Kerrang review for Muse at Wembley 17th June 2007

Haytch · Kerrang review for Muse at Wembley 17th June 2007

Read this earlier and thought I'd share...

Rated 5 Ks for Incredible

What a gig. What a band. What a night. As the sky above the already famous Wembley Stadium arch finally drifts into darkness. Muse strike up "Blackout", the three-peice's masterpeice. As 70,000 people bask in the rhythm and sway, from each side of the stage rise two gymnasts floating and gyrating from beneath two giant silver balloons. With tens of thousands of picture phones snapping the moment, it seems a good time to try and absorb everything that is happening here. Wembley Stadium is as vast and as magnificent as a venue can be, but Muse are vast and magnificent to fill it. Fill it with people, with sound, with spectacule, with presence. Fill it with the idea that today is anything-can-happen day.

Biffy Clyro are on fire today, and not only because they might have been so much worse. Live, the group can be awkward, unwelcoming even. But not today. Simon Neil talks to the crowd, communicates, smiles, makes friends. Forty-five minutes later, the sound that neets their final "goodbye" is louder and warmer than the one that greeted their opening "hello". For their part the day's other great three-peice savoured their latest moment in the sun. And while Biffy Clyro arn't designed to make this stadium their home, they still have enough natural stuff to make the best of today's visit.

By comparison, My Chemical Romance appear very mortal indeed. The band are enjoyable though - the songs are grand, the groups more relaxed away from the slightly stilted '...Black Parade' headline sets - but Gerard Way's earnestness can be irritating, just as his onstage praise for Muse seemed sycophantic, even desperate. And while MCR are rarely bad, today they're some distance from being much good.

Muse are simply stunning, though. Music which is genuinely world class (Knights of Cydonia'; second song 'Hysteria'; third song 'Supermassive Blackhole') is projected from a stage that couldn't be more state of the art were it a figment of George Lucas' imagination. Inside of 30 minutes, Muse have proved themselves to be the type of band that actually thrives on this kind of scale, that feats on it. Confidence is not a big enough word for this, just as arrogance is the wrong one. What Muse do is beautiful and unique. It's also startling and sexual, and so hypnotically commanding it's worth fanatical about. This is as stadium performance as any you care to name, as good as Queen or U2, better than Metallica. The music flows like liquid diamonds and the intimacy can be felt even by those sitting three hundred feet into the air. Tonight, Muse are the closest thing to magic you will ever see.

Ian Winwood

Discuss.....

TreeHeart

wow for Muse that was a great review!!! damn I have to see them! but not here, our "big"venue makes everyone sound rubbish!

Haytch

Personally, I think that Muse could make the most out of any venue. They touring your way?

TreeHeart

don't think so, I just missed them when I moved here! damn it lol

I hope to see them one day

hystericali

as ever, Muse get an amazing review, but the MCR review was a bit :? for Kerrang.

tasheh

That review is alright I guess, startling and sexual eh?

Hes spot on about MCR though they were very entertaining to watch but Gerard really blew it with that speech it was like he was perpously giving Muse a bad name

hystericali

I must look on youtube, his speech must be on there. I'm curious to know what he said.

I've seen the Chem a lot and they put on a damn good show, but Gee does like to talk, bless him.

TreeHeart

he sure does like to talk, it is kind of embarassing lol

Haytch

I can't remember if he did this when i saw him at the CIA... I was drunk so he might have haha

hystericali

I remember I promised Carroll I'd phone her up at the Rock City gig in November 2006 and she wanted to hear Teenagers. They started the riff and I phoned her up, and then Gee started on of his speeches. I asked her about it after and she said something about not making out what he was saying but she knew he was on one of his speeches!

My daughter was hanging on his every word though at Nottingham Arena, she took it all in

wildflower

haha oh i remember that Ali!! he really does like the sound of his own voice a bit much for me, but for the die hards they treat him like the second coming, so i guess its ok

After8

Not being there on either of those nights tops my regret list. I WISH I COUUULD..have. Hopefully Muse will get better with every show and it's just halfway to the top or something. Sounds magic, though.