Guy Berryman

Not to be confused with Guy Perryman.

Guy Berryman
Berryman on stage with his bass, wearing a neon green shirt and a black jacket
Berryman performing with Coldplay in 2023
Born
Guy Rupert Berryman

(1978-04-12) 12 April 1978 (age 46)
Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland
EducationUniversity College London
(dropped out)
Occupations
  • Musician
  • songwriter
  • producer
  • businessman
  • designer
Years active1997–present
Spouse
Joanna Briston
​
​
(m. 2004; div. 2007)​
Partner(s)Keshia Gerrits
(2012–present)
Children3
AwardsFull list
Musical career
OriginLondon, England
Genres
Instruments
  • Bass
  • keyboards
  • percussion
  • synthesisers
  • vocals
Labels
Member of
Signature

Guy Rupert Berryman (born 12 April 1978) is a Scottish musician, songwriter, producer, businessman and designer. He is best known as the bassist of the rock band Coldplay and electronic supergroup Apparatjik. Raised in Kirkcaldy, he started to play bass at an early age, drawing inspiration from James Brown, the Funk Brothers and Kool & the Gang. His projects beyond music include The Road Rat magazine and Amsterdam-based fashion brand Applied Art Forms.[1]

Berryman joined Coldplay with Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion at University College London, where he enrolled in a mechanical engineering degree but later dropped out. The band signed with Parlophone in 1999, finding global fame after the release of Parachutes (2000) and subsequent records. He has won seven Grammy Awards and nine Brit Awards as part of Coldplay. Having sold over 100 million albums worldwide,[a] they are the most successful group of the 21st century.[4]

Early life

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Guy Rupert Berryman was born on 12 April 1978 in Kirkcaldy, Fife, Scotland.[5] He is the youngest son of engineer Rupert Berryman and his wife Elizabeth, whose family were merchants and factory owners in the region.[6] Raised close to the Beveridge Park area, he said his childhood was one with "a huge sense of freedom", as he went out with friends and "just did whatever we wanted from a very young age", which included exploring the Raith Estate and the woods near it.[6] Still during his childhood, he developed a passion for watches, exploring the ones his father had even though "the drawers were meant to be off-limits".[7]

Moreover, Berryman has said that listening to Stevie Wonder's "My Cherie Amour" was a pivotal moment in his life: "I can remember being maybe six years old, having this experience. I had obviously heard music in the background, in the house and stuff, but that was the first moment that I ever connected with music on a personal level and since then I've always been a huge fan of soul music and Motown, and that's what made me become a bass player.[6]

With his father involved in building the Channel Tunnel as a project manager, Berryman's family moved to Kent when he was around 12 years old, the same period in which he began to play bass.[8] During his time at Edinburgh Academy, he played drums and trumpet for the school band.[9] The lessons made him notice he was "a leftie who plays right-handed" and the bassist later founded a group named Time Out.[10] His education was continued at Kent College, in Canterbury.[11] He then enrolled in mechanical engineering at University College London, where he met Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland and Will Champion, eventually forming Coldplay.[12]

Career

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Coldplay

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Main article: Coldplay
Berryman on stage with his bass, wearing a red shirt and black waistcoat
Berryman playing the bass during Viva la Vida Tour in September 2008

Berryman was the third member to join the band in 1997.[13] Their college friend Kris Foof described him as "a quiet young man who had been put in 'Paris Block', the less populated block of rooms in Ramsay Hall. The rest of the band had been placed in 'New York Block', but not Guy, he was the outsider that the insiders all knew about, namely from his stockpile of musical instruments in his room".[10] Martin affirmed having a wrong impression of Berryman when they first met: "He's not as scary as he looks [...] Everyone thinks he's moody, soft-spoken is better".[10] Along with Buckland, they recorded a number of demos without having a drummer and, by November of that year, the trio called themselves Big Fat Noises.[13] Champion then completed the performing line-up in 1998.[b] Berryman later dropped out of his original degree and enrolled in a seven-year architecture programme at the Bartlett, which in turn was abandoned to focus on playing bass.[15] He worked as a bartender to pay rent.[10]

