On Friday, Coldplay will release a new album - and originally, the British band wanted to go on tour with their new songs. But nothing will come of it. Because the musicians around frontman Chris Martin have decided to travel with their concerts only around the world, if this is climate-neutral possible.
"We'll take the next year or two to see how our tour can be both sustainable and useful, and we'd be disappointed if it were not carbon neutral," Martin told British BBC Radio. They want to develop new ideas for environmental protection and ensure that future tours "have a positive effect".
The most difficult thing is to find a solution for the many climate-damaging air travel. On their last tour entitled "A Head Full of Dreams", the band played a total of 122 shows on four continents from 2016 to 2017. In other areas you have already concrete ideas, so Martin. "For example, our dream is to do a show without disposable plastic and get the power from solar energy."
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Coldplay: A band wants to become environmentally friendlyThe conservation organization WWF praised the plans of Coldplay. "It's fantastic to see world famous artists working to protect the planet," said the organization's climate change expert, Gareth Redmond-King. "We all have a responsibility to set a good example in the face of this climate and natural crisis - inaction is not an option if we want to preserve our planet for future generations."
With the new album "Everyday Life" Coldplay claims to express the global perspective of the band. "If you have the privilege of traveling around the world, you know we all have the same home," Martin said. "We believe that we do not feel any different from all other people on earth."
Charitable concert in London Museum
Martin said some of the new album's songs were based on journalistic features. For example, reports from the BBC on an Afghan gardener and a Nigerian anthem composer inspired the band. "Journalism in its best form finds these individual stories that strengthen our common humanity."
On November 25, Coldplay will be giving a concert to fans at the Natural History Museum in London, whose proceeds will be donated in full to a nonprofit organization.