Matt interview with Herald Sun

[inthemiddle]

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/music/theres-no-holding-back-for-muse/story-fni0bvjn-1226684752542

 

 

MUSE are reliving the excessive tours - and parties - of bands of the '70s and '80s, frontman Matt Ballamy tells Cameron Adams, at some expense.

 

Muse are in the throes of their biggest tour ever. Why? Because after millions of album sales, they can.

 

"You look at some of the biggest bands playing the biggest shows, they stem from the late part of the 20th century when oil was cheap and there was no guilt," Muse frontman Matt Bellamy says.

 

"Like the '80s. Especially the '80s. We're trying to fly the flag for not giving up on striving for something bigger. Striving for a little progress.

 

"We could always whip out the acoustic guitars, get around a campfire and start singing about how we should all start becoming hippies, smoking spliffs and growing vegetables. Which I'm totally in favour of, I do most of those things on a regular basis.

 

"But I think there's still a side of me that was into the science fiction dreams growing up that doesn't really want to let go of that. I think that's reflected in this tour, we're at a point where we don't need to hold back. We can do something that might bankrupt us all. Metaphorically or creatively speaking, it's good to take risks sometimes."

 

The Unsustainable world tour for last year's The 2nd Law album started indoors in Europe, went outdoors in Europe, and winds up in Mexico in October before the elaborate power-station-themed stage begins a sea journey to Australia in December.

 

"There's 25 shipping containers, they take five weeks to get down to Australia," Bellamy says.

 

"There'll be a ship floating around somewhere in November with all of our gear on it. Hopefully it won't capsize or we'll be buggered. It'll definitely be the biggest show we've ever brought to Australia by a long, long margin."

 

The super-sized tour hasn't been without its dramas. A show in Rome (filmed for a live DVD) almost saw the fire that punctuates the show extinguished. Luckily, money talked.

 

"Everywhere you go there's problems. We have accountants and lawyers arguing with all sorts of local councils and police and promoters," Bellamy says.

 

"In Rome, we had to bribe people with thousands of euros just to be allowed to blast our fire effects. We had to phone the British Embassy in Rome and argue with some official. If you want to do things like this on the move, it's quite a big deal. It's pretty bloody expensive though. It's mind-boggling how much, actually. But it's worth it. If people enjoy themselves, who cares?"

 

The tour will also see Muse join the B-stage craze; making arena shows more intimate with pop-up stages that turn the back rows into the front for a few songs.

 

"We're really getting out and about with the audience. It's the first time we're connecting with the audience, literally touching the fans, shaking hands, singing songs in and around the crowd. It's broken up the show for us, we're hoping to continue that way of playing on the indoor side."

 

Bellamy says he is enjoying the human contact, after a number tours where they've been further away from fans.

 

"We've always been a bit distant. I've never been a big talker on stage. We always tend to have a lot of visuals and conceptual things going on where it hasn't always been about connecting us to the crowd. That's why this tour has been quite different to us. A lot of bands have done it, but for some reason we haven't done it until now. But we're loving it."

 

When you're reliving the excessive tours of the '70s and '80s, there's no harm in recreating the parties as well. Muse drummer Dom Howard is good mates with Queen drummer Roger Taylor and, knowing the rock icon is sick of being asked about it, recreated an infamous bacchanalian Queen '70s afterparty involving dwarfs with trays of cocaine balanced on their heads. Howard's people used sherbet instead. The party was in May in London, including strippers, pigs and the theme Corporate Greed.

 

"I turned up for a bit and got freaked out by weird dwarfs looking at me with these baby masks on,'' Bellamy says. "They were carrying trays with sherbet dip on them. I think it was some kind of drummers' in-joke between Dom and Roger Taylor. It's become a bit of a myth, but it all happened, except someone accused my other half of stubbing out a cigarette (on someone's tongue), which was made up."

 

Bellamy's other half is Hollywood star Kate Hudson. The pair have a two-year-old son, Bingham.

 

He made his first musical appearance in utero - his heartbeat used on two songs from The 2nd Law.

 

"It's on Follow Me, but it's more prominent on Isolate System, which ended up getting used in World War Z, so that was good to hear it up on the big screen," Bellamy says.

 

While he's become a reluctant target of paparazzi, Bellamy says Muse's touring schedule has changed to accommodate his and bassist Chris Wolstenholme's children.

 

"Chris brings his kids out, we bring ours out. Most legs of the tour are two weeks, the Australian one will be the longest, three weeks, but we have a week or two off between each leg. So I move between being on stage and being a house husband."

 

SEE Muse, Rod Laver Arena, December 6. $107.30-$129.30, on sale Monday, Ticketek.