During the Coldplay: A Head Full of Dreams (2018) documentary, the bassist mentioned the marketing campaign for X&Y (2005) was a very turbulent period for the band, as they had frequent arguments, particularly between him and Martin: "I was probably much more opinionated back then, which was a huge pain in the ass for everyone, I don't know if I was trying to get away from myself or if I wasn't comfortable with myself, but I definitely had a drinking problem".[16] When the band were asked about their creative process in an interview for The Howard Stern Show, they claimed that while Buckland is usually more optimistic to either disapprove or give his input on Martin's initial ideas, Berryman tends to be more critical, concluding that if he does not like a certain song, "there's no point in ever playing it again".[17] Conversely, he has been responsible for starting tracks such as "Magic" on his own, which was released as the lead single for their sixth album, Ghost Stories, in 2014.[18]

Apparatjik

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Main article: Apparatjik

Berryman formed a supergroup called Apparatjik with Magne Furuholmen (from a-ha), Jonas Bjerre (from Mew) and Martin Terefe in 2008.[19] Their debut single, "Ferreting", was the musical theme of BBC Two series Amazon, being included in the Songs for Survival album as well.[19] Proceeds were donated to Survival International.[19] Two years later, the band released We Are Here (2010) for digital download on their official website and performed at the CTM Festival.[20] In 2011, they played at the Neue Nationalgalerie,[21] appeared at the Steirischer Herbst Festival,[22] then launched Apparatjik World, an iPad application in which fans helped them to produce songs.[23] After several versions of the project, the final one was named Square Peg in a Round Hole (2012) and made available as their second studio album.[24] In 2020, the group published a song called "Julia" on their YouTube channel.[25] However, Berryman has not performed with the rest of the band since 2011, making it unclear whether he was a collaborator during the creative process behind the track.[26]

Business ventures

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In 2019, the bassist founded quarterly magazine The Road Rat along with two friends and car specialists.[27] They celebrate classic automobiles, but on-diary stories are not covered because each issue is meant to be "timeless".[28] He oversees the project from his garage and works as its creative director.[29] In the following year, he launched Applied Art Forms, a fashion brand inspired by utilitarian, workwear and military clothing,[30] including designers Helmut Lang, Katharine Hamnett and Martin Margiela.[31] Berryman set its headquarters in Amsterdam and handles both styling and creative direction, though the former role is shared with Marcel Verheijen.[32] He said that his focus is on longevity,[33] making occasional updates instead of following the traditional seasonal calendar.[30] The bassist also mentioned taking a sewing machine with him while touring with Coldplay to mock up pieces.[32] Still in 2020, Berryman helped to release a plant-based protein food start-up called Bodyhero.[34] He then donated part of his personal archive to Marrkt in 2022, with the proceeds going to Save the Children.[35] In 2023, Applied Art Forms switched their menswear presentation to unisex,[32] sold exclusive wireless headphones in partnership with Master & Dynamic,[36] and collaborated with Hannah Martin to launch their first jewellery collection, which drew influence from industrial and punk aesthetics.[37]

Other projects

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Berryman guested on Magne Furuholmen's debut album, Past Perfect Future Tense (2004), along with Champion.[38] He played bass on the subsequent A Dot of Black in the Blue of Your Bliss (2008) as well.[39] In 2007, he wrote "Guy Romance Theme" and co-wrote "Bass Theme" for the soundtrack of The Longest Night in Shanghai.[40] His most notable hobby throughout the years has been photography, which included taking candid photos of his bandmates with disposable cameras on the Twisted Logic Tour (2005–07) and throwing them to attendees.[41] He then provided pictures for the booklet of a-ha's ninth album, Foot of the Mountain (2009).[42] Accompanied by Rik Simpson, the bassist founded a producing duo called The Darktones and contributed to Love You More (2010) and You&I (2011) by the Pierces.[43] Berryman played instruments like the guitar, glockenspiel, omnichord, keyboards and percussion on the latter record.[44] He also produced James Levy & the Blood Red Rose's Pray to Be Free (2012) and Hudson Hank's DayBreak (2013).[45] During Music of the Spheres World Tour (2022–25), he curated a photo diary for NME and shot pictures for the concert run's official book.[46]

Musical style

[edit]

