Coldplay&nbsp;gave new meaning to the idea of a single launch, playing the new song "Higher Power" for the first time during a video link-up with French astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

Pesquet spoke with the British group from the International Space Station.&nbsp;

"We sent you some music, because right now we aren't able to play for anyone on Earth, so we thought we would just play for you," singer Chris Martin said before playing the song late Thursday.

"This is the premiere for the whole... galaxy," he added, saying the song was about "trying to find the astronaut in all of us, the person who can do amazing things."

The band took the opportunity to quiz Pesquet about his time on the station, including how he unwinds.&nbsp;

"In the evenings when everyone goes to bed... I put on my headset and play some music and just float... it's really cool, you feel completely free," Pesquet said.&nbsp;

Asked by guitarist and sci-fi fan Guy Berryman what movies get wrong about being on a space station, Pesquet said the biggest mistake was how long it took to don a space suit and go outside.&nbsp;

"In the movies, it just happens... space suit on, boom you're outside," he said. "In reality... it takes hours to prepare."

Coldplay, who have quit touring over environmental concerns, found common ground with Pesquet as he described his perspective from space.&nbsp;

"It's amazing how small and finite and fragile the Earth is," he said. "It's a ball, it's self-contained. Everything we have is here, there's nothing else. You have to use your resources wisely."

Pesquet then donned some sunglasses, adding they were necessary in the viewing pod.&nbsp;

"Now you look more like a rock star than we ever did!" Martin said, laughing.&nbsp;

Has he seen any strange lifeforms out there, the singer asked with a grin.&nbsp;

"Not yet, but I keep an eye for them... I keep looking."

Coldplay&nbsp;also had an imaginative launch for the last album, 2019's "Everyday Life", for which they placed ads in the classified sections of newspapers around the world, including in the local newspapers of their home towns in Britain.

&nbsp;

Coldplay gave new meaning to the idea of a single launch, playing the new song "Higher Power" for the first time during a video link-up with French astronaut Thomas Pesquet.

Coldplay gave new meaning to the idea of a single launch, playing the new song "Higher Power" for the first time during a video link-up with French astronaut Thomas Pesquet. Pesquet spoke with the British group from the International Space Station. "We sent you some music, because right now we aren't able to play for anyone on Earth, so we thought we would just play for you," singer Chris Martin said before playing the song late Thursday. "This is the premiere for the whole... galaxy," he added, saying the song was about "trying to find the astronaut in all of us, the person who can do amazing things." The band took the opportunity to quiz Pesquet about his time on the station, including how he unwinds. "In the evenings when everyone goes to bed... I put on my headset and play some music and just float... it's really cool, you feel completely free," Pesquet said. Asked by guitarist and sci-fi fan Guy Berryman what movies get wrong about being on a space station, Pesquet said the biggest mistake was how long it took to don a space suit and go outside. "In the movies, it just happens... space suit on, boom you're outside," he said. "In reality... it takes hours to prepare." Coldplay, who have quit touring over environmental concerns, found common ground with Pesquet as he described his perspective from space. "It's amazing how small and finite and fragile the Earth is," he said. "It's a ball, it's self-contained. Everything we have is here, there's nothing else. You have to use your resources wisely." Pesquet then donned some sunglasses, adding they were necessary in the viewing pod. "Now you look more like a rock star than we ever did!" Martin said, laughing. Has he seen any strange lifeforms out there, the singer asked with a grin. "Not yet, but I keep an eye for them... I keep looking." Coldplay also had an imaginative launch for the last album, 2019's "Everyday Life", for which they placed ads in the classified sections of newspapers around the world, including in the local newspapers of their home towns in Britain.

'Higher Power', Coldplay beam new song into space in chat with French astronaut

From the rumours of Emma Watson retiring from acting to Coldplay applauding BTS for their recent 'Fix You' cover, here are the top five headlines that created a buzz in Hollywood corridors.&nbsp; 
 
Is Emma Watson retiring from acting? Reports claiming 'she is and she isn't'&nbsp;take over the internet 
According to a report, Emma Watson has gone “dormant”, stated her agent who went on to claim that she's “given up acting.” <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-is-emma-watson-retiring-from-acting-reports-claiming-she-is-and-she-isnt-take-over-the-internet-366318">Read more.</a> 
 
Coldplay gives a shoutout to BTS for 'Fix You' cover on MTV Unplugged 
Coldplay posted a tweet praising BTS' beautiful cover of Fix You. Coldplay wrote “Beautiful” in Korean and added three white hearts to the tweet.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/coldplay-gives-a-shoutout-to-bts-for-fix-you-cover-on-mtv-unplugged-366332">Read more.</a> 
 
Oscars 2021: 366 films eligible for Best Picture, highest in 50 years 
This is the highest tally of eligible titles in 50 years. The highest before this was 562 titles for the first Oscars ceremony that considered films from 1927 and 1928. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-oscars-2021-366-films-eligible-for-best-picture-highest-in-50-years-366437">Read more.</a> 
 
Lady Gaga offers $500,000 reward for her stolen dogs 
Pop superstar Lady Gaga is offering a $500,000 reward for the return of her French bulldogs Koji and Gustav that&nbsp;were stolen in Hollywood. <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/lady-gaga-offers-500000-reward-for-her-stolen-dogs-366342">Read more.</a> 
 
Sacha Baron Cohen officially retires from playing 'Borat': It got too dangerous 
According to reports, the 49-year-old actor said that he will not be continuing on with his character for another film in the `Borat` franchise.&nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/hollywood/news-sacha-baron-cohen-officially-retires-from-playing-borat-it-got-too-dangerous-366343">Read more.</a>

From the rumours of Emma Watson retiring from acting to Coldplay applauding BTS for their recent 'Fix You' cover, here are the top five headlines that created a buzz in Hollywood corridors.

From the rumours of Emma Watson retiring from acting to Coldplay applauding BTS for their recent 'Fix You' cover, here are the top five headlines that created a buzz in Hollywood corridors. Is Emma Watson retiring from acting? Reports claiming 'she is and she isn't' take over the internet According to a report, Emma Watson has gone “dormant”, stated her agent who went on to claim that she's “given up acting.” Read more. Coldplay gives a shoutout to BTS for 'Fix You' cover on MTV Unplugged Coldplay posted a tweet praising BTS' beautiful cover of Fix You. Coldplay wrote “Beautiful” in Korean and added three white hearts to the tweet. Read more. Oscars 2021: 366 films eligible for Best Picture, highest in 50 years This is the highest tally of eligible titles in 50 years. The highest before this was 562 titles for the first Oscars ceremony that considered films from 1927 and 1928. Read more. Lady Gaga offers $500,000 reward for her stolen dogs Pop superstar Lady Gaga is offering a $500,000 reward for the return of her French bulldogs Koji and Gustav that were stolen in Hollywood. Read more. Sacha Baron Cohen officially retires from playing 'Borat': It got too dangerous According to reports, the 49-year-old actor said that he will not be continuing on with his character for another film in the `Borat` franchise. Read more.

Top 5 Hollywood News today: Emma Watson's retirement, Coldplay's shoutout to BTS

It was a big night for BTS fans as the Korean pop band performed on MTV Unplugged giving the recently aired episode a twist of their own.

While &nbsp;<a href="https://www.wionews.com/topics/bts">BTS</a> sang their own hit songs like ‘Dynamite’, ‘Telepathy’ among others, a track&nbsp;that caught the attention of fans was their version of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’.

