Muse @ Acer Arena 9/12/2010

My relationship with Muse has been a long and, for the most part, fulfilling one. I've been a fan for a long time and have already had the pleasure of seeing them twice, with both times being very impressive and memorable concerts. Hell I think one of those times was my first ever review for WBDF but thats another story entirely.

Muse are currently touring (or they could be done now actually) around this country of ours with their 'arena spectacular' full show that they've been taking around Europe for a while now. Was I going initially? No, the tickets were a bit out of my price range and given that I'm not an overly big fan of the new Muse release 'The Resistance' I didn't really have the motivation or incentive. But when a friend calls you up saying they've had a cancellation and they need someone to go with them, you don't say no. Especially when, as far as they're concerned, you paying your way means you just pay for parking. These were $130 tickets. Thanks Brooke.

The opening act was Biffy Clyro - did I catch them? No. Was I disappointed? No. They certainly weren't being talked about by anyone after the show but then again I've been wrong about this thing before. They may have brought the house down, but I doubt it. Anyway given that I didn't see them I should stop making guesses before someone transcribes it as fact and I get in trouble again. We made our way to our seats not long before the house lights went out. I've only been to Acer once before and was very unimpressed with it. It was incredibly packed this night and I was hoping that a band like Muse can overcome the crappiness of Acer. They did, for the most part.
The visual elements of this show were the obvious reason behind the jacked up ticket price no matter where you were. Three massive columns filled the stage and as the lights dimmed they each lit up, slowly but surely, piece by piece, before curtains about halfway up blew away and the band were presented in all their glory, each on an individual platform about 30 feet off the ground or so. The top halves of these columns didnt move at all, spending the evening projecting a mixture of images relevant to the song as well as live shots of the band as they were doing their thing. The bottom halves were all miniature elevators that the band took to go up and down to the stage, with the drums on a 360 rotating platform as well. The opening track was 'Uprising', first track from the newEST album, and it worked surprisingly well. But yes, absorbing the spectacle was quite brilliant as it first slaps you in the face.


'New Born' brought out the lasers. Ive seen a few laser shows in my time but nothing entirely professional. Basement Jaxx have had them, various bands in the boiler room have had them, but Muse just went bananas. Their presence was almost overwhelming at stages but it was mind blowing. It honestly felt, at times, like you were on a spaceship. Frontman Matt Bellamy didn't overly engage the crowd, but from what I know he never does. He was wearing sparkly glitter pants for most of the night, they were very accentuated by the light show. Dominic Howard is one of the more vocal drummers in world music, engaging the crowd more than Bellamy. Meanwhile, and this isnt exactly an insult, but Chris Wolstenholme is one of the most boring bass players on the face of the planet. Maybe he's got a fear of heights because every time he went up on a platform he stayed rooted to the one spot. Then again his charisma on the ground wasnt amazing either, at least he didnt fuck up.

The sound for the night was.. inconsistent. When they played 'Supermassive Black Hole' you'd have been forgiven for thinking everyone had deserted the sound desk. Feedback, mics not working, constant chopping and changing of EQs. It wasnt the best throughout the majority of the night but its, one again, one of the things I hate most about Acer. Had they played the Horden it wouldve been different. But then they couldnt have sold as many tickets and probably couldnt justify bringing over the production so I won't argue too much.

The setlist was, for the most part well picked, a good mix of old and new, with 'Citizen Erased' being dedicated to Julian Assange in probably the only part of the night you could consider topical. Stockholm Syndrome and Knights of Cydonia to close out the set left me a very happy boy. I might have got the ticket for free but that didnt stop me trying to pay for it on the way out. It was, in many ways, absolutely worth the admission.


Positives - The stage show and visuals are incomparable. I'm sure U2 put on a fantastic show there over the weekend just gone but Muse are, by U2 standards, still newcomers to the game. Rammstein should be looking over their shoulders, and the show itself justifies Muse being easily one of the biggest bands in the world right now. The setlist was well picked as well, for the most part. In a way the show helped give me a little more appreciation for the newer material, it works better live. I've even listened to the album since then after panning it last year.

Negatives - 'Undisclosed Desires' is still the shittest song Muse have ever released. Why it needed to be played live I dont know (well I do, its a single). The sound and choice of Acer as a venue did not work in the bands favour, but where else can you go? And just back to the Assange point for a second, Muse seem like a band with an agenda, the albums called 'The Resistance' for fucks sake, but they scarcely say anything other than the usual minimal pleasantries. I think if Muse backed themselves and their opinions up a little bit during a sold out concert they'd be well within their rights, and it'd paint more of a dimension to the new material and ethos of the band too.

Overall though, a fantastic night.

Setlist:
Uprising
Resistance
New Born
Map of the Problematique
Supermassive Black Hole
Hysteria
Citizen Erased
United States of Eurasia
Sunburn
Helsinki Jam
Undisclosed Desires
Time Is Running Out
Starlight
Plug In Baby
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Exogenesis Part 1 (Overture)
Stockholm Syndrome
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Knights of Cydonia