(MUSE) Zane meets Muse
c.2009
MTV2
ZANE LOWE (V/O over Time Is Running Out): Muse formed in Devon in 1994. Gradually built up an incredibly loyal fan base, and a reputation as one of the best live bands in the world. Anthems like Time Is Running Out, Super Massive Black Hole and Plug In Baby, led them to headline pretty much every major festival on the planet, and then when that wasn't enough, they took in two legendary nights at Wembley Stadium. With no earthly venues big enough for them anymore, Muse are allegedly looking at other universes for their next big shows. Today I'll be asking Matt and Dom about that, about their fifth album, The Resistance, and just generally, sleeping habits. That's where we start, with sleeping habits. You must have none at the minute.
MATTHEW: Terrible, terrible habits. Yeah, no habits exactly, yeah. Yeah, just random, yeah. So we where in New York two days ago, and came back to England yesterday, and so still a little bit (motions with arms) yeah...a little bit wobbly.
ZANE: Uh, you know what, you've only got yourselves to blame, cos you finished a great record and as often happens with that, the demand is high. People wanna see you. Wanna talk to you. And you've been doing all of it. You've been playing shows now, talking about the record. Record's done, so you are now well and truly on the treadmill.
DOMINIC: We're about to like actually get on the road as of next week.
ZANE: Thank God. You must be really looking forward to getting into some form of routine.
MATTHEW: Yeah, I'm looking forward to routine
DOMINIC: It feels like we need to...go on the road to relax (laughs) because this time right now, doing all this kind of stuff is cool, but it's quite busy and there's lots of it going on, you know, like the whole talking about the album thing, so when we go on the road, we can kind of just get into a routine. Sleep a bit more, and just play some shows.
ZANE: Yeah, man. How have you found talking about this new record? It seems to me, judging from the reaction that I see on e-mail, Twitter, text and everything else, that your fans absolutely love it. You know? Um, what's been the general feel for you?
MATTHEW: I think we're really into it. I think it's a...a very mixed album as it kind of starts off quite um, quite sort of light if you like, or kind of fun, or more like...more like when it ends up in this kind of...
ZANE: Party round yours then next time, Matt? Wow. Oh My Lord!
MATTHEW: By the time it gets to the end, it goes off into this weird world, you know...so I think it's um a kind of...something like that, but they like it...a lot of people seem to like it. Live, we've only played about five tracks, and they um....Eurasia seems to be going down really well, live, which is the track that I thought was going to be most difficult.
ZANE: You had to stand up with that one though, there's no way you could do a half ass version of United States of Eurasia, you know? That one had to sound bigger than it does on the record, and it sounds ridiculously big on record, you know? So, lets talk about a few things specifically, that you've been...lets keep it in the immediate past. How were the VMA'S for you?
MATTHEW: The American ones, yeah? That was um, that was pretty good. We got to do like our own little concert as well, that kind of doubled up as a um, a sort of album launch concert of you like, to sort of fans in America, New York, and MTV came in and sort of just took one song out of that for...for...that went along with the VMA thing.
(Footage of The Uprising live at the MTV Video Music Awards)
ZANE: It really feel like though, the way it was introduced anyway, and I don't know if you watched it afterwards, but it seems like in America, a big key success out there is the association with the Twilight series, which has been huge, you know, which isn't necessarily a bad thing, because it's extremely popular and obviously the author is a big fan of your music, so it comes from a genuine place.
MATTHEW: Yeah, yeah...I don't think anyone really...
DOMINIC: They've all gone bloody Vampire mad over there, haven't they? It's like it's crazy.
MATTHEW: I know
DOMINIC: But I guess it's uh...uh you know...opened it up in some kind of way. There's millions of people that have been listening to Super Massive Black Hole, that have probably never heard our band before, which is not a bad thing.
ZANE: Did they approach you to appear on the new one as well? Do something?
DOMINIC: Yeah.
MATTHEW: Actually, um, I spoke to yeah, the director, was it? Yesterday or something, or the day before yesterday. I can't remember. And he wants, I think a track. Well, I'm not sure, say...I Belong To You, he wants a track. The sort of Vaudeville piano track. Um, he wants a sort of rendition of that. But I think the only thing with the new film is they want um, they want all the songs to be um...some directors, want all the songs to be exclusive to the film, they don't want it to be with anything else.
