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".[9] After Martin complained about the "vice-like grip" some Camden promoters had on Coldplay, he suggested the group book their own concert at Dingwalls, where they managed to sell the first 50 copies of Safety EP (1998), which Harvey himself helped to fund along with his father and Oxford roommate.[9] The event is generally considered when he began to manage the band, eventually dropping out of university to dedicate himself to the role completely.[7] Coldplay then signed a brief contract with Fierce Panda Records at the end of the year, releasing their debut single "Brothers & Sisters" in April 1999.[10]

After the other members of the group completed their final examinations at University College London, they signed a five-album contract with Parlophone.[11] Harvey carried out his role single-handedly until early 2001, when the stress of an occupation that requires a team of people forced him into a prolonged 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".[9] He has since stated the 21st Brit Awards was his lowest point, as Coldplay just had won British Group and British Album of the Year but he was "feeling like death".[9] After the recording sessions for A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002) were finished, he decided to leave the band and dedicate himself to other activities.[12]

Harvey with EMMA for Peace president Paolo Petrocelli and Italian violinist Davide Rossi in 2018.

Harvey's assistant Estelle Wilkinson and the group's American manager Dave Holmes were responsible for jointly taking over his role, the latter became Coldplay's full-time manager as of 2006.[12] After the promotion campaign for X&Y (2005) was over, he returned solely as the band's friend, commenting that over the years he "learned to be useful", which included discovering how to design a live show, make videos, do A&R and "just sort of fill in the gaps".[7] Harvey's participation in Coldplay's line-up was stressed by other members in a direct appeal to Wikipedia, where they asked fans "Wikipedia Enthusiasts" to rectify errors on their page.[13]

His name has also been included in the liner notes for every album since Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008).[14] He has made cameo appearances in numerous music videos as well, including "Life in Technicolor II",[15] as the men carrying a video camera; "Christmas Lights", where he was one of the Elvises playing violin;[16] "Paradise", as a zookeeper chasing the runaway elephant;[17] and "A Sky Full of Stars",[18] being featured in a koala suit. Harvey often answer questions and requests from fans on Coldplay's social media,[19] where his bandmates describe him as "the wise, handsome, frightening one who tells us what to do".[20]