[Mc Queen]

Nice interview, thanks for posting!

 

"There's 25 shipping containers, they take five weeks to get down to Australia," Bellamy says.

I was wondering how many containers it would be... holy crap.

[Finn.]

really nice interview. Thanks!

 

The Unsustainable world tour for last year's The 2nd Law album started indoors in Europe, went outdoors in Europe, and winds up in Mexico in October before the elaborate power-station-themed stage begins a sea journey to Australia in December.

 

So, they will use the power station instead the pyramid in the australian show. Cool

 

"In Rome, we had to bribe people with thousands of euros just to be allowed to blast our fire effects.

 

Dammit, that means i won't use my flametowers in my next trip to Rome, then.

[Bumpypotato]

I think they'll still be using the pyramid. The power station wont fit.

[Dominic.]

really nice interview. Thanks!

 

The Unsustainable world tour for last year's The 2nd Law album started indoors in Europe, went outdoors in Europe, and winds up in Mexico in October before the elaborate power-station-themed stage begins a sea journey to Australia in December.

 

So, they will use the power station instead the pyramid in the australian show. Cool

 

No, it's pyramid stage, interviewer got it wrong

 

 

 

And is it just me or does Matt sound a right nob? Like, for all the talk on the album about energy and all they probably use a hell of a lot of it with their stage setup, and it almost sounds like in this interview he's saying why not? Like Radiohead had a massive stage setup but they used low energy LEDs and recycled bottles as part of it so made a conscious effort to be more eco friendly or whatever and iuno it bugs me a bit

[Finn.]

I think they'll still be using the pyramid. The power station wont fit.

 

Probably they'll bring the pyamid, yes. But the Powers Station looks good in a indoor arena

 

[YT]

[/YT]

[Stewez26]

All the seating maps show the Arena set up so it will definitely be that, as well as the fact they wouldn't fit as mentioned.

 

It seems all the tabloids are under the impression we're getting the Stadium set up, despite the fact Muse have said themselves it will be the pyramid

[Bumpypotato]

And is it just me or does Matt sound a right nob? Like, for all the talk on the album about energy and all they probably use a hell of a lot of it with their stage setup, and it almost sounds like in this interview he's saying why not? Like Radiohead had a massive stage setup but they used low energy LEDs and recycled bottles as part of it so made a conscious effort to be more eco friendly or whatever and iuno it bugs me a bit

 

Yeah, I found that pretty disappointing to be honest.

 

Probably they'll bring the pyamid, yes. But the Powers Station looks good in a indoor arena

 

[YT]

[/YT]

 

It won't fit in the arenas they're playing though.

[Arcade]

great interview.. Matt seems quite happy (and rightly so) about how the massive production has gone so far. But seriously, somethings never change, having to part with cash just so they can make their show special for the Italians with all that pyrotechnic lovin. talk about being held to ransom.

 

you aussies are gonna love the show

[JessicaSarahS]

"We could always whip out the acoustic guitars, get around a campfire and start singing about how we should all start becoming hippies, smoking spliffs and growing vegetables. Which I'm totally in favour of, I do most of those things on a regular basis.

 

"But I think there's still a side of me that was into the science fiction dreams growing up that doesn't really want to let go of that. I think that's reflected in this tour, we're at a point where we don't need to hold back. We can do something that might bankrupt us all. Metaphorically or creatively speaking, it's good to take risks sometimes."

 

 

Yep. Both appeal to me quite a bit. I could go either way.

[Strangeseas]

Like Radiohead had a massive stage setup but they used low energy LEDs and recycled bottles as part of it so made a conscious effort to be more eco friendly or whatever and iuno it bugs me a bit

 

Tbf Muse uses low energy LEDs. I'd say they made some effort to be relatively eco friendly (If that's even possible with such a big setup.) from what I gathered in the interviews for this tour.

[FabriPav]

All the pyro is GPL, not that pollutant

 

And saying that Radiohead's stage was "massive" is a bit of a stretch

[Jujubean]

I think the presentations are impressive and visually stunning - matches the concept of the album, coherent from beginning to end, and very entertaining. Plus, it's pretty daring completely switching up the stages while on tour. Of course, I adore Charles the most and hope he travels to the US. Hard to imagine him getting in the crowd in an arena, but would be fucking awesome.

 

Always been curious about cost and logistics, and I like that they've talked about it more the last couple of interviews. The more I hear about it, the more impressed I am that they put on such great shows, especially without hiccups and on top of all the other projects they squeeze in - the bank, filming, connecting with fans, etc.

 

In brief - fantastic job this tour.