Real family friendly crowd pleasing stuff, hit after hit after hit

... I did think the encore fell a bit flat though to be fair. No idea why they feel the need to bring on a special guest (we had Natalie Imruglia doing Torn and Summer Nights as a ONJ tribute), it just didn't work for me after what went on before. They then only had one bit hit, Fix You, left to play, so some people were starting to leave before the end which was a shame. Needed a couple of belters to finish off with, not Biutyful

Still had an absolutely fantastic time, priceless family memories made, we will be talking about it for years to come

[gigpusher]

2 minutes ago, Skip997 said:

There's definitely an element of luck in making it in the music business, but also a lot of hard work and determination.

I have several friends who are very talented musicians who have formed bands that are better than a lot of bands who made it, main difference is the single minded determination to get there.

Yep and I think it's that earnestness and raw, naked ambition that a lot of people actually don't like. Most bands that have an ambition to be the biggest in the world will generally speaking be amongst the most hated as well. 

[gooner1990]

26 minutes ago, dingbat2 said:

I went to see them (and London Grammar) at Wembley on Tuesday and it was one of the most jaw dropping gigs I have ever been to, spectacular in every way, the wrist band stuff was amazing as was the music and the energy of Chris Martin, I am not sure how he does it after 20 years

Seen them quite a few times, including Glasto 2005, always put on an incredible show, but nothing like Tuesday's gig. Took the family who had never seen them and they thought it was the best gig they had ever been to, especially my 13 and 16 year old boys. Bought the cheap seats for £70 (which I didnt think was too bad for a stadium gig) on the front row of the top tier, and probably had the best view as you could see the lights across the whole stadium and the fireworks. Real family friendly crowd pleasing stuff, hit after hit after hit

... I did think the encore fell a bit flat though to be fair. No idea why they feel the need to bring on a special guest (we had Natalie Imruglia doing Torn and Summer Nights as a ONJ tribute), it just didn't work for me after what went on before. They then only had one bit hit, Fix You, left to play, so some people were starting to leave before the end which was a shame. Needed a couple of belters to finish off with, not Biutyful

Still had an absolutely fantastic time, priceless family memories made, we will be talking about it for years to come

You went the same night as my mother then, she didn't think much of that bit either!

[Alvoram]

25 minutes ago, gooner1990 said:

You went the same night as my mother then, she didn't think much of that bit either!

I agree with your Mother, and we had Shaznay... I think he should have saved one or two of the more dancey songs for after SFOS instead of doing the colab. People were up for it, they'd put their phones away, danced like mad, and really enjoyed it, he had the momentum, such a shame. But then it's a difficult one, because putting those songs in earlier meant the whole set had energy. Maybe just make the set 10 minutes shorter? 

[circus92]

22 hours ago, lighthouse said:

Most of their music is pretty average. They're a bit like Ed Sheehan in a way, save from a few gems early on in their career. But if you want to hear those you have to endure all that Sky Full Of Stars Paraparaparadise My Universe Hymn For The Weekend shite. 

See also: Muse. 

They are way better than Ed Sheeran.  I am in a reasonable position to judge as I saw them both this year.  I found Ed Sheeran really poor - one of the worst gigs I have been to, and Coldplay were quite the opposite - one of the best I have been to.

Also, Sky Full of Stars was the highlight of our night!   Just shows how varied everyone's tastes are 😊

[Alvoram]

5 minutes ago, circus92 said:

They are way better than Ed Sheeran.  I am in a reasonable position to judge as I saw them both this year.  I found Ed Sheeran really poor - one of the worst gigs I have been to, and Coldplay were quite the opposite - one of the best I have been to.

Also, Sky Full of Stars was the highlight of our night!   Just shows how varied everyone's tastes are 😊

I've also seen both, at Wembley too. I like some of Ed's music, and respect what he does live, building the entire track up on his loop pedal. But I have to agree with you, he isn't a patch on Coldplay live.

I haven't seen anybody who was there and hasn't said a SFOS was their highlight, and yet, so many people seem to think that anything after their second album is trash. 🤷‍♂️ SFOS is something you have to see live in that setting I guess. 

[Chip Batch]

23 hours ago, moogster said:

To repeat some of the above. The music. I loved their first album. Second was OK. Then.... urgh...

 

Yeah same, liked the first, second was OK - after that anything I've heard is too clean over-produced pop for my tastes. 

No hate on them from me though, just indifference. And they don't need to headline Glastonbury so often - which annoys people with no interest in them on here. Me included 😄

 

 

[Reckoner]

I’ll always have a soft spot for Sky full of stars because the films clip is them walking up the street of Newtown in Sydney which is near where I use to live and I’d just moved overseas when it was released.  
 

Would have preferred their drummer to have not have murdered all those Starks at the Red Wedding though 

[Alvoram]

33 minutes ago, Chip Batch said:

Yeah same, liked the first, second was OK - after that anything I've heard is too clean over-produced pop for my tastes. 

No hate on them from me though, just indifference. And they don't need to headline Glastonbury so often - which annoys people with no interest in them on here. Me included 😄

 

 

 

I don't think there's too much hope / worry (delete as appropriate to you) of that happening... 
 

Quote

When asked by Colin Paterson of BBC Breakfast and Radio 5 Live if he or Coldplay will perform at the festival in 2020, Chris Martin simply said, "No." Pressed for an explanation, Chris Martin continued: "I did pop up on stage last year and I loved doing so. Then I saw a tweet afterwards which said 'you can always rely on him to come on in a tracksuit and ruin everything'.

