"Well I Refuse To Let You Go"

It's been 3 years since I've had what many call an unhealthy obsession with MUSE.

There was the time I was assed out of seeing them at Webster Hall. I was incredibly pissed. I cursed.

Then there was the time I seriously considered going to London for 3 days, the week of Christmas in 2004 to catch them at Earls Court. I never made it and cursed some more.

And then, I passed up getting tickets to Audioslave due to potential conflict with MUSE's concerts dates. They ended up sucking it up by doing a campus invasion tour and the only NY campus they performed at was Albany. And hell, I'd certainly go to London for 3 days but there's no way in hell I'd go to Albany for a day. No one in their right mind would do that crap.
I cursed MTV and stupid Americans for not supporting them enough to give them a chance to play bigger venues than crappy campuses. They're big everywhere else but here.

Result: Completely missed the Absolution Tour. And as expected, a lot of !@?*$?!@!-ing went down on my part.

18 months later, the first U.K. single was released from the new album Black Holes and Revelations and I was mortified.

"What the hell is this?! Noooo, that's not Matt's vocals! Well, they kind of are...Oh god, this is so embarrassing... But hey, it's...Kind of good, actually. Unlike them but I can deal with this. It's totally a stripper song but I do love me some strippers (don't forget this was BEFORE the Pussycat Lounge)."
Being a MUSE elitist, I fell in love with "Supermassive Blackhole" but please, don't go watch the video. They're Brits. You have to excuse their 'art'.

A week later came the U.S. single release. I was not fond then and I'm not overly fond now. The video also doesn't help. Please don't go watch the video. They're Brits. You have to excuse their 'art' and sometimes, their sense of humour. Though, fighting off robots in a western setting by the awesome power of B H & R's reflective properties is somewhat funny. It's reminiscent of Mentos, the fresh maker. Or Footos. Either one.

Anyway, B H & R came out. I listened. I loved. Not as much as say, Origin of Symmetry but after last night, I've an appreciation for every goddamned song off that goddamned album. Even that "Knights of Cydonia" but like I said, I'm still not overly fond now. I will only listen to it in a concert setting because only then is it amazing to me.

That's right. I was actually trying to make a point here.

The 3rd day of August has finally ushered some sense of awesome into this HOchie's life after a long 7 month spell of bad luck, more downs than ups and a series of mishaps.



Thank you, MUSE.

Those who came with me:

1. Beetchie, who I had to drag kicking and screaming. Haha, just kidding. Don't kill me. And no, I don't hate you long time. I heart you, "Hardcore", as you would say.
2. No. 8, who I know was secretly trying to ruin things for me somehow.
3. Franz, the skeptic but who actually wanted to come and no I don't owe him anything in return. You hear me, Franz?! NOTHING!!!!

We waited in line forever amidst a wonderful frickin' heat wave NY had to go through for 3 days with temperatures reaching near 100. Finally we were ushered into the Hammerstein ballroom and I had to deal with two boys trying to oust me from my spot on the floor, some crazy fan girls who I made 'friends' with for the night to my benefit and theirs and an anorexic girl with her anorexic boyfriend who managed to push me aside even though I had the elbows out. I now know that being annorexic works to your advantage at a concert as it's so easy to slip between a crack.
What didn't work out was the B.O. she was spewing. I don't know what is up with people smelling before a concert but as discussed in the MSI blog, it's just plain wrong. And oh! oh! I think I saw that MSI B.O. kid at MUSE but he wasn't ranking this time. Good for you, kid. Good for you.
What also didn't work out for me, didn't work out for her. She must have been very conscious of herself and perhaps my evil glances and words to Beetchie didn't help the situation because she and her bf left much to my delight and I grabbed my chance to get in there, much to the dismay, bitchin' and complain' of the two guys who I had to fight before.

Result: I lost Franz, Beetchie and No. 8 who had been standing behind me. It was okay though because I could still look over and see Franz during the show.
Beetchie informs me there was a semi-pit which she tried to tear up but no one was really moshing so she had to jump in one place but she had fun.
And I've no clue where No. 8 got to during the whole thing but she was okay as well.