ZANE: Interesting point. At this point, given the record is yours and you made it...
MATTHEW: So he's asking if I mind doing, or if we mind doing, like an alternative version of it, you know...
ZANE: How do you feel about that? The record's been, you know, the movie series has been good for you up to a point, and it's popular...
MATTHEW: I think it's all right. I mean, it's...I would...if it was like one of the main, you know, like you know the sort of lead tracks of the album if you like, like I Belong to You...would never do it, I mean...or, or something like that, but of course, it's actually one of the weirder tracks. One of the tracks is more like can't believe we've got away with it kind of tracks. Because it's a track like that, I think it might be worth giving it a go, because it's um, it's one of those songs that I think will probably not get played live very often, and it probably will be one of the songs that is kind of one of the more obscure tracks off this album.
ZANE: It would give it a life of its own?
MATTHEW: Exactly. Yeah, so it might give that track a bit of life that it wouldn't have otherwise.
ZANE: Yeah, yeah, yeah, you are right though, it's a (BLEEP) odd song, and I love it for that reason, but when I listen to the playback of the record when I came down to your studio, that one really threw me, especially the French bit in the middle. I was like, 'Matt's really Jumping The Shark here, I love it."
MATTHEW: It's all about the clarinet in the middle, the bass clarinet solo.
ZANE: So, there's all sorts of interesting sounds on this record, and for the few fans that have somehow been asleep for the past few months and are waking up, and this is the fist news they have of a new Muse record, there's a bass clarinet solo, and there's a slap bass on the record as well, you might be just...just a little slap bass that works...um, you guys sounded like you had a lot of fun making this record to me, you know? In your own studio, in your own environment, with very little restrictions or boundaries?
DOMINIC: Yeah, I think, I think we did.
MATTHEW: I think most artists should do that at some point, or if not all the time. You know, just have a good time. Uh, enjoy yourself, cos otherwise you know, you shouldn't be...I shouldn't be doing nothing...but I think we really because...I suppose because we were producing ourselves, we were much more free to um, to um explore the fringes of some ideas that otherwise would probably be frowned upon by producers, or those kind of people.
ZANE: Put in a position without that middle man, or middle woman, or middle ground, you know? Was it tricky with the times, and was it trying to get your decisions across and your point across?
DOMINIC: I think so, yeah. I think we...we certainly became a lot more, um, we had to be a lot more kind of open and listen to each other, in some kind of weird way, you know? Because we all had to...we felt like we couldn't make any really serious solid decisions without all three of us really being in a room at the same time, and being a three-piece, you know, the Democracy wins. You know? So, it's often like a two against one kind of position, to get a decision made.
ZANE: Who's always losing? Someone's always losing.
MATTHEW: What? The battle?
ZANE: Yeah
MATTHEW: Me and Dom had some relatively...relatively serious arguments I'd say, when we were making the album. I really wind him up when...
DOMINIC: Creative conflicts
MATTHEW: When he has trouble...it doesn't happen all the time...but there's songs where you know, he wants...you know, Dom wants to do lots of takes, and I get bored after about three takes, you know? I do about two or three takes, and I just like tail off and go 'Fuck it', and when it carried on going I end up going into the control room and becoming like the worst fucking producer in the world, like 'COME ON! PUSH IT! DO A BETTER DRUM FILL! YOU CAN DO BETTER THAN THAT!" and I just really push him. Once I pushed him so far that he threw the drumsticks at the window and said, 'Fuck this!" and stormed off. It was real though, it was a real proper like...
MATTHEW: But it seemed like a lot of things...it seemed like we disagreed on...it seemed like me and Dom always disagreed on things, but that's where Chris stepped in. And Chris is uh...
ZANE: Bigger than you?
MATTHEW: He's bigger. He's a lot bigger than us. He's probably, you know, twice the size of us, so when he steps in and says something, everybody just goes...(motions that is the end of it)
ZANE: Of the last album, leading to record this one...you know, you played Wembley Stadium...you're like the sort of largest...the hottest ticket in terms of live ticket in the UK, I think playing those kind of venues, and yet you know obviously, there...it's...the record sales don't match, it's a weird scenario you find yourselves in, you know what I mean? Where you're almost like the biggest cult band in the world. I mean...
