Phil Harvey (manager)

While in college, Harvey used to work at local nightclubs setting up and promoting student nights, describing it as "pretty basic stuff, but it at least gave me a vague idea of what it is to hire a venue, book a band or DJ and try and make a little money".[10] After Martin complained about the "vice-like grip" one of the Camden promoters had on Coldplay, he said the group should book their own concert at Dingwalls, where they managed to sell 50 copies of Safety (1998).[11] The extended play was funded with help from his father and an Oxford roommate,[11] while the event is considered when Harvey began to manage the band, eventually dropping out of university to dedicate himself to the role entirely.[8] They later wrote the song "Brothers & Sisters",[12] and released it as their debut single through a short term contract with Fierce Panda Records.[13]

In April 1999, Coldplay signed a record deal with Parlophone at Trafalgar Square,[14] while publishing was handled by BMG Publishing.[15] Harvey carried out his role single-handedly until early 2001, when the stress of an occupation that usually requires a team forced him into a break: "The album went straight in at No.1 and all of a sudden I was working 16 hours a day with three phone lines ringing constantly. Only later that I discovered most international bands have huge teams supporting them".[11] He also affirmed the 21st Brit Awards was his lowest point, as Coldplay had won British Group and British Album of the Year, but he was "feeling like death" and only thought about "how much I wanted to be in bed".[16] Once the recording sessions for A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) were finished, he decided to leave the band and dedicate himself to personal endeavours.[17]

Harvey (left) appearing in the music video for "Christmas Lights" along with Tim Crompton and Simon Pegg

Harvey's assistant (Estelle Wilkinson) and the group's American manager (Dave Holmes) were responsible for jointly taking over his role,[18] the latter became Coldplay's sole manager as of 2006.[17] After the promotion campaign for X&Y (2005) was over, he returned as the band's friend and "learned to be useful" as the years passed, which included discovering how to design a live show, make videos, do A&R and "just sort of fill in the gaps".[8] Harvey's participation in Coldplay's line-up was stressed by other members in a direct appeal to Wikipedia where they asked fans and "Wikipedia Enthusiasts" to rectify errors on their page.[19]

His name has also been included in the liner notes for every album since Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008).[20] He has made cameo appearances in numerous music videos, including "Life in Technicolor II",[21] as the man carrying a video camera; "Christmas Lights", where he was one of the Elvises playing violin;[22] "Paradise", as a zookeeper chasing the runaway elephant;[23] and "A Sky Full of Stars", being featured on a koala costume.[24] Harvey often answer questions and requests from fans on Coldplay's social media as well,[25] where his bandmates have described him as "the wise, handsome, frightening one who tells us what to do".[26]