Is Chris Martin now the most powerful man in rock?

[Betaray]

He’s back. Looking a bit dishevelled, full of rage and determined to get even with all those who’ve ripped him off, The Man They All Fear walks among us once again and anyone who’s moved in on his patch while he’s been away had better watch their step.

No, I’m not talking about EastEnders’ Phil Mitchell, but Coldplay’s seemingly mild-mannered frontman Chris Martin. Because, while he may hide behind a Hugh Grant-esque bumbling posho persona, Martin has slowly but surely become British rock’s equivalent of a tooled up Kray twin. This is his manor, and his influence is such that he can make or break careers with a click of his fingers.

British rock, you see, always has a Guv’nor. During the Eighties, Morrissey only had to wear a band’s T-shirt for their record sales to mysteriously rocket. And for a couple of years in the Nineties, Noel Gallagher’s patronage could catapult any load of old Dadrock chancers to over-night super-stardom (heck, the whole Ocean Colour Scene/Cast/Kula Shaker “movement” was even dubbed Noelrock in his honour).



Now it’s Chris Martin’s turn. Don’t believe me? Check out the evidence. Band Aid 20 only happened once Chris had said yes. He has almost single-handedly turned Fair Trade into a hot political issue, just by drawing on his hand and saying “y’know” a lot. And he resurrected Embrace’s career simply by bunging them a tune he didn’t need for his own album.

The fuss surrounding this week’s unveiling of the new Coldplay single marks their arrival as a Proper Premier League band. Their forthcoming megashows – the most hotly sought after support slot of the summer, to the point where a band he grew up following (ie Supergrass) are more than happy to play second fiddle – will mark the arrival of our first genuine stadium rockers since Oasis. And, where the other Guv’nors’ influence pretty much ended at Calais, the fact that Martin has a Hollywood A-lister for a wife and an instinctive ability to play the music biz game means that when he speaks, even America listens.

Of course, as long as Bono hangs out with Presidents and is sought after for his views on Popes, Martin will have some competition for the title Most Powerful Man In Rock. But he is the coming man and, given that the last Coldplay album blew bands as big as Travis and Starsailor out of the water, it will be interesting to see what happens now to all the Keanes, Snow Patrols and Athletes that have sprung up in their absence.

Because, like Phil Mitchell with the Queen Vic, Chris Martin isn’t about to lose his top dog status without one hell of a fight…

Mark Sutherland