Talk:Coldplay

Coldplay ARE/IS

There is only one band called Coldplay. If there was more than one, than are should've been used.

In UK English 'are' is the commonly accepted method of referring to a band (which is a collection of people). --JD554 (talk) 07:09, 22 April 2009 (UTC)

I would disagree with JD554's thought process. It depends on whether we are trying to give the idea that Coldplay are one thing, ie singular. If we are, then grammatically we should use "is" because after all, we wouldn't say "table are...". However the use of the plural pronoun "they" makes it complicated. I would say stick with "are" for now, but I think there should be some sort of discussion on this for a general policy. Alan16 ^talk 22:44, 1 May 2009 (UTC)

I think "is" is correct, because would you say U2 is a good band, or U2 are a good band? It's the same thing, so it should be is. Thanks, --Canalstmartin (talk) 13:16, 23 May 2009 (UTC)Canalstmartin.

I would say that it depends on the usage, in whether you're talking about the band as a whole or the members comprising it. I would say "Coldplay is a band" and "Coldplay is alt rock" but at the same time, I would also likely say "Coldplay are advocates of free trade". 66.38.75.179 (talk) 06:31, 26 July 2009 (UTC)

The use of "are" to describe a collection of people is primarily European. It is acceptable, but grammatically incorrect. Any group is singular and as such, "is" should be used. —Preceding unsigned comment added by 99.250.9.149 (talk) 02:45, 3 August 2009 (UTC)

It isn't gramatically incorrect whatsoever. If Americans find it difficult to use English correctly, perhaps they should think about using a non-European/foreign language instead? Or, based maye due to American arrogance - maybe you'd like to change the name or your bastardised version of English (purely for Republican/Anglophobic reason) to "American"?

92.11.34.158 (talk) 18:53, 12 September 2009 (UTC)

ColdPlay Userbox

As part of Wikiproject Userbox, I have added Template: User ColdPlay to the bands area. Feel free to use. Tim Quievryn

Concert footage airing

In case there are any misconceptions, the concert slated as being a DVD release earlier in the year has been shown on BOTH SPANISH AND CANADIAN TELEVISION. Somebody is continually deleting my alterations even though it WAS DEFINITELY shown on Spanish television, according to the official website.

Whoever wrote this is an idiot. It was never aired on Spanish television according to the band manager.

60 Minutes interview

I find it interesting that after the ORKEY rules featured in the interview were removed from the article, they've been discreetly inserted back into the article via a link to the 60 Minutes interview.

Regardless, said video itself is not appropriate as an external link per WP:ELNO, since not all users have the proper browser and plugin settings to view it. The clip also contains a 15-20 second commercial for Katie Couric's stint on the CBS Evening News, again inappropriate under WP:ELNO. In general, videos shouldn't be posted as an external link to Wiki articles, save expcetional examples like Bus Uncle, which was based on a Youtube viral phenomenon. I've changed to the transcript link to this story.

P.S., neither the U2 and Radiohead featured articles only contain the official band website under the External Links section - so I find this 60 Minutes links superfluous at best, but it's the best compromise to this constant re-insertion of the story by one editor. --Madchester (talk) 01:47, 30 August 2009 (UTC)

English or British

Some Facebook dweeb keeps changing back a simple and factual amendment I have made here: Coldplay are a BRITISH band, not an English band. Why? Because Guy Berryman, the bassist, is Scottish having been born in Kirkcaldy and educated in Edinburgh. See his article QV. The band cannot therefore be English because Scotland and England are separate countries within the United Kingdom. Sorry to have to explain that when most of you who are bound to know, but someone keeps changing this correct alteration.—Preceding unsigned comment added by Benweston1969 (talk • contribs) 18:18, 23 September 2009 (UTC)

1. No personal attacks... i.e., don't call someone a "Facebook dweeb"
2. The band formed at UCL in London, England. So do you base a band's "nationality" on its group members or where it was formed? For example, Oasis are generally described as an "English" group even after it added Andy Bell (a Welshman), since it was formed in Manchester. Likewise, Adam Clayton was born in England, but U2's always been described as an Irish group.
3. Per WP:LEDE, nationality is a recommendation, but not a requirement of the lead section. So we can simply have a lead sentence stating: Coldplay are an alternative rock band. or Coldplay are an alternative rock band formed in (or from) London, England. That gets around the ambiguity of labelling a band's "nationality" as described in Point 2 above. See also WP:UKNATIONALS; there's no uniform way of describing UK nationals and we review each one on a case-by-case basis. --Madchester (talk) 19:49, 23 September 2009 (UTC)

1. Apologies, I didn't mean Facebook, I meant Wikipedia.
2. Of course you don't base a band's nationality (why the inverted commas?) on where they formed - that's a valid but completely separate piece of information. You base it on their majority nationality where there is one. In this case all four members are from the UK, so they are British. It is not correct to say that they are English, just as it is not correct to say that Oasis are English, which is why almost everyone refers to them as British.
3. Nationality may not be "a necessity of the lead section" but it is illogical to deprive the article of this simple and quite significant piece of information when there is no confusion to be had here: they are all British, and they formed in London anyway; London is the capital of Great Britain and the UK, so no ambiguity there. They are irrevocably British!
4. Forgive me, but I am a UK national and I think I have as good an understanding as anyone (maybe more than a Canadian) about how UK nationals are referred to: as nationals of the UK we are referred to as British. There is no other adjective.
5. Regarding Adam Clayton, you are wrong. He may have been born in the UK, but he was educated, raised and lives in Ireland and holds an Irish passport.

And AC/DC is an Australian band even though it was formed by two Scottish brothers and has an English lead singer... since the act is based out of Oz.

Regardless, Per WP:BLP, we write conservatively about a biographical subject, musical ensembles included. Coldplay have never made a statement about whether they're English/British/Scottish-English/English-Scottish/Martian/etc. so for us to label them as a particular nationality is in vio of WP:NOR. The current lead sentence is a good compromise without violating WP:NOR or WP:NPOV. It could also be tweaked to remove any mention of location(s) and still satisfy existing Wiki policies. --Madchester (talk) 21:49, 23 September 2009 (UTC)

1. This is pedantic, ridiculous, rules-over-common-sense nonsense. Are you suggesting that the veracity of everything written in this article depends on Coldplay having "made a statement" about it first? That's preposterous, and it's not the case. There is nothing contentious about the question of nationality here, and there's not even any ambiguity in this instance (as there might be, as you correctly point out, with AC/DC). Furthermore, I have just looked, and just about every other article in Wiki on bands states their natiomality without them having to have made their own statement on the matter. Why not just admit that in this instance it is an improvement to say that Coldplay are British?

When there's ambiguity, we don't say they're "British/English/Martian/whatever" - the band has to say it themseleves per WP:BLP. We always write conservatively about living subjects, especially when they have never indicated a "preferred" nationality. Per WP:BLP, you carry the burden of proof of assigning them with a specific nationality; the current lead doesn't make any such claim and satisfies the policy. --Madchester (talk) 23:29, 23 September 2009 (UTC)

Chris Martin even refers to the band as being English - http://www.contactmusic.com/new/xmlfeed.nsf/story/coldplay-to-take-a-break_16_02_2006. Also, Berryman has lived in southern England since he was 12.

92.11.132.12 (talk) 12:42, 30 September 2009 (UTC)