Muse Headlines the V Festival

August 16th, 2008 - Hylands Park - Chelmsford, UK

A typical mid-summer’s August day in the UK saw both Weston Park and Hylands Park face the rain, the two sites being the dual locations of the V festival, one of the biggest UK festivals (alongside Glastonbury and Reading & Leeds). Yet the rain didn’t dampen anybody’s spirit as a blistering set featuring all the hits from The Stereophonics ensured everybody forgot about being knee high in mud pits and look forward to headliners Muse.

As bands played throughout the day it was impossible not to notice the ominous construction of six satellites towering above the stages and positioned to face the eager crowd, these satellites being a staple of Muse’s showpiece modern performances. Having promised “something really extraordinary” in the way of special effects, rumours were spreading of a jetpack entrance or the landing of a UFO on stage.

The hour and a half following Muse’s opening song of “Map of the Problamatique” was nothing more than musical heaven. Matt Bellamy threw himself around the stage as a barrage of green lasers from the satellites danced above his head and the crowd bounced to the classic riff of “New Born”. The crowd came to a swaying standstill for Bellamy’s breath taking piano performance, this man is a modern Mozart and he demonstrates this comfortably with a shimmering piano driven cover of Nina Simone’s “Feeling Good”.

Towards the end of the set as the crowd slowly realise how muddy they have gotten themselves Muse unleash a barrage of huge inflatable balls, the balls engulf the crowd slowly exploding into glittering confetti, a stray ball limps onto the stage and Muse bassist Chris Wolstenholme coolly slays the balloon with his guitar.

Wolstenholme whips out a harmonica for the final song and in true spaghetti western style plays a rendition of “Man with a Harmonica” by Ennio Morricone, the perfect introduction to fist thumping, foot stomping hit “Knights of Cydonia”. Muse show at the V festival just why they deserve their collection of live awards and as a blinding shower of sparks emit from the top of the stage to signify the end of the set and end of the festival the crowd are left wondering if they have just witnessed the defining year of Muses career, how can this band get any better?