Muse truly do not do average. (Muse)

Member Name: MattJames

Product:	Muse
Date:	11/11/09 (13 review reads)
Rating:

Advantages: Everything - stage design, performance, crowd.

Disadvantages: Nothing, other than they could have played for 3 hours ;)

Having seen Muse in concert last night (10th November 2009, birmingham NIA) , I feel compelled to write a review about how brilliant this band have become.

As the anticipation around the arena grew, it wasn't until 9pm that the lights dimmed, and a glorious synth track was backed by 3 huge curtains with people graphically walking up them. The atmosphere in standing was absolutely electric, the buzz from the audience was intense. Then as the curtains dropped, you saw three 40ft pillars, with the band playing in the middle of them in a cut out bit of them, about 12ft up. Uprising was the first song to be played, the crowd completely hyped up, it was a fantastic opener, with the screens on the pillars used to brilliant effect. Whoever came up with the stage design should be given a medal.

The first 7 songs (Uprising, resistance, New Born, Map Of the problematique, MK Ultra, Supermassive Black Hole and Hysteria) completely took my breath away, and not just through the sheer exuberance of the crowd, the band were flawless, the stage design mad but genius. They came down from the pillars before rising back up again for Eurasia and feeling good. Hearing Eurasia was the best song I have heard live after 25 gigs, Matt Bellamy truly can sing.

A poppier section followed and once again the crowd were as amazing as the band, singing along to every note, before ending on Plug In Baby and Unnatural Selection before the encore. TO say I was shattered by this point is putting it mildly and I'm normally fine at gigs, having seen Muse three timesbefore!

Exogenesis I was then played and it was one of the most visually stunning things I have ever seen. Bellamy's falsetto pitch perfect it was better than on record. Followed by Stockholm Syndrome and Knights, the band truly giving it their all, throwing guitars into drums, and not once faltering.

This truly was THE perfect gig, at 2 hours long, our money was well spent.

Summary: The best gig of my gigging life