"So I was like, you know what, a) I should work on my trousers, and b) I shouldn't be online, and c) maybe just go and watch Glastonbury for a year or so." Asked if the tweet affected him, he replied: "Sometimes these things hurt me because I'm human."

Also, they haven't actually played Glasto as a band for 6 years have they?  

[Hugh Jass II]

7 minutes ago, Alvoram said:

 

Also, they haven't actually played Glasto as a band for 6 years have they?  

There have only been three festivals since then.

[Alvoram]

15 minutes ago, Hugh Jass II said:

There have only been three festivals since then.

That doesn't change the fact it's been 6 years, and 6 years (or even 3 festivals off) doesn't support the notion that they headline all the time. To be clear, I'm not suggesting that they should headline again so soon, just countering the notion that they headline all the time. 🙂 

Honestly, I'm not sure if they'll ever headline again. Legends slot in a good few years maybe? 

[Hugh Jass II]

1 minute ago, Alvoram said:

That doesn't change the fact it's been 6 years, and 6 years (or even 3 festivals off) doesn't support the notion that they headline all the time. To be clear, I'm not suggesting that they should headline again so soon, just countering the notion that they headline all the time. 🙂 

Honestly, I'm not sure if they'll ever headline again. Legends slot in a good few years maybe? 

They have headlined four times since 2002 at a rate of once every four festivals.

That's a hell of a lot.

[dingbat2]

Perhaps they should just headline every fallow year then

[Alvoram]

10 minutes ago, Hugh Jass II said:

They have headlined four times since 2002 at a rate of once every four festivals.

That's a hell of a lot.

4 times in 22 years for probably the biggest British band on the planet for much of that time is not a lot IMO, but I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that, as it is a matter of opinion.

Out of interest, how many times do you think some of the mid 90s bands would have headlined by now if they could keep their shit together? Oasis for example? Weren't they already at 3 by 2004? 

Radiohead another example, 2003, 2010, 2011 and 2017. 4 times in 14 years. 

Edited August 19, 2022 by Alvoram

[Hugh Jass II]

3 minutes ago, Alvoram said:

4 times in 22 years for probably the biggest British band on the planet for much of that time is not a lot IMO, but I guess we'll have to agree to disagree on that, as it is a matter of opinion.

Out of interest, how many times do you think some of the mid 90s bands would have headlined by now if they could keep their shit together? Oasis for example? Weren't they already at 3 by 2004? 

Oasis have headlined twice - 95 and 04, by the time they split up in 09 their popularity was waning but I would not have bet against them being back at some point in the 10's as a heritage headliner.

By contrast Radiohead have headlined three times in 20-odd years (97, 03, 17), so probably not as many as you would think.

Edited August 19, 2022 by Hugh Jass II

[Alvoram]

1 minute ago, Hugh Jass II said:

Oasis have headlined twice - 95 and 04, by the time they split up in 09 their popularity was waning but I would not have bet against them being back at some point in the 10's as a heritage headliner.

By contract Radiohead have headlined three times in 20-odd years (97, 03, 17), so probably not as many as you would think.

I wasn't there, so my only source is online, on further digging the article I chose has it very wrong, confusing performances with headlining...

(Just so you know I wasn't pulling shit out of the air) https://metro.co.uk/2019/06/30/artist-band-played-glastonbury-festival-10093302/#:~:text=Van Morrison,-Van Morrison at&text=His career spans over three,%2C 1993%2C 1997 and 2005.

Sorry about that. 

Back on topic... On wiki Radiohead is listed as having performed 7 times and Coldplay 6 (although 2 of Radiohead's are the same year, so that was a perfect cherry picked stat 😛 no shame 🙈🤣) 

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree 🙂 It's very subjective anyway. I would be happy to see the biggest British bands perform there every 2 or 3 years, some people will want more variety. 🙂 

[Hugh Jass II]

1 minute ago, Alvoram said:

 

I think we'll just have to agree to disagree 🙂 It's very subjective anyway. I would be happy to see the biggest British bands perform there every 2 or 3 years, some people will want more variety. 🙂 

I wouldn't want to see any act headline every 2-3 years. The talent pool is so rich and deep that having the same acts over and over again feels like a huge waste.

IMO there should be a gap of at least 8 years or three albums before an act is invited back to headline.

[Alvoram]

12 minutes ago, Hugh Jass II said:

I wouldn't want to see any act headline every 2-3 years. The talent pool is so rich and deep that having the same acts over and over again feels like a huge waste.

IMO there should be a gap of at least 8 years or three albums before an act is invited back to headline.

That's fair enough, I can understand your point, giving other acts a chance. 👍 Remember, I haven't seen them at Glasto yet either, so may be a little biased by that 😉

[Crazyfool01]

2 minutes ago, Alvoram said:

That's fair enough, I can understand your point, giving other acts a chance. 👍 Remember, I haven't seen them at Glasto yet either, so may be a little biased by that 😉

You and many others getting tickets isn’t easy as we know … Coldplay have huge popularity and are a pretty easy and cheap win for the festival …that money saved can then get reinvested in infastructure or acts elsewhere or even charity donation … I keep hearing that there is so much more to the festival than the main stages yet people complain when a  hugely popular act takes up one slot !! Or maybe these same people also complain about clashes …