After an interesting set by the opening act The Cloud Room, which was not well received by anyone in that crowd but honestly, I didn't find them that horrible (but let's keep that dirty little secret to ourselves, shall we?). Wait, you know what? I'm going to give a tiny blurb to this band because they sounded good minus the indistinguishable vocals on lead and I rather enjoyed the drum work even though it almost killed my heart. They were from Crooklyn and I think they tried to diss Queens which always gives one creds. So yeah, for those of you who care, which I suspect is no one, here's their little setlist minus the 2 songs because I just don't know what they were:

Sunlight Song (possibly the Reprise)
Waterfall
Blackout!
Hey Now Now
The Hunger
*new song
????

Alright, I'm done with them. Ok, not quite. The guitarist was cool. And they sadly had to clean up their own mess after their set. Ah, the life of an unknown opening act... Ok, now I'm done.

And after a long 40 minute set up by the roadies, with much oohs and aahs by all who saw the veil come off the gigantic drumkit Dom was supposed to rock on, my band finally took the stage.

The lights darkened and the techno started - Dom fiddling with equipment revealed the first track. Then in came Chris with that bass... Followed by Matt's vocals:

"Corrupt
You corrupt
Bring corruption to all that you touch
Hold
You behold
And beholden for all that you've done
And spell
Cast a spell
Cast a spell on the country you run
And risk
You will risk
You will risk all their lives and their souls

And burn
You will burn
You will burn in hell, yeah you'll burn in hell
You'll burn in hell
Yeah you'll burn in hell
For your sins

And our freedom's consuming itself
What we've become
It's contrary to what we want

Take a bow"

And when Matt took a bow, it was then it hit me - I'm finally here and this is going to be amazing...

Depending on who you love and if you're given that opportunity, you need to position yourself accordingly:

Left for Matt.
Center for Dominic.
Right for Chris.

I'm a lefty myself because as we all know, I'm all about my future husband. Luckily for me, and after much screaming at Franz to get in the goddamned line and to stop screwing with me by telling me he'll wait for me on the side since I was running a few minutes late, I made it in with Matt directly in front of me save the one body in my way. But she didn't count as she was short and I could easily look over her shoulder.

WARNING - unnecessary gushing ahead (and DISCLAIMER - I'm only kidding about Brits and their bad teeth, the assback and sense of humour because I have to cover my ass if say, Matt Bellamy for whatever reason were to read this one day or some Brit or European were to read this):

I could see his face, every sweet little smile, his very blue eyes, that scary crease he gets on his brow when he sings, his bad Brit teeth that I've come to terms with and that mole he's got on his cheek. And I was trying to figure out if he has an assback...I couldn't quite make it out but he may have had a little ass going there in those red jeans. The assback has yet to be confirmed.

The stage set up itself was for a big arena which I think would be stellar for their more epic songs like "Ruled by Secrecy" and "Apocalypse Please" and others which they performed that night but being right in front in that small venue was still hella awesome. They worked with what they had and did it nicely.

They played all the songs I thought they would save one which I will bitch about later but everything was incredibly performed and phenomenal. Matt played that piano with such class. I was wowed by the guitar changes that went on after every song and of course, just how skilled he is with that instrument. That guitar with distortion pad will be mine someday... And his voice...is so beautiful and holds up so well. I had to zone everything else out when he hit that falsetto. Dom rocked that kit like nobody's buisness and I couldn't really see Chris (mostly due to the fact that my eyes were glued to Matt) but I could hear his brilliance. The only bad thing was that I couldn't see Chris' skills on "Hysteria". Curses!

It was really cute how Matt and Dom were so proud of themselves in managing to work the crowd into a frenzy during "New Born". They were all smiles at how great the response from the crowd was for that.

