Show me the monkey! Muse at Wembley Arena

Sorry for the lack of an update in the last day or two; I know that Marcosy in particular gets a bit antsy if he doesn't have anything to read. But I've got a good reason! And what is it, you ask?

Why it was Muse at Wembley Arena!

Now, I generally hate Wembley Arena, because it's a bit of an arse to get to, and ... um ... oh yeah - it's a bit of a shithole! In the past I've only dragged myself there if it's someone I REALLY want to see, like David Bowie, and in this instance the very wonderful Muse.

But wait! I was pleased to discover that it is a shithole no more!! They've only been and gone and done it up! The exterior is awash with colourful lights, huge glowsticks, and a new plaza outside that has a super-funky fountain that quickly endeared itself to me by drenching three emo-girls.


Hurrah!

So Yaz, Simon, and my good self (well, my self), trotted inside, to be welcomed by a quality pat-down body search the likes of which I have not enjoyed in a while. We then went straight to our seats, which, as the person who booked them, I'm not ashamed to say were SOME OF THE MOST AWESOME SEATS IN THE ENTIRE VENUE.

How good were the seats? Well Simon took a panoramic photo!


(Simon and Yaz, I'm actually not sure you've thanked me quite enough yet...)

Anyway, the support act were The Noisettes. None of us were familiar with their material before the show, and none of us hope to be familiar with their material ever again. They were, how can I put this politely, erm, disjointed at best; none of the three band members seemed to be playing the same song, particularly when the lead singer (who was dressed in a tutu and mismatched silver acrylic leggings with strange facial makeup that made even Yaz suggest that she looked like a Klingon) began to sing 'How much is that doggy in the window' during a guitar solo.


Bizarre. It is worth noting, however, that the drummer looked just like Lord of the Rings director Peter Jackson.

Between the end of The Noisettes and THE MAIN EVENT, all three of us began playing around with our phones. It seems that Yaz and Simon have the ability to take photos and surround them with amusing frames. Such as this 'gem.'


Hmmm... So, after much hilarity (ha), it was time for THE MAIN EVENT, and to the strains of 'Take a Bow' the Muse boys hit the stage. Matt Bellamy, resplendant in white was as engaging and exciting to watch as ever - without a doubt the best frontman of any modern group; he strutted, he postured, he slid across the stage on his knees (and almost fell off it). It must be noted, however, that the wonderful Wolstenholme handlebar moustache that was in evidence at the Shepherds Bush Empire a few months back was no longer present, although Chris Wolstenholme's constant head-banging did make a return; I seriously worry about that man's neck.


Anyway, from there, they went on to play pretty much the entire Black Holes and Revelations album in track order, finishing up with a killer version of 'Knights of Cydonia' that had us all singing along as the lines to the chorus flashed up on the big screens. Then they came back on and did some classics. Then they went off again. Then they came back and did some more classics - 'Plug in Baby' anyone? 'Feeling Good'? Damn right! And as the gig drew to a close, they released some massive balloons into the crowd, and Matt Bellamy smashed his guitar to pieces.



It was AWESOME. Except for one thing; it was only after the show had ended that I noticed there was a small, flat raised area next to my seat. If I'd realised earlier I might've been tempted to jump up on it and bust some moves like a Muse-tastic podium dancer.

As we left the arena we couldn't help but look up at the new Wembley Stadium and wonder how long it would be before Muse would be playing there - and filling it (and I mean REALLY filling it) with their incredible sounds. Not long, I expect - although it kinda depends on the stadium ever getting finished, I s'pose...


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More Pictures? OK!





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Oh, I promised you some monkey action in the title didn't I? Another of Simon's amusing photos. Never let it be said that I don't make fun of myself.