[NME] Coldplay's Chris Martin: 'Our flashing wristbands cost too much money'

Jenjie · 27-05-2012, 01:37 PM

Singer says tour gimmick is costing them a fortune

Coldplay's Chris Martin has admitted that the band spend a fortune on the flashing wristbands they give out to fans at gigs.

The singer told the Sun that they were trying to find a way of still handing out the Xylobands to punters, which flash with different colours during their shows, without "going broke".

Speaking about the accessories – which he previously claimed were designed by a sex toy inventor – he said:
Most of the money we're earning on the tour is put into the wristbands. We have to figure out how to keep it going without going broke because it's a crucial part of the concert.
The frontman also revealed that one of their cash-saving schemes – to collect the wristbands at the end of the show – had been nixed by their legal team, adding: "You have to clean everything in case someone picks up herpes or TB. Our lawyers told us we'd get sued, and having been sued a few times we're not keen on that.

"It's a little self-indulgent but we love the way it looks when there are 15,000 or 40,000 or however many people with all those lights on them. The technology is still very experimental."

Earlier this week (May 21), it was revealed that Coldplay will play a set at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic games on September 9, as part of an event named the 'Festival Of Flame'. They will also tour the UK from May 29 at Coventry's Ricoh Stadium until June 10 at Manchester's City of Manchester Stadium, with three shows at London's Emirates Stadium set for June 1, 2 and 4.

http://www.nme.com/news/coldplay/63997

nanda · 27-05-2012, 02:00 PM

Yeah I read about this. It made me very sad. I hope I still get to see it live.

I keep feeling though that this is just Chris making a joke on it again. I mean, I bet it really is expensive, but this Coldplay here, is it really THAT expensive?

Tash · 27-05-2012, 02:15 PM

Nabil
@Jayreg1969 hey Jason! Is it true that @coldplay might not give out xylobands anymore at gigs cause they're expensive?

Jason Regler
@NAsfari @coldplay dont belive what you read in papers

James. · 27-05-2012, 02:20 PM

I know a great way to make more money, Chris... release an EP!

Tash · 27-05-2012, 02:35 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by nanda;5307325
I keep feeling though that this is just Chris making a joke on it again. I mean, I bet it really is expensive, but this Coldplay here, is it really THAT expensive?

I think the xylobands costed them £1 million for the December tour (if I remember correctly, don't kill me if I'm wrong).

Tonsu · 27-05-2012, 02:39 PM

They could always charge ten pounds more per ticket this tour than the last one to more than cover the cost...oh wait!

busybeeburns · 27-05-2012, 03:27 PM

no more expensive than giving away CDs for nothing.

LdySpace · 27-05-2012, 04:20 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by nanda;5307325
Yeah I read about this. It made me very sad. I hope I still get to see it live.

I keep feeling though that this is just Chris making a joke on it again. I mean, I bet it really is expensive, but this Coldplay here, is it really THAT expensive?

I'm looking for the interview from which all of this generated in the first place, which I read but can't remember right now where it's from. I'm sure the xylobands are expensive, but Chris was being Chris and being very tongue in cheek. It's like the whole 'we are regretting calling the album Mylo Xyloto' thing where he said it jokingly but people took it and ran with it.

zzz · 27-05-2012, 04:26 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by LdySpace;5307377
I'm looking for the interview from which all of this generated in the first place, which I read but can't remember right now where it's from. I'm sure the xylobands are expensive, but Chris was being Chris and being very tongue in cheek. It's like the whole 'we are regretting calling the album Mylo Xyloto' thing where he said it jokingly but people took it and ran with it.

Do you mean this article?

Tash · 27-05-2012, 04:26 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by LdySpace;5307377
I'm looking for the interview from which all of this generated in the first place, which I read but can't remember right now where it's from.

http://www.coldplaying.com/forum/showthread.php?t=93483

phantoneku · 27-05-2012, 04:58 PM

This is really surprising (assuming this isn't bs), with all the success of the tour, and all of the promotion they get, and the prices of the tickets already... It's hard to believe

Denise · 27-05-2012, 05:07 PM

Maybe everything else is bullshit, but we were indeed asked to hand back the xylobands in Turin (through a message on the screens)..don't think anyone did, also because there were no boxes they could be put back in

Prospector · 27-05-2012, 05:20 PM

Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperFitz;5307331
I know a great way to make more money, Chris... release an EP!