The song also times appropriately as the world continues to brave the coronavirus pandemic.&nbsp;

After the <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/watch-bts-win-hearts-with-their-rock-solid-performances-on-mtv-unplugged-366074">MTV Unplugged performance</a>, BTS fans stormed the internet with responses. But one response that stood out was from the Coldplay band members themselves to their song’s cover.&nbsp;

<iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="696" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/60g72d4Nqss" width="1237"></iframe>

Coldplay posted a tweet praising BTS' beautiful cover of Fix You. Coldplay wrote “Beautiful” in Korean and added three white hearts to the tweet. Coldplay's members' frontman vocalist, rhythm guitarist and pianist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion, sent their love to the Korean pop band. They tagged BTS’ official Twitter handle.

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아름다운 <a href="https://twitter.com/BTS_twt?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">@bts_twt</a> 🤍🤍🤍 
Love c, g, w &amp; j <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/BTSUnplugged?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#BTSUnplugged</a> <a href="https://t.co/XkHAwMi0sl">https://t.co/XkHAwMi0sl</a>
— Coldplay (@coldplay) <a href="https://twitter.com/coldplay/status/1364530788117729280?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">February 24, 2021</a></blockquote>
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Not only that, Coldplay even embedded BTS' Fix You performance video for fans to watch.&nbsp;

‘Fix You’, is part of Coldplay's 2005 album X&amp;Y. It is described as alternative rock and Brit-pop song, which was inspired by a personal tragedy in Chris Martin's life.&nbsp;

It was a big night for BTS fans as the Korean pop band performed on MTV Unplugged giving the recently aired episode a twist of their own. While BTS sang their own hit songs like ‘Dynamite’, ‘Telepathy’ among others, a track that caught the attention of fans was their version of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’.

It was a big night for BTS fans as the Korean pop band performed on MTV Unplugged giving the recently aired episode a twist of their own. While BTS sang their own hit songs like ‘Dynamite’, ‘Telepathy’ among others, a track that caught the attention of fans was their version of Coldplay’s ‘Fix You’. The song also times appropriately as the world continues to brave the coronavirus pandemic. After the MTV Unplugged performance, BTS fans stormed the internet with responses. But one response that stood out was from the Coldplay band members themselves to their song’s cover. Coldplay posted a tweet praising BTS' beautiful cover of Fix You. Coldplay wrote “Beautiful” in Korean and added three white hearts to the tweet. Coldplay's members' frontman vocalist, rhythm guitarist and pianist Chris Martin, lead guitarist Jonny Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman, and drummer Will Champion, sent their love to the Korean pop band. They tagged BTS’ official Twitter handle. 아름다운 @bts_twt 🤍🤍🤍 Love c, g, w & j #BTSUnplugged https://t.co/XkHAwMi0sl — Coldplay (@coldplay) February 24, 2021 × Not only that, Coldplay even embedded BTS' Fix You performance video for fans to watch. ‘Fix You’, is part of Coldplay's 2005 album X&Y. It is described as alternative rock and Brit-pop song, which was inspired by a personal tragedy in Chris Martin's life.

Coldplay gives a shoutout to BTS for 'Fix You' cover on MTV Unplugged

It's time to revise your Coldplay playlist as the fan favourite band is set to release its ninth studio album soon. 
 
It'll be their first release in two years, called 'Music Of The Spheres'.

The band, which consists of members Chris Martin, Jon Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion, have been recording music throughout lockdown which will feature on the new release.

According to reports, the band has registered to trademark the name of their new album, ahead of making an official announcement.&nbsp; A source speaking to The Sun claimed: 'Chris and Co have been dropping hints for a while but now it's finally getting off the ground.

'They've been busy working on new music during lockdown and it'll all culminate in the record, which has the working title Music Of The Spheres.

'Chris and the group have now officially trademarked the name ready for an album. It also includes merchandise and everything they'd need for a tour.'

In his personal life, it was recently reported&nbsp;that Chris and Dakota Johnson have moved in together after dating for nearly three years.

'Chris was always a big fan of Malibu. He loves the beach and often goes surfing and running,' a source told People. 'She seems to enjoy it as much as Chris does. They both love the outdoors and often take beach strolls.'

It was also revealed that Chris and Dakota often travel to Los Angeles for Sunday dinner with his ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow - with whom he shares children Apple, 16, and Moses, 14 – and her husband Brad Falchuk.

It's time to revise your Coldplay playlist as the fan favourite band is set to release its ninth studio album soon. It'll be their first release in two years, called 'Music Of The Spheres'.

It's time to revise your Coldplay playlist as the fan favourite band is set to release its ninth studio album soon. It'll be their first release in two years, called 'Music Of The Spheres'. The band, which consists of members Chris Martin, Jon Buckland, Guy Berryman and Will Champion, have been recording music throughout lockdown which will feature on the new release. According to reports, the band has registered to trademark the name of their new album, ahead of making an official announcement. A source speaking to The Sun claimed: 'Chris and Co have been dropping hints for a while but now it's finally getting off the ground. 'They've been busy working on new music during lockdown and it'll all culminate in the record, which has the working title Music Of The Spheres. 'Chris and the group have now officially trademarked the name ready for an album. It also includes merchandise and everything they'd need for a tour.' In his personal life, it was recently reported that Chris and Dakota Johnson have moved in together after dating for nearly three years. 'Chris was always a big fan of Malibu. He loves the beach and often goes surfing and running,' a source told People. 'She seems to enjoy it as much as Chris does. They both love the outdoors and often take beach strolls.' It was also revealed that Chris and Dakota often travel to Los Angeles for Sunday dinner with his ex-wife Gwyneth Paltrow - with whom he shares children Apple, 16, and Moses, 14 – and her husband Brad Falchuk.

'Coldplay' to release their ninth studio album soon

After the coronavirus outbreak prompted the normally bustling streets of Mexico City to empty out, out-of-work musicians looking to make ends meet have been filling roadways with the melodies of their marimbas, trumpets and güiros.

Mexican street musicians bring melodies to people stuck at home

Rock band Coldplay is releasing their new album 'Everyday Life'&nbsp;on Friday but giving a major setback to fans as it has announced that they are not coming up with any tour. 
 
The reason might leave you into deep thinking! In an interview with BBC Breakfast, Chris Martin revealed that the band won't be going on tour until they can figure out how to make it environmentally friendly, as reported by the news agency. 
 
As the singer explained, "We're taking time, over the next year or two, to work out how can not only our tour be sustainable, but how can it be actively beneficial? How can we harness the resources that our tour creates and make it have a positive impact?" 
 
''Given the massiveness of a Coldplay tour, it would be quite the undertaking to make such huge performances, a beacon of renewable resources". The hardest thing is the flying side of things," he said. 
 
Still, they have big dreams for this green tour. As he shared, "Our dream is to have a show with no single-use plastic, to have it be largely solar-powered". Outside of reducing their carbon footprint, the singer said the goal of this sustainable tour is simply to show people that it can be done. 
 
The 'Paradise'&nbsp;singer admitted that "I think it's a question of just accepting that you have to do your best not to be too overzealous in criticizing others because everyone will catch up if you prove that it's easy to do it the right way".&nbsp;

Rock band Coldplay is releasing their new album 'Everyday Life' on Friday but giving a major setback to fans as it has announced that they are not coming up with any tour.

Rock band Coldplay is releasing their new album 'Everyday Life' on Friday but giving a major setback to fans as it has announced that they are not coming up with any tour. The reason might leave you into deep thinking! In an interview with BBC Breakfast, Chris Martin revealed that the band won't be going on tour until they can figure out how to make it environmentally friendly, as reported by the news agency. As the singer explained, "We're taking time, over the next year or two, to work out how can not only our tour be sustainable, but how can it be actively beneficial? How can we harness the resources that our tour creates and make it have a positive impact?" ''Given the massiveness of a Coldplay tour, it would be quite the undertaking to make such huge performances, a beacon of renewable resources". The hardest thing is the flying side of things," he said. Still, they have big dreams for this green tour. As he shared, "Our dream is to have a show with no single-use plastic, to have it be largely solar-powered". Outside of reducing their carbon footprint, the singer said the goal of this sustainable tour is simply to show people that it can be done. The 'Paradise' singer admitted that "I think it's a question of just accepting that you have to do your best not to be too overzealous in criticizing others because everyone will catch up if you prove that it's easy to do it the right way".