With a style described as "slick" and "relaxed",[47] Berryman is usually seen using different models of a Fender Precision Bass, including editions such as Squier, Mustang, Jazz and Jaguar.[48] The latter was used during the recording sessions for Viva la Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008).[49] He mentioned the first "proper" bass used after joining Coldplay was a Rickenbacker 4001, which can be seen on the music video for "Shiver".[49] In 2003, his gear included two Ampeg SVT amplifiers, two 15" cabinets, one 8"x10" cabinet and a Tone Bender pedal for distortion.[50] In 2012, it was reported he bought a custom-made Hiwatt bass rig.[51] The 200-watt amp head was hand-built in the United Kingdom and paired with a 4x12 cabinet, loaded with Fane speakers.[51] When questioned about his musical taste, Berryman stated that it was hard to condense it down, but he "could not live without the Beatles or Motown".[52] Additionally, he mentioned James Brown, Marvin Gaye, Kool & the Gang and the Funk Brothers as musical inspirations.[53]

Personal life

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According to The Times, Berryman has an estimated wealth of £113 million as of May 2022.[54] He is a known supporter of Raith Rovers,[8] showing interest in photography, fashion and electrical gadgets as well.[41] After six years dating, he married interior designer Joanna Briston in 2004.[55] The couple filed for divorce three years later, but remained close to raise their daughter.[55] He subsequently moved to the Cotswolds and built a workshop to repair the cars from his collection.[56] In 2014, he became engaged to Dutch model Keshia Gerrits,[57] while 2024 saw them relocating to Amsterdam.[58] Berryman has two children with her.[56]

Before restoring automobiles, he took flying lessons and wanted to refurbish a Spitfire and a Tiger Moth, eventually growing bored of aircraft.[59] He is also a collector of synthesisers, cameras and watches: "I'm a completist when it comes to collecting, so I have to restrain myself [...] At least with cars you have to have space to keep them all in. But you can get a lot of watches into a drawer".[7] Berryman likewise is the founder of Dawghaus, an online catalogue focused on curating "the best in design" and promoting well-established creations alongside the ones he thinks that deserve more attention.[7] He is the only Coldplay member with a personal social media account.[60]

Discography

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See also

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Notes

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  1. ^ The term "records" is for album and single sales combined.[2] Coldplay, however, sold 100 million copies in albums alone, while Parlophone have not disclosed the amount of records.[3]
  2. ^ Overall, the fifth and final member was manager and creative director Phil Harvey.[14]

