web feature NME :How The Edge Saved Muse's Glastonbury Set

[chudenk]

People like to bang on about "Glastonbury moments" – those transcendent, communal instants where band, weather and public drunkenness merge in beautiful harmony.

 

It's largely a myth, of course: you're just as likely to experience a Glasto epiphany while whazzed off your margin in the Healing Fields than you are down the front at the Pyramid.

 

Even so, last night (June 26) Muse provided a moment that few here will ever forget: an extraordinary, crowd-engulfing version of U2's 'Where The Streets Have No Name', featuring The Edge on guitar.

 

That tick-tocking intro riff was made for giant events like this. According to Bono, U2 were planning to open with it – you can easily imagine how immense their set would have been, had they not been forced to cancel.

 

If only the rest of Muse's performance had been as thrilling. It's interesting that The Edge joined them onstage, because U2 and Muse have a lot in common.

 

Both bands tread the tricky fine line between anthemic grandeur and outright hollow bombast (and both bands have been creeping more towards the latter on recent albums).

 

Indeed, it's tempting to speculate whether or not Muse – the ultimate grandstanding, big-gesture rock act – could even have existed without U2.

 

Special guest aside, it was hard not to feel a sense of over-familiarity about Muse's set. They last headlined Glastonbury in 2004, and there was nothing especially different about this performance, in terms of visuals.

 

There can be few festival-goers who haven't witnessed a Muse headline set in the last few years.

 

And even though the trio made the odd attempt to keep things fresh – Matt Bellamy injected a new, Eddie Van Halen-esque solo into 'New Born', they dropped in an early B-side ('Nishe'), and bassist Chris Wolstenholme smoked a pipe, for some reason – this was essentially Muse doing what Muse always do: dispatching the hits with virtuosity and crisp efficiency.

 

The audience went apeshit, of course. They always do with Muse. Which is a puzzle, because the band don't really do anything to encourage such an impassioned response.

 

There's always been something weirdly detached and remote about them, live. There's no banter, no connection.

 

That was fine when they were riding high on the hook-packed brilliance of 'Black Holes And Revelations'. But their most recent album 'The Resistance' hasn't captured the public imagination in the same way.

 

And the yawning, bloated likes of 'Guiding Light', last night especially, made me yearn for the spry, venomous rock act who gave us 'Cave' and 'Fillip' a decade ago.

 

There is, let's not forget, something miraculous about the fact that a band this heavy, this unique, has been embraced so passionately by the mainstream.

 

But you do get the feeling Muse are at a crossroads. Their music can't possibly get any bigger or more grandiose. The levels are all maxed out.

 

Perhaps it's time they took their foot off the accelerator and wrote something more heartfelt, more personal, and on a human scale.

Source

[yettiman]

Oh fack off NME, I'm in no mood for your negativity today.

[Cosmo57]

They obviously don't know our boys very well... fuck you NME.

 

Also, Matt has done the New Born solo like that for ages.

[Sleepybear]

They obviously haven't watched any recent muse gigs, as the new born solo is always the same whammy wankery and niche is played at every gig. Apart from that i pretty much agree with everything said

 

'And the yawning, bloated likes of 'Guiding Light', last night especially, made me yearn for the spry, venomous rock act who gave us 'Cave' and 'Fillip' a decade ago.'

[a-museing]

Filip?

[MrPowell]

I'd say that review hit the nail on the head tbh....

[mjartrod]

LMAO at one of the comments

Looks like someone is bitter their beloved Radiohead didn't headline.

 

 

The audience went apeshit, of course. They always do with Muse. Which is a puzzle, because the band don't really do anything to encourage such an impassioned response.

There's always been something weirdly detached and remote about them, live. There's no banter, no connection.

i knida thought he was a moan- errr EXCUSE ME a fan (apparently for some it's the same ) but at the above quote he lost it.

he's never understood why the band get the response it gets live? errm, alright

 

 

and fillip? what a random mention!

[forevermusic]

This is odd because in the review they made of The Resistance they said Muse should go more nuts and are now telling them to make more emotional, human music which is surely on a different scale to the stuff they were expecting in album 6.

 

Very polarized thoughts of them from this... Guiding Light was a rather baffling choice, though.

[Elise<3sMuse]

dear NME,

GTFOOOOOOOOOOO

sincerely,

fans of Muse (greatest band ever)

[Feed the Hex]

oh lawl .....

well you know what they say ...those that can get up on stage in front of 120,000+ people and blow them away ...those that can't "write" for piss poor magazines ....and be bitter about never having any talent whatsoever...

[Hopix]

I'd say it's a shit review.

 

It wasn't saved by that at all, sure it was a cool moment, but not as good as:

 

New Born,

Resistance,

CE,

SS

KoC ect.

[Sleepybear]

This is odd because in the review they made of The Resistance they said Muse should go more nuts and are now telling them to make more emotional, human music which is surely on a different scale to the stuff they were expecting in album 6.

 

 

Cant remember who wrote the review for the resistance but it was more than likely someone different to the bloke who wrote this, meaning different opinions and such

[forevermusic]

Cant remember who wrote the review for the resistance but it was more than likely someone different to the bloke who wrote this, meaning different opinions and such

 

True point.

 

I remember the guy who wrote the review of the album in NME logged on here and tried defending his views amid a torrent of people going "You're wrong!"

 

Streets was a great moment of the show. Not the best - Citizen Erased, Hysteria, Stockholm and Knights of Cydonia were all excellent tracks - but surely the most memorable of it.

 

I don't think we'd have this moaning if this was on the Absolution or Black Holes and Revelations Tours.