Coldplay pull up touring until they can offer 'environmentally friendly' concerts

British band Coldplay will not tour to promote their new album, but are working on how to make their gigs environmentally sustainable, lead singer Chris Martin said.

The rock group, known for songs like 'Yellow',&nbsp;'Paradise'&nbsp;and 'Viva la Vida', will release their eighth studio album 'Everyday Life'&nbsp;on Friday. The 52-minute record is made up of two halves, 'Sunrise'&nbsp;and 'Sunset'.

"We're not touring this album. We're taking time over the next year or two to work out how our tour (can not only) be sustainable but how can it be actively beneficial," Martin told British broadcaster BBC in Jordan, where Coldplay will perform two shows on Friday to mark the album's release.

"Our dream is to have a show with no single-use plastic, to have it be largely solar-powered."

Coldplay will play a one-off show at London's Natural History Museum on Monday to promote the album. All performance proceeds will go to environmental charity ClientEarth.

"This is expected to be the band’s only UK show of the 'Everyday Life' era," a press release for the show said.

Coldplay last toured globally in 2016-2017 to promote the album 'A Head Full of Dreams'.

"All of us, in every industry, have to just work out what the best way of doing our job is ... The hardest thing is the flying side of things," Martin said.

Amid growing environmental concerns from consumers and young fans, several music artists have addressed climate change in lyrics or announced plans to improve their green credentials.

Rockers The 1975 teamed up with climate activist Greta Thunberg for a track on their upcoming album in which the teenage Swedish activist warns about climate change.

"It is fantastic to see world famous artists stepping up to protect the planet," Gareth Redmond-King, head of Climate Change at the WWF conservation group, said in a statement.

"We all have a responsibility to lead by example in the face of this climate and nature crisis - inaction is not an option if we are to preserve our planet for future generations."

British band Coldplay will not tour to promote their new album, but are working on how to make their gigs environmentally sustainable, lead singer Chris Martin said.

British band Coldplay will not tour to promote their new album, but are working on how to make their gigs environmentally sustainable, lead singer Chris Martin said. The rock group, known for songs like 'Yellow', 'Paradise' and 'Viva la Vida', will release their eighth studio album 'Everyday Life' on Friday. The 52-minute record is made up of two halves, 'Sunrise' and 'Sunset'. "We're not touring this album. We're taking time over the next year or two to work out how our tour (can not only) be sustainable but how can it be actively beneficial," Martin told British broadcaster BBC in Jordan, where Coldplay will perform two shows on Friday to mark the album's release. "Our dream is to have a show with no single-use plastic, to have it be largely solar-powered." Coldplay will play a one-off show at London's Natural History Museum on Monday to promote the album. All performance proceeds will go to environmental charity ClientEarth. "This is expected to be the band’s only UK show of the 'Everyday Life' era," a press release for the show said. Coldplay last toured globally in 2016-2017 to promote the album 'A Head Full of Dreams'. "All of us, in every industry, have to just work out what the best way of doing our job is ... The hardest thing is the flying side of things," Martin said. Amid growing environmental concerns from consumers and young fans, several music artists have addressed climate change in lyrics or announced plans to improve their green credentials. Rockers The 1975 teamed up with climate activist Greta Thunberg for a track on their upcoming album in which the teenage Swedish activist warns about climate change. "It is fantastic to see world famous artists stepping up to protect the planet," Gareth Redmond-King, head of Climate Change at the WWF conservation group, said in a statement. "We all have a responsibility to lead by example in the face of this climate and nature crisis - inaction is not an option if we are to preserve our planet for future generations."

Coldplay won't tour new album, says want gigs to be 'sustainable'

Looks like Shah Rukh Khan has found a fan in Chris Martin. The frontman of British rock band, 'Coldplay' recently signed off a tweet with 'Shah Rukh Khan forever' which just made his and SRK's fans go on an overdrive.&nbsp;

On Monday, Martin took to his band's official handle to share a list of songs "he loves at the moment" and at the end of the list gave a shoutout to SRK.&nbsp;

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<a href="https://t.co/K246uXNZP1">pic.twitter.com/K246uXNZP1</a>
— Coldplay (@coldplay) <a href="https://twitter.com/coldplay/status/1104892062347026432?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 10, 2019</a></blockquote>
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Shah Rukh Khan then shared the tweet and replied, "Will surely listen to the music you are listening to my man. Will send you some Indian music too. Love to you and health and life forever and more to you."&nbsp;

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Will surely listen to the the music u are listening to my man. Will send u some Indian music too. Love to you &amp; health and life Forever and more to you <a href="https://t.co/iAmPIb6sa7">https://t.co/iAmPIb6sa7</a>
— Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) <a href="https://twitter.com/iamsrk/status/1105087334192680961?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">March 11, 2019</a></blockquote>
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The two reportedly met at Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta's<a href="http://www.wionews.com/entertainment/chris-martin-the-chainsmokers-perform-at-akash-ambani-shloka-mehtas-pre-wedding-bash-see-inside-pics-videos-200095"> pre-wedding bash at St Moritz.</a> SRK had earlier hosted a party for Martin and his band after they performed in Mumbai in 2016.&nbsp;

Coldplay has had other association with Bollywood as well. The band's song 'Hymn For The Weekend' was shot in Mumbai and featured Sonam Kapoor along with Beyonce.&nbsp;

Looks like Shah Rukh Khan has found a fan in Chris Martin. The frontman of British rock band, 'Coldplay' recently signed off a tweet with 'Shah Rukh Khan forever' which just made his and SRK's fans go on an overdrive.

Looks like Shah Rukh Khan has found a fan in Chris Martin. The frontman of British rock band, 'Coldplay' recently signed off a tweet with 'Shah Rukh Khan forever' which just made his and SRK's fans go on an overdrive. On Monday, Martin took to his band's official handle to share a list of songs "he loves at the moment" and at the end of the list gave a shoutout to SRK. pic.twitter.com/K246uXNZP1 — Coldplay (@coldplay) March 10, 2019 × Shah Rukh Khan then shared the tweet and replied, "Will surely listen to the music you are listening to my man. Will send you some Indian music too. Love to you and health and life forever and more to you." Will surely listen to the the music u are listening to my man. Will send u some Indian music too. Love to you & health and life Forever and more to you https://t.co/iAmPIb6sa7 — Shah Rukh Khan (@iamsrk) March 11, 2019 × The two reportedly met at Akash Ambani and Shloka Mehta's pre-wedding bash at St Moritz. SRK had earlier hosted a party for Martin and his band after they performed in Mumbai in 2016. Coldplay has had other association with Bollywood as well. The band's song 'Hymn For The Weekend' was shot in Mumbai and featured Sonam Kapoor along with Beyonce.

Chris Martin tweets 'Shah Rukh Khan forever'; actor's response is full of warmth

The British band Coldplay completed a glorious musical journey of 20 years. Based on their life and rise to fame journey, the documentary film ‘Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams’ screened for one night only in the theatres around the world on November 14, before debuting on Amazon Prime Video on Friday the 16th.&nbsp;

Filmmaker Mat Whitecross who has made the docu-film out of footage compiled over the years said of their humble beginnings at University College of London, where Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion first met.: “I don’t think those four obviously could possibly have imagined what was going to happen to them.”

