Chris Martin seems like the antithesis of a rock ‘n’ roll superstar, and therein lies his charm. On stage and in interviews, well some at least, he comes across as a thoroughly nice chap, self-depricating about his and his band’s achievements. Even when he walks out of interviews, it is more of a quiet strop than a storm of swear words and flying instruments.

Coldplay’s lead singer, more famous than he otherwise would be due to his marriage to Gwyneth Paltrow, is ultra-sensitive about how he, his band and their music are viewed, although on the strength of the reviews of their warm-up tour gig at Brixton Academy in London on Monday night, he need not worry.

“From the response here, Martin can stop reading his own press and relax. Coldplay are going to be okay,” wrote the Evening Standard’s David Smyth in a three-out-of-five star review. The band, promoting its new and some would say pompously-titled new album “Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends”, is now on the road, kicking off the tour in Barcelona on Tuesday.