There’s the perpetual question of whether an elaborate stageshow is something that enhances a band’s performance, or whether it’s just a crutch. When it comes to Muse, there’s no question, however – it works. They own the stage, and the lasers, LED screens and weird-pyramid-thing somehow manage to never detract from the trio onstage.
When they take the stage, the roar from the audience is absolutely deafening – there’s no doubt at all that everyone is here and determined to enjoy themselves. And Muse make it so easy. There is, admittedly, a tiny bit of dad-ishness when they first enter (Matt Bellamy’s odd bedazzled jacket doesn’t exactly help) but the minute they start playing, it vanishes. Muse have that rock star presence which isn’t seen very often – they absolutely own the stage, kung fu sequences and weird purple aliens on the TV screens aside.
There’s a lack of stage banter, but Muse don’t really need it. Not at all, to be honest, because the songs more than speak for themselves and they don’t let up for one minute – it’s a constant assault of Muse’s own brand of rock, which more than fills the arena.
‘Anthem’ is too easy a word for Muse tracks, but there’s definitely something anthemic about their songs – although some of them do sound a little familiar, it’s simply due to Bellamy’s distinctive wail and the high-octane guitars that rip through the songs.
‘Time Is Running Out’ is all encompassing, still holding all of the eerie majesty it ever did and the atmosphere is electric. ‘Plug In Baby’ – still one of the band’s most notable songs – gains screams of excitement simply from the undeniable electricity of the opening riff. Even ‘Survival’, the Olympic song which has gained a somewhat mixed reception, manages to become an entirely new kind of monster in the setting. There’s just such a great atmosphere – and it’s climaxes with the ‘Knights of Cydonia’ encore. Thousands of Muse fans, all screaming ‘no one’s gonna take me alive’ in sync with one another is enough to send shivers down anyone’s spine.
Muse are the kind of band that stadiums were built for. They took home the Best Band In The World Award this week at the Q Awards and, after tonight, it’s a title that won’t be easy to take from them.
