If there was ever a band perfectly suited to playing in venues like the colossal Co-Op Live Arena in Manchester, then it was Devon progressive rock superstars Muse. From stadium filling rock extravaganzas to unforgettable festival headline sets, the Matt Bellamy-fronted rock trio are masters of delivering a boundary-pushing live experience and their second sold-out night at the Co-Op Live was the perfect home for such an experience.
The second date on their UK arena tour saw nearly eighteen thousand fans packed into the arena as Muse returned to the road in support of their tenth studio album ‘The Wow! Signal’, released earlier this year.
Known for their extravagant staging productions, this was no different. Upon entering the cavernous room, fans were greeted with the sight of a huge hexagonal stage set-up which, no matter where you were sat, be it the nosebleed seats in the rafters of the arena, or up close and personal in the centre pit, looked absolutely mindblowing.
Of course, Muse can back it up with equally gargantuan songs which, when combined with the bank-balance busting production, gave fans both a sonic and visual experience which took your breath away. At just after 9pm the futuristic set burst into life with the frontman rising up from the depths of the arena onto a platform as lasers and lights pinged around the arena.
Kicking off with “Hexagons”, Bellamy, perched on a platform high above the stage, looked every bit the rock superstar wringing immaculate waves of sound out of his guitar. Like something out of a futuristic Sci-Fi movie, it really was impossible to know where to focus your attention as this immersive experience played out in front of your eyes.
“The Sickness & I” continued the set with Bellamy now at ground level and making use of every inch of the walkways which jutted out from the main stage to create this incredible layout. Lasers pierced the air as the venue, bathed in an ominous red light, became the site for a flawless display of creative genius.
That being said, it isn’t just the use of a big production where Muse leave the pack for dust, musically they back it up with a catalogue of untouchable songs. Powering through a colossal twenty-five song set, the likes of older tracks like “Hysteria,” “Super Massive Black Hole” and “Plug In Baby”, nestle perfectly alongside new album tracks like “Cryogen”.
Bellamy joined by bandmates, bassist Chris Wolstenholme and drummer Dominic Howard lock together seamlessly as the synth-laden sound is as sprawling and gargantuan as the production with the two blending together into the kind of cinematic rock experiences that leaves you lost for words.
Round every corner the band tap into a different sense whether it be through the robotic “Kill or Be Killed” or the innovative “The 2nd Law: Isolated System” where the band again push the boundaries of their sound to its limits with a jaw-dropping display of futuristic rock that very few bands can come close to matching.
By the end of their second night at the Co-Op Live in Manchester, Muse proved themselves to be one of the most innovative, creative, and just downright exciting bands in modern rock music with a sense-pummelling performance of monolithic proportions. A band who clearly know no boundaries, the fact that they keep reinventing themselves and getting bigger and better is exactly the reason why tens of thousands of fans are still filling rooms like twenty-seven years ago when the band burst onto their scene to rewrite the rock blueprint.
Photo Copyright © Graham Finney
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