We already brought you part one of our list of 15 things you probably did not know about Coldplay, and now we’re back with part two! Check out eight more fascinating facts about the iconic alternative band that you definitely (probably) did not know below. You might be surprised by what you find out!
Number Eight: They Were Not Always Coldplay. In fact, before they were Coldplay, the group called themselves Starfish!
Number Seven: They Are Very Charitable. Coldplay auctioned off various pieces of memorabilia in 2009 to raise over 250,000 pounds. On another occasion, Chris Martin spent 400,000 pounds on a Banksy piece at Sean Penn’s charity event to raise money for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.
Number Six: Barack Obama Is a Fan. It’s true! Martin revealed that when he met president Barack Obama, Obama said that he has Coldplay songs on his iPod.
Number Five: Martin Wants His Own Wax Figure. When asked what his favorite part of being in Coldplay was, Martin said that it was waiting for Madame Tussauds to call. Fellow member Guy Berryman said, “It’s a real privilege to wake up and not have to put on a suit and tie.”
Number Four: They Have a Secret Fifth Member. Well, sort of. Coldplay reportedly refer to their manager as the secret fifth member that nobody sees.
Number Three: They Met at University. All of Coldplay’s members met while they were attending University College London. The band was started by Martin and Jonny Buckland, and they recorded their first EP two years after initially becoming Coldplay.
Number Two: They Used Hypnosis to Make Music. At the suggestion of Brian Eno, Coldplay agreed to let a hypnotist come into their studio and hypnotize them. They reportedly made a significant part of the music for “Viva La Vida” while they were hypnotized.
Number One: They Are a Democratic Band. Rather than have the lead singer earn more than the other members like many other bands, every member of Coldplay is paid the same amount. All of the profits and proceeds they earn are divided evenly among the four members.