Does Coldplay Do Drugs?

Written by Jeff Campbell in Bands Last Updated February 1, 2023

Coldplay’s concerts are full of psychedelic colors, fireworks, and explosions. But Coldplay is also known for a lot of sad, depressing songs. So some people wonder, does Coldplay do drugs?

Coldplay does not do hard drugs at all, but singer Chris Martin has confessed in an interview that he had given in to: “Success and fame, alcohol and drugs. We’ve been through all of those things. They’re just pitfalls, and that comes from a lot of traveling and a lot of downtimes.”

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Coldplay is the most loved rock band. From high energizing moments to sending the crowds to a complete frenzy, the band knows how to drive the public for sure and make the concerts memorable.

However, there are always two faces to the coin, and this is just one side of the story. Let’s get some clarity about what happens behind all that fame and glam. Is the band too good to be true?

I hope you can stay sober through this read. So, let’s get to it.

Are any of the members of Coldplay sober?

Coldplay singer Chris Martin doesn’t drink, smoke, or even drink coffee. But none of the other members are totally sober, and most at least enjoy an occasional alcoholic beverage.

Type the words in the search bar: sober artists or artists who do not drink; there will be hardly any list that can afford to ignore Coldplay’s lead singer.

Martin is committed to maintaining a healthier lifestyle for himself and being a good role model for his kids with ex Gwyneth Paltrow.

Of course, it is pretty unconventional for any rock band to stay away from drug use, and so many bands have given in over the years to the trappings of the industry.

But not Chris.

No Sir! Chris has been a consistent advocate of a drug-free lifestyle in the music industry. And not on any single occasion has he been spotted using drugs before concerts.

But everyone is entitled to their privacy, and it’s about personal choices. Chris doesn’t drink because he didn’t want to.

So yeah! This band member is sober.

Did the members of Coldplay make a pact about hard drugs?

Yes. Coldplay band members did create a written agreement early in their career that states that “any member of the band caught using hard drugs will be dismissed immediately.”

Looking at the pitfalls of other bands of their time, the group decided to set some ground rules to avoid falling into the same stereotypical problems many bands face as their popularity grew.

At the beginning of their band’s formation, each member had to sign an internal agreement. This agreement looked at two parts:

  1. The band would share the writing credits equally
  2. The band would kick out any member using hard drugs

As someone who has observed the band for several years, I can tell you that Coldplay does not do hard drugs.

“As for soft drugs, well, it would seem there’s nothing in Coldplay’s bylaws governing those!” says another fan.

We can only make assumptions about what is meant by “hard” or “soft” drugs.

But it’s safe to assume things like heroin, meth, or cocaine are out. And pot is probably OK. And given what their shows look like visually, it wouldn’t surprise me if someone in the band hadn’t done MDMA (ecstasy) at some point.

Was Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman an alcoholic?

There was a time when Coldplay bassist Guy Berryman had become an alcoholic. This happened at the start of the band’s early success and lasted until about 2008.

“You think it’s what you need to sustain the high energy levels, but it doesn’t last long. As you get older, you have to look after yourself,” said Guy Berryman.

A recent documentary, A Head Full of Dreams, covered the band’s journey from pitfalls to becoming the UK and USA’s number 1 selling albums. Along the journey, the members went through a series of ups and downs in their professional and personal lives.

The documentary portrayed bassist Guy Berryman’s troubles with alcohol.

He admits in the movie that his drinking had caused significant rifts in the band’s initial years and marred his relationship with other band members.

Berryman said:

“In the early days, I think there used to be a lot more arguments, particularly between Chris and myself. I was probably . . . a huge pain in the ass for everyone. I don’t know if I was trying to get away from myself or wasn’t comfortable with myself, but I had a drinking problem.”

The band even came to breaking up. Chris Martin told the UK’s The Telegraph in 2008 that the band came close to calling it quits.

He remembers: “After the last album, we weren’t talking to each other; we were falling apart. We didn’t own ourselves: there were too many swanky dinners, too many award ceremonies.”

Speaking about their relationship now, “Chris acts as a shield for us,” boasted Berryman in an interview given to Gulfnews.com.

Did Chris Martin turn to drugs after his breakup with Gwyneth Paltrow?

Chris Martin did not turn to drugs after his breakup from actress Gwyneth Paltrow. While he did hit an emotional low point with his bandmates concerned about his mental health, his healing came in the form of their album Ghost Stories, which was rooted in the pain of the breakup.

Bassist Guy Berryman added: “I think Chris needed to get it out of his ­system and he needed to express those things through his songs.”

For the first time, Martin opened up in the recent documentary A Head Full of Dreams about the devastating consequences his split with wife Gwyneth Paltrow had on him.

He confessed to having been a total mess and ended up feeling worthless.

While talking to Thesun.co.uk, he said- “I was just like, ‘I’m a mess’ because I can’t enjoy the great things around me.”

The bandmates Guy Berryman, Will Champion, Jonny Buckland were aware of the precarious situation, and Will recalls- “We felt helpless in a way. Naturally, it’s distressing when your friend is going through something so traumatic.”

In another interview, he opened up about his insecurity, vulnerability, and emotional honesty, which they feel channeled into the album.

For Chris, when he was at his lowest, the band started working on Ghost Stories which became the ultimate healing for the lead singer.

They even come together and provide comfort in setting up a studio in Guy’s house to compose the new album.

The album became UK’s No1 top grosser and provided the platform for Chris to overcome his traumatic miseries and continue his life.

He added: ‘It’s a new approach to life because I had to change it.’

Why was Coldplay drummer Will Champion briefly fired from the band?

Coldplay drummer Will Champion, who had never played drums before the band, was briefly fired early in the band’s history for lacking technical ability. But the firing was short-lived, and he was brought back into the band very quickly.

Chris said- “What bands often do in that situation is blame the drummer for going out of time or whatever.”

In the interview, Chris talked about blaming Will for being “out of time” in his drumming. The ‘Yellow’ singer recalls groveling and convincing Will to rejoin the band after realizing his mistake.

And it’s worth pointing out, as I mentioned above, that Champion had never been a drummer when Coldplay first got together in 1997. Champion knew how to play many other instruments such as guitar and piano. But he learned the drums just so he could join the band.

However, there are other sides to the story regarding his brief firing.

According to other sources, the alleged cause of the drummer Will Campion getting briefly fired from the band was related to their rift between revenue splits.

In an interview with Zane Lowe, Coldplay spilled out their revenue split to be 40/20/20/20. While Chris gets 40 percent, the rest members get 20% each.

The History of Coldplay

Conclusion

It is pretty common to imagine music artists popping bottles of alcohol and pills down their threat to relieve anxiety and overcome stage fright. Coldplay is amongst few bands who prefer a much healthier lifestyle.

They have never been spotted doing any hard drugs.

Although troubled personal lives caused Chris and Guy Berryman to resort to alcohol for a time, their music provides them the comfort one often seeks in drugs.

All the members have avoided hard drugs since the band’s humble beginnings, and despite past issues with alcohol, Chris Martin is totally sober these days.

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