Muse at Home Park, Plymouth (27.5.2023) supported by Royal Blood and The Warning
This was a cracker. Probably the best stadium gig I’ve seen and that surprised me. At the time I didn’t get around to posting anything in a blog. In my current relatively quiet period of gig-going, I thought I’d just put a marker down on my Muse gig-going, and some pics.
This was my sixth Muse gig, but the previous five were all 2000-2003. A small window which indicates my early enthusiasm but they got so popular that gigs got bigger, ticket prices rocketed and I lost my way – that’s not to say that I wasn’t listening to the albums.
That first gig was in June 2000 with Coldplay supporting (pre-light up bracelet years), and the quite short lived My Vitriol. A sweaty one – I bought the classic t-shirt which I got too big for and the logo print slowly crumbled on. I could fit in it again now but it’s long disintegrated. (I do keep some of the nostalgic decaying garments in a bag in the loft but this one never made it.)
The following year it was Brixton Academy and then my first ever visit to Portsmouth Guildhall (before my south coast move) – both viewed from the balcony. (I remember my younger sister was messaging me from backstage at Brixton as she knew the tour manager.) After that, Reading Festival 2002 with Foo Fighters and one more at Bournemouth BIC in December 2003…and nearly 20 years on I finally see them again. The occasion: a meet up with gig buddy Dave and the Plymouth guys. A special one.
Support bands were firstly The Warning and Royal Blood. First time I saw Royal Blood was at Glastonbury Festival and I thought they were fantastic. A short, high impact festival set which really impressed. On that basis I bought tickets to see them on tour at Bournemouth BIC and after a great start they seemed to run out of steam…and then go on..without the material to support a longer set at that stage. It’s hard going with just drums and bass.
With Royal Blood on, there was the feel that this was building to a really BIG gig. I enjoyed them – more so than the crowd at The Radio 1 Big Weekend in Scotland 2023, who didn’t cheer enough and the band stormed off. I get it. Not everyone’s cup of tea and they’re not that good to deal with it like that – up to them of course – rock’n’roll. They have a lot of punch though – maybe the lesson is Radio 1 punters are not for them.
It was still light. Beer was flowing…. but Muse time was coming and by the time they came on the fervour was there. Massive.
They started with mirror masks on, just to enhance the mystery and build up. It’s amazing seeing so few hold so many thousands in awe at their every move – but they do and I’m there.
I remember how, as the darkness came, the atmosphere intensified. The walkway down through the crowd became increasingly used. Matt Bellamy was able to be right in the centre of the Home Park pitch.
Full setlist here and a wonderful mix it was. During Behold, The Glove, Bellamy had a playable glove on, a musical robot arm, which he parades down the mid-pitch runway. It wasn’t that easy to get photos…too fast, dark and distant.
We are in the seats to one side with an elevated view over the pitch standing areas. This gives the full show view and the lights and all were pretty special.
Last song of the main part of the set was Starlight captured and stored here on my YouTube channel. Bellamy, by this time sporting a jacket that was its own little lightshow, on the walkway leading from the stage to an illuminated dancefloor at the end.
Bellamy had the whole stadium focused on him and carried it all. I am often sceptical of the big stadium gig: there is always compromise, but this was about as good as it gets for such an event.
Whether I get to see Muse again I don’t know but this was something to remember them well by.
Gigs with Ivan 