Londoners Magazine

Coldplay are to play a free gig at the Brixton Academy on 16 June to help promote their new album, which is out four days earlier on 12 June.

Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends will be the follow up to 2005’s multi-million selling X&Y. Tickets for the gig won’t be made publicly available, and fans of the band are advised to keep an eye on the Coldplay website for what to do next.

In an attempt to make people think they are cool once more, Coldplay are releasing the first single from the album, “Violet Hill”, free with the NME on May 10. The b-side will be “A Spell A Rebel Yell”, which is only available with the NME version of the single.

Londoners would like to compliment Coldplay on an interesting album title, but ask readers to consider: Is the free gig and free single an act of generosity? Or a kick in the teeth to smaller bands?

Coldplay can afford to play free gigs, because they are millionaires. Other bands can’t, because they aren’t.

Are Coldplay making other bands look bad? And if Coldplay are going to give stuff away free, should they do it in a more innovative manner, like Radiohead’s “pay what you want” In Rainbows album last year?

Is this the equivalent of a poker player with loads of chips cynically out-betting people rather than playing the game?

We certainly hope not.