2019.06.05 - Ashton Gate Stadium, Bristol, UK

[RobH]

Haven’t seen Muse in a long time before tonight - do they usually play shorter versions of a few of the songs towards the end? I think Reapers, Stockholm Syndrome and Newborn (and a couple of others) were missing at least a verse.

[Jobby]

Wow, how much easier than london was that?

One of the best overall experiences I’ve had at a gig. Lovely queue people, easy travel there and back, friendly staff who actually knew what they were doing and, even though I was arriving relatively late (just after 12), they let the first few hundred/thousand in a bit early, just after the VIPs. Can see the luxury in just being able to saunter up to your spot of choice 😅 Bang middle of the catwalk tip for me - imo best way to experience the show, what a time/view you get. Suspect the Bliss slot might’ve been cut ‘cos they were about 15 mins late but still, really enjoyable show from that vantage point.

Held up a sign asking about the neglected ST songs, Matt just laughed but pointed and nodded as if to say “yeah I know/I get you”. Not sure what that means but wouldn’t expect owt in the near future at least. Chris also had a good read but just smiled.

[Clunge]

You mean they're not going to play Hit Single™ Get Up And Fight? I'm shocked. Bit sad they couldn't squeeze in just one special song for what is the closest they'll get to a hometown show this tour...

[DrMattLawson]

8 hours ago, RobH said:

Haven’t seen Muse in a long time before tonight - do they usually play shorter versions of a few of the songs towards the end? I think Reapers, Stockholm Syndrome and Newborn (and a couple of others) were missing at least a verse.

It’s a new “Metal Medley” that they first trialled at the Albert Hall in December. Chance to showcase some heavier songs in a synthy set.

[Gemsy]

Soooo much fun 😁😁😁😁

[Jobby]

8 hours ago, Clunge said:

You mean they're not going to play Hit Single™ Get Up And Fight? I'm shocked. Bit sad they couldn't squeeze in just one special song for what is the closest they'll get to a hometown show this tour...

Do you actually fuckin know how much I’d enjoy that song

It’s been an emphatic topic in the queues

[Claudia O]

9 hours ago, Jobby said:

Wow, how much easier than london was that?

One of the best overall experiences I’ve had at a gig. Lovely queue people, easy travel there and back, friendly staff who actually knew what they were doing and, even though I was arriving relatively late (just after 12), they let the first few hundred/thousand in a bit early, just after the VIPs. Can see the luxury in just being able to saunter up to your spot of choice 😅 Bang middle of the catwalk tip for me - imo best way to experience the show, what a time/view you get. Suspect the Bliss slot might’ve been cut ‘cos they were about 15 mins late but still, really enjoyable show from that vantage point.

Held up a sign asking about the neglected ST songs, Matt just laughed but pointed and nodded as if to say “yeah I know/I get you”. Not sure what that means but wouldn’t expect owt in the near future at least. Chris also had a good read but just smiled.

Ok! Next time I‘ll bring a sign with „Please play CE tonight“  .. and maybe we should start wishing for The Void with signs !!!

[Pastymuncher]

9 hours ago, Jobby said:

Wow, how much easier than london was that?

One of the best overall experiences I’ve had at a gig. Lovely queue people, easy travel there and back, friendly staff who actually knew what they were doing and, even though I was arriving relatively late (just after 12), they let the first few hundred/thousand in a bit early, just after the VIPs. Can see the luxury in just being able to saunter up to your spot of choice 😅 Bang middle of the catwalk tip for me - imo best way to experience the show, what a time/view you get. Suspect the Bliss slot might’ve been cut ‘cos they were about 15 mins late but still, really enjoyable show from that vantage point.

Held up a sign asking about the neglected ST songs, Matt just laughed but pointed and nodded as if to say “yeah I know/I get you”. Not sure what that means but wouldn’t expect owt in the near future at least. Chris also had a good read but just smiled.

I don't know if anyone else noticed but after they did Dig Down, one of the staff went up onto the stage with a guitar for Matt, he shook his head at them and they went into Undisclosed Desires so there might be something in that theory!

