COLDPLAY

Chris Martin, Will Champion, Guy Berryman and Jonny Buckland met in the mid-90s when they were students at University College London, and quickly became friends. Chris began writing songs with Jonny, Guy liked what he heard, joining in on bass, and Will was so keen to be part of the band that he moved from guitar to drums.

Spotted by Simon Williams, Coldplay released their first EP, 'Safety', in 1998, which earned them rave reviews in the UK press. In April of 1999, they followed 'Safety' with the single 'Brothers & Sisters', released on the London label Fierce Panda. The single, despite a limited release of 2500, was not only successful in hitting the No. 92 slot in the UK charts, but also caught the ears of major label Parlophone. The label soon snapped Coldplay up for an international deal, and later that year they released 'The Blue Room' EP.

The band played Glastonbury shortly afterwards in 2000. They had already scraped into the Top 40 with their single, 'Shiver' but following their appearance at the festival, their follow up single, 'Yellow', went straight in at No.4 in the UK charts. Overnight they became the new, friendlier and more accessible Radiohead, also drawing comparisons with their gentle emo-rock cousins Travis.

Showing that you don't always have to shout to be heard, Coldplay's 2000 debut album, 'Parachutes', was a collection of direct, soulful and emotive songs which sold nearly five million copies worldwide, winning a clutch of NME awards, a Mercury Music Prize, two Brits in 2001 and the Grammy award for Best Alternative Album in 2002. A refreshing kick against the climate of lad rock dominating the British music scene at the time, the album entered the UK chart at Number 1 in July, and by the end of 2000 had gone four times platinum. Almost overnight, the band moved from playing small pubs to filling stadiums across the globe.

Their second album, 2002's majestic 'A Rush of Blood To The Head', was repeatedly delayed, but once the boys were satisfied, what emerged was a more powerful, up-tempo and energetic album that still managed to retain the stripped, raw emotional sound that the boys had become renown for. The long awaited album sold a staggering 270,000 copies in its first week of UK release, and entered the British charts at No.1.

America also began to sit up and take notice when 'A Rush of Blood To The Head' hit the shelves. 'Clocks' became a US radio hit and the album climbed to Number 5 - an almost unprecedented achievement for a British band. Over 2003 the album went on to sell three million copies in the US alone. By the start of 2004 it had sold 9 million copies worldwide and earned the band 17 major accolades, including three Grammys, numerous MTV Video Music Awards, and an Ivor Novello Award for Songwriters Of The Year. Coldplay had conquered Europe and the US - proof that nice guys don't always finish last!

Back this year with their third album, Coldplay have well and truly taken over the world with the speed of sound - hitting the top of the charts in 28 different countries. 'X&Y' rocketed to number one in the UK, and in it's first week of sales 464,000 copies were sold, making it the country's second biggest selling album of all time. In the U.S, the album also nailed the number one spot with 737,000 copies sold in the first week, and managed to clear the 1 million hurdle in just two weeks of sales.

Yes, these boys have more then earned their five nominations at this years MTV Europe Music Awards. So please join us as we hail the return of Coldplay and celebrate their EMA nomination dominance, on the countdown to the big event. And then tune in on Thursday 3rd at 2100 CET to see if they walk away with all five. Whatever the outcome we can guarentee that you're not gonna want to miss the show - it's sure to be a Rush Of Blood To The Head!