Ready to storm Balado: Interview with Matt

[bunerz]

http://www.newsoftheworld.co.uk/scottish/scottish_listings/scottish_music/865384/Ready-to-storm-Balado-Britains-biggest-band-insist-its-going-to-be-something-special.html

 

"WHAT time does the helicopter leave for the pyramids?"

 

It's lunchtime in the semi-tropical courtyard of The Four Seasons - Mexico City's finest hotel. And Muse frontman Matt Bellamy is twitchily excited at the prospect of the afternoon's entertainment. No wonder. This, after all, is a rock star who loves science fiction and whose biggest dream is to perform while HOVERING above a stage. He even has deep respect for the teachings of sportscaster-turned- conspiracy theorist David Icke.

 

And right now his band have a rare few hours off on their sell-out arena tour of the Americas. Last night they played in front of 50,000 wildly enthusiastic Mexicans in the Foro Sol sports stadium. Now, looming on the horizon is Friday's headline slot at T In The Park - and Bellamy is promising it'll be an epic production. He doesn't want to give too much away at the moment. But it MIGHT feature a pyramid and a UFO...

 

Yet the biggest - and most bonkers - UK band of 2010 won't be wasting their rare leisure opportunity in the sprawling Mexican capital by lounging in a guitar-shaped spa. There is history to be explored and a cosmos to ponder. And true to form, the trio's frontman already has some knowledge of the Mayans and their pyramid building.

 

"I know about their long count calendar," confirms the self-taught pianist/guitarist and principal songwriter - who comes up with all of Muse's lyrics from the seclusion of his villa beside Lake Como in northern Italy.

 

"Their measurements of time were a bit more advanced than ours," he adds in an accent that betrays little of the band's background in deepest Devon. "We just do the rotation of the earth, the moon and the sun. The Mayans incorporated the rotation of the galaxy. It's possible that global warming could be part of a long count season, a galactic season."

 

Pyramids, the singer tells A-Listed, were laid out as a star map. "At one point I researched that," he explains. "But a lot of that stuff is just madness. People going mad trying to find meaning in things. I went down that path a few times," he concludes cheerfully.

 

The 32-year-old seems quite proud of the fact. This is a rock star happily in touch with his inner and his outer geek.

 

Since forming at school in 1994 Muse have steadily built up a reputation for sonic and visual flashiness. "Some of our music lends itself to a more epic delivery," Matt admits.

 

And into that category falls the track United States Of Eurasia, from their latest album The Resistance. It's a fantasy anthem for the pan-national power-bloc that he reckons might be running the planet. But he could equally be referring to Knights Of Cydonia, from their 2006 album Black Holes & Revelations. It's a six-minute song about a battle between armoured cowboys on Mars. It's both futuristic AND retro: the galloping rhythm guitar is evocative of The Tornados, the Sixties group who had a hit with Telstar. That's not entirely coincidence - Matt's dad George played guitar with The Tornados, who were also house band for legendary producer Joe Meek.

 

The singer also reveals that he originally wanted Muse's current stage show to depict the thwarted romance at the heart of George Orwell's bleak but influential novel 1984. That theme is also explored on their song Undisclosed Desires.

 

But Muse, naturally, wanted to tell the story via the medium of, er, aerial dance. They even got as far as rehearsing with acrobats and trapeze artists.

 

"It was looking a bit Cirque Du Soleil, to be honest," says drummer Dom Howard who, like Matt, is now 32.

 

"We might as well have brought on the juggling, fire-breathing midgets and be done with it." Instead the three members of Muse contented themselves with appearing onstage atop individual towers that rose and fell as the show proceeded.

 

Or, as Bellamy describes it: "We ended up taking it down a more skyscraper route."

 

Skyscrapers, UFOs, pyramids: they might be the high-earning headline act at the summer's biggest events - including last weekend's Glasto, where Matt was accompanied by his new squeeze, Hollywood star Kate Hudson - but Muse are spending a lot of their own money putting on their shows.

 

"Yeah, we've blown it," says Matt cheerfully. "We've blown the lot. We might just break even."

 

Is it worth all the effort, the planning, the design, the heartache when things don't go according to plan, to make not a penny back on the deal?

 

"I think so," he replies. "You get a chance to do this kind of thing once in a lifetime."

 

Right now, of course, Muse are on top of the world. The Resistance is selling by the bucket-load all over the world, propelled by its irresistible Dr-Who- theme-meets-Glitter-Band lead single Uprising.

 

They also have a song on the just-released soundtrack to the new, third instalment of the mega-selling Twilight vampire film franchise (they were on the first two as well). They are all over American TV and radio.