MATTHEW: Ummm...I don't...yeah...I see what you're saying. I don't think we really...um...I don't think we're able to really see many flaws in...in um success of the album, if you know what I mean, because the uh, the live side has always been so strong and um, but the albums I think have connected on the...you know, widely on the internet, not just through, you know, official sales, and things like that, you know? I think we're one of those bands that's come through that way, you know? I think a lot of new bands have to come through that way, have to accept um you know, sales figures are just weighed down when it comes to...when it comes to records, but um, but we've been very lucky on the live side, you know? That's kept us going. So I think that we've...I don't think we've approached any albums thinking we really need to change anything for those reasons. I think...I think the changes we've made on the records have been for creative reasons, to keep ourselves um fresh, and interested in making new music basically.
ZANE: Basically what amazed me, was going back and listening to songs off...you know, off Showbiz, and realizing how ambitious you were right at the very start. And I'd forgotten, (you know because you've been obviously ramping it up on each album and each live show), but that ambition and that musicianship was really in place right at the very beginning. I mean you must surprise yourselves. Think 'God, you know, we were cocky bastards, weren't we, to put some of this on record, really?'
MATTHEW (laughs): Really, a lot of people say like 'over the top' or sort of you know, 'extreme' or 'indulgent' or whatever, but to me, it never...it doesn't seem that way, you know? As I said...I mean, it's probably cos I do listen, you know, I don't obsessively listen...I do listen to bits of classical music, opera music, that kind of stuff. And that kind of stuff really is over the top. I mean, that's the thing. It's...to me, we're nowhere near that in terms of drama, you know? The kind of drama that you get from when you see certain opera pieces, or certain...especially 20th century classical music, film music, you know? It's really epic stuff. You know, really massive um...
ZANE: You're flying pretty close to the sun though with the opera, with the uh, with the symphony at the end, which I think is amazing, and I think you've absolutely done it, and you made it work within the context of the record which is a huge challenge for anybody to apply themselves to that, and actually make it work in amongst the riffs, and the pop songs and everything else. Um, you obviously put a lot of heart and soul into that piece of music and (to DOMINIC) I mean you could probably tell us, even before I talked to him about it, did it nearly drive him mad? I mean with the moments when you find him like, literally over the keyboard at four in the morning?
DOMINIC: Yeah, I mean we were lucky, cuz we had like two studio set ups. While you were kind of freaking out or writing the string arrangements, we could be in another room working on something else, so that certainly helped, but there was a lot um...you certainly felt a lot of stress around that point, getting it all done, but I mean really, it was quite an accomplishment, really.
ZANE: Definitely. I mean, how do you know when something like is complete. It's different to working with a pop song, or knowing that 'Okay, well let's put one more chorus in there'. To be fair, most of these songs, not just yours in general, through the history of music, there is a math to it, and you know okay, what's...even if you muck around with the time signature a little bit here or there, or the key change. One more chorus will do it, wrap it up nice and we move on, you know what I mean? To a certain extent when you're working in in in a symphony environment, or you're doing three parts, how do you...it's like doing a painting, isn't it? How do you...?
MATTHEW: Yeah, yeah, I think you just use...it's...yeah, you just use your emotions totally. You let your feelings, whatever that is, (I'm not sure of what the words to describe that is), but let that dictate the chordal movements, and just where you're going with the piece, and sometimes you'll find yourself just going off into a place which has got no structural meaning at all, but it has a strong emotional meaning because it leads on, because it's uh, question answer thing, or some kind of vague internal narrative that you're trying to uh present, and so...so I think, so long as you let that lead the way, then um, you can trust the end results, even if it is quite weird. I think you can trust that it's come from a truthful location.
ZANE: Yeah, did you try and play that...those theories to writing all your music? I mean, do you really try to let the music lead?
MATTHEW: Uh well no...yeah, a lot of the time...some tracks you let a big riff lead, you know what I mean? Or like something that you know is going to like make you jump up and down, and therefore hopefully the crowd as well, you know? So it depends, songs like Unnatural Selection, were clearly written around the idea of um, sort of a live environment, you know? Something what we would want to play on stage on a regular basis, and we knew was going to really go down well, whereas the symphonic stuff um, was not really, you know, was not written with live in mind at all, it was written really just from some sort of internal sort of place.