[Maz]

17 hours ago, DrMattLawson said:

That gig definitely got better as time went on. Half way through I was feeling pretty down about it. Felt very underwhelming with a very flat crowd. 

 

presumably because most of the crowd were too busy on their phones recording the gig and taking selfies. Or barging past to get to the bar then getting arsey when they couldn't squeeze past on the way back to the exact spot they'd been standing. 

[Claudia O]

44 minutes ago, Pastymuncher said:

I don't know if anyone else noticed but after they did Dig Down, one of the staff went up onto the stage with a guitar for Matt, he shook his head at them and they went into Undisclosed Desires so there might be something in that theory!

Could you see which guitar it was?

[DrMattLawson]

56 minutes ago, Maz said:

presumably because most of the crowd were too busy on their phones recording the gig and taking selfies. Or barging past to get to the bar then getting arsey when they couldn't squeeze past on the way back to the exact spot they'd been standing. 

This is going to sound odd, but I think the fact pitch standing was so spacious at the back caused it too. I went to standing from unreserved seating a few songs in, and at one point there was nobody within 10ft of me. I was bopping along but felt self conscious! 

[Citizen Crazed]

Weelll, we really enjoyed that. And having doubled up after Saturday, thought it was in almost every way the better gig. Far less hassle travel-wise - easier for other half to get to Bristol from West London than it was for us to get from hers to Stratford and into the stadium. None of that overblown behaviour from the stewards, smaller stadium meant the stage looked more imposing - and better sound where we were (by the B-stage, both times), and a much livelier crowd too.

It's a really fabulous show (deliberate italics). Everything from the stage design to the 'extra's and their costumes and most of the setlist choices tie in perfectly to the theme of the album. And it has totally changed our opinions on Break It To Me and Propaganda, which we were a bit meh about until hearing them live.

But if there's one criticism, it's the static setlist. It (and the big hike in ticket prices over the last couple of tours) have reluctantly put us off looking into Manc, for one thing. Don't know how much of that is down to the level of choreography and rehearsal, but I can't see it being too difficult to swap out something like Mercy - when the only cues in that seemed to be the confetti and streamer cannons. And having Mercy *and* Starlight in the same set when they're so similar... TIRO too - maybe give that a rest once in a while. Given how much they've swapped things up on previous tours, I'm wondering whether the same show every night is going to start to bore the band a bit. Even Matt's chat seemed almost scripted, very similar across the two nights. Although on the upside, they were so tight musically, incredible. No whammy pedal fail on Reapers this time either. 😂

And like someone said above, for what was as near to a hometown gig as they're going to get on this tour, it didn't have anything to really mark it out. @Jobby: you might be right on the 'Bliss slot' being cut because of timing, but last night still finished 10:45-ish - well before the curfew. They were a few minutes late coming on in London too (although probably still 10 minutes earlier than last night).  Can't help but wonder whether another reason might have been the limp reception Bliss got from the London crowd - the group around us didn't react to it at all, and that seemed to be quite widespread looking at some of the YT vids.

Might look into getting some tickets for Amsterdam in September. Cos she's going to be working out there, it'll be dark pretty much from the start of the show, and maybe by then they might have changed the setlist up a bit. We'll see 🙂

 

Edited June 6, 2019 by Citizen Crazed

[Citizen Crazed]

2 hours ago, Pastymuncher said:

I don't know if anyone else noticed but after they did Dig Down, one of the staff went up onto the stage with a guitar for Matt, he shook his head at them and they went into Undisclosed Desires so there might be something in that theory!

Interesting, didn't spot that. Bliss wasn't performed after DD in London mind - that came after Unsustainable I think, although it's always possible there might have been a plan to play something else in Bristol in a different slot.

You'd also figure that, given the on-stage extras, and the amount of video playback etc that needs to be cued up for each song, the setlist is going to be nailed down in advance - to the point it's unlikely that the band could just decide to skip a song mid-gig, so maybe more likely the guitar tech getting mixed up than anything else. Like Claudia said, would be really interesting to know which guitar it was, if you had a clear enough view of it.

