COLDPLAY vowed not to tour again until they could do so in a sustainable way – and they will honour that pledge in a revolutionary way for a forthcoming show.
I can reveal that the group, fronted by Chris Martin, will play a huge gig at North London’s Alexandra Palace next week — powered solely by cyclists.
Coldplay will honour their pledge of being sustainable by playing a huge gig at North London’s Alexandra Palace next week
The group, fronted by Chris Martin, will join Prince William for the Earthshot Prize Awards as their performance will be powered solely by cyclists
The performance will be part of the inaugural Earthshot Prize ceremony. Hosted by Dermot O’Leary and Clara Amfo, the event will also see other acts including Shawn Mendes perform.
A source said: “The organisers of the Earthshot Prize wanted to make sure the ceremony went off with a bang. And having Coldplay performing with 60 cyclists pedalling like crazy next to them is definitely going to catch people’s attention.
“They will be singing outside of Ally Pally with everything powered by the people next to them on bikes — it’s a real statement to make and something the lads are totally on board with.”
The awards were set up by Prince William and the Royal Foundation to fund innovators helping repair the planet — with each of the five winners receiving £1million in funding.
Coldplay, who last week went to No3 with their BTS collaboration My Universe, said in 2019 they were stopping touring until they could do it in an eco-friendly way.
Chris, who is in the band with Guy Berryman, Will Champion and Jonny Buckland, said: “Our next tour will be the best possible version of a tour environmentally. We would be disappointed if it’s not carbon neutral.
“The hardest thing is the flying side of things. But, for example, our dream is to have a show with no single-use plastic, to have it largely solar powered. We’ve done a lot of big tours at this point. How do we turn it around so it’s not so much taking as giving?”
If this next show works out, they might just end up turning their next tour into a spin class.
IT’S CHARLI LATEXCX
CHARLI XCX gets into the spirit of spooky season as she performs in a graveyard.
She wore black latex to sing her latest tune Good Ones on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon in the States, having recently released a funeral-themed video to go with it.
Charli XCX donned black latex to sing her latest tune Good Ones on The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon
It builds on her collaboration Out Out with Joel Corry and Jax Jones which has spent seven weeks in the Top Ten.
And while Charli is readying a new album for next spring, Joel has new music on the way too.
Asked if I’ll get to hear his next single before the end of the year, he told me at the Attitude Awards: “Yeah, you are. I can’t give too much away yet, but it is coming really soon.
“I’m really excited about it, I’ve only just finished it.”
ONLY WAY IS LESSEX FOR ARG
JAMES ‘ARG’ Argent looks happier than ever as he shows off his nine-and-a-half-stone weight loss while on holiday in Spain.
The Towie star sang to the crowds at pal Elliott Wright’s Marbella restaurant Olivia’s.
James Argent looks happier than ever as he shows off his nine-and-a-half-stone weight loss
Arg, who was holidaying in Spain, previously told ‘I’m excited about what the future is going to bring’
Doctors told Arg to lose weight and he had a gastric sleeve fitted after hitting 27 stone.
Speaking in June, he said: “I’m excited about what the future is going to bring.”
TOM’S WAIT TO WALK UP AISLE
TOM WALKER popped the question to his girlfriend Annie Watson-Foulds three years ago – but has confessed he still hasn’t set a wedding date.
In an exclusive chat to mark the release of new single Something Beautiful, the Brit Award winner said: “We’re going to get a wedding planner because every time we sit down we get stressed out.
Tom Walker reveals he still hasn’t set a wedding date despite proposing to girlfriend Annie Watson-Foulds three years ago
“Annie isn’t good with choices, she doesn’t even like picking restaurants so we need someone to lead us in the right direction.”
Tom has spent the past year working on the follow-up to his 2019 album What A Time To Be Alive, and the first single Something Beautiful is a taste of what’s to come.
He teamed up with the same producer who helped create 2017 smash hit Leave A Light On.
Speaking about the song, which features Australian rapper Masked Wolf, Tom explained: “We wrote it in about five hours in the midst of the pandemic. We were trying to capture the silver lining and give people something to smile about.”
SAM’S GROG ON THE TYNE
HIS music is mid-table for me, but Sam Fender‘s hangover game has just sent him to the top of music’s premier league.
The Geordie singer-songwriter, a passionate Newcastle fan, donned his Toon tracksuit to celebrate his team’s takeover by a wealthy Saudi consortium – ousting Sports Direct chief Mike Ashley.
Singer Sam Fender leaves BBC viewers in hysterics while wearing Newcastle tracksuit and admits ‘I’m really hungover’
And despite launching his new album yesterday with a packed schedule of TV and media appearances, he couldn’t help himself from getting stuck in outside the club’s St James’ Park stadium with thousands of fellow fans.
He downed beers and threw himself into the party atmosphere alongside his band’s sax player, who entertained the crowd with renditions of the team’s anthem Local Hero.
Unsurprisingly, Sam was feeling it the next morning when he turned up for an interview on BBC Breakfast – alongside slightly bemused host Charlie Stayt who looked as though he was about to administer a stern telling off.
Sam slouched on the sofa as he admitted: “I’m really hungover.”
Sure, if a senior politician turned up for an interview in that state they’d be rightly slammed for their lack of professionalism – but what’s the point in being a rock star if you can’t enjoy it?
Breath of fresh air
And in an era of tedious, over-controlled pop stars whose images and personalities are now so contrived they might as well be cartoon characters, it’s a huge breath of fresh air to see a young guy doing well and living it up.
Bleary-eyed Sam, who was unveiling his new record Seventeen Going Under, said: “We did Jools Holland and went straight up to St James’.
“My saxophone player, Johnny, got on the statue, played Local Hero, and 5,000 Geordies just started singing along. I did about a thousand selfies, got proper mobbed, but everybody was absolutely class and gave us a load of cans, and I’m really hungover. I’m really, really hungover.
“But, well, you know, these things happen, don’t they?” He sounds like a man after my own heart – so here’s hoping the new album proves a huge hit with fans.
DOLLS’ ROBIN REALITY BID
PUSSYCAT DOLLS creator Robin Antin is launching a new reality show following her legal spat with Nicole Scherzinger.
As she tries to move on from the Dolls, Robin has been filming a show called The Playground LA based around her dance studio.
She put together the Dolls two decades ago, and has suggested she would be interested in putting together a boyband – having already put plans in motion for a “next generation” of Pussycat Dolls to continue the girls’ legacy.
Robin recently sued Nicole claiming she had derailed the Dolls’ reunion tour, which Nic denied.