ZANE: Desire to do it? Are you going to try it, are you going to have a a go at doing it live at some point?
MATTHEW: I don't know...
DOMINIC: We tried it, didn't we?
MATTHEW:...I haven't got the guts to do the piano live, cuz I'm (bleep)...that's the thing, it would be so embarrassing.
ZANE: Your audience...and I've come into contact with this more and more in the last couple of months, is the build up for this record, and believe me boys, it was an elongated and fantastic build up. Perfectly handled, you know? But it was just whipping your fans into a frenzy, and they are a passionate bunch, and you must be aware of this apart from just standing on stage when you come into contact with them for whatever reason. Has it always kind of been that way? You know, ever since you've been making music where your fans seem to cling on to you a little more perhaps?
MATTHEW: Obviously, we're very very close with uh with the fans in general musically and emotionally for that reason, and um, we've always felt very strong because of that from the very beginning. We've always had a very strong fan base which has made us feel in some ways, a little bit apart from the media game, you know that lot of...
ZANE: I think they feel like being a fan of yours sets them apart from the playground or...
MATTHEW: Yeah, in some ways the fans...I think they know us, they know me, certainly in ways that other people don't, you know? Um, certainly there is very very personal things on the albums, and I think that when you meet people that really love it, it really touches them. You can't help but feel very close to those people because there's something in common with them.
ZANE: You know, you must come across some hilarious things online that people write as well, and you know, the investigation into your life and what...because people really find your lyrics absolutely fascinating I think. You know, the music and what you put into it becomes not about the songs as much sometimes, as what I've read, it becomes about the motivation of the person itself, like you guys.
DOMINIC: Yeah, there's some very passionate people out there, that you know, can...
ZANE: Game Face, Dom. Game Face.
DOMINIC:...Get into the realms of what you might call, 'stalkerish'. No...no...
MATTHEW: It was actually worse in the early days, I think it's much more...there seems to be much more...a lot of fans are really friendly these days, very very chatty and friendly. In the early days it was a bit more like crazy girls, you know, um doing crazy things, you know...which...which was nothing wrong with that, but there are crazy mothers now...crazy women...
ZANE: Yeah, tipping point gentlemen...
DOMINIC: It's maturing...the crowd...
MATTHEW: Yeah, the audience is older
ZANE: They're maturing with you? Nothing wrong with that. No, um, you know I think that all different types of people are fans of Muse, and um...
MATTHEW: It's always been a very very mixed audience as well, and you will see all age groups and all types of people in our concerts.
DOMINIC: Yeah, it's been nice. It's definitely felt the music's certainly touched some people in a very deep way, you know, and it's never really been a..uh like...the music's never been like taken on with a kind of, from a mediocre position, you know what I mean? People have either you know, hated it, or loved it, deeply.
ZANE: You must feel really privileged to be in a position to be one of those bands, cuz so many bands just make records and they get through and they do fine, but you're one of those bands that provoke that reaction, and you know...
MATTHEW: Yeah, yeah, it's great, you know? And I think it definitely keeps us going, you know? I think um I'm surprised how we've managed to sort of...not totally reinvent ourselves, but certainly make music which is still relevant to ourselves, you know, and it doesn't...we're not repeating ourselves from the past, you know? And I think that the um...having that fan base out there is one of those things that really, you know, you feel um, in some way that you've got to keep it going, you know?
ZANE: Lets talk about some of the other things that you've been involved in of late? Amongst the making of the record you've done...that was nicely said...
(Everyone talks at once)
MATTHEW: I didn't want to sound jaded
ZANE: You know, I'll tell you what, I'll put a contemporary spin on it. You've done well cuz you can play your fucking asses off.
ZANE: 'Guitar Hero'. You were involved in the 'Guitar Hero' thing? Nice. It's always good. Good to be involved in the gaming world.
MATTHEW: Yeah, you got to keep up with the modern tricks.
ZANE: Have you played it?
MATTHEW: Yeah, I had a go on it actually when we were mixing the album...
ZANE: Play as yourself?
MATTHEW: Actually, I didn't play as myself, unfortunately. But we couldn't find...we...I think we bought the wrong one. We bought the 'World Tour' game.
