'Get Close with Muse' Interview Questions

[forevermusic]

1. Chris, who rocks the coloured pants look better - Matt or Dom?

2. Do you think of the choose-the-setlist idea can be used on future tours?

3. What is next for the liveshows after The Resistance Tour - a more epic live concept or a stripped back concept?

4. What has been the highlight of your US Tour so far?

5. How will it feel to be playing your first major European stadium tour later this year?

6. Which song do you like the most off The Resistance?

7. Do you have a creative input when you make the backing films for your concert tours?

8. Matt - red suit or labcoat?

[Trilateral_Symmetry_Com'n.]

[snip]DO NOT ask typical question, whats your favorite..etc. you have a great opportunity here so ask them real info revealing questions, how can they say no to a fan. you're lucky you have one up on a reporter

 

+1

 

Thanks for all the question ideas guys. I'm definitely gonna give a shoutout to the board for all the help during the interview. A guy from myspace contacted me saying that he needed 5-7 questions and this is what I came up with:

 

1. Where’d the idea for the ‘Choose the Summer Setlist’ online polls come from? Would you do it again?

2. Where do you get your ideas for the extravagant stage set-ups? Do you find them at all restraining your performance?

3. What’s your favorite song to play live?

4. What’s your initial reaction to the obsessive/weird fans?

5. What effect does your accessibility (making of/behind the scenes videos) have on your fan base?

6. What are the five major influences (films, books, music, etc.) in your life?

7. When you goof around during miming performances do the shows ever bring it up afterwards? Who comes up with the ideas for it?

 

I'm gonna try and elaborate a bit on them during the actual interview and I'll probably even change them up a bit. Like during the first question I'll sneak in asking Matt if he's ready to sing the french bit in IBTY at the French Stadium gigs. And during the 4th question, I'll ask about the whereabouts of the Naked Matt painting, etc.

 

Thoughts?

 

Honestly? That you're blowing a rare opportunity to ask something more novel, trenchant, fact-based or personal. Most of these Q's can be answered, more or less, from their previous interviews, or invite half-baked or banal answers that won't go any deeper than the question's phrasing. I wouldn't mind knowing more about whether they've faced permanent bans or reprisals as a result from any of their anti-miming protest performances (Q#7 more or less), and the first Q has some relevance for the future (but will the polling be finished by the time this interview is held? Muse might not be sure at that point about the results and whether they're pleased with it, let alone be committed to abiding by them), but the rest I feel I already know or can fill in.

 

Please reconsider.

[Niall]

+1

 

Honestly? That you're blowing a rare opportunity to ask something more novel, trenchant, fact-based or personal. Most of these Q's can be answered, more or less, from their previous interviews, or invite half-baked or banal answers that won't go any deeper than the question's phrasing. I wouldn't mind knowing more about whether they've faced permanent bans or reprisals as a result from any of their anti-miming protest performances (Q#7 more or less), and the first Q has some relevance for the future (but will the polling be finished by the time this interview is held? Muse might not be sure at that point about the results and whether they're pleased with it, let alone be committed to abiding by them), but the rest I feel I already know or can fill in.

 

Please reconsider.

 

I agree. I think only the first and last of those questions is worth asking, the rest are a complete waste of time tbh. I could answer them myself.

 

Ask things about stuff we don't know, like whether they would ever consider releasing stems/instrumentals/b side compilations, what news songs have they got lined up for recording, how far would they be willing to contribute to a film score (between one single and a whole soundtrack, involvement of just Matt or the whole band, what sort of film it'd have to be), whether they see themselves taking any extended breaks or going straight into the sixth album after this tour? These sorts of things will give people something to speculate and get excited about.

 

Hearing them says "Err, yeah, Knights is always fun to play live" for the third time isn't really gonna be of interest to many people...

