Those clown princes of pomp Muse are back in town, prompting science nerds, metallers, indie kids and Hot Press to forget about all our differences for the next few hours. We huddle together in anticipation for something truly special on an evening that’s colder than a Dear John letter. There’s a definite sense of excitement in the air as the opening klang of ‘Map Of The Problematique’ kicks into gear and singer/guitarist Matt Bellamy wastes no time in breaking out the freaky, futuristic riffs that have made millions of music fans fall in love with his band across the world. Of course the crowd are absolutely loving it from the get-go and are left speechless as four giant satellite receivers beam bright green rays of light that look like lasers from a space-age ray gun onto the night sky (KISS mustn’t have the monopoly on kick-ass stage shows after-all).
That distorted head-fuck of a disco-funk song ‘Supermassive Black Hole’ is up next and it sounds much more salacious live than it does on record and acts as a sonic S.T.F.U. to all the doubters who were unsure whether the trio could pull off such a huge show. During the set the band show a little of their hard rock roots by breaking out some impromptu Led Zeppelin, Soundgarden and Deftones riffs, but tonight it’s all about the music Muse have made since their formation a decade ago – namely the relentless ‘Newborn’ and a life-affirming version of ‘Time Is Running Out’.
It’s not all shits and giggles though, as sometimes the band make a few gaffs along the way. The pointless and boring ‘Feeling Good’ ruins the flow of an otherwise flawless set and Matt really needs to work on his onstage banter. Still, they’re minor quibbles to make and once they rattle out a killer one-two punch of ‘Plug In Baby’ and ‘Knights Of Cydonia’ at the end, we’re happy to forgive his short-comings. While tonight’s gig was by no means legendary, it’s certainly clear that as far as Muse are concerned they’re only just getting started, and we’re sure that for the thousands in attendance that will be sound music to their ears. Now, I wonder where I can buy one of those massive satellite dishes for my garden…?