The Edge plays with Muse at Glastonbury - Wow! http://bit.ly/bGVKovLast night after an extremely busy couple of weeks and a manic weekend we slumped on the sofa and settled down to watch Angels and Demons which is Dan Brown's follow up to The Da Vinci Code starring Forest Gump himself Tom Hanks. Once you suspend the belief that Tom is no where near how Dan Browns hero is described (or you imagine) in the books this film is much closer to the book than The Da Vinci Code ever was. Unfortunately this results in a film that is so much like the previous one it is like Deja Vu all over again, which is a pity as I think this one would be better if you haven't seen the first one or indeed read the book. It also lacked a bit of breathless dashing around that would have been necessary if the storey had taken place in the time frame it did. All that said it was an enjoyable hour and three quarters.
By the time the film was over I was ready for bed but just needed one last drink, which took the form of a large ice cold Sangria. While I drank my cool beverage I flicked over channels on the TV and found the Muse at Glastonbury. This was Muse at their live best and wild horses would not have dragged me away from the idiot box while they played. Saying they were awesome was not only a cliché but a serious understatement. Muse are the Mega Group of their generation and on a par with the best bands of all time; Led Zeppelin, The Who, Queen, Pink Floyd and audio subthe rest. They are definitely in a league above the bands of their generation.
If I have one criticism of Muse it is that Matthew Bellamy's wonderful lyrics are almost indecipherable most of the time when they are televised live. This did not effect my enjoyment as, like the crowd at Glastonbury, I knew every word off by heart, but Helen was straining to understand. This partially because of Matthew's unusual singing style and the affects added to his vocals, but also due to the limits of television recording systems and the bandwidth of the audio sub-carrier. However Helen made a comment I agreed with that Muse are almost an instrumental band and the lyrics are effectively just another instrument in the mix.
I was blown away and then they brought the Edge on stage and did U2's 'Streets with no name' which would have been the icing on the cake, had they not finished with my favourite Muse track 'Knights of Cydonia'. 'Knights of Cydonia' was the third single to be released from the album 'Black Holes and Revelations'. It was well worth staying up for and although I was yearning to be there I was probably better where I was sat in front of the TV with a perfect view and not surrounded by sweaty bodies miles from the stage. However for those who were there it was probably worth the price of the ticket just for Muse alone. Such a pity U2 could not make it after they were forced to pull out when Bono suffered a back injury. I wonder if the Gorillaz, who took U2's spot have ever played to such a disappointed and unreceptive audience, most of which got bored and drifted away halfway through their set?
Word on the street is this has been the best Glastonbury in its forty years. Something to do with the weather? Unfortunately two people died of heart attacks, which suggests either the festival was too exciting for them or the heat was too much or the drugs were too cheap or all three. Still if you have to go it might as well be while you are having a great time.
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/2010/jun/27/muse-glastonbury-2010-review
BBC iPlayer - http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/b00sz067/Glastonbury_2010_Muse/
Available until: 1:59am Sunday 4th July 2010
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