References

[edit]
  1. ^ コールドプレイのガイ・ベリーマンによるファッションブランド「アプライド アート フォームズ」20年以上忘れられなかった情熱の先 [Coldplay's Guy Berryman's Fashion Brand Applied Art Forms Beyond 20+ Years of Unforgettable Passion]. WWD Japan (in Japanese). 4 January 2023. Archived from the original on 5 January 2023. Retrieved 5 January 2023.
  2. ^ "What's The Difference Between A Record And An Album? 5 Things To Know". The Sound of Vinyl. 30 March 2021. Archived from the original on 15 December 2021. Retrieved 15 December 2021.
  3. ^ "Coldplay Re-Ups with Warner Music Group for Long-Term Deal Via Parlophone". Variety. 6 October 2021. Archived from the original on 8 January 2022. Retrieved 6 October 2021.
  4. ^ "Glastonbury 2024: The Reason Coldplay Are the 21st Century's Defining Band". BBC Culture. 25 June 2024. Archived from the original on 28 July 2024. Retrieved 28 July 2024.
  5. ^ "Latest Coldplay News". Capital FM (Press the "View More" button on the "Facts" column). 2023. Archived from the original on 27 February 2023. Retrieved 27 February 2023.
  6. ^ a b c "Coldplay's Guy Berryman Says Hearing Stevie Wonder in His Fife Bedroom Was Key to Entire Life and Career". The Courier. 24 January 2022. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  7. ^ a b c "Collecting Stories: Coldplay's Guy Berryman". Christies. 15 July 2020. Archived from the original on 4 January 2022. Retrieved 4 January 2022.
  8. ^ a b "Exclusive: I Started Out Playing Genesis Covers, Now I'm in Coldplay, Says Guy Berryman". Daily Record. 9 December 2008. Archived from the original on 20 April 2013. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  9. ^ "Notable Alumni". The Edinburgh Academy. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 24 May 2021.
  10. ^ a b c d (Wild & Croft 2018, pp. 66–69)
  11. ^ "Kent College's Greatest Graduates". Holland Park. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  12. ^ "Coldplay's Guy Berryman – Classic Cars Generate a Smile". Classic Car Curation. 2 August 2021. Archived from the original on 28 February 2022. Retrieved 28 February 2022.
  13. ^ a b (Wild & Croft 2018, pp. 13–16)
  14. ^ "They Played a Tiny Café... There Were Four People in the Audience". Music Business Worldwide. 26 February 2018. Archived from the original on 22 November 2021. Retrieved 7 January 2022.
  15. ^ (Roach 2003, p. 18)
  16. ^ Coldplay – A Head Full of Dreams. 1 March 2022. Event occurs at 1:15:57 to 1:16:22. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022 – via YouTube.
  17. ^ Chris Martin's Bandmates Didn't Love These Two Coldplay Songs When He First Wrote Them. 24 September 2021. Event occurs at 3:17 to 3:57. Archived from the original on 28 May 2022. Retrieved 28 May 2022 – via YouTube.
  18. ^ Chris Martin. Zane Lowe. The Full Interview. 16 May 2014. Archived from the original on 20 December 2021. Retrieved 5 January 2022 – via YouTube.
  19. ^ a b c "Coldplay Team Up with a-ha and Mew". NME. 18 September 2008. Archived from the original on 4 February 2017. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  20. ^ "Coldplay Side-Project Apparatjik Announce Debut Album Release Date". NME. 29 January 2010. Archived from the original on 2 February 2010. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  21. ^ "The Apparatjik Light Space Modulator". E-Flux. 23 February 2011. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  22. ^ "Steirischer Herbst mit Erfreulicher Bilanz" [Steirischer Herbst with a Pleasing Result]. Kurier (in German). 5 December 2011. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 30 March 2023.
  23. ^ "Square Peg in a Round Hole Album Release Details". Apparatjik Official Website. 22 November 2011. Archived from the original on 4 February 2012. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  24. ^ "Q&A: Apparatjik". Complete Music Update. 4 April 2012. Archived from the original on 31 August 2023. Retrieved 31 August 2023.
  25. ^ Apparatjik – Julia. 20 March 2020. Archived from the original on 29 April 2020. Retrieved 29 May 2022 – via YouTube.
  26. ^ "Apparatjik Performance Cancelled". a-ha Live. 16 August 2015. Archived from the original on 30 March 2023. Retrieved 28 May 2022.
  27. ^ "Driving Bass: Guy Berryman". The Rake. 1 May 2020. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  28. ^ "The Road Rat Magazine | A Thing For Cars". The Road Rat. 29 May 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  29. ^ "Check Out Coldplay Star Guy Berryman's Garage". Motorius. 24 April 2019. Archived from the original on 27 April 2019. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  30. ^ a b "Coldplay Bassist Guy Berryman on Launching a Label". Irish Examiner. 29 January 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  31. ^ "Coldplay Bassist Guy Berryman: I'm Very Grateful I'm Not in the Limelight". The Telegraph. 13 September 2024. Archived from the original on 19 September 2024. Retrieved 28 September 2024.