 

"Being on the first Twilight soundtrack was probably the thing that kickstarted it for us in America," says bass player Chris Wolstenholme, 31.

 

"It's a good way to get the music out to a load of young people, that's the hard truth of it," adds Matt.

 

"I really believe in our music, and in the meaning behind what we're doing. And because of certain things we're talking about in certain songs, mainstream media doesn't necessarily want us to be popular," he adds, in a nod to one of his own pet conspiracy theories. "So we have to take on alternative methods of getting our music out there, which sometimes could appear to be questionable."

 

"But if I was a teenager, I'd MUCH rather be listening to the music we make than the cheap pop stuff that's out there.

 

"There seems to be a vast amount of music that doesn't seem to have any message or any meaning or any kind of intention to do anything."

 

If you ask the frontman - who is already on record as siding with those who claim 9/11 was an inside job - to name his favourite conspiracy theory, he retorts: "Nineteen guys got in planes and attacked America."

 

As Howard notes: "Matt is definitely deeper in the whole conspiracy thing than I am. He goes too far with it sometimes."

 

And yet, despite the barmy ideas, Bellamy is an amusing, ambitious but largely self-deprecating bloke.

 

"The origin of Muse? I don't mean to insult our own music, but I wouldn't say it's necessarily highbrow," he says. "But there ARE subtle things in what I write. I'm treading a fine line between being really militant with certain views, and trying to pop it up a little bit so it slips through the cracks."

 

"The origin of man? Nothing to do with gods and the mystery worship of an unknown creature.

 

"I find it much more plausible that there was some interaction with an alien species. You imagine a primitive human species and someone like us turning up driving around in a bloody car - they'd think you were a god!

 

"You could certainly gain power over a primitive species like that using technology."

 

Now A-Listed is used to pop stars and their outlandish views on life.

 

But even in the wacky world of pop, this one is a stretcher. Surely he doesn't really believe that we're descended from extra-terrestrials?

 

"I'm a sceptical person," he grins. "I use the word 'believe' very, very little now. I'm so sceptical about reality."

 

He looks around at the lush courtyard of the hotel. "I only vaguely believe that we're actually here."

 

After their arena show in Mexico City, the singer partied into the wee hours with Muse's roadies.

 

And clearly by the time he hooks up with A-Listed, he's feeling very emotional about the experience.

 

"I wanted to make a toast for the crew last night," he confides, "because who knows if I'm ever going to see them again, based on the flights they're taking today."

 

Planes have been a sore point with the Muse touring party since the Icelandic ash cloud threw their well-oiled plans into disarray. The chaos normal travellers experienced after the Eyjafjallajoekull volcano erupted was magnified many times for a band who fly on an almost daily basis while on tour.

 

But right now, the singer's over-active imagination is telling him that the reason we're all flying again is being driven by economics as opposed to health and safety. "Someone's made a calculation," he insists. "One or two planes going down versus not flying at all. There is an equation that's been looked at."

 

Then, with an in-the-know nod, he adds: "It's dark out there."

 

Conspiracy, science fiction, politics, cowboys on Mars - Muse manage to cover all these topics in thumpingly over-the-top rock anthems.

 

These days they're bona fide rock royalty, even slotting in a guest spot with U2's The Edge at Glastonbury.So when they storm the Main Stage at T In The Park on Friday - kicking off a full weekend that'll feature no less than 180 acts, including rap giants Eminem and Jay-Z, indie heroes Kasabian and Welsh rock legends Stereophonics - they're sure to turn in a set 85,000 fans won't forget in a hurry.

 

Since the days when they were playing Glasgow's Garage - before a hat-trick of memorable T performances between 1999 and 2001 helped propel them to international stardom - they've had a well-earned reputation for being an astonishing live outfit.

 

Their last appearance at T In The Park, in 2004, was a tour de force, packed with sizzling fan favourites like Muscle Museum and Sunburn as well as material from their Absolution album. Blistering versions of Plug In Baby and Newborn sparked mass hysteria.

 

But does Matt never fancy writing a simple love song?

 

"Well, the majority of the time I think I AM writing about emotions," he says.

 

The track he's written for the new Twilight film, he insists, is about love. "It's related to my personal situation," he says, meaning the end of his last relationship, with an Italian psychologist. "And I know some people will perceive it as a very cheesy love song." What's it called? "Neutron Star Collision."

 

Ah, the romance!

[Elise<3sMuse]

...who comes up with all of Muse's lyrics from the seclusion of his villa beside Lake Como in northern Italy.

