Muse, Cardiff CIA

Posted 515 days ago

Thu 14th Dec, 6pm

Imagine being Matt Bellamy, you would have people like my dear housemate happy to do anything for you. He wishes to remain nameless, but for the purpose of the article, he will be referred to as “Phil”. Phil is a firm contender for fan of the year. He dehydrated himself for the whole day, thus preventing the need to urinate. It was a success, not a drop of urine was passed until midnight on Sunday – a triumph for the mind, torture for the kidneys.

I cannot confess to possessing quite such affections for the fast becoming “super group” I saw on Sunday night. Sat high up in the rafters of the CIA, I was able to fully enjoy the spectacle, and what a spectacle it was.

On stage at a polite 9.15 and off by 10.40, Muse delighted their adoring, and refreshingly diverse crowd, with the bulk of their recently released, “Black Holes and Revelations”, Opening in characteristically dramatic style with “Knights of Cydonia”, and following through with the Oh-so-supper-massive-venue-friendly “Supper Massive Black Hole”, the incredibly irritating “Starlight”. The 7500 strong crowd moved in unison for “Time is Running Out”, “Stockholm Syndrome” and “Hysteria” whilst“Plug in Baby” was the sing-a-long hit of the night. Much to Phil‘s disappointment, no time was given to tracks for first album Showbiz.

If I‘m going to be honest I struggled with the music. It felt too far removed from the emotion it was alluding to; everything was a little too immaculate. Thanks to my posh industry seat, I had a good view of everything on stage and found myself quickly willing something that wasn‘t rehearsed to happen. As Matt Bellamy ran around the stage I realised I had my fingers crossed – I wanted that man to fall over, a crack in the impenetrable gloss that is the Muse stage show. The songs themselves were perfect replicas of the album recordings, good for me, as a non-fan reviewing the gig, bad for the likes of Phil, who had waited inline for hours to see his heroes. The embellishments and extras came in the form of the show itself, which was fantastic. As a self confessed Barfly girl, it felt like Christmas being there; all the lights and moving images, you didn‘t even have to watch the band, you could just become hypnotised by the dancing robots, planes and televised flames that graced the set. The perfect yet emotionally void delivery of song and show got me thinking a new “buzz genre” has emerged – Aut Rock. Oh yes, beating the NME at their own game. Autistic rock has been coined and Museâ are the genre‘s reference point.

It must be added that Phil emerged from the gig hot, dangerously unsweaty and in need of a drink, but is now fully recovered; he is of to Birmingham tomorrow to see them again.

reviewed by Lizzy King