ZANE: Right.
DOMINIC: We didn't have the new one. You're on the new one, aren't you?
MATTHEW: Apparently, 'Assassin' was on the 'World Tour' game, but we couldn't find it.
DOMINIC: Yeah, me and Chris couldn't unlock it...
MATTHEW: Chris and Dom are pretty good at it. I was okay on the drums, but I found the guitar really...I wasn't that good at it.
DOMINIC: We were just like rocking out to Living On A Prayer, you know?
(Everyone speaks at once)
DOMINIC: It gives you the opportunity to play Eye Of The Tiger as well, you know.
ZANE: There you go. Exactly. Um yeah, but you've obviously seen your likeness?
ZANE: You look healthy!
MATTHEW (giggling): Looking very LA, and I'm not sure why that is, um, but uh, yeah, that was uh that was funny. It's funny how they do that, but yeah...but that's the only thing I've seen. I haven't actually seen the game since it's been out. Is it actually out now? I'll have to check it out.
ZANE: It must be amazing for your fans as well to finally get a chance kind of, to play you. It's so weird.
MATTHEW: Yes, it is weird, but I like it.
DOMINIC: It's a fun game. It's a great game.
ZANE: Yeah
DOMINIC: I'd never played it before, and me and Chris whipped it out on the studio, and its like, just wicked.
MATTHEW: It is actually. The first time I seen it was in the studio.
DOMINIC: And you learn so much about music
MATTHEW: Yeah, that's exactly right...
DOMINIC: There's so much old classic songs
MATTHEW: You play all these classic songs that I sort of remember, recognize...what was that track by um, The Cult?
(Everyone hums/sings it)
MATTHEW: Yeah, all that kind of stuff
ZANE: Love Removal Machine.
MATTHEW: Just tracks I haven't heard for years.
ZANE: You need to go back and revisit that record, man.
MATTHEW: Yeah, yeah, it's great.
ZANE: Seriously
MATTHEW: We met the guitarist the other day, yeah.
ZANE: Billy Duffy? Wow.
MATTHEW: Yeah, he was doing a gig in New York and he said hello. He was a very nice guy. I told him I played that riff on Guitar Hero. He was quite impressed.
ZANE: Nice. He's a killer player man, he's written some good riffs. You know, definitely. Um, going out on the road with a couple of bands on the immediate legs of this tour. You're taking The Big Pink out?
DOMINIC: That's right. They're going to do the UK stuff. Biffy Clyro are going to come and do some stuff in Europe with us.
ZANE: Nice. Now difficult...do you make decision as a band, or do you somehow...
DOMINIC: It's just me really. Matt's pretending he's interested.
MATTHEW: No, I'm I'm trying...I'm trying to look into bands for the American tour, which is next year, and for the summer stuff next year, so I'm definitely...Dom picked the bands for this upcoming tour.
ZANE: I think it must be really interesting and fun to sit there at that point. That's a cool decision. That's one of the fun ones when the record is done. You go, 'okay, cool, who can we reach out to, and want to come out here every night?' It's kind of the sort of, like the ultimate little reward isn't it? Playing the shows?
DOMINIC: Uh, it's yeah...it's great to tour with bands that you like and respect, and un can have fun with as well, and I always like watching the bands, you know. Whoever it is.
ZANE: Well, your fans of Biffy, right? I mean
DOMINIC: Yeah, they did the Wembley show...one of the Wembley shows, and they're a great band. Their new stuff sounds really really good as well, so...
ZANE: You been stocking up on your DVD box sets for the tour?
MATTHEW: Uh, what have we been watching? I've been doing '24'. That's something that um, I never really watched, but I just suddenly did like six series in six days.
ZANE: Really? It's that addictive.
MATTHEW: Yeah, it's one of those things, you know, just takes the edge off of travel doesn't it? You know so...done 'Lost'. Done all that.
DOMINIC: But the new...by the time we get on the Tour...
MATTHEW: Catch up on 'Entourage' as well
ZANE: 'Entourage'...
DOMINIC: 'Entourage' is like one of the best touring bus bits of TV to watch.
MATTHEW: It gets you in the mood for touring (laughs)
ZANE: For sure that. There is 'The Wire', probably not so good for parties, but...
MATTHEW: I'm yet to approach that one
ZANE: Me neither...
