Coldplay

Hello Friends,

Like most of you I learned of this band through their music video for the song 'Yellow'. I had no idea what they were singing about and nor did I care...this video was a breath of fresh air compared to the pop music that blanketed TV at that time. It was guitar based music and a welcome addition from an otherwise strange time where videos like this one reigned.

I picked up 'Parachutes' the same week I saw that video and was blown away that each and every song was so gorgeous. It's 11 years old now and still as stunning as ever.

Like any band they had their work cut out for them to follow-up such a big debut. Coldplay was able to rise to the occasion and dropped 'A Rush of Blood to the Head' on the World. For me this will forever stand-out as one of the greatest albums I've heard at first spin. I recorded it from Edge 102 as Dave Bookman did a 'World Album Premiere' the night before it's release. I drove to a cottage that same night and played the album on repeat for the 3 hour journey. I got to the cottage road and kept going so I could finish the album one more time as it was meant to be heard. I will never forget that feeling as it was just perfect.

I used to enter contest through eye weekly on a regular basis in those days. I actually won quite frequently and won a copy of the lead single 'In My Place' one week. It came with a pass to meet the band at an in-store autograph session while they were in town. It was at HMV Queen Street just as 'A Rush of Blood to the Head' came out and to my surprise there wasn't that big of a line-up. I have a photo somewhere - just can't find it right now. I also have a Q Magazine cover I got autographed that same day.

The first time I saw the band live was at the Molson Amphitheatre back in 2003. It was there that I fell in love with Ron Sexsmith's music when he opened the show. Chris Martin joined Ron on stage for the duet 'Gold in them Hills' that appears on Ron's album 'Cobblestone Runway'. The crowd didn't expect it as the place was still filing in. Once they all recognized the skinny guy in a black toque to be Chris Martin they went nuts.

Suffice to say I am very excited that we'll be hosting the band at MuchMusic next Wednesday, September 21st. It'll be a live broadcast show from my work's parking lot and I bet there might even be some fireworks. It all kicks off at 9pm - and I recommend you watch this one in HD with speakers set to 11.

Here's a quick play list, of some of my favourite Coldplay tracks, to prepare you for this wonderful night in Toronto.

• Homecoming on Kanye's album 'Graduation'
• Shiver *they are just kids in this one
• Trouble
• Moses
• Green Eyes *personal favourite track from Coldplay
• Amsterdam
• Warning Sign
• The Hardest Part
• Fix You *stick this on a running play list!

Thanks for reading/listening.

Gregg