Let's rewind to the start of this millennium.
Chris Martin and Jonny Buckland met during their orientation week at college. Their first year was spent planning a band, eventually called Pectoralz. After Guy Berryman came on board, the trio began performing at local clubs under a new name, Starfish. Then came Will Champion, and the sound suddenly began to take shape. They needed a new name again though. This time, a friend who had thought of calling his own band Coldplay decided to gift them the moniker. He thought it was depressing, apparently, and didn't mind losing it.
Interestingly, although Will Champion now plays drums for Coldplay, he knew nothing about percussion before joining the band. He used to play guitar and piano, and had to learn drumming without any previous experience.
Still working towards completing their studies, the band released an EP titled Safety, in 1998. They had just 500 copies made, with the intention of distributing it to record labels and friends. Even before graduating, the band were signed by an independent label called Fierce Panda. They released a three-track EP that sank quickly, completed their final examinations, and were promptly picked up by record giant Parlophone for a five-album contract.
Their story had begun.
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