The last Secret Policeman’s Ball took place in London in 2008. Amnesty International spokesman Andy Hackman said of the event: “For us, it’s iconic and a very special thing, and has provided the opportunity to really celebrate the presence of freedom of expression and free speech, and how we can move people and how we can bring people together, and just how powerful that is.”

For more information visit: Facebook.com/secretpoliceman.

Coldplay, which scored its third No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 when “Mylo Xyloto” was released last October, is up for three Grammys this year, including Best Rock Performance and Best Rock Song for “Every Teardrop is a Waterfall.” Meanwhile, Rihanna — whose single “We Found Love” just spent its 10th week atop the Hot 100 — is nominated for four awards, including Album of the Year for her 2010 offering “Loud.”

McCartney’s Grammy performance will come less than a week after the Feb. 7 release of his latest studio album, “Kisses On The Bottom,” which reinterprets classic songs that inspired the former Beatle’s songwriting.

Martin told the Daily Mirror that he gave the intruder singing tips before asking him to leave.

Martin also jokingly revealed that he’d told the man that he wasn’t singing the songs correctly, telling him: ‘”Listen, you’re just not doing that right.’”

The singer added: “He politely left. It was bordering on intrusion. Still, it’s nice that people like the songs.”

Starting today the iTunes Store (www.itunes.com) will exclusively stream one song from Mylo Xyloto each day leading up to the album’s release on October 24. The week of free song streams from the album kicks off with “Princess of China (Feat. Rihanna)” today. Fans can also pre-order Mylo Xyloto on iTunes now and the single “Paradise” will begin downloading immediately.

“Coldplay reaches for the heavens on ‘Paradise,’ a majestic preview of the band’s fifth album,” said People, putting the track on its “Hot Singles” list. “‘Paradise’ is a far moodier affair than previous single ‘Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall,’ with dramatic strings and chords and just the right touch of melancholy for the onset of the fall season,” observed Idolator. “Paradise” and “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall,” the album’s first single, have already sold nearly a million downloads combined.

“Like 2008′s horizon-broadening Viva La Vida, Mylo Xyloto draws from an expansive palette,” said SPIN while Rolling Stone praised it as “[futureusgalleryColdplay’s] most ambitious yet…a bear-hug record for a bear-market world.” The band appeared on CBS “Sunday Morning” yesterday and has been the subject of feature articles in Entertainment Weekly and The New York Times.

Mylo Xyloto will be available in digital, CD and vinyl formats and as a special limited edition Pop-Up album. It was produced by Markus Dravs, Daniel Green and Rik Simpson, with enoxification and additional composition by Brian Eno.

Coldplay – comprising Guy Berryman, Jonny Buckland, Will Champion and Chris Martin – has sold more than 50 million records worldwide and won numerous awards, including seven GRAMMY® Awards, six Brit Awards and four MTV Video Music Awards. The band’s last album, 2008’s Viva La Vida, charted at No. 1 in 36 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom. Coldplay has headlined numerous festivals in the months leading up to Mylo Xyloto’s release, including stops in the U.S. at Lollapalooza in Chicago, Austin City Limits Festival, the iHeart Radio Music Festival in Las Vegas and Atlanta’s Music Midtown.

Pete Yorn has been picked by Coldplay to open over a dozen tour dates this spring. Yorn will highlight songs from his expansive new album ‘Back and Fourth’ (June 23, Columbia).

‘Back and Fourth’ marks a new musical chapter for the acclaimed singer and songwriter. Yorn wrote all the songs and recorded the album in Omaha, NE, with producer Mike Mogis (Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley). Columbia’s Co-Chairman Rick Rubin helped guide the project from its earliest demo stages to final mastering.

