Purpose to a Muse

Cornish three-piece who've released 7 albums already and look set to release an 8th in the not-too-distant future. Singer & main writer Matt Bellamy has helped evolve their sound from early bombast to rock and funk experiments, as their fearsome live reputation grows. I took a while to get the drift, but it was rewarding when I did. Here are a few of their most memorable moments:

Time Is Running Out

Knights of Cydonia

Uprising

Undisclosed Desires

Dig Down

Muse: Live at Rome - Olympic Stadium
A band whom I can take or leave, and I never really grasp the critical adulation. This wasn't too bad a show, mind, from Jul 2013, and featured several songs I actually knew, and a few I liked.

Muse Live @ R1BW
From Norwich, it's the Welsh rockers and a useful run-through of their act, especially stuff from their new album. They finished on 'Knights of Cydonia', which is my favourite song of theirs by a long way.

Discovering: Muse
I disliked them at first, but have slowly been won over by gems like "Knights of Cydonia" and "Uprising". Apparently they're not Welsh at all, but formed as outsiders in Cornwall, made in-roads in the USA, and honed an apocalyptic bombast for the masses. Matt Bellamy has apparently toned down the conspiracist angle since he married a Hollywood actress. They have recently released a new album which also went to #1. Good.

Muse @ Glastonbury 2016
They headlined on Friday night on the Pyramid Stage with a lengthy set which the BBC helpfully broadcast in 2 chunks on different channels. They finished on Knights of Cydonia, though, which was good.

Muse at Reading Festival 2017
They headlined the main Stage on the Sunday night, and did an impressive show starting with recent single Dig Down. The encore began with special guest Brian Johnson to do Back In Black, which they followed by favourites Uprising and Knights Of Cydonia. They had a good time, and so did the crowd.

They've confirmed that their next album Simulation Theory will be out on November 9th, and will include singles Dig Down, Thought Contagion and Something Human.

It's out today and new single

Pressure

is out too 

The album went in at #1 ahead of Olly Murs 

Got the album after my birthday   

MTV World Stage: Muse
From San Mames Stadium, Bilbao, in November of last year. They played songs from the new album, such as Thought Contagion, but plenty of other favourites including my two, Uprising and Knights of Cydonia.

Muse - Drones World Tour
From Berlin, a lively night's fun, finishing happily with Knights of Cydonia. I recall quite liking the album when I heard it too.

Simulation Theory
A concert from the O2, London, wrapped in a plot about a virus. Oops. Some nice humour, and the songs are OK (though no Knights of Cydonia, alas).

Muse - Live from Wembley Stadium
As seen on the H.A.A.R.P. release, this was from June 2007, and started with Knights of Cydonia, pretty much. A lively show (and live CD).

And there's a new single out now, Won't Stand Down, too 

The new album will be called Will Of The People.

Isle of Wight Festival 2022: Muse
They did a long old headlining set, pushing tracks from the new album, and a great many others going back over their 20-odd year career. Matt displayed a special gauntlet in the encore on which he could play some sort of electronic keyboard, as you do. The crowd were well pleased.

Out Of This World: The Story Of Muse, by Mark Beaumont
This 2010 edition of his book covered their first 4 albums in quite heavy depth, with added material on the 5th. Their rise from Teignmouth to Wembley and beyond was a good read, they won over Europe first before the UK and a change of label helped them conquer the US too. Making better records each time was a good plan too. I hope to catch up with their most recent album at some point.