Of him filming their every jam session and performance, he said, “I was always filming everyone. Gradually I think they just got used to me being around.”

But it wasn’t easy for him to convince the band to take a movie out. He had collected more than 1,000 hours of footage since 1999. Chris Martin gave him the green light eventually but with a warning: “Go off and make whatever film you want to make. You have our blessing. But please don’t expect me to watch it.”

Mat is known for his directorial work on the Oasis documentary ‘Supersonic’.&nbsp;

The British band Coldplay completed a glorious musical journey of 20 years. Based on their life and rise to fame journey, the documentary film ‘Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams’ screened for one night only in the theatres around the world on November 14, before debuting on Amazon Prime Video on Friday the 16th.

The British band Coldplay completed a glorious musical journey of 20 years. Based on their life and rise to fame journey, the documentary film ‘Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams’ screened for one night only in the theatres around the world on November 14, before debuting on Amazon Prime Video on Friday the 16th. Filmmaker Mat Whitecross who has made the docu-film out of footage compiled over the years said of their humble beginnings at University College of London, where Chris Martin, Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion first met.: “I don’t think those four obviously could possibly have imagined what was going to happen to them.” Of him filming their every jam session and performance, he said, “I was always filming everyone. Gradually I think they just got used to me being around.” But it wasn’t easy for him to convince the band to take a movie out. He had collected more than 1,000 hours of footage since 1999. Chris Martin gave him the green light eventually but with a warning: “Go off and make whatever film you want to make. You have our blessing. But please don’t expect me to watch it.” Mat is known for his directorial work on the Oasis documentary ‘Supersonic’.

Celebrating 20 years of Coldplay; documentary film on band to release in theatres for a day

Billboard has come out with the list of ten highest-grossing concert tours of all times and it establishes U2, like previous years, on the top.

However, what makes news is the two new entries that made it to the list last year and have remained solid, concluding the top list. Both Coldplay and Guns N&#39; Roses are surprise entries in the list -- landing at 3rd and 4th positions respectively.

Coldplay jumped to No. 3 overall with a gross of $523 million from its A Head Full of Dreams Tour that wrapped in November. Named after the group&rsquo;s seventh studio album that released in December 2015, the tour lasted for&nbsp;over a year and a half.

According to Billboard, a total of 5.4 million tickets were sold during the five-continent trek that launched at the end of March 2016. The group also made several festival appearances&nbsp;like the&nbsp;U.K.&rsquo;s Glastonbury Festival and the Budweiser Made in America Festival in Philadelphia that took place in 2016, Hamburg&rsquo;s Global Citizen Festival and the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas in 2017.&nbsp;

Guns N&rsquo; Roses follows at No. 4 with $475 million earned from 123 headlining performances on its own five-continent trek that is still ongoing. They also made festival appearances during both years of the tour beginning with a headlining slot at the Coachella Music Festival in April of 2016. In 2017, the band also appeared at the TW Classic Festival in Belgium, S&atilde;o Paulo Trip in Brazil and Santiago Rock City in Chile as the main stage headliner.

Both tours displaced Roger Waters&rsquo; The Wall Live tour that previously ranked third on the all-time list.

This is the list of the top 10 tours of all time, based on Billboard&rsquo;s Boxscore archives:

Rank. Artist / Tour / Years / Gross

1. U2 / 360&deg; Tour / 2009-2011 / $736 million 
2. The Rolling Stones / A Bigger Bang / 2005-2007 / $558 million 
3. Coldplay / A Head Full of Dreams Tour / 2016-2017 / $523 million 
4. Guns N&rsquo; Roses / Not In This Lifetime&hellip; Tour / 2016-ongoing / $475 million 
5. Roger Waters / The Wall Live / 2010-2013 / $459 million 
6. AC/DC / Black Ice Tour / 2008-2010 / $441 million 
7. Madonna / Sticky &amp; Sweet Tour / 2008-2009 / $408 million 
8. U2 / Vertigo Tour / 2005-2006 / $389 million 
9. The Police / Reunion Tour / 2007-2008 / $362 million 
10. Cirque du Soleil&rsquo;s Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour / 2011-2014 / $360 million

*From 1990 through Jan. 17, 2018

&nbsp;

Coldplay jumped to No. 3 overall with a gross of $523 million while Guns N’ Roses follows at No. 4 with $475 million

Billboard has come out with the list of ten highest-grossing concert tours of all times and it establishes U2, like previous years, on the top. However, what makes news is the two new entries that made it to the list last year and have remained solid, concluding the top list. Both Coldplay and Guns N' Roses are surprise entries in the list -- landing at 3rd and 4th positions respectively. Coldplay jumped to No. 3 overall with a gross of $523 million from its A Head Full of Dreams Tour that wrapped in November. Named after the group’s seventh studio album that released in December 2015, the tour lasted for over a year and a half. According to Billboard, a total of 5.4 million tickets were sold during the five-continent trek that launched at the end of March 2016. The group also made several festival appearances like the U.K.’s Glastonbury Festival and the Budweiser Made in America Festival in Philadelphia that took place in 2016, Hamburg’s Global Citizen Festival and the iHeartRadio Music Festival in Las Vegas in 2017. Guns N’ Roses follows at No. 4 with $475 million earned from 123 headlining performances on its own five-continent trek that is still ongoing. They also made festival appearances during both years of the tour beginning with a headlining slot at the Coachella Music Festival in April of 2016. In 2017, the band also appeared at the TW Classic Festival in Belgium, São Paulo Trip in Brazil and Santiago Rock City in Chile as the main stage headliner. Both tours displaced Roger Waters’ The Wall Live tour that previously ranked third on the all-time list. This is the list of the top 10 tours of all time, based on Billboard’s Boxscore archives: Rank. Artist / Tour / Years / Gross 1. U2 / 360° Tour / 2009-2011 / $736 million 2. The Rolling Stones / A Bigger Bang / 2005-2007 / $558 million 3. Coldplay / A Head Full of Dreams Tour / 2016-2017 / $523 million 4. Guns N’ Roses / Not In This Lifetime… Tour / 2016-ongoing / $475 million 5. Roger Waters / The Wall Live / 2010-2013 / $459 million 6. AC/DC / Black Ice Tour / 2008-2010 / $441 million 7. Madonna / Sticky & Sweet Tour / 2008-2009 / $408 million 8. U2 / Vertigo Tour / 2005-2006 / $389 million 9. The Police / Reunion Tour / 2007-2008 / $362 million 10. Cirque du Soleil’s Michael Jackson: The Immortal World Tour / 2011-2014 / $360 million *From 1990 through Jan. 17, 2018

Coldplay, Guns N' Roses make it to top 10 Billboard's highest-grossing tours of all time

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow on Monday announced her engagement to US&nbsp;television producer Brad Falchuk, saying she had decided to give marriage a second shot after accepting &quot;the soul-stretching, pattern-breaking opportunities&quot; of intimacy.

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???? <a href="https://t.co/1YYMMkqrbL">pic.twitter.com/1YYMMkqrbL</a>
&mdash; Gwyneth Paltrow (@GwynethPaltrow) <a href="https://twitter.com/GwynethPaltrow/status/950424075519709184?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">January 8, 2018</a></blockquote>
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Paltrow, 45, who famously described her 2014 separation from her Coldplay frontman husband Chris Martin as a &quot;conscious uncoupling,&quot; confirmed the engagement in an interview for the latest edition of her lifestyle magazine Goop.

&quot;I have tried to accept how complex romantic love can be. I have decided to give it (marriage) a go again, not only because I believe I have found the man I was meant to be with, but because I have accepted the soul-stretching, pattern-breaking opportunities that (terrifyingly) are made possible by intimacy,&quot; she said.

