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Coldplay Chris Martin
A vintage Casio Casiotone MT-100 keyboard owned and stage-played by Chris Martin of Coldplay during live performances and a promotional studio session in 2009 circa their Viva la Vida era. Further documented in contemporaneous Rolling Stone coverage, the official Coldplay.com Roadie blog, and multiple video recordings including a televised performance at the MusiCares Person of the Year Gala at the Staples Center in Los Angeles on February 6, 2009 as part of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards weekend.
Video Documentation:
MusiCares Person of the Year Gala · Staples Center, Los Angeles (February 6, 2009)
https://youtu.be/MLISoY8WF80?si=xmmJ_c5P8ESuLsf0
Studio Session · The Bakery, London (2009)
https://youtu.be/E8_5siBoKFk?si=IE7UKvAAC6VGItxu
“I’m A Believer” Live Performance (February 12, 2009)
https://youtu.be/sVILdRc2rbI?si=pj6izmtJyAmiQHss
Historical Context:
The Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends era (2008-2009) marked a significant creative shift for the band, incorporating a broader palette of acoustic textures, vintage instrumentation, and stripped-back arrangements alongside larger orchestral and electronic production. The Casio Casiotone MT-100 — a compact, battery-powered vintage electronic keyboard — became a distinctive element of the band’s live and promotional toolkit during this period, used by Martin in informal studio as well as live quartet-style acoustic settings that contrasted sharply with their arena productions.
The MusiCares Person of the Year event on February 6, 2009 was held at the Staples Center in Los Angeles as part of the 51st Annual Grammy Awards weekend, honoring Neil Diamond. Coldplay performed an acoustic quartet-style tribute to Diamond’s 1967 Monkees hit “I’m A Believer, ” with Martin on vocals and this Casio keyboard, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion on acoustic guitars, and Guy Berryman on tambourine. The performance was reviewed by Rolling Stone as one of the highlights of the evening.
Stage & Performance Use
This keyboard is documented in use across multiple confirmed appearances in 2009:
February 6, 2009 — Staples Center, Los Angeles (MusiCares Person of the Year Gala, 51st Annual Grammy Awards Weekend)
Coldplay performed an acoustic tribute to Neil Diamond using this keyboard. Video documentation clearly shows Martin performing with the Casio handheld in front of a single microphone alongside the other three band members. Rolling Stone reviewed the performance on February 7, 2009, describing it as: “Coldplay’s acoustic take on the 1967 Monkees hit, ‘I’m A Believer, ’ which Chris Martin led quartet-style with a squeaky Casio.”
February 12, 2009 — Live stage performance
Video documentation shows Martin on stage with the band in a similar acoustic quartet configuration for “I’m A Believer.” In a widely noted moment, Martin raises the Casio as if about to play, pauses, and then sets it back down on the stage without playing it.
2009 (exact date unknown) — The Bakery, London (Studio Session)
The below Video documentation shows Martin seated on a couch in Coldplay’s studio, The Bakery, performing “Lovers in Japan” on this keyboard alongside Jonny Buckland on acoustic guitar.
The style of keyboard’s use in a touring context is additionally confirmed in the official Coldplay.com Roadie blog (entry #73, March 8, 2009), in which Roadie 42 — a longtime Coldplay crew member whose blog was a fixture of the band’s official website during this era — writes: “Keyboard tech Neill Lambert has come up with a wonderfully bonkers invention to replace the Casio keyboard they were using for I’m A Believer.” This entry confirms the instrument’s active role within the touring production and its eventual replacement in the live set.
Specifications
· Manufacturer: Casio
· Model: Casiotone MT-100
· Type: Compact vintage electronic keyboard
· Features: Built-in rhythm patterns, tonal presets, battery-powered operation
Condition
The keyboard exhibits wear consistent with performance and studio use. Three pieces of white gaffer tape are affixed to the front panel, holding down the main volume, melody volume, and on/off controls — consistent with a working musician’s practical modifications to lock settings during live performance. A large strip of Velcro (non-fuzzy/hook side) is applied to the bottom center of the unit, consistent with securing the keyboard to a surface or stand during use. The instrument is otherwise intact. Not tested.
Provenance
Acquired from the world’s largest known private collection of stage- and studio-used Coldplay instruments and equipment, assembled directly from the band and band contractors over many years. Provenance is established through video documentation of confirmed performances, contemporaneous press coverage, and the official Coldplay.com Roadie blog entry naming the instrument by type. Also accompanied by a Rock Consignments London COA.
Coldplay.com — Roadie #42 Blog Entry #73 (March 8, 2009)
Condition report:
The keyboard exhibits wear consistent with performance and studio use. Three pieces of white gaffer tape are affixed to the front panel, holding down the main volume, melody volume, and on/off controls — consistent with a working musician’s practical modifications to lock settings during live performance. A large strip of Velcro (non-fuzzy/hook side) is applied to the bottom center of the unit, consistent with securing the keyboard to a surface or stand during use. The instrument is otherwise intact. Not tested.
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