, and they can't broke, like never! They have too much money to spent, it would take a life time

Cyan Kat · 27-05-2012, 05:22 PM

I'm not surprised it's costing them a fortune, but collecting the wristbands is definitely not going to work people will just take them anyway and the idea of getting sexually transmitted diseases is a bit far fetched.

fakfak · 27-05-2012, 08:07 PM

It's actually not an unheard of concept for a big production bleeding edge tour to lose money on the tech despite phenominal gross receipts(sp?) U2 are notorious for this kind of thing, and it's been reported that without corporate sponsorship, even the 360 tour would have been unfeasibly expensive to produce, even though it set gross and attendence records everywhere.

That said, given Chris' penchant for hyperbole, he's probably playing this one up a bit.

27-05-2012, 01:37 PM	#1
Jenjie PA to SammyBeeBurns Join Date: Oct 2002 Posts: 5,805 My Mood: Location: at Coldplaying.com Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 35 Thanked 90 Times in 41 Posts	[NME] Coldplay's Chris Martin: 'Our flashing wristbands cost too much money' Singer says tour gimmick is costing them a fortune Coldplay's Chris Martin has admitted that the band spend a fortune on the flashing wristbands they give out to fans at gigs. The singer told the Sun that they were trying to find a way of still handing out the Xylobands to punters, which flash with different colours during their shows, without "going broke". Speaking about the accessories – which he previously claimed were designed by a sex toy inventor – he said: Most of the money we're earning on the tour is put into the wristbands. We have to figure out how to keep it going without going broke because it's a crucial part of the concert. The frontman also revealed that one of their cash-saving schemes – to collect the wristbands at the end of the show – had been nixed by their legal team, adding: "You have to clean everything in case someone picks up herpes or TB. Our lawyers told us we'd get sued, and having been sued a few times we're not keen on that. "It's a little self-indulgent but we love the way it looks when there are 15,000 or 40,000 or however many people with all those lights on them. The technology is still very experimental." Earlier this week (May 21), it was revealed that Coldplay will play a set at the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Paralympic games on September 9, as part of an event named the 'Festival Of Flame'. They will also tour the UK from May 29 at Coventry's Ricoh Stadium until June 10 at Manchester's City of Manchester Stadium, with three shows at London's Emirates Stadium set for June 1, 2 and 4. http://www.nme.com/news/coldplay/63997 __________________ "The fat lady has sung and the world's Vida has been well and truly Viva-ed." - R#42 14th March 2010 I've got my "I Heart Coldplaying.com, It's My Life" knickers in a twist!!! 2012: 9&10 June - Manchester Etihad; 2011: 4 Dec - MEN Arena 2010: 25 Nov - Boat Trip 2009: 30 Jan - Absolute Radio; 18 Feb - War Child; 19 Sep - Wembley 2008: 11&12 Dec - MEN Arena 2005: 4&5 July - Reebok Stadium; 19 Dec - MEN Arena 2003: 14 Apr - MEN Arena 2002: 20 June - Mountford Hall; 11 Oct - MEN Arena

27-05-2012, 02:00 PM	#2
nanda Coldplayer Join Date: Sep 2003 Posts: 1,206 Location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 12 Thanked 5 Times in 5 Posts	Yeah I read about this. It made me very sad. I hope I still get to see it live. I keep feeling though that this is just Chris making a joke on it again. I mean, I bet it really is expensive, but this Coldplay here, is it really THAT expensive? __________________ -Nanda Check out my Coldplay blog Spray Can Soul Jon, pick up your guitar, turn your amplifiers up, and rock on!

