Muse @ The Horden - 24/1

The night before the Big Day Out is always an exciting one although its not one I can say I often spend at other gigs as Im normally establishing supplies, my vast wardrobe and witty comebacks to dumbshits for the day after. But this year I had the pleasure of being at the Horden Pavillion (again) to see one of the bands that has changed the way I listen to music - Muse.

Now you can say what you want about this band. You can like them or not like them and thats perfectly fine with me but calling Muse over-dramatic is like having a whinge about a Mars Volta song going for over 10 minutes. Its to be expected. Tonight was the second consecutive show for the band and the first time they'd played two nights in a row on this leg of the tour and that always means its time to mix the setlist up a bit - which the band had yet to do.

First and foremost I'd like to say that this year Im starting to realise the importance everyone else in the crowd can hold when it comes to your own good night and thankfully everyone was in high spirits today. I also have to say that it was one of the WORST smelling crowds I've ever had the pleasure of being in.Ground Components opened up the festivities and while they sounded good they had the charisma of a cactus. They were tolerable and even a little funny but you could hear everyone around the place collectively checking their watches.

After what seemed like an eternity after they walked off stage, the house lights dimmed and the deafening screams filled the place. Before the lights even came on the intro for 'Assassin' starts up and the show begins in a frenzy of strobelights and a wall of sound that knocks your brain to the back of your skull. As this was one they hadn't yet played in Australia anticipation was high that this show would have a few surprises.

To back up the music the visual set was just as epic. The stage was like a massive spaceship from a Flash Gordon wetdream and, while maybe not to the calibur of Tool, the visualisations that popped up on the dual screens added an extra dimension to the music. From the dancing robots in 'Supermassive Black Hole' to the karaoke-esque chorus of 'Knights of Cydonia'.

'City Of Delusion' was another song that made its Aus live debut to a rousing reception from the crowd. Another thing to say about Muse is that they dont talk to the crowd very much, with drummer Dominic doing most of the conversing and it never being much longer than a sentence or two, primarily consisting of 'Whos going to the big day out tomorrow?'.



A few songs later and the piano that sits next to the drums is brought to the front of the stage for what looks like a few quiet numbers. 'Feeling Good' ran as candidate for song of the night with an incredibly sexed up version that made you want to.. well.. touch somebody and 'Sunburn' represented the first album before the piano went back. 'Time Is Running Out' brought the house down before 'Plug-In Baby' saw massive confetti filled balloons fly through the crowd, bursting at random moments and showering everyone. The set ended and the wait began for the encore.

Im not even sure if I should start a new paragraph for the encore, so short was the wait but the crowd got what they were after with 'Starlight' inducing some arm-over-the-head claps before my personal favourite 'Stockholm Syndrome' brought me to the edge of an audiorgasm.

So how would I sum up my Muse experience? Absolutely breathtaking. Vocally not a single note was missed all night, and for Bellamy to go out there and sing like that, every night, and show no sign of wear is absolutely amazing. His guitar improv struts along the the right side of that thin line between majesty and noise and the sound was absolutely impeccable. Truly professional, and true showmen. A rock show to never forget - 10/10.

Setlist:
Assassin
Butterflies and Hurricanes
Map of the Problematique
New Born
Supermassive Black Hole
City of Delusion
Forced In
Hysteria
Sunburn
Feeling Good
Invincible
Time is Running Out
Plug In Baby
Knights Of Cydonia
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Starlight
Stockholm Syndrome
Take A Bow

photos provided by Australian fans - 24/1 - mircocuts.com