[mattarena88]

Honestly? That you're blowing a rare opportunity to ask something more novel, trenchant, fact-based or personal. Most of these Q's can be answered, more or less, from their previous interviews, or invite half-baked or banal answers that won't go any deeper than the question's phrasing. I wouldn't mind knowing more about whether they've faced permanent bans or reprisals as a result from any of their anti-miming protest performances (Q#7 more or less), and the first Q has some relevance for the future (but will the polling be finished by the time this interview is held? Muse might not be sure at that point about the results and whether they're pleased with it, let alone be committed to abiding by them), but the rest I feel I already know or can fill in.

 

Please reconsider.

 

Besides maybe Q's #3 and #6 I didn't really think any of them have been asked before. And to be honest it's kind of hard to come up with questions that will A) satisfy everybody and B) haven't been asked before. I'll agree with you on 3 and 6 in some form having been asked before and I'll agree with you on trying to get some more info about their future (6th album, non-conventional releases like soundtracks, etc.). I honestly thought 5 was a good one since most bands don't do as many video releases and I was going to try and link #2 into what they were thinking about for future shows either toning it down and trying to go even more over the top. Can you give some more example of what you think would be good questions to ask?

[coco1015w]

I agree. I think only the first and last of those questions is worth asking, the rest are a complete waste of time tbh. I could answer them myself.

 

Ask things about stuff we don't know, like whether they would ever consider releasing stems/instrumentals/b side compilations, what news songs have they got lined up for recording, how far would they be willing to contribute to a film score (between one single and a whole soundtrack, involvement of just Matt or the whole band, what sort of film it'd have to be), whether they see themselves taking any extended breaks or going straight into the sixth album after this tour? These sorts of things will give people something to speculate and get excited about.

 

Hearing them says "Err, yeah, Knights is always fun to play live" for the third time isn't really gonna be of interest to many people...

 

Agreed. Did Matt mention that he was asked to prepare around 5-7 questions?

Well, I think he can choose those more "known" questions to be the backup questions (2 in this case ).

 

I also know that it is hard to choose some questions that fit everyone. I think Matt should reconsider choosing those final questions. Some more experienced fans should help with the "question setting" task!

 

(This are only my opinions. )

[sbarkley85]

Besides maybe Q's #3 and #6 I didn't really think any of them have been asked before. And to be honest it's kind of hard to come up with questions that will A) satisfy everybody and B) haven't been asked before. I'll agree with you on 3 and 6 in some form having been asked before and I'll agree with you on trying to get some more info about their future (6th album, non-conventional releases like soundtracks, etc.). I honestly thought 5 was a good one since most bands don't do as many video releases and I was going to try and link #2 into what they were thinking about for future shows either toning it down and trying to go even more over the top. Can you give some more example of what you think would be good questions to ask?

 

 

I honestly enjoy interviews that aren't centered so much around facts because I feel like 1- those questions have all been answered/beaten to death and 2- it's usually something that can easily be found out. The interviews I really enjoy are the ones with quirky and unexpected questions. Like that one where they were pulling strips of paper out of a sugar pot and asking eachother the questions. It was hilarious and they looked like they had fun doing it. I would say to go for those questions that are silly and only a fan would ask because I'm sure they tire of answering "fact" questions all the time and a change would be nice

[mattarena88]

Alright how about this, if you don't like the questions I asked PM me a list of 5-7 questions you would ask. Also please be a little more specific as to which questions you didn't like and why and how they can be made better. Saying "don't be so fact based" is a little vague and hard to improve upon.

 

Break it down question by question and tell me A) what you don't like about it and B) what you would ask instead/how it can be made better.

[sbarkley85]

Alright how about this, if you don't like the questions I asked PM me a list of 5-7 questions you would ask. Also please be a little more specific as to which questions you didn't like and why and how they can be made better. Saying "don't be so fact based" is a little vague and hard to improve upon.

 

Break it down question by question and tell me A) what you don't like about it and B) what you would ask instead/how it can be made better.

Well I guess what I meant was a question that could wind up being tied into a more common question that is usually asked. For example, people always ask what inspired The Resistance and Matt alwayyyyys brings up the protests, the govt. and the books he reads. So I could see question #6 being answered in a round about way. I guess I feel like most of the questions have been answered in a round about way, and I think questions that bring out their quirky personalities are the ones that aren't asked enough.