[Matt-O-caster]

22 hours ago, DrMattLawson said:

That gig definitely got better as time went on. Half way through I was feeling pretty down about it. Felt very underwhelming with a very flat crowd. 

Its no coincidence that it perked up once dark. 

Dig Down, UD, Madness in a row was a bit meh too. 

Completely agree. Got better certainly, however I  felt it was flat for far too long. Interaction with the crowd seemed poor, even for them. Stop singing into cameras.... 

The Chris / Matt Dom dynamic seemed a little strange, anyone else pick up on that?

I was at the front on the rail and there was some space around me. Not until the melody did some life come into the people around me. 

Anyone know what the pre show Synth music was?

[Halflife67]

23 hours ago, DrMattLawson said:

Dig Down, UD, Madness in a row was a bit meh too. 

Dig Down fell flat with the crowd and Madness is meh.   I do like UD, though.  Now I can understand wanting to get your breath back mid-gig , but it does squash the atmosphere (as does having the first hour before dark).  I was on the pitch around level with the half way line and had air and personal space, and most of the people around me were bouncing around, some with quite young children.  The sound was good for an open-air gig and the mix on some of the difficult songs like TAB was better than at most arena gigs (this was #37 for me).

I also enjoyed the Close Encounters riff and lights an unreasonable amount.

The organisation was some of the best I've seen at a big gig.  Security seemed on the ball without being mental and the bag check people actually checked the bags (although it did take a while to get through).  There were loads of buses at the end with stewards directing people to the right one - I saw buses to Ashton Gate that just had 'Muse' as their destination.  We even made it to Parson Street station in time for the first train back.

But mid-week gigs make work pretty hard the next day.  

[DrMattLawson]

2 hours ago, Matt-O-caster said:

Anyone know what the pre show Synth music was?

Stranger Things made an appearance at one point. I think it was simply a collection of synth-based soundtracks.

1 hour ago, Halflife67 said:

The organisation was some of the best I've seen at a big gig.  Security seemed on the ball without being mental and the bag check people actually checked the bags (although it did take a while to get through). 

But mid-week gigs make work pretty hard the next day.  

Agree with the first point. Really smooth, and nowhere seemed crowded. Concourses nice and spacious. I had to leave half-way through Knights to run for a 23:20 train from Temple Meads. I didn't trust the buses to get me there in time!

As to mid-week - do you think this may have had a factor in the type of crowd and energy of crowd? Already done 3 days of work, and maybe not quite in gig mode on a Wednesday?

[Citizen Crazed]

10 hours ago, Matt-O-caster said:

Anyone know what the pre show Synth music was?

As the other Matt said, it was a compilation of stuff that fitted in with the theme of the show. Think he's right about a bit of Stranger Things being in there, but if you want some other pointers, this is the one you probably already know, and this and this are two others you might not. Think I heard another John Carpenter cut at one point too. And as a bonus I was quite suprised not to hear Planisphere by Justice, which used to be a fixture on Muse's pre-gig PA - to the point that on a couple of tours it was the last track played before they came on. If you don't know it, find it - it's awesome.

[Pastymuncher]

17 hours ago, Claudia O said:

Could you see which guitar it was?

Sorry I'm no good with the names of them etc but I'm fairly sure it was white or a lighter colour - I was a few rows back near the B stage so didn't have a perfect view but someone definitely came up the stairs that Matt went up/down for the crowd walk part with a guitar and got turned away. I can't remember seeing Matt play the guitar on UD for years if ever so assumed it wasn't for that?

Edited June 7, 2019 by Pastymuncher

[Matt-O-caster]

It's such a shame they didn't bring Tom M onto the stage to play a Rage song. That would have been insane!

[Claudia O]

1 hour ago, Pastymuncher said:

Sorry I'm no good with the names of them etc but I'm fairly sure it was white or a lighter colour - I was a few rows back near the B stage so didn't have a perfect view but someone definitely came up the stairs that Matt went up/down for the crowd walk part with a guitar and got turned away. I can't remember seeing Matt play the guitar on UD for years if ever so assumed it wasn't for that?

