(MUSE) Trio muse over meteoric rise


Wolverhampton Express and Star
2nd June 2000

(This article has confused Matthew and Christopher)

DEVON-based Muse have been making waves in alternative rock circles after catching the ear of Madonna's business partner. The young trio tried their luck in America after banging their heads against a brick wall with introverted British record companies. 
 Little known to them, Guy Oseracy, who runs the Maverick label with the legendary songstress, was checking out their melodic, guitar-driven tunes on the web. 
 Bassist Matt Wolstenholme picks up the tale. "It was a bit of a fluke. He bought one of our early EPs over the Internet thinking we were already signed, but then heard we were in LA.
 "We were checking out of our hotel when our manager got a call on the mobile and Guy said, "You can't go, I want to hear you play!"
 "He booked us a rehearsal room and turned up with Steve Jones from the Sex Pistols. It was weird because we had to play a full-on set to two people like it was a gig. He stopped us after the second song and said, "We'll sign you tomorrow." 
 Muse's meteoric rise has since seen them snapped up by Mushroom records in Britain, crowned NME's best new act and entertaining crowds of 20,000 over 'the Pond' with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers. 
 They made their top 40 debut with last single Sunburn, taken from strong-selling LP Showbiz, and Sunday's Wolverhampton gig has been upgraded from the Wulfrun to the Civic Hall due to high ticket demand. 
 But mild-mannered Matt, already a father at 21, is determined the band members keep their feet on the ground. 
 "We're young and fit so we haven't abused ourselves too much yet. We haven't made any money apart from the advance we were given to buy stuff, which we put back into the band. 
 "It's all very temporary. You can be really, really famous so people think you're stinking rich but it's not true. Money is not a motivating factor."
 Yet at time the stresses of being in the media spotlight have pushed the band, led by the startling Matt Bellamy, to the brink of burnout, causing Matt to lose his rag at a recent London show.
 "I had a really bad gig at London Uni and everything went wrong," he recalls. "We didn't do the soundcheck properly as we had done TFI Friday and Top of the Pops the same day. I had two new basses and no time to put new strings on. The only bass with the new strings was my old one, then the amp broke and people were running on the stage. 
 "Security staff were traipsing all over my effects pedals and the amp would switch off when we were halfway through a song. At the end of the gig I just smashed the bass to pieces". 
 And it's on stage where the group, often lazily compared to Radiohead, come into their own. "When we get together there's a chemistry between us. Just to play in front of a crowd that go mental before you is priceless," enthuses Matt. 

Muse play Wolverhampton Civic Hall on Sunday and release new single Unintended on Monday, 

(Article by Peter Bate)

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