[Trilateral_Symmetry_Com'n.]

Besides maybe Q's #3 and #6 I didn't really think any of them have been asked before. And to be honest it's kind of hard to come up with questions that will A) satisfy everybody and B) haven't been asked before. I'll agree with you on 3 and 6 in some form having been asked before and I'll agree with you on trying to get some more info about their future (6th album, non-conventional releases like soundtracks, etc.). I honestly thought 5 was a good one since most bands don't do as many video releases and I was going to try and link #2 into what they were thinking about for future shows either toning it down and trying to go even more over the top. Can you give some more example of what you think would be good questions to ask?

 

The answer to #5 will likely be along the lines of "Uh, I think a lot of our fans like the behind-the-scenes stuff because it gives them a glimpse of what it's like when we're recording.... blah blah." Boilerplate stuff, really.

 

Not to toot my own fluegelhorn or anything, but if I had one and only one Q to ask it'd be about Matt's ability to do things backwards... just as I wrote that one up. I've read a crapload of interviews but I don't recall anyone ever asking him about the basic veracity of that story ("Moonlight Sonata" played backwards), let alone pressing him to elaborate on his ability to hear and play music backwards generally. If true, this is incredibly rare. There's "lots" of musical savants who can do what Matt's been widely reported as having -- the ability to play back a tune he's heard once (and which he often did as a child) -- but playing music backwards is, I believe, pretty unusual even in musical-savant circles.

 

And if it's true, it could lead to a new insight into his creative process too. Consider Muse's reliance on broken chords and arpeggios (and the potential in such motifs for musical palindromes), and how, if the one writing them can more-or-less readily "hear" music backwards, that could shape one's music in varied and novel ways.

 

It's a cluster of related questions that, depending on the answers of course, could lead some music geeks to revisit the catalogue with a renewed interest... in temporal structures and even symmetries (like palindromic melodic shapes) that probably hadn't occurred to them to search for before.

 

Please excuse my failure to reply to this thread further for maybe the next 24 hrs or so (although I might log in late tonight on their laptop, etc.)... I've got a date with some friends in the countryside and I'm running late as it is!

[Lizzie_loves_Muse]

Congrats on the win!

 

I think you should ask questions that really don't get asked as you have such an amazing opportunity.

 

Maybe ask about their thoughts and ideas on the setlist poll, but mostly stay away from those kinds of questions. It might be nice to ask some really random quirkier questions.

 

hmm.. maybe these sort of things might get relatively interesting answers..

 

1. Will you collaborate with Lady GaGa at Glastonbury?

2. Do you think you'll play venues such as the Royal Albert Hall again?

3. If the world was under attack by zombies and only one of the three of you could survive, who would survive and why?

4. Who is your favourite cartoon character?

[a-museing]

Ask about the song they recorded with Buch Vig. That's never been asked before and Im sure everyone one would love to know when and how it will be released.

[Lizzie_loves_Muse]

Ask about the song they recorded with Buch Vig. That's never been asked before and Im sure everyone one would love to know when and how it will be released.

 

This. That's a really good question!

[mattarena88]

Ask about the song they recorded with Buch Vig. That's never been asked before and Im sure everyone one would love to know when and how it will be released.

 

YES good one.

[sbarkley85]

Ask about the song they recorded with Buch Vig. That's never been asked before and Im sure everyone one would love to know when and how it will be released.

They actually talked about that recently. It was supposed to be a song for Eclipse but they aren't doing a song for the movie anymore. They have said that they intend on releasing the song sometime in the future anyway, even though it won't be on the movie

[mattarena88]

Congrats on the win!

 

I think you should ask questions that really don't get asked as you have such an amazing opportunity.

 

Maybe ask about their thoughts and ideas on the setlist poll, but mostly stay away from those kinds of questions. It might be nice to ask some really random quirkier questions.