Paltrow and Falchuk, 46, have been dating for about two years. Falchuk was the co-creator with Ryan Murphy in 2009 of the popular TV series &quot;Glee.&quot; The two also worked together on the TV series &quot;American Horror Story&quot; and &quot;Scream Queens.&quot;

Paltrow won the best actress Oscar in 1999 for &quot;Shakespeare in Love,&quot; but is now better known as the creator of Goop, a lifestyle website and product store that promotes healthy eating and stress-free living.

She and Martin finalized their divorce in 2016 after 13 years of marriage. They have two children.

Paltrow and Falchuk posed for the cover of the magazine with his arms wrapped around her.

Falchuk also answered the popular &quot;How goopy are you?&quot; quiz in a video on Goop.

The interview appears in the issue of Goop that hits newsstands on Tuesday.

Paltrow described her 2014 separation from her Coldplay frontman husband Chris Martin as 'conscious uncoupling'

Actress Gwyneth Paltrow on Monday announced her engagement to US television producer Brad Falchuk, saying she had decided to give marriage a second shot after accepting "the soul-stretching, pattern-breaking opportunities" of intimacy. ???? pic.twitter.com/1YYMMkqrbL — Gwyneth Paltrow (@GwynethPaltrow) January 8, 2018 × Paltrow, 45, who famously described her 2014 separation from her Coldplay frontman husband Chris Martin as a "conscious uncoupling," confirmed the engagement in an interview for the latest edition of her lifestyle magazine Goop. "I have tried to accept how complex romantic love can be. I have decided to give it (marriage) a go again, not only because I believe I have found the man I was meant to be with, but because I have accepted the soul-stretching, pattern-breaking opportunities that (terrifyingly) are made possible by intimacy," she said. Paltrow and Falchuk, 46, have been dating for about two years. Falchuk was the co-creator with Ryan Murphy in 2009 of the popular TV series "Glee." The two also worked together on the TV series "American Horror Story" and "Scream Queens." Paltrow won the best actress Oscar in 1999 for "Shakespeare in Love," but is now better known as the creator of Goop, a lifestyle website and product store that promotes healthy eating and stress-free living. She and Martin finalized their divorce in 2016 after 13 years of marriage. They have two children. Paltrow and Falchuk posed for the cover of the magazine with his arms wrapped around her. Falchuk also answered the popular "How goopy are you?" quiz in a video on Goop. The interview appears in the issue of Goop that hits newsstands on Tuesday.

Gwyneth Paltrow to give marriage a second shot

US pop star Ariana Grande will return to Manchester on Sunday to headline a star-studded concert in memory of the victims of the attack on her show, her publicist said Tuesday.

She will be joined by Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Usher and Take That, with free tickets offered to fans who were at the show when it was bombed, leaving 22 people dead.

(AFP)

Free tickets will be given to all the people who attended the concert when it was bombed, resulting in 22 people killed

US pop star Ariana Grande will return to Manchester on Sunday to headline a star-studded concert in memory of the victims of the attack on her show, her publicist said Tuesday. She will be joined by Justin Bieber, Coldplay, Katy Perry, Miley Cyrus, Pharrell Williams, Usher and Take That, with free tickets offered to fans who were at the show when it was bombed, leaving 22 people dead. (AFP)

Ariana Grande to headline Manchester concert Sunday: Publicist

By Francesca Mascarenhas

Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything you do&hellip; when Coldplay released their song &quot;Yellow&quot; back in the year 2000 little did they know that one day they would literally have some of the world&rsquo;s biggest stars shining for something that they strongly believe in. The Global Citizen Festival, an initiative to remove extreme poverty from the world is the annual music festival that originated in New York in 2012. The creative director for the festival is the charismatic Chris Martin, frontliner of the British rock band &quot;Coldplay&quot; whose music we have been grooving too for the last 16 years. Chris&#39;s association with this noble cause seems like the icing on the cake for the global citizens of the world, which simply means that besides fabulous Coldplay concerts we also get great audio-visual treats from some of the world&rsquo;s biggest entertainers, all the while doing some good towards sustainable development which is clearly the need of the hour.

The festival&rsquo;s Indian edition that took place in Mumbai on Saturday the 19th of November had citizens of India buzzing on social media weeks before the event trying to secure their free tickets for participating in the change that the concert strives to create in the next few years. The CEO of The Global Citizens Festival, Hugh Evans, told media that they are able to track and maintain data of all those who continue to remain active to promote Global Citizen goals throughout the year and of course they record a huge spike when it&#39;s nearing a festival date.

&nbsp;

<img id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_editpreview" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/amitabh%20bachchan-20161121120138.JPG" />

&nbsp;

Global Citizen Festival India saw a huge line up of Bollywood stars, top-rated Indian musicians and politicians as well as Maharashtra&rsquo;s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis take center stage amongst international music sensations like The Vamps, Demi Lovato, Jay-Z and of course Coldplay. India&rsquo;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi who attended the Festival in New York earlier this year was unable to make it to Mumbai, however, he made his presence felt via video conferencing. The day-long music festival drew in crowds filling up the venue to a capacity of over 80,000 people, who were treated to power-packed song and dance performances throughout the day.

&nbsp;

<img id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_editpreview" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/ar%20rahman-20161121115954.JPG" />

&nbsp;

AR Rahman, Farhan Akhtar, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Shraddha Kapoor, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Arijit Singh, Katrina Kaif and Sonakshi Sinha were some of the Indian performers, while Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Alia Bhatt, Vidya Balan, Sonam Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Dia Mirza, Arjun Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana, Freida Pinto were amongst the industry&rsquo;s influencers who took to the stage to introduce star performers and support this global cause.

&nbsp;

<img id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_editpreview" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/sonam%20kapoor-20161121120609.JPG" />

&nbsp;

In the audience and needless to say right upfront were familiar faces who had come along with their friends and families to show support and enjoy this eclectic line up. Arjun Rampal and wife Mehr Jesia, Abhishek Kapoor and wife Pragya, Sonali Bendre along with son, Sanjay Kapoor, Ambika Hinduja and husband Raman Macker, Prateik Babbar, Anupam Kher and Varun Dhawan were seen grooving in the crowd. The model fraternity was also in attendance sizzling off the ramp and letting their hair down like they usually do. The event missed Aamir Khan, one of the festival&rsquo;s main supporters whose absence had been forewarned.

<img id="ctl00_ContentPlaceHolder1_editpreview" src="http://s.wionews.com/photos/ranveer%20singh-20161121120337.JPG" />

&nbsp;

American rapper Jay-Z opened his performance with AR Rahman&rsquo;s famous &quot;Chaiya chaiya&quot; tune that sent the crowd into a loud frenzy and bouncing to the fusion beats. He got the entire audience to hold up their lit cellphones for one of his tracks that made for some great footage that was captured by the camera drone that was seen hovering over the venue throughout the event. However the two-hour long performance by Coldplay that closed the festival was nothing short of unadulterated entertainment that the audience had hoped for. Chris addressed the Indian audience by first apologizing for taking so many years to come to India to perform but countered it by saying that the band had invested the last 16 years to practice for their first-ever India concert. The thousands of pastel coloured paper stars that shot into the air during their performance lent to the dreamy effect for the thousands of people cheering in the audience. And the multi-coloured beach balls were a perfect addition that complemented the visual extravagance projected on stage, which kept floating around thanks to a very enthusiastic crowd.