 

it sounds like they're saying that all of Muse's lyrics were created at Lake Como.

that was only for The Resistance!

 

& lol at the name of Iceland's volcano

 

Pretty good article, thanks for posting

 

( 1st reply )

[CarrieB]

Thanks for posting. The chronology of this article is all over the place and there are mistakes. Interesting to read Matt's outlook on the Twilight involvement though.

 

Also the stuff about putting a message out there but finding a balance, toning down militancy and making it poppier is interesting. I do sometimes think there's an undercurrent to their music which is quite militant, and goes a little far. There's quite a lot of war imagery, yet Muse have described themselves as anti-war so it's ambiguous.

 

And I actually wondered the same thing whether the decision to run flights again with the volcanic cloud was economically driven, though not in quite as paranoid a way as Matt.

 

Also the interviewer obviously doesn't know their music too well if he thinks they have never written a love song.

[laurenn1]

& lol at the name of Iceland's volcano

Yeah, oh my. What a beastly name, at first I thought it was a massive typo then I actually tried to read it

 

Ooh and in this Matt doesn't seem overly keen on Twilight

[Tofu]

lol at the Eyjafjallajoekull tag. Shit reminds me of fhqghwads. Which I don't know if I spelled correctly, btw.

 

Also, guitar-shaped spa.

 

Chronology of this was all over the place, got a bit ocnfusing at times, but it's alright.

[Elise<3sMuse]

Yeah, oh my. What a beastly name, at first I thought it was a massive typo then I actually tried to read it

 

Ooh and in this Matt doesn't seem overly keen on Twilight

 

yeah me too! It looked like someone had just gone flkjrguirleiugbrui on the keyboard, then I realised what it was

 

Eyjafjallajoekull

[control]

That was an entertaining read, thanks for posting.

 

"Their measurements of time were a bit more advanced than ours," he adds in an accent that betrays little of the band's background in deepest Devon. "We just do the rotation of the earth, the moon and the sun. The Mayans incorporated the rotation of the galaxy."

 

"There seems to be a vast amount of music that doesn't seem to have any message or any meaning or any kind of intention to do anything."

Yes Matt, that would be "Neutron Star Collision' (& half of 'The Resistance').

[CarrieB]

People always like to scoff at others who think in a different way. When I first heard the title of NSC I thought it would be difficult to take seriously, but after looking into what a Neutron Star Collision actually is I think it's a very apt way of expressing a very intense and perfect kind of love. Afterall the universe is mysterious and amazing, so what could be more powerful or romantic than comparing your own relationship to something as magnificant, something carried through in the very intense notion of wanting to be with someone forever and die with that person. And I also think the quirkiness of NSC makes it all the more touching.

 

As for The Resistance, lots of themes and meaning in there. I don't understand how anybody could see it as meaningless.

[lucy22]

Thanks for posting ! It was interesting

 

Translation in french here => http://mymuse.net16.net/muse-bulletin-article-news-of-the-world/

[Trilateral_Symmetry_Com'n.]

"I only vaguely believe that we're actually here."

 

Another classic quote... well done, Matt!

[CarrieB]

"I only vaguely believe that we're actually here."

 

Another classic quote... well done, Matt!

 

It's not quite solipcism is it? But I actually love it how he thinks about these things. We only know what we know and experience what we experience through our own perceptions so there's actually no guarantee that we are really experiencing anything! It is indeed perfectly possible that we're not experiencing the existence that we think we are, but I think, in all probability, we are.

[MK Soultra]

"I'm a sceptical person," he grins. "I use the word 'believe' very, very little now. I'm so sceptical about reality."

 

He looks around at the lush courtyard of the hotel. "I only vaguely believe that we're actually here."

 

:LOL: Poor interviewer But I thought the same already many times in my life.

[Tofu]

:LOL: Poor interviewer But I thought the same already many times in my life.

 

I'm sure most people think about such things at least once in their life. Though not everyone does so deeply.

[bunerz]

I'm sure most people think about such things at least once in their life. Though not everyone does so deeply.

 

I think everyone does when they watch The Matrix

[a-museing]

Interesting interview.

 

"It was looking a bit Cirque Du Soleil, to be honest," says drummer Dom Howard who, like Matt, is now 32.

 

"We might as well have brought on the juggling, fire-breathing midgets and be done with it." Instead the three members of Muse contented themselves with appearing onstage atop individual towers that rose and fell as the show proceeded.

 

"I think so," he replies. "You get a chance to do this kind of thing once in a lifetime."

I really like their attitude towards the stage show. They're less concerned about making money from the concerts and more concerned about the enjoyment people get from the shows.