MATTHEW: But everyone says that's very good...
ZANE: People swear by it, yeah.
DOMINIC: 'Californication'. I like that one.
MATTHEW: 'Californication'.
DOMINIC: That's funny.
ZANE: There's a new one apparently that I haven't seen, which is supposed to be very good, called 'Eastbound and Down', which is a new comedy series you want to look out for in America, starring a guy who was in 'Tropic Thunder' and 'Pineapple Express'. The guy with the mullet. That's supposed to be very funny as well. Um, we're going to talk about, you know, the knock on effect of Wembley, which is only starting to sink in now. Because you did Wembley, and that was kind of it, and then you know, you went back into playing your club shows and Arenas. But um, now you've got to think about...with this album...you know, you've set the bar really high there.
MATTHEW: Yeah, well, I think um...I think we've always aimed for...for like big live shows like that. I think a lot of the music you can hear, uh, is sort of works...works really well in large concert environments. Uh, cuz we played festivals for years and years right from the sort of, right from the bottom of the bill, working our way up, um, across the course of the first three albums, and um, so that really sort of got us in the mood for playing in front of big crowds, so it seemed like the right thing to do to go and play uh, you know, try and play stadiums. And also, it seems like there's not that many new bands coming through. You've probably got Coldplay maybe, and there...there doesn't seem that there's that many new bands that are playing stadiums, or like, you know, reinventing The Stadium Concert again. It always seems to be, you know, left to U2 to reinvent it every time they do an album, or groups like The Rolling Stones which obviously have been doing it for ages. So I think that's another attraction as well, the idea of um...you know, a new artist, a new style of music getting into that kind of venue, and having a chance to sort of uh. do it slightly differently.
ZANE: Would you consider doing touring...depending on how this record goes obviously, but treating stadiums more like a solid run, as opposed to just a couple of one offs?
DOMINIC: I think we're going to try and do more, next summer.
ZANE: Yeah?
(MATTHEW and DOMINIC speak at the same time)
DOMINIC: We've got some plans. I mean, it's no big secret, but I'm sure we'll uh, certainly try and do some you know. We might do a few festivals as well, but um, we'll see. But we'd definitely like to do, you know, obviously some more in the UK. But certainly a lot more around the rest of the world, and around Europe, and I think you know, I think we can, and it's uh...you know, I just want that...that laminate that says, "Muse. World Stadium Tour", you know?
(LAUGHTER)
ZANE: That's a good one, man.
DOMINIC: I don't know if we'll get away with it next summer, but, you know, I think...yeah, like you said, we've always had a lot of ambition to try and achieve those kind of things, and uh, as long as you keep on working at it, it's possible.
ZANE: It brings us, um...before we get on to Twitter questions...it is important that we get on to ask some questions from people who are using the Internet, in this modern way. Especially, you know, your audience is definitely into that. But, we should talk a little bit about the forthcoming arena tour. You obviously can't give too much away until the curtain drops, but um, it sounds like you have been working a lot on getting this right and making it...people expect, you know, an experience from you guys.
MATTHEW: Yeah. Yeah. I think that we may try something a little bit more theatrical, I mean...I...you know...I love people like um, Lady Gaga, you know? These kind of performers that just do things which are just...
ZANE: With the Beard Face? I'm not sure about the Beard Face.
DOMINIC: That was funny
ZANE: That was fucking weird though...
MATTHEW: I love all that. I think that's brilliant.
DOMINIC: That red outfit was just insane.
ZANE: That was great. Some of it was great, but I couldn't handle the bit where Jay-Z was performing, and they did the cutaways, and Beyonce's dancing and grooving, and everyone's grooving, and she's grooving like a normal person with the beard face. And I was like, 'and you can't fit in with the Beard Face'. You just got to sit there and look weird. If you got the Beard Face, just look weird. Don't be throwing your ones up in the air with the Beard Face. You know, take the Beard Face off.
MATTHEW: Well, there you go. I want to bring the Beard Face back. That's kind if what...
ZANE: You got to let it grow first, Matt. Cuz this thing is getting it (motions to his own). You got serious work to do on that.
