Cold Play

Do you know Chris Martin? Or Guy Berryman? Or, for that matter, Will Champion? Yet, the Bookmyshow website and app crashed while attempting to handle the overwhelming demand from Coldplay fans trying to book their tickets. The highly anticipated Coldplay concert in India is scheduled for January 18–19, 2025, at Navi Mumbai’s DY Patil Sports Stadium.

Who are these people going wild over Coldplay? I know the band has been hailed as one of the most influential bands of the 21st century. But when I asked 14 young music lovers, not one could name three songs from Coldplay, let alone the band members’ names. I distinctly remember being able to recite the names of all band members of the top bands of our times: from Floyd to AC/DC, Bon Jovi to Led Zeppelin.

So, what has changed? Is it the music lovers, the impact of music, or the generation? I firmly believe it’s a concoction of all three. Music was a religion in the 70s and 80s, and rock stars were revered like gods. I admired and worshipped Page, Sambora, Satriani, Steve Vai, Clapton, Ian Gillan, and Eddie; the list was extensive. Today, no one has the interest or the inclination to invest so much time in music. The current generation, fed on social media, can, at most, hum a line or two and press the heart button to like a post. Rock shows are attended to avoid FOMO and to create an enviable social media feed.

Listen up: Coldplay fans are the same folks who line up at an Apple Store for the latest iPhone. They’d also jump at the chance to grab tickets for Diljit Dosanjh or Badshah. They’re not really into Coldplay or music; they want to be seen at every happening event to appear socially upward mobile.

In this new world where everyone’s clamouring to be an influencer, this generation can’t even influence themselves but is out there trying to sway others, leading to a rise in self-inflicted mental health issues.

It’s simple: A Deep Purple fan wouldn’t groove to Madonna or Sukhbir, and a Daler Mehndi fan couldn’t stand AC/DC. Both fan bases were exclusive. So, dear Coldplay pseudo-fan, choose your genre and playlist carefully. Music isn’t about FOMO. As a rock fan, I relished being the outcast in my black Megadeth or Metallica tee.