At which Camden venue did Coldplay make their live debut in January 1998?

Coldplay made their live debut at The Laurel Tree in Camden on 16 January 1998.

The performance came only days after Will Champion joined Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland and Guy Berryman as drummer. The group had not yet settled on the name Coldplay and performed as Starfish, making this an early landmark in the band’s history.

The Laurel Tree is sometimes confused with Dingwalls because Dingwalls hosted a later self-organised Coldplay concert. That event helped the band sell copies of their first EP, Safety, and is closely associated with manager Phil Harvey’s early involvement, but it was not their live debut.

Coldplay’s early Camden shows preceded their 1998 appearance at Manchester’s In the City showcase, where A&R scout Debs Wild discovered them. The band released Safety in May 1998, beginning the transition from university project to professionally managed act.