PETE YORN TOUR DATES:
5/15
West Palm Beach, FL
Cruzan Amphitheatre

5/17
Atlanta, GA
Lakewood Amphitheatre

5/18
Birmingham, AL
Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Birmingham

5/20
Virginia Beach, VA
Verizon Wireless Virginia Beach Amphitheatre

5/21
Washington, DC
Nissan Pavilion

5/23
Hartford, CT
Meadows Music Theater

5/24
Hershey, PA
Hershey Stadium

5/26
Philadelphia, PA
Susquehanna Center

5/27
Saratoga Springs, NY
SPAC

5/30
Pittsburgh, PA
Post Gazette Pavilion

6/01
Buffalo, NY
Darien Lake

6/02
Detroit, MI
DTE Energy Music Theatre

6/04
Cincinnati, OH
Riverbend Music Center

Today our inbox had the new video from Coldplay. Here it is for your enjoyment!

Lost!

Capitol Records will release Coldplay’s Viva La Vida – Prospekt’s March edition on November 25th. The two-disc deluxe package includes Viva La Vida, the band’s fourth full-length album, plus a brand new EP entitled The EP, which will also be for sale separately in CD and 12″ vinyl configurations, includes six recently-completed songs that the band had begun recording during the Viva La Vida sessions and brand new versions of two album tracks – “Lost +” (featuring Jay-Z) and “Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun mix).” Viva La Vida was released in June 2008 and went on to chart at No. 1 in 36 countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.

Coldplay picked up two Q Awards – “Best Album” and “Best Act In The World” – at yesterday’s ceremony in London. Both awards were voted by readers of the magazine. The band will be featured as the musical guest on “Saturday Night Live” with host John Hamm on October 25th. Following its hugely successful tour of Europe, Coldplay will resume its North American tour on October 20th in Ottawa, ON. A November 25th show at Honda Center in Anaheim, CA has just been added; tickets for this date go on sale this Saturday, October 11th, at 10 AM. After the tour concludes in Glendale, AZ on November 26th, the band will return home and close out the year with a series of U.K. dates. (See below for a complete list of forthcoming North American dates; tickets for these shows are on sale now at http://www.livenation.com.)

The track listing for Prospekt’s March – available as part of the new deluxe edition of Viva La Vida and as a separate EP – is as follows:

1. Life in Technicolor ii
2. Postcards From Far Away
3. Glass of Water
4. Rainy Day
5. Prospekt’s March / Poppyfields
6. Lost + (Jay-Z remix)
7. Lovers in Japan (Osaka Sun mix)
8. Now My Feet Won’t Touch The Ground

Coldplay- Viva La Vida North American Tour (Second Leg)

10/20 Ottawa, ON Scotiabank Place
10/21 Cleveland, OH Quicken Loans Arena
10/26 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center
10/27 East Rutherford, NJ Izod Center
10/29 Boston, MA TD Banknorth Garden
10/31 Washington, DC Verizon Center
11/1 Philadelphia, PA Wachovia Center
11/3 Detroit, MI The Palace of Auburn Hills
11/5 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
11/7 Orlando, FL Amway Arena
11/9 Ft Lauderdale, FL BankAtlantic Center
11/11 Atlanta, GA Philips Arena
11/13 Kansas City, MO Sprint Center
11/14 St Paul, MN Xcel Energy Center
11/16 Oklahoma City, OK Ford Center
11/18 Houston, TX Toyota Center
11/19 Dallas, TX American Airlines Center
11/21 Denver, CO Pepsi Center
11/22 Salt Lake City, UT Energy Solutions Arena
11/25 Anaheim, CA Honda Center
11/26 Glendale, AZ Jobing.com Arena

Corporate line:
In their relatively brief career, Coldplay have made that leap from being “a great British band” to worldwide success. Their music–graceful, intricate rock songs laden with piano and Chris Martin’s soulful falsetto–maintains an air of direct personal contact no matter how large their audience grows.

The release of “Viva La Vida” comes draped in a few facts–Brian Eno is indeed the producer of the album, that’s a Delacroix painting on the cover, and the first single “Violent Hill” is way more crunch and less falsetto than we’ve come to expect from the boys. As Chris Martin himself says about the album, “We’re still obsessed with making songs that can be sung to the rafters, we just wanted to present them differently.”

