update- the image has since been removed, but it claimed "Catch Coldplay as they return to the ACL lineup". I emailed ACL concierge about the image, but got no response.

this is really interesting.

it would seem odd that they would have the same headliner though...

I doubt it.

I think that was probably just a publicity thing based off of their appearance on ACL on TV.

i hope not

I think that what you all were referring to was that they were going to replay the ACL performance on the ACL show!!! Not the festival.

I saw the photo before they took it down. It said that they would be returning to THIS YEAR'S FESTIVAL LINEUP.

Mark my words. Coldplay will not be there, and Chris Martin is funny-looking.

Yeah. I didn't hear negative things from the ACL handlers, but I didn't exactly hear positive things either. And it cost them a lot of money to host Coldplay last year.

Between that and the fact that they didn't go over that well as a headlining act (by all accounts, Arcade Fire blew them out of the water earlier in the day), I don't see them coming back anytime soon.

dedzer47 wrote

"Yeah. I didn't hear negative things from the ACL handlers, but I didn't exactly hear positive things either. And it cost them a lot of money to host Coldplay last year.

Between that and the fact that they didn't go over that well as a headlining act (by all accounts, Arcade Fire blew them out of the water earlier in the day), I don't see them coming back anytime soon."

Coldplay probably won't come back this year, but I doubt it has anything to do with them not going over well. First and foremost, the are probably going to be finished with their tour by September. Second, I am sure the ACL organizer want to have new headliners every year (or at least wait a year or two between repeating an act as headliner).

From my viewpoint Coldplay did a great job. It really struck me how far they have come in terms of the quality of their live act since the first time I saw them in 2001 at The Backyard. I heard great things from a lot of people. As I walked out on Sunday night, I don't recall hearing people complaining about how Coldplay sucked it up. When you have 130 or so bands, everbody is going to have different favorites. Additionally, their appearance on the TV show was a smash. So, I think Coldplay met or exceeded the expectations of Austin City Limits.

Also, Chris Martin praised Arcade Fire from the stage, having Arcade Fire come on strong only helped the festival.

Most of the negative comments I heard about ACL where about the conditions, not the lineup (dust, heat, overcrowding, too many lawn chairs up front (and the reverse, too many people crowding around people who had camped out in one spot all day), not enough shade, not enough water, all the issue associated with Hurricane evacuation and how it impacted Austin, etc..).

I really think the people who write negative things at the big acts are missing the big picture. Whether you like them or not, they add to the gravitas of the festival, they help make ACL a festival that a lot of bands want to play. Without the big acts anchoring the fest, ACL would probably not be on the short list of major U.S festivals each year.

I quite enjoyed Coldplay last year. The only thing that bothered me was the idiots who had smuggled a whole fifth of whiskey in and were piss drunk before Franz Ferdinand had even left the stage.

Also, for ACL it was a big coup. Coldplay were the biggest touring act in the world last year (maybe second to U2) so for them to play the festival in it's (fouth?) year was a big thing, and helped the festival gain standing that brought lots of bands last year and will bring lots this year.

Two words.

Coldplay....Sucks

What a profound comment there, vinyl. You are really contributing to the discussion here.

I'm with vinyl

Beavis: Coldplay sucks heh heh heh

Butthead: yeaaaah. huh huh huh huh huh