  32. ^ a b c "Noch Ein Musiker Mit Einem Modelabel?" [Another Musician with a Fashion Label?]. Welt (in German). 16 October 2023. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 17 October 2023.
  33. ^ "The Man Behind the Brand: Mr Guy Berryman on Applied Art Forms". Mr Porter. 26 August 2021. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  34. ^ "About Bodyhero – The Leading Plant-Based Protein Products". Bodyhero. 31 May 2022. Archived from the original on 31 May 2022. Retrieved 31 May 2022.
  35. ^ "Guy Berryman Featured Seller – The Coldplay Bassist Turned Menswear Designer". Marrkt. August 2022. Archived from the original on 12 August 2022. Retrieved 13 August 2022.
  36. ^ "Coldplay's Bassist and Master & Dynamic Unveil a Pair of Headphones Inspired by the Apollo Missions". Robb Report. 7 February 2023. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  37. ^ "When Coldplay's Bassist Met a Punk Jeweller at the Airport". Financial Times. 30 October 2023. Archived from the original on 2 November 2023. Retrieved 2 November 2023.
  38. ^ "Coldplay Contribute to a-ha Member's Solo Album". Listen To Norway. 7 May 2004. Archived from the original on 12 February 2022. Retrieved 12 February 2022.
  39. ^ Snelgrove, Kevin (2013). 101 Interesting Facts on Coldplay. Apex Publishing Limited. ISBN 9781909949935.
  40. ^ "Travel with Music – 夜 上海: 电影 原声带" [Travel with Music – The Longest Night in Shanghai: Original Movie Soundtrack]. QQ Music (in Chinese). 19 September 2007. Archived from the original on 10 January 2023. Retrieved 10 January 2023.
  41. ^ a b "Coldplay's Quiet Storm". Rolling Stone. 25 August 2005. Archived from the original on 4 February 2022. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  42. ^ "Foot of the Mountain Personnel". a-ha Official Website. 19 June 2009. Archived from the original on 18 June 2009. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
  43. ^ "Interview: The Pierces". Coldplay Timeline. 10 September 2010. Archived from the original on 3 June 2022. Retrieved 3 June 2022.
  44. ^ "The Pierces – You & I". Pop Catastrophe. 30 May 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  45. ^ "James Levy & The Blood Red Rose – Pray to Be Free". DIY. 1 February 2012. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 27 May 2021.
  46. ^ "Check Out Our Exclusive Photo Diary from Coldplay's Massive World Tour". NME. 5 April 2022. Archived from the original on 29 May 2022. Retrieved 29 May 2022.
    • Salmon, Chris (2023). Music of the Spheres World Tour Book. Amsterdam: Parlophone.
  47. ^ "Coldplay Are at Their Happiest and Clappiest on Music of the Spheres". Financial Times. 13 October 2021. Archived from the original on 15 October 2021. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  48. ^ "Guy Berryman". Equipboard. 24 April 2019. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  49. ^ a b "Coldplay End of Decade Clearout Sale – Charity Auction Catalogue" (PDF). Coldplay Official Website. 18 December 2009. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 May 2013. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  50. ^ "Equipment List" (PDF). Coldplay E-Zine. January 2003. Archived from the original (PDF) on 24 April 2019. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  51. ^ a b "In Pictures: Coldplay's Custom-made Hiwatt Bass Rig". Music Radar. 2 July 2012. Archived from the original on 4 June 2022. Retrieved 4 June 2022.
  52. ^ "Guy Berryman – The Style Council". Mr Porter. Archived from the original on 17 January 2022. Retrieved 17 January 2022.
  53. ^ (Spivack 2004, p. 23)
  54. ^ "Scottish Billionaires Had Less Fortunate Year Than Rest of UK, Rich List Shows". The Times. 22 May 2022. Archived from the original on 22 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  55. ^ a b "When Red Met Jo Berryman". Red. 7 September 2011. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  56. ^ a b "Coldplay's Guy Berryman On Keeping Up With Chris Martin". The Times. 21 May 2021. Archived from the original on 21 May 2021. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  57. ^ "Coldplay Bassist Guy Berryman Engaged To Dutch Model Keshia Gerrits". Daily Record. 24 March 2014. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 30 May 2022.
  58. ^ "Coldplay Bassist Guy Berryman Launches Fashion Label in Singapore". The Straits Times. 26 January 2024. Archived from the original on 27 January 2024. Retrieved 27 January 2024.
  59. ^ "My Three Watch Wardrobe: Mr Guy Berryman". Mr Porter. 13 April 2021. Archived from the original on 30 May 2022. Retrieved 25 June 2021.
  60. ^ "Guy Berryman: Ο Μπασίστας Των Coldplay Στη Vogue Greece" [Guy Berryman: Coldplay's Bass Player in Vogue Greece]. Vogue Greece (in Greek). 3 September 2024. Archived from the original on 6 September 2024. Retrieved 6 September 2024.

Bibliography

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