But they don't like to talk about it. Very much.

Oh, yes, we could be cynical about the reports that Coldplay are going to tithe and donate ten percent of their earnings to charity, but we're actually quite impressed.

And it does now mean there is a difference between the ranks of Travis, Starsailor and the 'Play, in that at least when you buy one of Coldplay's dirges some of the cash will find its way to good causes. Some of it will still go on Gwyneth Paltrow's drycleaning - incredibly persistent, the Martin spunk, apparently - and a huge amount will still go to their record label - but some of it will do some good.

Of course, even better would be leaving A Rush Of Blood To The Head in your local V-Shop and give half the selling price direct to a charity of your choice.

Talking of bands actually doing something, the equally sometimes risible Tom Morello has earned another slice of our grudging respect for bringing the stupid new rules in LA which would force soup runs for the homeless to work to the same standards as restaurants - we'd imagine the No Smoking rules to be of the highest priority - although the pretense that "ooh, at any moment we could be arrested for doing this" did detract somewhat.