[Sleepybear]

I don't agree with that the edge saved muses set as i loved it, but i do agree with the end section that they do need to something new. Theirs only so much over the top space junk they can do before it just becomes muse doing muse

[yettiman]

I'm really fed up of all the Muse bashing atm. Sure, some people don't like them and each to their own. But if you don't like them, shut up, you don't have to listen to them. You can't say they're bad just because you don't get it or like them because there are so many other people who do get it and love them. They are immense, if it's not your thing, it's your loss.

 

/rant

[mjartrod]

well, eavis liked it:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5i96Acllmw4eTvGtQ35QbTDqAc-3A

 

Festival organiser Michael Eavis has hailed "the hottest Glastonbury ever".

 

The 74-year-old said Saturday night's headliners Muse and the party that followed was the best six hours of his life.

 

And he whetted festival-goers' appetites for next year, confirming talks with Irish rockers U2 were "ongoing".

 

U2 were forced to pull out this year after lead singer Bono injured his back.

 

Guitarist The Edge did make a special appearance with space-rock band Muse on Saturday night but Eavis is keen for U2 to play their own slot.

 

But Eavis, who started the festival in 1970 charging just £1, said he was not gripped by the World Cup fever sweeping the site.

 

"I won't be watching - too busy I am afraid," he said. "I don't quite understand the need for football."

[Hopix]

If you don't like Muse, then GTFO the forum imo.

[Sleepybear]

I'm really fed up of all the Muse bashing atm. Sure, some people don't like them and each to their own. But if you don't like them, shut up, you don't have to listen to them.

 

/rant

 

Its called having an opinion, you cant just tell people to shut up everytime someone disagrees with your views. People are allowed to say and express an opinion if they thought muse were gash last night.

[a-museing]

well, eavis liked it:

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ukpress/article/ALeqM5i96Acllmw4eTvGtQ35QbTDqAc-3A

 

Festival organiser Michael Eavis has hailed "the hottest Glastonbury ever".

 

The 74-year-old said Saturday night's headliners Muse and the party that followed was the best six hours of his life.

 

And he whetted festival-goers' appetites for next year, confirming talks with Irish rockers U2 were "ongoing".

 

U2 were forced to pull out this year after lead singer Bono injured his back.

 

Guitarist The Edge did make a special appearance with space-rock band Muse on Saturday night but Eavis is keen for U2 to play their own slot.

 

But Eavis, who started the festival in 1970 charging just £1, said he was not gripped by the World Cup fever sweeping the site.

 

"I won't be watching - too busy I am afraid," he said. "I don't quite understand the need for football."

Eavis and I definately agree on something.

[binarysonnets]

kind of agree with it. loved some of the songs they played because i love muse... but...

 

they have performed live about a gazillion times. i kind of feel like they're bored of it, even matt bellamy's punching the air and going "crazy" it all just feels a bit "been there done this."

 

i think the problem is they've done so many massive gigs that even headlining glastonbury isnt really a big deal to them anymore. i was thinking back to when they did last time, and wondering why the two performances were so different and realised that it really really meant something back then, to the band and to the fans, whereas now it's just a given that muse can play big crowds.

 

it's a little unfair because it's only because of their reputation and success that i expect more. i just feel like for a band that is SO successful and loved, they arent particularly passionate. playing such huge shows is just old hat to them.

[Ross]

TBH, I've seen this coming a mile off. While they're still awesome live (and last night proved it), they're nowhere near as good as a live band as they used to be (before anyone tells me otherwise, Watch hullabaloo, then Abso tour, then watch glasto from last night, then tell me you honestly believe they're still as good as they used to be).

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm still a massive fan of them, but it's unavoidable. If they aren't phenomenal in sept, I fear that the Music media will turn on them pretty dramatically

[Obi]

Indeed, it's tempting to speculate whether or not Muse – the ultimate grandstanding, big-gesture rock act – could even have existed without U2.

 

What a ridiculously OTT statement, and completely wrong too.

 

Until their most recent album, there is no way in hell that Muse could be compared to U2. And they're way better. Other than Guiding Light, the Edge's appearance was the most boring moment of the set.

[Ross]

What a ridiculously OTT statement, and completely wrong too.

 

Until their most recent album, there is no way in hell that Muse could be compared to U2. And they're way better. Other than Guiding Light, the Edge's appearance was the most boring moment of the set.

Had they said queen though, it'd be merited

[nohopeinfear]

Its called having an opinion, you cant just tell people to shut up everytime someone disagrees with your views. People are allowed to say and express an opinion if they thought muse were gash last night.

 

 

Opinions are like arseholes, everyone has one, some people ARE one.

 

 

 

NME: More conflicting opinions than a schizophrenic on meth!

[binarysonnets]

TBH, I've seen this coming a mile off. While they're still awesome live (and last night proved it), they're nowhere near as good as a live band as they used to be (before anyone tells me otherwise, Watch hullabaloo, then Abso tour, then watch glasto from last night, then tell me you honestly believe they're still as good as they used to be).

 

Don't get me wrong, I'm still a massive fan of them, but it's unavoidable. If they aren't phenomenal in sept, I fear that the Music media will turn on them pretty dramatically

 

exactly, and the problem is they seem to think "phenomenal" is just adding more STUFF to the stage, like lights and robots and screens and stuff, when really all that does is create more distance. less STUFF more PASSION please muse.

 

kind of considering selling my wembley ticket so i have spending money for reading... but, even after all of this i still want to hear muse play the songs I love live, even if they dont really care anymore.