by LORRAINE CARPENTER

Some people hire shrinks, gurus or personal trainers to get their minds and bodies up to snuff but, while re-inventing themselves for their sophomore album, Coldplay had the help of a certain British music legend, entirely by accident and free of charge.

Not to say that they’re short of cash. Parachutes was a slow-boiling smash, an album touched by the fragility of Nick Drake and Jeff Buckley and the boldness of Radiohead and early U2. By contrast, A Rush of Blood to the Head was an instant hit, cleverly cultivated in the afterglow of its predecessor (the lead single, “In My Place,” was a Parachutes leftover). However, it’s also a harder disc, reflective of the band’s rediscovery of new wave.

“We were listening to Joy Division and New Order and Echo & the Bunnymen, so we wanted more uptempo songs with drums as a driving force,” says Coldplay guitarist Jonny Buckland. Coldplay returned to the Liverpool studio where much of their debut was written and recorded. With Teenage Fanclub and Embrace in the rooms next door, the building was rife with famous faces, but the band was surprised to find Echo & the Bunnymen singer Ian McCulloch in the cafeteria. “His manager works in the same block. We met him over a bowl of soup and became friends. He gave us a lot of confidence, and some songwriting advice.”

Coldplay singer Chris Martin wore the Bunnyman’s trademark coat while recording “In My Place,” but attempts to lure him into singing backup on that song bore no fruit. “We came up with this really nice melody, and he’s got such an amazing voice, but he was quite tense about singing in front of us. He’d also had a few, so he just ended up telling jokes into the mic,” he says. McCulloch, however, convinced Martin to sing with the Bunnymen on stage last year, and the band has returned the favour by booking McCulloch as their opening act for U.K. dates in April, when he releases his next solo album.

“He’s a proper rock star, you know, the kind of man who controls a room when he’s in it.” :

With the Music at the Bell Centre on Tuesday, Feb. 25, 7:30pm, $34.50

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