I just watched Bliss from London, he used the silver guitar, don‘t ask me about its name 😅 ... 

[Jobby]

17 hours ago, Citizen Crazed said:

 @Jobby: you might be right on the 'Bliss slot' being cut because of timing, but last night still finished 10:45-ish - well before the curfew. They were a few minutes late coming on in London too (although probably still 10 minutes earlier than last night).

They’re usually a few mins late on but 15 mins is excessive even for them. Also curfew is 10:30 on this tour so they were forced to go over (were in London as well but that was 50% due to Bliss tbf).

Interesting about this guitar, I didn’t spot it. Could’ve been a few things so won’t take it as a direct sign of that but might be. Apparently the stadiums are supposed to have 2 extra slots, so we know 22 isn’t meant to be exclusive to London. Hopefully they fix things up tomorrow.

[Halflife67]

Bristol Live had a review of the gig and some nice pictures: Bristol Live

The Weston Mercury reviewed it as well: W-s-M

Edited June 7, 2019 by Halflife67

[Jobby]

Interesting about this white/light guitar thing ‘cos Matt’s now seen holding one in his announcement pic for taking over Manson’s. I didn’t see it at the time and can’t find any vids but obvs he’s been known to promote new ones from them before by debuting them live. If it was that one, maybe it’s planned that he’ll use it but wanted to wait ‘til after the announcement, hence a mix up? Starting to think it wasn’t time constraints as I’ve not heard of any sets showing cut songs and doubt they’d have switched them in time. Nothing new was soundchecked though...

We’ll see tomorrow I guess.

[hyena17]

On 6/6/2019 at 1:05 AM, Jobby said:

Wow, how much easier than london was that?

One of the best overall experiences I’ve had at a gig. Lovely queue people, easy travel there and back, friendly staff who actually knew what they were doing and, even though I was arriving relatively late (just after 12), they let the first few hundred/thousand in a bit early, just after the VIPs. Can see the luxury in just being able to saunter up to your spot of choice 😅 Bang middle of the catwalk tip for me - imo best way to experience the show, what a time/view you get. Suspect the Bliss slot might’ve been cut ‘cos they were about 15 mins late but still, really enjoyable show from that vantage point.

Agree with this being so much easier than London.  Everything was better - the queue, the access to the venue itself, the security at the venue.  I really think stadiums this size are perfect for this production - basically the same size as a large arena, so the screen/stage look imposing and impressive.  I am still blown away by how organized the venue staff was with entry, it was one of the best experiences I've ever had.  I had the "cheaper" VIP for this one and there were so few EE VIPs that after they divided us by which side of the pit we were on, we were literally the first ones to step foot in the golden circle on Chris's side.  I posted a video on insta showing us walking in and it's insane because the barrier on Matt's side is filled and there is literally no one on our side.

A shame Bliss got cut.  It was nice to have *something* different in London.  I just can't believe they aren't mixing it up at all, especially with the "dead zone" of DD, UD, Madness all together...someone else in this thread pointed out the lack of energy when DD starts.  It's unfortunate that Murph comes out during the medley because those songs are the most lively part of the gig, yet everyone is so focused on Murph that the crowd's reaction to the songs is half what it normally would be.  

This was my last gig unless I decide to do the ones in September.  I assume they will use the same setup/production?  The tour shirts with the dates on the back do not include those gigs, so I was kind of wondering.

[Citizen Crazed]

1 hour ago, hyena17 said:

This was my last gig unless I decide to do the ones in September.  I assume they will use the same setup/production?  The tour shirts with the dates on the back do not include those gigs, so I was kind of wondering.

The simplest explanation for the Sept dates not being on the shirts is that they were only announced at the beginning of April - and that the artwork for the clothing was finalised and sent to production before then. And yes most likely that the same stage/set/etc is going to run through the whole tour. Again no obvious reason for a stack more money, rehearsal time/etc to be spent producing something completely different in the middle of the tour. Some gradual evolution in the setlist is probably about as much as we can hope for now. Plus, as I said above, by September in Europe, it'll be pretty much dark by the time the Muse set starts.