 

hmm.. maybe these sort of things might get relatively interesting answers..

 

1. Will you collaborate with Lady GaGa at Glastonbury?

2. Do you think you'll play venues such as the Royal Albert Hall again?

3. If the world was under attack by zombies and only one of the three of you could survive, who would survive and why?

4. Who is your favourite cartoon character?

 

Oooooh I like #3.

[sbarkley85]

Congrats on the win!

 

I think you should ask questions that really don't get asked as you have such an amazing opportunity.

 

Maybe ask about their thoughts and ideas on the setlist poll, but mostly stay away from those kinds of questions. It might be nice to ask some really random quirkier questions.

 

hmm.. maybe these sort of things might get relatively interesting answers..

 

1. Will you collaborate with Lady GaGa at Glastonbury?

2. Do you think you'll play venues such as the Royal Albert Hall again?

3. If the world was under attack by zombies and only one of the three of you could survive, who would survive and why?

4. Who is your favourite cartoon character?

Yes, I totally love number 3!! haha! Matt will probably survive, what with his bunker of a studio that he has

[Lizzie_loves_Muse]

ooh I'm glad you guys like that question

I think it would be a good one to ask them

[mattarena88]

ooh I'm glad you guys like that question

I think it would be a good one to ask them

 

Seriously the zombie one just jumped on my "must ask" list. Probably bc I love zombie stuff. It never occurred to me to ask of that.

 

I think I'm starting to get it now. I'll go with more questions that bring out their personality and not them answering questions about the tour and The Resistance. Thanks for all the help.

[sbarkley85]

Seriously the zombie one just jumped on my "must ask" list. Probably bc I love zombie stuff. It never occurred to me to ask of that.

 

I think I'm starting to get it now. I'll go with more questions that bring out their personality and not them answering questions about the tour and The Resistance. Thanks for all the help.

this is gonna be such a fun interview to watch!

[pianopimp]

The answer to #5 will likely be along the lines of "Uh, I think a lot of our fans like the behind-the-scenes stuff because it gives them a glimpse of what it's like when we're recording.... blah blah." Boilerplate stuff, really.

 

Not to toot my own fluegelhorn or anything, but if I had one and only one Q to ask it'd be about Matt's ability to do things backwards... just as I wrote that one up. I've read a crapload of interviews but I don't recall anyone ever asking him about the basic veracity of that story ("Moonlight Sonata" played backwards), let alone pressing him to elaborate on his ability to hear and play music backwards generally. If true, this is incredibly rare. There's "lots" of musical savants who can do what Matt's been widely reported as having -- the ability to play back a tune he's heard once (and which he often did as a child) -- but playing music backwards is, I believe, pretty unusual even in musical-savant circles.

 

And if it's true, it could lead to a new insight into his creative process too. Consider Muse's reliance on broken chords and arpeggios (and the potential in such motifs for musical palindromes), and how, if the one writing them can more-or-less readily "hear" music backwards, that could shape one's music in varied and novel ways.

 

It's a cluster of related questions that, depending on the answers of course, could lead some music geeks to revisit the catalogue with a renewed interest... in temporal structures and even symmetries (like palindromic melodic shapes) that probably hadn't occurred to them to search for before.

 

Please excuse my failure to reply to this thread further for maybe the next 24 hrs or so (although I might log in late tonight on their laptop, etc.)... I've got a date with some friends in the countryside and I'm running late as it is!

 

+1

 

While it may cater to the masses to know silly things and little quirky facts about them, I do honestly think this is a rare opportunity to get into their heads. People are always touting Matt as "the best guitarist ever" and "a musical genius/virtuoso!", so it'd be nice to see to what extent his natural musical ability actually goes. I'd love to know what goes through his mind when he actually composes pieces, does he consciously use the chord progressions and arpeggios he uses for a musical purpose, or is it purely where he thinks the song is going? As a growing music theory geek, I'd welcome the opportunity to go back into the back catalogue and listen for the nuance in the composition.. So I'm most definitely pulling for a music ability/composition-oriented question.