27-05-2012, 02:15 PM	#3
Tash Ms Coldplaying 2012 Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 35,446 Location: 0118 Gender: Seen CP: 12 times Fav. CP album: VLVODAAHF Fav. CP song: See You Soon Fav. CP member: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 233 Thanked 4,024 Times in 1,874 Posts	Nabil @Jayreg1969 hey Jason! Is it true that @coldplay might not give out xylobands anymore at gigs cause they're expensive? Jason Regler @NAsfari @coldplay dont belive what you read in papers __________________ Luctor et Emergo/not swallowed in the sea Rotterdam 03-10-08 Nijmegen 09-09-09 Landgraaf 11-06-11 Arras 03-07-11 London 09-12-11 London 10-12-11 Rotterdam 17-12-11 London 01-06-12 London 02-06-12 London 04-06-12 Detroit 01-08-12 The Hague 06-09-12 *it means everything and it means nothing to everybody and nobody - Guy Berryman* *Phil, who is our fifth member, he doesn’t play an instrument but he plays the mobile phone and the laptop computer - Will Champion* *a negative capability is the ability within yourself to accept that things go up and down and you can't always control it and they can't always be up but they won't always be down - Chris Martin* it’s a good noisy crowd that sing through the show at the Ahoy - none more so than when the band are on the B-Stage and the cheer for Will during Us Against The World is so huge that the song grinds to a halt amidst disbelieving giggles on stage - Roadie #42

27-05-2012, 02:20 PM	#4
James. Let's use this dynamite Join Date: Sep 2011 Posts: 3,148 My Mood: Location: The next century, where the universal's free Gender: Country: Fav. CP album: VLVODAAHF Fav. CP song: 42 or White Shadows Fav. CP member: Chat posts: 89 Thanks given: 157 Thanked 299 Times in 172 Posts	I know a great way to make more money, Chris... release an EP! __________________ Keeper of: Spoiler Murder - "What could it possibly gain?" White Shadows - "Part of a system, a plan, I am... I don't know why I feel so tongue tied, I don't know why I feel so skinned alive

27-05-2012, 02:35 PM	#5
Tash Ms Coldplaying 2012 Join Date: Sep 2009 Posts: 35,446 Location: 0118 Gender: Seen CP: 12 times Fav. CP album: VLVODAAHF Fav. CP song: See You Soon Fav. CP member: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 233 Thanked 4,024 Times in 1,874 Posts	Quote: Originally Posted by nanda;5307325 I keep feeling though that this is just Chris making a joke on it again. I mean, I bet it really is expensive, but this Coldplay here, is it really THAT expensive? I think the xylobands costed them £1 million for the December tour (if I remember correctly, don't kill me if I'm wrong). __________________ Luctor et Emergo/not swallowed in the sea Rotterdam 03-10-08 Nijmegen 09-09-09 Landgraaf 11-06-11 Arras 03-07-11 London 09-12-11 London 10-12-11 Rotterdam 17-12-11 London 01-06-12 London 02-06-12 London 04-06-12 Detroit 01-08-12 The Hague 06-09-12 *it means everything and it means nothing to everybody and nobody - Guy Berryman* *Phil, who is our fifth member, he doesn’t play an instrument but he plays the mobile phone and the laptop computer - Will Champion* *a negative capability is the ability within yourself to accept that things go up and down and you can't always control it and they can't always be up but they won't always be down - Chris Martin* it’s a good noisy crowd that sing through the show at the Ahoy - none more so than when the band are on the B-Stage and the cheer for Will during Us Against The World is so huge that the song grinds to a halt amidst disbelieving giggles on stage - Roadie #42

27-05-2012, 02:39 PM	#6
Tonsu Moved to Mars Join Date: Jan 2006 Posts: 2,801 Location: Violet Hill Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 27 Thanked 21 Times in 7 Posts	They could always charge ten pounds more per ticket this tour than the last one to more than cover the cost...oh wait! __________________ I didn't eat confetti but I made it close...four times now! UPDATE: confetti finally eaten at the fifth attempt, 12th September 2009, Manchester, and it ain't too tasty!!

27-05-2012, 03:27 PM	#7
busybeeburns mr coldplaying himself Join Date: Sep 2002 Posts: 46,331 My Mood: Location: test Gender: Country: Seen CP: 20 times Fav. CP album: X&Y Fav. CP song: GPASUYF Fav. CP member: Chat posts: 4 Thanks given: 1,547 Thanked 932 Times in 418 Posts	no more expensive than giving away CDs for nothing. __________________ The early bird catches the worm. The second mouse gets the cheese!