 

"It's a good way to get the music out to a load of young people, that's the hard truth of it," adds Matt.

 

"I really believe in our music, and in the meaning behind what we're doing. And because of certain things we're talking about in certain songs, mainstream media doesn't necessarily want us to be popular," he adds, in a nod to one of his own pet conspiracy theories. "So we have to take on alternative methods of getting our music out there, which sometimes could appear to be questionable."

 

I thought this bit was interesting. I can see what they are saying about needing to sell their music, I just wish there were better methods of doing it.

 

 

"I'm a sceptical person," he grins. "I use the word 'believe' very, very little now. I'm so sceptical about reality."

 

He looks around at the lush courtyard of the hotel. "I only vaguely believe that we're actually here."

 

Matt <3

 

And clearly by the time he hooks up with A-Listed, he's feeling very emotional about the experience.

 

"I wanted to make a toast for the crew last night," he confides, "because who knows if I'm ever going to see them again, based on the flights they're taking today."

 

 

The track he's written for the new Twilight film, he insists, is about love. "It's related to my personal situation," he says, meaning the end of his last relationship, with an Italian psychologist. "And I know some people will perceive it as a very cheesy love song." What's it called? "Neutron Star Collision."

 

 

At least he realises that it's epically cheesy.

[laurenn1]

yeah me too! It looked like someone had just gone flkjrguirleiugbrui on the keyboard, then I realised what it was

 

Eyjafjallajoekull

Exactly, I was thinking the journo had fallen asleep on the keyboard or something

I wonder how it's pronounced...

I really am intrigued now :LOL:

[UnintendedFan]

This is by the same interviewer who brought the wonderful hilarious + sad interview in the Times (who called Matt 'rodenty' and where Chris opened up about his past problems) and from the timing - it's from the same interview sessions.

 

He (Craig McLean) is very good in getting the guys to open up and expound on things. Many memorable quotes here. He should be the official Muse interviewer, and when they have a massive hangover.

 

'I know some people will perceive it is a very cheesy love song' - Matt predicted the thread when NSC first came out!

[screwdriver]

I really like their attitude towards the stage show. They're less concerned about making money from the concerts and more concerned about the enjoyment people get from the shows. .

 

They've always been like this, no?

 

I remember reading something a few years back where they said at a gig somewhere in Asia they barely broke even but still played there for the fans.

[Tofu]

I think everyone does when they watch The Matrix

 

 

oh, and I didn't realize this was by the same guy that did the times interview too. He really is good at writing enjoyable articles and getting them to open up.

[Triple C]

"But a lot of that stuff is just madness. People going mad trying to find meaning in things. I went down that path a few times," he concludes cheerfully.

 

That sounds like the story of my life. And why I was a literature major.

[Triple C]

 

oh, and I didn't realize this was by the same guy that did the times interview too. He really is good at writing enjoyable articles and getting them to open up.

 

for good journalism.

[MisfitSpazz01]

As Howard notes: "Matt is definitely deeper in the whole conspiracy thing than I am. He goes too far with it sometimes."

 

This sounds like Dom's standing back going, "I'm not with him..."

[Jujubean]

This sounds like Dom's standing back going, "I'm not with him..."

 

Cute.

 

Interesting article, but the chronology...

[hikaru_bloom]

This is by the same interviewer who brought the wonderful hilarious + sad interview in the Times (who called Matt 'rodenty' and where Chris opened up about his past problems) and from the timing - it's from the same interview sessions.

 

He (Craig McLean) is very good in getting the guys to open up and expound on things. Many memorable quotes here. He should be the official Muse interviewer, and when they have a massive hangover.

 

'I know some people will perceive it is a very cheesy love song' - Matt predicted the thread when NSC first came out!

 

I agree.

 

At first I thought it would be some tabloid rubbish but it ended up being good stuff. (Is News of the world a tabloid, right?). Thanks for posting!

 

The track he's written for the new Twilight film, he insists, is about love. "It's related to my personal situation," he says, meaning the end of his last relationship, with an Italian psychologist. "And I know some people will perceive it as a very cheesy love song." What's it called? "Neutron Star Collision."

 

Ah, the romance!

 

Thanks to Matt I tried to imagine what a neutron star collision has to do with endless love .

[Tofu]

I agree.

 

At first I thought it would be some tabloid rubbish but it ended up being good stuff. (Is News of the world a tabloid, right?). Thanks for posting!

 

 

 

Thanks to Matt I tried to imagine what a neutron star collision has to do with endless love .

 

Two neutron stars collide and become a single supermassive black hole? Something like that anyway.