After Dinner Speakers: Coldplay, James Gooding, Katharine Hamnett

This UK band shot to prominence on the back of excitable comparisons to Jeff Buckley and Radiohead, for many commentators the twin figureheads of tortured white rock music in the late 90s. In reality, Coldplay's inoffensive and slightly bland acoustic rock songs bear stronger comparison to the hugely successful Travis. The band was formed in January 1998 by UCL students Chris Martin (b. 2 March 1977, Exeter, Devon, England; vocals), Jon Buckland (b. 11 September 1977, London, England; guitar), Guy Berryman (b. 12 April 1978, Kirkcaldy, Scotland; bass) and Will Champion (b. 31 July 1978, Southampton, Hampshire, England; drums). Self-financed demo sessions were productive enough to warrant the release of the Safety EP in May. One of the tracks on the EP, "Bigger Stronger', earned the band excellent notices in the UK press. They appeared at September's In The City showcase for unsigned bands, but a performance at London's Camden Falcon in December, where they were watched by influential journalist and Fierce Panda Records" co-founder Simon Williams, provided the band with their big breakthrough. A one-off single for Fierce Panda, "Brothers And Sisters", broke into the UK Top 100 at the start of 1999. The same May the band signed a major label deal with Parlophone Records. Following their appearance at the Glastonbury Festival the band released The Blue Room EP and concentrated on recording their debut album. In 2000, short tours with fellow newcomers Terris and Muse, and breakthrough hits with "Shiver", "Yellow" (number 4) and "Trouble" helped maintain the hype level prior to the release of their chart-topping debut album, Parachutes, in July. The band was also nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. Coldplay received a lot of press during the recording of their second album, with Martin stating that if it was not up to standard then they would give up. It turned out to be a good if unremarkable follow-up, but did not have the freshness of the debut.