 

Of course, you can ask fun questions too, like the zombie apocalypse one and little quirks of theirs! Just keep in mind that we wanna know more about the guys behind the music.

 

(oh, and it was posted a while back, but I do rather like the "What would be in your Room 101?" from 1984. I just wonder how personal that would be...)

[Lizzie_loves_Muse]

Seriously the zombie one just jumped on my "must ask" list. Probably bc I love zombie stuff. It never occurred to me to ask of that.

 

I think I'm starting to get it now. I'll go with more questions that bring out their personality and not them answering questions about the tour and The Resistance. Thanks for all the help.

 

omg are you serious?! If my question gets asked I will probably happy cry for real If you ask that I will forever be in your debt!

 

Yes exactly!

 

By the way, when is the interview taking place?

[January]

They actually talked about that recently. It was supposed to be a song for Eclipse but they aren't doing a song for the movie anymore. They have said that they intend on releasing the song sometime in the future anyway, even though it won't be on the movie

 

I think it might be interesting to ask them to describe the song though, or ask when we will get to hear it. Do you think they would be allowed to talk about that yet? Especially since there are rumors it might be on the soundtrack after all (please NO!).

 

The question about Matt's natural musical ability would be interesting too. He is so talented, it would be cool to hear how his brain works.

[crazydays]

cont.

 

4. If you had to choose one line from your song lyrics to use as a pick-up line, which would you choose?

 

5. Do you ever think you'll dye your hair some crazy color again?

 

8. Are you prepared to sing I Belong to You at the French gigs including the French lyrics? Because the polls are demanding it.

 

9. What is your favorite song to play live off of The Resistance?

 

 

 

Please tell me if you use any of mine! I'd really appreciate it!

 

More questions, questions:

 

1. What was the thinking behind the summer setlist polls? Do you think you'll let US fans do this in the fall, too?

 

3. I know it's far off, but for your next tour do you think you'll try to go even more extravagant, or maybe tone it down a bit and go back your old ways? Because I kind of feel the only way you can top the pillars is by hanging from harnesses mid-air or something or having a dragon breathe fire on the front row.

 

to be continued...

 

THESE

oh please ask them

 

also, before you interview them, i would recommend watching a lot of other interviews with them, especially zane lowe

[mattarena88]

+1

 

While it may cater to the masses to know silly things and little quirky facts about them, I do honestly think this is a rare opportunity to get into their heads. People are always touting Matt as "the best guitarist ever" and "a musical genius/virtuoso!", so it'd be nice to see to what extent his natural musical ability actually goes. I'd love to know what goes through his mind when he actually composes pieces, does he consciously use the chord progressions and arpeggios he uses for a musical purpose, or is it purely where he thinks the song is going? As a growing music theory geek, I'd welcome the opportunity to go back into the back catalogue and listen for the nuance in the composition.. So I'm most definitely pulling for a music ability/composition-oriented question.

 

Of course, you can ask fun questions too, like the zombie apocalypse one and little quirks of theirs! Just keep in mind that we wanna know more about the guys behind the music.

 

(oh, and it was posted a while back, but I do rather like the "What would be in your Room 101?" from 1984. I just wonder how personal that would be...)

 

Honestly I'm not really smart enough musically to really know what I'd be talking about. I'm more of a film geek than a music geek. I'm having trouble keeping up with this post, I'd just completely botch the question . But I do like the "What would be in your Room 101?" question.

 

omg are you serious?! If my question gets asked I will probably happy cry for real If you ask that I will forever be in your debt!

 

Yes exactly!

 

By the way, when is the interview taking place?

 

There's no way I can't ask a question that awesome. And the interview is on Wednesday at like 3 or 4:00 before the gig.

[Lizzie_loves_Muse]

There's no way I can't ask a question that awesome. And the interview is on Wednesday at like 3 or 4:00 before the gig.

 

omfg I actually love you

ooh awesome! You're really lucky, I hope you have a great time! :D Can't wait to watch it!