Happy and content with seeing Coldplay live, the Indian fans had no idea what was going to be the night&rsquo;s highlight until Chris invited AR Rahman to join the band and belt out one of the latter&rsquo;s most loved classics &quot;Vande Mataram&quot;. The meaningful lyrics and melodious tune became even more genuine when Chris joined AR Rahman in singing parts of the chorus which you knew were definitely not lip synced.

This was one event that did not disappoint unless the post event chaos is something to dampen your spirits, but what would you expect with over 80,000 people in one place. Taxi apps had prices flying off the map with little or no availability, which forced many people who could not get to their own or hired wheels to make the long walk home. But somehow walking under the stars, being amongst them and seeing them shine truly made everything yellow. 
 
(WION)

A huge line-up of Bollywood actors, Indian musicians, politicians took center stage among international music sensations

By Francesca Mascarenhas Look at the stars, look how they shine for you, and everything you do… when Coldplay released their song "Yellow" back in the year 2000 little did they know that one day they would literally have some of the world’s biggest stars shining for something that they strongly believe in. The Global Citizen Festival, an initiative to remove extreme poverty from the world is the annual music festival that originated in New York in 2012. The creative director for the festival is the charismatic Chris Martin, frontliner of the British rock band "Coldplay" whose music we have been grooving too for the last 16 years. Chris's association with this noble cause seems like the icing on the cake for the global citizens of the world, which simply means that besides fabulous Coldplay concerts we also get great audio-visual treats from some of the world’s biggest entertainers, all the while doing some good towards sustainable development which is clearly the need of the hour. The festival’s Indian edition that took place in Mumbai on Saturday the 19th of November had citizens of India buzzing on social media weeks before the event trying to secure their free tickets for participating in the change that the concert strives to create in the next few years. The CEO of The Global Citizens Festival, Hugh Evans, told media that they are able to track and maintain data of all those who continue to remain active to promote Global Citizen goals throughout the year and of course they record a huge spike when it's nearing a festival date. Global Citizen Festival India saw a huge line up of Bollywood stars, top-rated Indian musicians and politicians as well as Maharashtra’s Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis take center stage amongst international music sensations like The Vamps, Demi Lovato, Jay-Z and of course Coldplay. India’s Prime Minister Narendra Modi who attended the Festival in New York earlier this year was unable to make it to Mumbai, however, he made his presence felt via video conferencing. The day-long music festival drew in crowds filling up the venue to a capacity of over 80,000 people, who were treated to power-packed song and dance performances throughout the day. AR Rahman, Farhan Akhtar, Amitabh Bachchan, Ranveer Singh, Shraddha Kapoor, Shankar Ehsaan Loy, Arijit Singh, Katrina Kaif and Sonakshi Sinha were some of the Indian performers, while Shah Rukh Khan, Sachin Tendulkar, Alia Bhatt, Vidya Balan, Sonam Kapoor, Parineeti Chopra, Dia Mirza, Arjun Kapoor, Ayushmann Khurrana, Freida Pinto were amongst the industry’s influencers who took to the stage to introduce star performers and support this global cause. In the audience and needless to say right upfront were familiar faces who had come along with their friends and families to show support and enjoy this eclectic line up. Arjun Rampal and wife Mehr Jesia, Abhishek Kapoor and wife Pragya, Sonali Bendre along with son, Sanjay Kapoor, Ambika Hinduja and husband Raman Macker, Prateik Babbar, Anupam Kher and Varun Dhawan were seen grooving in the crowd. The model fraternity was also in attendance sizzling off the ramp and letting their hair down like they usually do. The event missed Aamir Khan, one of the festival’s main supporters whose absence had been forewarned. American rapper Jay-Z opened his performance with AR Rahman’s famous "Chaiya chaiya" tune that sent the crowd into a loud frenzy and bouncing to the fusion beats. He got the entire audience to hold up their lit cellphones for one of his tracks that made for some great footage that was captured by the camera drone that was seen hovering over the venue throughout the event. However the two-hour long performance by Coldplay that closed the festival was nothing short of unadulterated entertainment that the audience had hoped for. Chris addressed the Indian audience by first apologizing for taking so many years to come to India to perform but countered it by saying that the band had invested the last 16 years to practice for their first-ever India concert. The thousands of pastel coloured paper stars that shot into the air during their performance lent to the dreamy effect for the thousands of people cheering in the audience. And the multi-coloured beach balls were a perfect addition that complemented the visual extravagance projected on stage, which kept floating around thanks to a very enthusiastic crowd. Happy and content with seeing Coldplay live, the Indian fans had no idea what was going to be the night’s highlight until Chris invited AR Rahman to join the band and belt out one of the latter’s most loved classics "Vande Mataram". The meaningful lyrics and melodious tune became even more genuine when Chris joined AR Rahman in singing parts of the chorus which you knew were definitely not lip synced. This was one event that did not disappoint unless the post event chaos is something to dampen your spirits, but what would you expect with over 80,000 people in one place. Taxi apps had prices flying off the map with little or no availability, which forced many people who could not get to their own or hired wheels to make the long walk home. But somehow walking under the stars, being amongst them and seeing them shine truly made everything yellow. (WION)

Inside the Global Citizen Festival: Coldplay and a sky full of stars

India&#39;s Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesman Nawab Malik has alleged that lead singer of British rock band &#39;Coldplay&#39; &quot;disrespected&quot; the Indian flag during the band&#39;s concert in&nbsp;Mumbai on Saturday evening. &quot;There Is a video grab from Coldplay&#39;s concert in Mumbai, where the band&#39;s lead singer is seen insulting the Indian flag,&quot; he alleged.

The former Maharashtra minister sought an unconditional apology from the singer, along with BJP and Shiv Sena leaders who were present at the concert, for allegedly &quot;hurting the sentiments&quot; of Indians. The video of the alleged incident has gone viral on social media.

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<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GlobalCitizenIndia?src=hash">#GlobalCitizenIndia</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/GlblCtzn">@GlblCtzn</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/glblctznIN">@glblctznIN</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/coldplay">@coldplay</a> grt performance but can&#39;t digest insult to the national flag <a href="https://t.co/tKAEjxRuDn">pic.twitter.com/tKAEjxRuDn</a>
&mdash; SRIKANTH PRABHA (@srikanthprabha) <a href="https://twitter.com/srikanthprabha/status/800217291648475137">November 20, 2016</a></blockquote>
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PHOTO: Chris Martin performing at <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/GlobalCitizenIndia?src=hash">#GlobalCitizenIndia</a> with the Indian national flag in Mumbai, India [archiniks] <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/ColdplayMumbai?src=hash">#ColdplayMumbai</a> <a href="https://t.co/WzMTRmidAS">pic.twitter.com/WzMTRmidAS</a>
&mdash; Atlas Project (@ColdplayAtlas) <a href="https://twitter.com/ColdplayAtlas/status/800004654260228096">November 19, 2016</a></blockquote>
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&nbsp;

The band, lead by its frontman Chris Martin, ended the Global Citizen Festival India concert on a high note last evening by singing &quot;Vande Mataram&quot; with music maestro AR Rahman and also waved the national flag.

The band performed several memorable songs, including &quot;Paradise&quot;, &quot;Viva La Vida&quot;, &quot;Yellow&quot;, &quot;Fix You&quot;, for over an hour at the MMRDA grounds. Several Bollywood celebrities and some international artists also shared the stage.

Among the celebrities present at the gala were Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Katrina Kaif, Sonakshi Sinha, Parineeti Chopra, Monali Thakur, Arijit Singh, Arjun Rampal, Suzanne Khan as well as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was earlier supposed to attend the event, could not make it. He, however, joined via a video link that was beamed live.

The festival, launched in 2012, partners with Global Poverty Project, a movement aiming to end extreme poverty by 2030. The event had ran into controversy after NCP criticised the BJP-led state government for providing concessions for the festival, and said that it had been planned by the ruling party to woo voters for next year&#39;s Bombay Municipal Corporation&nbsp;polls.

