Fans rejoiced when hearing the news that Coldplay would be releasing a surprise new album. One reason for that excitement was the inevitable tour that they thought would be accompanying it. However, the British band has opted out of a tour this time around, entirely due to environmental concerns.
(Here’s Where You Can Listen to Coldplay’s New Songs Now)
Frontman Chris Martin explained the decision in an interview with BBC. “We’re not touring this album,” he revealed. “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. How can we harness the resources that our tour creates and make it have a positive impact?”
Definitely bittersweet news but the silver lining is that it’s not a complete stop to touring. It’s simply a pause until the band figures out a better, smarter way to tour. “All of us have to work out the best way of doing our job,” Martin stated. “Our next tour will be the best possible version of a tour like that environmentally. We would be disappointed if it’s not carbon neutral.”
“The hardest thing is the flying side of things. But, for example, our dream is to have a show with no single-use plastic, to have it largely solar-powered,” he continued. “We’ve done a lot of big tours at this point. How do we turn it around so it’s no so much taking as giving?”
More than just a personal sacrifice, Martin shares that he hopes for the move to show other touring artists that a sustainable tour can be done — and the key is leading by example. Â “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.”
What do you think about this?
Do you have a story for the WhenInManila.com Team? Email us at story.wheninmanila@gmail.com or send us a direct message at WhenInManila.com Facebook Page. Interact with the team and join the WhenInManila.com Community at WIM Squad!