27-05-2012, 04:20 PM	#8
LdySpace "He's So Hot!" Girl Join Date: Feb 2012 Posts: 1,743 My Mood: Location: Virginia is for Lovers (of Coldplay) Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 1,044 Thanked 547 Times in 308 Posts	Quote: Originally Posted by nanda;5307325 Yeah I read about this. It made me very sad. I hope I still get to see it live. I keep feeling though that this is just Chris making a joke on it again. I mean, I bet it really is expensive, but this Coldplay here, is it really THAT expensive? I'm looking for the interview from which all of this generated in the first place, which I read but can't remember right now where it's from. I'm sure the xylobands are expensive, but Chris was being Chris and being very tongue in cheek. It's like the whole 'we are regretting calling the album Mylo Xyloto' thing where he said it jokingly but people took it and ran with it.

27-05-2012, 04:26 PM	#9
zzz Brilliant! Join Date: Aug 2009 Posts: 1,537 My Mood: Location: In the poppyfields Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 78 Thanked 309 Times in 110 Posts	Quote: Originally Posted by LdySpace;5307377 I'm looking for the interview from which all of this generated in the first place, which I read but can't remember right now where it's from. I'm sure the xylobands are expensive, but Chris was being Chris and being very tongue in cheek. It's like the whole 'we are regretting calling the album Mylo Xyloto' thing where he said it jokingly but people took it and ran with it. Do you mean this article? __________________ coldplaying shop

27-05-2012, 04:58 PM	#11
phantoneku Silencer Join Date: Nov 2011 Posts: 2,773 My Mood: Location: time travelling... (Chicago, IL) Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 294 Thanked 88 Times in 55 Posts	This is really surprising (assuming this isn't bs), with all the success of the tour, and all of the promotion they get, and the prices of the tickets already... It's hard to believe

27-05-2012, 05:07 PM	#12
Denise Errr..what? yup PoC sucks Join Date: Nov 2005 Posts: 8,812 Gender: Country: Seen CP: 23 times Fav. CP album: AROBTTH Fav. CP song: Politik Fav. CP member: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 3 Thanked 106 Times in 62 Posts	Maybe everything else is bullshit, but we were indeed asked to hand back the xylobands in Turin (through a message on the screens)..don't think anyone did, also because there were no boxes they could be put back in

27-05-2012, 05:20 PM	#13
Prospector Rafael Join Date: Mar 2011 Posts: 3,110 Location: Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul, Brasil Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 205 Thanked 181 Times in 130 Posts	Quote: Originally Posted by SuperFitz;5307331 I know a great way to make more money, Chris... release an EP! , and they can't broke, like never! They have too much money to spent, it would take a life time __________________ South American Ambassador 2012

27-05-2012, 05:22 PM	#14
Cyan Kat Meh Join Date: May 2010 Posts: 12,700 Location: Yorkshire Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 284 Thanked 123 Times in 90 Posts	I'm not surprised it's costing them a fortune, but collecting the wristbands is definitely not going to work people will just take them anyway and the idea of getting sexually transmitted diseases is a bit far fetched. __________________ I'm not a prophet or a stone age man, just a mortal with potential of a superman. Quote: Originally Posted by MaxRide;5120728 Do you only fart one frequency of light? tv's deep freeze david bowie lp's

27-05-2012, 08:07 PM	#15
fakfak Coldplayer Join Date: Oct 2007 Posts: 1,914 My Mood: Location: Illinois Gender: Country: Chat posts: 0 Thanks given: 142 Thanked 94 Times in 79 Posts	It's actually not an unheard of concept for a big production bleeding edge tour to lose money on the tech despite phenominal gross receipts(sp?) U2 are notorious for this kind of thing, and it's been reported that without corporate sponsorship, even the 360 tour would have been unfeasibly expensive to produce, even though it set gross and attendence records everywhere. That said, given Chris' penchant for hyperbole, he's probably playing this one up a bit.