(PTI)

Nationalist Congress Party spokesman Nawab Malik has sought an unconditional apology

India's Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) spokesman Nawab Malik has alleged that lead singer of British rock band 'Coldplay' "disrespected" the Indian flag during the band's concert in Mumbai on Saturday evening. "There Is a video grab from Coldplay's concert in Mumbai, where the band's lead singer is seen insulting the Indian flag," he alleged. The former Maharashtra minister sought an unconditional apology from the singer, along with BJP and Shiv Sena leaders who were present at the concert, for allegedly "hurting the sentiments" of Indians. The video of the alleged incident has gone viral on social media. #GlobalCitizenIndia @GlblCtzn @glblctznIN @coldplay grt performance but can't digest insult to the national flag pic.twitter.com/tKAEjxRuDn — SRIKANTH PRABHA (@srikanthprabha) November 20, 2016 × PHOTO: Chris Martin performing at #GlobalCitizenIndia with the Indian national flag in Mumbai, India [archiniks] #ColdplayMumbai pic.twitter.com/WzMTRmidAS — Atlas Project (@ColdplayAtlas) November 19, 2016 × The band, lead by its frontman Chris Martin, ended the Global Citizen Festival India concert on a high note last evening by singing "Vande Mataram" with music maestro AR Rahman and also waved the national flag. The band performed several memorable songs, including "Paradise", "Viva La Vida", "Yellow", "Fix You", for over an hour at the MMRDA grounds. Several Bollywood celebrities and some international artists also shared the stage. Among the celebrities present at the gala were Amitabh Bachchan, Alia Bhatt, Ranveer Singh, Katrina Kaif, Sonakshi Sinha, Parineeti Chopra, Monali Thakur, Arijit Singh, Arjun Rampal, Suzanne Khan as well as Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis. Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who was earlier supposed to attend the event, could not make it. He, however, joined via a video link that was beamed live. The festival, launched in 2012, partners with Global Poverty Project, a movement aiming to end extreme poverty by 2030. The event had ran into controversy after NCP criticised the BJP-led state government for providing concessions for the festival, and said that it had been planned by the ruling party to woo voters for next year's Bombay Municipal Corporation polls. (PTI)

Coldplay's Chris Martin accused of 'insulting' India flag

Somebody seems to have held the Indian Prime Minister to his promise of &#39;ease of doing business&#39;. &nbsp;As per reports, the much awaited Coldplay concert, now happening in November this year, has been made possible by Narendra Modi&#39;s intervention. What more, belying the earlier rumours about exorbitantly priced tickets, Global Citizen has confirmed that the concert will be free. The fans will need to earn the tickets by pledging their support and working for Global Citizen&#39;s campaign programmes in India. Free tickets for free labour? Global Citizen&#39;s CEO Hugh Evans and Coldplay&#39;s Chris Martin have met Modi in the past year and a half.&nbsp; 
 
Not everyone is as lucky as them.&nbsp; 
 
It is no secret that organising a world-class concert or a gig in any of the Indian cities is nothing short of a nightmare for the organisers and artists. Mumbai, for instance, has earned a nasty reputation for cancelling some high profile gigs in the recent times including the standup comedy act of Seinfeld. Not only are there infrastructural hassles and bureaucratic labyrinths, over-the-top politicking plays a great role in causing fans great disappointment. In 2013 there was a huge furore over Zubin Mehta&#39;s concert in Jammu and Kashmir. The naysayers alleged that it was an exercise in obfuscation of troubled reality of the region on the part of the Indian government. There have been routine protests against the Pakistani artistes, including the ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali whose concerts in Mumbai and Delhi were called off more than once.&nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
Dealing with traffic woes, waterlogging, sanitation issues and lack of basic amenities, none of the Indian cities seems smart enough to deal with performances that draw large crowds. The onus is usually on the organisers to ensure that the event concludes without any untoward incidents. 
 
The lack of state of art venues in most Indian cities makes the task of artists and organisers even more difficult since technical support also needs to be arranged by them.&nbsp; 
 
Requesting to remain anonymous, a Delhi Based event organiser shares that it is far more difficult to obtain permissions for a music gig than a religious congregation. Norms are relaxed for the latter. While loudspeakers can go on well past the permitted time at weddings and religious functions, police are way tougher on law enforcement when it comes to gigs. One set of rules for entertainment-related events and another for religious-spiritual ones. On condition of anonymity, another organiser reveals how black money involved in this line makes it prohibitively expensive for most people to undertake such &#39;a painful journey.&#39; 
 
Sounds a bit unfair? Wait till Vijay Nair, the founder of Mumbai-based entertainment company OML, speaks about the licensing process. &ldquo;Unlike any other industry, the licence is issued on the day of the show. All the investment has been made, the artists are waiting but there&#39;s no show! This system encourages graft because on the day of the show if the licence does not come through organisers may try to obtain it by way of bribes,&rdquo; shares Nair. He adds, &ldquo;What is allowed and what is not is subjective and open to interpretation. If there were clearly defined parameters, like in other countries, the organisers would work within them and avoid last minute surprises.&rdquo; On the upcoming Coldplay show,&nbsp;Nair says, &ldquo;It has become a lot easier to put together a show of this scale because the government has become an organising partner. In the absence of such a partnership, a standalone organiser will always find it a lot more difficult.&rdquo; &nbsp; 
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<h5>Unlike any other industry, the licence is issued on the day of the show. All the investment has been made, the artists are waiting but there&#39;s no show! This system encourages graft because on the day of the show if the licence does not come through organisers may try to obtain it by way of bribes</h5>
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In a terror attack-prone country like India, security is a serious issue. However, organisers rue that it is often used as an alibi to deny permissions. In the case of New Delhi, where the police do not report to the state government, there is an added layer of procedural woes. Responding to the question on delays and extortions in the name of out-of-turn permissions, Madhur Verma , DCP North Delhi District says that it is not possible to grant permission for a cultural event when it clashes with a law and order deployment or a traditional religious ceremony. He adds that it is not just a matter of clearing a file. The police have to ensure safety and deployments need to be made accordingly. A heavily overburdened police force needs to prioritise. On the issue of relaxation for religious events, Verma clarifies that only traditional events and processions are allowed. He also shared how most organisers apply for permissions very close to the date when ideally they should do it one month in advance in the case of ticketed events.&nbsp; 
 
Mumbai-based stand up comic and writer Varun Grover says that bureaucratic hassles in organising live performances put the artists under duress. &ldquo;A performer should be worrying only about polishing his act and not whether the gig will come through at all. You don&#39;t want to bother yourself about such things. In the event of delays and cancellations there are financial consequences too,&rdquo; states Grover. Talking of comic performances he flags another problem which is specific to Mumbai: the censorship law. For any theatre performance, the script needs to be submitted for approval. &ldquo;Even though stand-up comedy is not theatre, we need to submit and stick to the script and we can be prosecuted should we deviate!&rdquo; &nbsp;&nbsp; 
 
While it is admirable that the government has shown interest in cultivating pop culture through active participation, how many events can the government co-host? Or should it co-host at all? In addition to the intangible gains, encouraging cultural festivals and performances of all hues and colours makes good business sense. Investing in infrastructure and streamlining the processes shall go a longer way in reaping the recurring benefits. &nbsp; 
&nbsp; 
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Infrastructural hassles and over-the-top politicking sum up the painstaking journey of concert organisers in Indian cities