There were a couple of nice surprises - they did one instrumental piece I never expected, and one that is new and will now desperately try to find. Also a surprise, "Soldier's Poem" which I welcomed with an "awwwww".

And even the songs I am not very in love with, namely "Invincible" and that blasted "Knights of Cydonia" sounded so much more fantastic live because they were done with such unrivaled energy with massive guitar solos coupled with grandiose stances involving Matt in the center of the stage with head held high and the 'we're number 1' finger in the air (not pictured here because damn that Bells, he's too frickin' quick for me - I got him when he took his hand down), that I would love to see them performed again.

The 1 hour and 20 minute long setlist:

Take A Bow
Hysteria
Supermassive Black Hole
Butterflies and Hurricanes
Starlight
Forced In
Bliss
Soldier's Poem
Invincible
Feeling Good
*instrumental piece unknown
Plug In Baby
New Born
Stockholm Syndrome

Encore:

Map of the Problematique
Time Is Running Out
Knights of Cydonia

The time flew by so fast due to song after song of fast paced greatness, save the cooling down "let's give my vocals and our crazy playing a rest for two seconds by playing "Forced In" and "Soldier's Poem" moment. Even their rest between the encore was fast and I thought to myself, "Wow, they even pee fast". I was hoping for a longer show but was generally happy with this setlist. Of course, I was screaming when they played "Map of the Problematique" because it has to be, other than "Hoodoo", my favourite song from this album and one of their best songs ever.

So 3 years later, I am now partially blinded by an impressive laser light show NOT put on by The Cheat, partially deafened by speakers so huge had one fallen on me I'd be dead along with 20 people in my immediate space and one supermassive headache brought on by 3 1/2 hours of sleep due to too much excitement and pain all wrapped up in one - I finally saw the greatest band in the world. Yes, HOchie 1. I know, that title should be reserved for U2 but indulge me this moment.

Highlights of the show (ie the already awesome songs made even more awesome during a live show):

New Born
Stockholm Syndrome
Feeling Good - because when Matt laid that megaphone down on the piano, we all knew what was song was coming up. The megaphone is legendary! And so is how he got rid of it. Behind the back and off to the side ::TOSS::!!!!!!

WTF moments of the evening:

6. "Who the hell are these bitches on stage trying to introduce MUSE? MTV College Radio who what now?...huh?! WTF!!! Get the fuck off stage!!!!!!"

5. Why did Chris do the rocker's growl on "Supermassive Black Hole"? Matt? WTF?!!!!

4. WTF was that little gremlin doing next to Dom's drumkit? It looked like he was doing back up keyboard work but I'm not quite sure...

3. WTF was up with Matt's hair? It's called fans, people.

2. Matt to Dom - "Stop. Stop. STOP! Oh.. ::sheepish confused look:::" at the beginning of a song when he was having technical difficulties with his guitar but it started working soon after Dom started the song. The WTF moment came from Dom when he was looking at Matt with the WTF face. Hahahaha.

1. And the biggest WTF moment of the night - No "Muscle Museum"??!! I waited 3 years to see them perform one of their most popular, if not most popular song that they always play, ALWAYS - every time I've seen footage of them and the best live song as far as I'm concerned and they didn't do it!!!!!! WTF!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Yes, I am fully aware of what the ticket has printed in caps there but fuck it! I took pictures of them anyway!! "NO CAMERAS" my ass!!! Muwahahahahahaha!!! And now all of you get to gaze upon him too...Double the muwahahahaha! Don't you all feel lucky?

No, not a prison uniform.

Poor Megaphone...

Dominic!!!!!!!!! I can't see your hilarious self behind that drumkit. I love you anyway.


I anxiously await the time when I see them again. But next time I expect a longer set with my "Muscle Museum" tossed in, "Citizens Erased" and "Space Dementia".

And that comes, if all goes well, November 21st at Wembley Arena in London - Who's in???!!!!

Currently listening to: "The Queen and I" by Gym Class Heroes. Don't ask. I saw the video and it's kind of catchy. Don't judge me!!!!!