When I went: 14 September 2019

Music Owl Hoot rating: 5/5

Location: The O2, London

Performers: Muse

Creative team: Muse’s team

Approximate price: £100

Special points: Virtuosic singing and playing, robot theme and effects

Best bit: Propaganda / Dig Down

If I could change one thing: Better drinks options

Review:

Having seen Muse twice before (on the Black Holes and Revelations and Drones tours), I had really high expectations from this Simulation Theory gig, and thankfully they were met.

The set list featured plenty of older hits as well as some new songs from the Simulation Theory album, and had some cool sections where either one or all or the members came out onto the projected part of the stage so they were among the standing part of the audience. My favourite songs from this part were probably Propaganda, which really showcased how in sync they are as a trio, or the acoustic version of Dig Down, which was beautifully performed.

Supermassive Black Hole still works really well live, and hearing Pressure live made me want to listen to it more. Surprisingly, they didn’t play Something Human, but it was quite a packed set list already. They made good use of robot effects (with a giant projecting robot onstage towards the end), confetti ribbons (released during mercy), and very theatrical costumes and performances, complete with light-up neon sunglasses and jackets. Matt Bellamy reminded me a bit of Freddie Mercury and Michael Jackson in this gig, in terms of theatricality, and the whole concert seemed to be slightly Star Wars-influenced as well, whether intentionally or not.

At the end of the show, they performed about 4 or 5 songs in quick succession and this section really showed off just how well they sing and play live – they were more than equal to the technical demands of doing this and it leaves the audience with a really strong impression.