Somebody seems to have held the Indian Prime Minister to his promise of 'ease of doing business'. As per reports, the much awaited Coldplay concert, now happening in November this year, has been made possible by Narendra Modi's intervention. What more, belying the earlier rumours about exorbitantly priced tickets, Global Citizen has confirmed that the concert will be free. The fans will need to earn the tickets by pledging their support and working for Global Citizen's campaign programmes in India. Free tickets for free labour? Global Citizen's CEO Hugh Evans and Coldplay's Chris Martin have met Modi in the past year and a half. Not everyone is as lucky as them. It is no secret that organising a world-class concert or a gig in any of the Indian cities is nothing short of a nightmare for the organisers and artists. Mumbai, for instance, has earned a nasty reputation for cancelling some high profile gigs in the recent times including the standup comedy act of Seinfeld. Not only are there infrastructural hassles and bureaucratic labyrinths, over-the-top politicking plays a great role in causing fans great disappointment. In 2013 there was a huge furore over Zubin Mehta's concert in Jammu and Kashmir. The naysayers alleged that it was an exercise in obfuscation of troubled reality of the region on the part of the Indian government. There have been routine protests against the Pakistani artistes, including the ghazal maestro Ghulam Ali whose concerts in Mumbai and Delhi were called off more than once. Dealing with traffic woes, waterlogging, sanitation issues and lack of basic amenities, none of the Indian cities seems smart enough to deal with performances that draw large crowds. The onus is usually on the organisers to ensure that the event concludes without any untoward incidents. The lack of state of art venues in most Indian cities makes the task of artists and organisers even more difficult since technical support also needs to be arranged by them. Requesting to remain anonymous, a Delhi Based event organiser shares that it is far more difficult to obtain permissions for a music gig than a religious congregation. Norms are relaxed for the latter. While loudspeakers can go on well past the permitted time at weddings and religious functions, police are way tougher on law enforcement when it comes to gigs. One set of rules for entertainment-related events and another for religious-spiritual ones. On condition of anonymity, another organiser reveals how black money involved in this line makes it prohibitively expensive for most people to undertake such 'a painful journey.' Sounds a bit unfair? Wait till Vijay Nair, the founder of Mumbai-based entertainment company OML, speaks about the licensing process. “Unlike any other industry, the licence is issued on the day of the show. All the investment has been made, the artists are waiting but there's no show! This system encourages graft because on the day of the show if the licence does not come through organisers may try to obtain it by way of bribes,” shares Nair. He adds, “What is allowed and what is not is subjective and open to interpretation. If there were clearly defined parameters, like in other countries, the organisers would work within them and avoid last minute surprises.” On the upcoming Coldplay show, Nair says, “It has become a lot easier to put together a show of this scale because the government has become an organising partner. In the absence of such a partnership, a standalone organiser will always find it a lot more difficult.” Unlike any other industry, the licence is issued on the day of the show. All the investment has been made, the artists are waiting but there's no show! This system encourages graft because on the day of the show if the licence does not come through organisers may try to obtain it by way of bribes In a terror attack-prone country like India, security is a serious issue. However, organisers rue that it is often used as an alibi to deny permissions. In the case of New Delhi, where the police do not report to the state government, there is an added layer of procedural woes. Responding to the question on delays and extortions in the name of out-of-turn permissions, Madhur Verma , DCP North Delhi District says that it is not possible to grant permission for a cultural event when it clashes with a law and order deployment or a traditional religious ceremony. He adds that it is not just a matter of clearing a file. The police have to ensure safety and deployments need to be made accordingly. A heavily overburdened police force needs to prioritise. On the issue of relaxation for religious events, Verma clarifies that only traditional events and processions are allowed. He also shared how most organisers apply for permissions very close to the date when ideally they should do it one month in advance in the case of ticketed events. Mumbai-based stand up comic and writer Varun Grover says that bureaucratic hassles in organising live performances put the artists under duress. “A performer should be worrying only about polishing his act and not whether the gig will come through at all. You don't want to bother yourself about such things. In the event of delays and cancellations there are financial consequences too,” states Grover. Talking of comic performances he flags another problem which is specific to Mumbai: the censorship law. For any theatre performance, the script needs to be submitted for approval. “Even though stand-up comedy is not theatre, we need to submit and stick to the script and we can be prosecuted should we deviate!” While it is admirable that the government has shown interest in cultivating pop culture through active participation, how many events can the government co-host? Or should it co-host at all? In addition to the intangible gains, encouraging cultural festivals and performances of all hues and colours makes good business sense. Investing in infrastructure and streamlining the processes shall go a longer way in reaping the recurring benefits.

The Coldplay concert takeaway: India invests in pop culture

Rejoice Coldplay fans. The British rock band will now perform in India for the first time at the Global Citizen Festival in the western city of Mumbai.&nbsp; 
 
The group will perform for free at the festival which takes place on November 19.&nbsp; 
 
&quot;Just like our annual festival in Central Park, tickets to the Indian festival will be free. Fans will earn them through taking actions in support of education, equality and sanitation campaigns,&quot; the organisers said on the official website. The organisers have also denied press reports that the concert would be exorbitantly expensive. 
 
The festival has been taking place each year since 2012 at New York&#39;s Central Park on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It aims at pushing world leaders to put anti-poverty efforts high on the agenda. 
 
Incidentally, the festival is being organised on World Toilet Day. While most Coldplay fans likely have indoor plumbing, around half of Indians do not have regular access to modern toilets, presenting a major public health hazard. 
 
Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who is known for his work in the development sector, is the creative director of the Global Citizen Festival. &nbsp;India is not a new interest for Coldplay, whose video, Hymn for the Weekend, released in January, was shot in the country and featured Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor. 
 
In July 2015, Chris Martin also met India&#39;s Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as a part of the Global Poverty Project delegation to discuss development goals. PM Modi also attended the Global Citizen Festival in 2014 to lend his support to their cause. 
 
The latest New York edition of the Global Citizen Festival, which takes place on September 24, will feature R&amp;B superstar Rihanna, metal greats Metallica and leading rapper Kendrick Lamar. 
 
Further details of Coldplay&#39;s November concert are likely to be released on Monday. 
 
(WION with inputs from AFP) 
 
&nbsp;

'Fans will earn tickets through taking actions in support of education, equality and sanitation campaigns,' organisers said in a statement

Rejoice Coldplay fans. The British rock band will now perform in India for the first time at the Global Citizen Festival in the western city of Mumbai. The group will perform for free at the festival which takes place on November 19. "Just like our annual festival in Central Park, tickets to the Indian festival will be free. Fans will earn them through taking actions in support of education, equality and sanitation campaigns," the organisers said on the official website. The organisers have also denied press reports that the concert would be exorbitantly expensive. The festival has been taking place each year since 2012 at New York's Central Park on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly. It aims at pushing world leaders to put anti-poverty efforts high on the agenda. Incidentally, the festival is being organised on World Toilet Day. While most Coldplay fans likely have indoor plumbing, around half of Indians do not have regular access to modern toilets, presenting a major public health hazard. Coldplay frontman Chris Martin, who is known for his work in the development sector, is the creative director of the Global Citizen Festival. India is not a new interest for Coldplay, whose video, Hymn for the Weekend, released in January, was shot in the country and featured Bollywood actress Sonam Kapoor. In July 2015, Chris Martin also met India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal as a part of the Global Poverty Project delegation to discuss development goals. PM Modi also attended the Global Citizen Festival in 2014 to lend his support to their cause. The latest New York edition of the Global Citizen Festival, which takes place on September 24, will feature R&B superstar Rihanna, metal greats Metallica and leading rapper Kendrick Lamar. Further details of Coldplay's November concert are likely to be released on Monday. (WION with inputs from AFP)

Coldplay to perform for free in India, fans will 'earn' their tickets

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