Brilliant:
“Viva La Vida” – The lyrics are absolutely beautiful and completely unexpected. It’s one of those songs that is on another level completely. Martin paints such an amazing picture that you can close your eyes and imagine every scene as if its a script to a movie. Just when you start to question the band a song like this comes along and you can’t help but forgive them.
“Violet Hill” – The video “Dancing Presidents” is brillant but its only so because of the song attached to it. And I love the lyrics: “When the future’s archetected by a carnival of idiots on show/ better lie low” and “Priests clutch onto bibles/ hollowed out to fit their rifles/ And the cross was held aloft.” Another set of lyrics painted just write.

The good stuff:
“Cemeteries of London” – It takes a few listens to figure out whether it sticks–and it does. The mysterious lyrics and simple, but memorable chorus isn’t easy to shake.
“Lost!” – “And I’m just waiting till the shine wears off” is probably how most Coldplay and non-Coldplay fans feel about the band. They can’t believe they keep making great albums. No one expected them to take Radiohead’s crown. It’s as simple a song any band could write and yet Martin is able to make it poetic and beautiful. It does seem Martin goes off a bit into U2 land towards the end.
“42″ – Martin creates another great melody.

The rest:
“Life In Technicolor” – On an album that has only 10 songs its wasteful to use one of those positions for an instrumental piece.
“Yes” – Chris Martin singing at the bottom of his voice just doesn’t sound right. Even Fiona Apple songs better at a lower octave.
“Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love” – A pretty song that is full of mostly elementary lyrics for the “Lovers” portion. The “Reign” portion will force you to strain to hear the words.

Finally:
“Viva La Vida” is an album that arrives with a ton of anticipation. It has many great highs and lows. A lot is expected from Coldplay and especially Martin. Martin really tries hard to change it up this time. You have to wonder why he would stray so often from his signature falsetto–especially when the best songs incorporate it. What is really unexceptable are the few moments where Martin’s vocals are drowned out by the instruments as in “Lovers in Japan/Reign of Love.” That said. The end of the album saves what might have been an average release and made it great. “Viva La Vida” and “Violet Hill” hold up against any great Coldplay song. Viva La Coldplay.

Watch the “Violet Hill” video called “Dancing Presidents”

Watch a live performance of “Viva La Vida”

Here is the official news from Coldplay’s website:
“We’re very sorry, but unfortunately Coldplay have had to move the dates of some of the previously-announced US shows. The band have experienced some production delays which mean that the show simply won’t be ready for June 29. It’s very frustrating but they promise you a show worthy of your patience and understanding when they start in mid-July. All tickets remain valid, but refunds will be available from the point of purchase if you’re unable to make it to the new date. Click here to view the full revised routing.”

Here are the revised dates:
14/07/08: Los Angeles, CA
15/07/08: Los Angeles, CA
18/07/08: San Jose, CA
19/07/08: Las Vegas, NV
23/07/08: Chicago, IL
25/07/08: Philadelphia, PA
27/07/08: Pemberton, BC
29/07/08: Montreal, QC
30/07/08: Toronto, ON
02/08/08: Hartford, CT
03/08/08: Washington, DC
04/08/08: Boston, MA
09/08/08: Osaka
10/08/08: Tokyo
01/09/08: Strasbourg
02/09/08: Mannheim
04/09/08: Lyon
06/09/08: Barcelona
07/09/08: Madrid
09/09/08: Paris
12/09/08: Cologne
14/09/08: Hamburg

Watch the best video ever:

Coldplay on Tour:
06/29/08: Philadelphia, PA
07/02/08: Washington, DC
07/03/08: Hartford, CT
07/05/08: Detroit, MI
07/06/08: Cleveland, OH
07/08/08: St. Paul, MN
07/09/08: Kansas City, MO
07/10/08: Oklahoma City, OK
07/12/08: Phoenix, AZ
07/19/08: Las Vegas, NV
07/24/08: San Jose, CA
07/25/08: Oakland, CA
07/27/08: Pemberton, BC
07/29/08: Edmonton, AB
07/30/08: Calgary, AB
08/01/08: Winnipeg, MB
08/03/08: Omaha, NE
08/04/08: Chicago, IL