Muse review: ‘A futuristic, immersive and engrossing experience’

The performance, which marked the second of a short four-date UK run that culminates with back-to-back shows at London’s O2 Arena next week, comes after the Devon three-piece earned their eighth consecutive UK No. 1 album with ‘The Wow! Signal’ and with a promise that their all-arena run in the UK and Europe would deliver an ambitious production.

Muse remained true to their word, delivering staging that consisted of a massive, angled trapezoid structure that resembled a futuristic sci-fi portal, positioned below a spacecraft that bore a resemblance to a UFO and metallic, shard-like structures that pierced through the stage floor and looked like alien crags or raw crystal formations, creating an all-encompassing, otherworldly, dystopian feel.

The audience was more than happy to be transported into a different realm as the performance opened with a rendition of ‘Hexagons’, performed with Bellamy positioned inside a soaring, transparent glass prism or cone-like spire, playing his guitar as glowing neon red and orange lightning rigs wrapped around the outside, giving off the impression Bellamy was about to be beamed up into space. From the moment of lift-off, there was no going back as Muse delivered an unforgettable concert experience, combining their exceptional musicianship and flawless vision. ‘The Sickness in You & I’ blended a chugging guitar from Bellamy, the thick bass lines of Chris Wolstenholme, who sang the lower harmonies, and Dominic Howard’s powerhouse drumming.

‘Unravelling’ featured pulsing synths and Howard’s tight drumming before an eruption of Bellamy’s distorted guitar and Wolstenholme’s driving bass, with the lasers intricately arranged to create an illusion they were firing at each other back-and-forth. ‘Hysteria’ sparked a raucous singalong as Dan Lancaster complemented the trio with his urgent yet spacious keyboards. Howard’s intricate drumming shone on ‘Cryogen’ as the band utilised the intriguing visual of a waterfall, emptying blood while surrounded by icy cliffs, with the band members incarcerated behind icy walls.

‘Supermassive Black Hole’ was fittingly preceded by an extended intro with a cinematic visual of everything sinking into a black hole before the song erupted with Bellamy’s fuzzy guitar, Wolstenholme’s punchy bass and Howard’s restrained drumming. ‘The Dark Forest’ combined hypnotic synths, Howard’s tight drumming, a fuzzed-out guitar from Bellamy and a thick, low-end bass from Wolstenholme as immense visuals depicted an astronaut floating through space and finding a portal that resembled the space bridge concept from the Transformers Prime series.

The band leaned further into the theatrical spectacle as they innovatively reimagined ‘Kill or Be Killed’ to be performed vocally by a hyper-realistic Ameca robot, creating a haunting yet surreal, one-of-a-kind moment you couldn’t experience anywhere else. It is a true testament to Bellamy, Wolstenholme and Howard’s vision as artists that they can suspend your disbelief so completely—and temporarily embracing the dystopian realm they have built is a mesmerising feeling. ‘Be With You’ leaned into communal joy as the rendition was performed stripped-back, allowing Bellamy’s falsettos to soar inside the Co-op Live before confetti rained down and that big wall of sound erupted once more, leading into a ‘Drill Sergeant’ video package from the Ameca robot that preceded ‘Psycho’, which was fuelled by Bellamy’s crunchy guitar, Howard’s powerful drumming and Wolstenholme’s busy bass line.

Wolstenholme exchanged his bass for what appeared to be a custom, double-necked screen bass with a fretless top neck that had a touch-sensitive digital controller/screen layout and a bottom neck with standard fretted strings on ‘Madness’ as Bellamy willingly played conductor, allowing the audience to belt the lyrics back to him. The opening riff of ‘Plug in Baby’ was teased by a joyful Bellamy, leading to an eruption of energy on a song that blended Howard’s powerhouse drumming, Wolstenholme’s driving bass and Bellamy’s searingly fuzzy guitar. ‘Uprising’ sparked a euphoric singalong as Bellamy and Lancaster delivered a two-headed guitar attack from the bridge onwards.

The bassist took centre stage on ‘Knights of Cydonia’, performing the intro of Ennio Morricone's ‘Man With a Harmonica’. ‘The 2nd Law: Isolated System’ was bolstered with a live arrangement consisting of propulsive synths from Lancaster and Howard’s intricate drumming, transforming the Co-op Live into a nightclub setting with an immersive lightshow. ‘Nightshift Superstar’ saw Bellamy re-enter the stage with an illuminated jacket, complete with glowing cyber-glasses and neon patterns that resembled something from Cyberpunk 2077 or Blade Runner, helping continue the disco-funk aesthetic before the night wound down with an explosive finale of ‘Starlight’ and ‘Take A Bow’, closing out a show that was far more than a concert.

It was a performance that seamlessly merged cutting-edge technology, a theatrical spectacle and the world-class musicianship of four exceptionally gifted musicians, creating an experience unlike any other, and for those attending the O2 Arena, Hyde Park or Roundhay Park, you’ll be certain to witness something spectacular. Tickets are available here.