Muse - Absolution Tour by
Muse have certainly come a long way since I first saw them supporting Feeder at the MDH (now Academy 2) many years ago, before debut album Showbiz was released. That night there was a long delay before the gig could start because of some technical problems, so when we all eventually filed into the room, a sheepish-looking Matt Bellamy was already up and stage waiting for us with the rest of the band, who had to play a very short and sweet support set so that there was actually time for Feeder to get on stage later on.
However, even under those tricky circumstances, they were a very impressive live act, and have displayed that time and time again, even when I later saw them do an acoustic set in a cramped Action Records in Preston. So, it was hardly surprising that they stole the show at last year's Glastonbury, with a set of near-apocalptic levels of noise and preposterousness.
As a sticker on the front of this DVD box points out, Muse won best Live Act at the Brit Awards, NME Awards and Q Awards, mostly on the strength of their Glastonbury showing, so it's fitting that the majority of the disc is taken up with that. There are four extra tracks from other nights on the Absolution tour, including two American dates, but they are very much Extras.
Compared to the sheer drama of Muse on a big stage in a big field, with big lights, big sound and an enthusiastic big crowd, they are certainly less impressive. Better then, to to watch Bellamy in a long white jacket and a microphone stand that looks like something that a dentist would use to give you a filling, as well as a very sci-fi looking set of keyboards.
As anyone who was there or saw it on TV could tell you, this was Muse at their very best, on the perfect stage for their songs of absolution, hurricanes, and plug in babies. The Glasto crowd were well into the swing of things by this stage of the night, and sing along with gusto whenever they get the chance, making these very grand songs even more so. With a stage-set and flashing lights that more than live up to the epilepsy warning on the back of the DVD box, it's all very spectacular.
Of course, it's easy to make fun of this very straight-faced prog rock, particularly when there are bands like The Darkness who do it all for laughs, but you get the feeling that Muse couldn't possibly take themselves quite as seriously as it looks. Regardless, when the music is this good, it doesn't really matter how po-faced or pretentious it is, and all of the songs in the set hit the mark.
The highlights include Sing For Absolution, Apocalpyse Please, Sunburn and the triumphant duo of Time Is Running Out and Plug In Baby. There is also a sense of emotion about the show as drummer Dominic Howard's father collapsed and died at the festival just after the end of the set, adding a tinge of real tragedy to what was otherwise a stunning performance by a band who just keep on getting better.
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