MATTHEW: Yeah, absolutely. But, yeah, but I think, yeah. Bringing in a couple of theatrical elements. It might be a bit risky, but you know, I wouldn't mind trying...trying something out like that. Bringing a couple of actors (laughs) to you know, like spin off the ceiling and do stuff where they're flying around the venue.
ZANE (laughing): I love you guys, man. You're so funny. I love the way that you suggest something for your forthcoming arena tour, and then piss yourself laughing as soon as you say it. It's awesome...
MATTHEW: A giant eyeball. I'm trying to get a giant...well, really big. We were looking...if there's a chance, I want to get a massive eyeball, about like bigger than this room, to come down and like look at the crowd and like make everyone feel paranoid, right in the middle of the venue. I think it's a little bit 'All Seeing Eye' you know?
ZANE: Well, I just want to be in one of those ideas meetings, you know? When you open your eyes, you get to one of those total talking things. It's like you open your eyes and it's like this (stares). It's going to be one of those...it's going to be good man, I reckon, and uh, obviously, you know, you've got this new record to perform live. It's important you get it right in the context of the rest of the songs you play. And the set you did in Teignmouth was bang on, so I guess you know it's a good start, isn't it?
DOMINIC: Yeah
MATTHEW: Yeah, it is. Add the symphony to the equation.
ZANE: We should talk a little bit about the covers, because obviously you started including Feeling Good. You included Feeling Good in the Teignmouth show the other night. That was really good. And that obviously still floats around. I mean, are you...there's no real need for you to play any more? I mean, because you've got so many original songs to play. But I mean, are there ones that you still like to muck around with, or any ideas to do any more in the future?
DOMINIC: Ahhh…
MATTHEW: Yeah, at some point, I'd love to do, um, Ever I Saw Your Face by Roberta Flack.
DOMINIC: Oh man, that would be great.
MATTHEW: Um, I'd love to do a version of that. Um, but I haven't sort of got round to doing that yet. So yeah, I like some of those old real classic songs from that period of time, you know, 60s or even before. As you know, I love classic song writing, by you know, people like you know, Sinatra period, and all that. I think that just the craft of song writing was so much more, um, you know more thought out back then than it is these days. So that's why sometimes I like to refer back to that. Like Feeling Good is from that era.
ZANE: You know, you still like to throw in the old Deftones riff in between songs and things like that. That was good the other night too. It was nice. We were rocking out up on the bleachers during that bit of uh, Beck, Where It's At.
MATTHEW: Yeah
ZANE: Done with some swagger. Done with some swagger.
DOMINIC: Yeah, the old Rage riff appears every now and again
MATTHEW: You can't resist those Rage riffs, that's the problem.
ZANE: I just love it when you guys decide to riff out, you know? So at the end it's like, 'We're not done with this one. Let's just play for like two minutes. It's a riff for fun'. Um, did you ever see the guy who Starlight on 'American Idol'?
(PAUSE)
ZANE: Did you hear about that?
MATTHEW: Adam Lambert?
ZANE: Was that who it was?
MATTHEW: Was it Adam Lambert? Was it Adam Lambert who did it? I think so, yeah, yeah. I saw a YouTube of it.
ZANE: Yeah? What did you think?
MATTHEW: It was very, very, very hammy. It was...definitely an interesting version. I mean, he's got a strong voice, doesn't he?
ZANE: God, so diplomatically said, I love that. Well done. Brilliant. What about the tribute bands? Hypermusic?
MATTHEW: What's that?
ZANE: Knights Of Cydonia, BeMuse, Blackout, The Muze (with a Z), Muscle Music...
MATTHEW: What's that Italian one? It's an Italian one.
ZANE: I don't know. Which one's the Italian one?
MATTHEW: There's an Italian one who erm...they actually do like...they sell out big venues now...
ZANE: What?
MATTHEW: They play like for a couple of thousand people or something.
ZANE: Seriously?
MATTHEW: Yeah. yeah, it's crazy. And they're really good as well. I think they're better than us. But they've got...there's five of them in the band doing everything, so that's why it's all very...
ZANE: Well, it's good to keep a close eye and a close ear on whoever's doing the best tributes for you guys, just in case someone out of the core three decides bounce, or maybe Morgan decides to move on, you can always reach out. It's been known to happen. We were talking to Ian Brown about this the other day. He got his guitar player? His drummer? From his tribute band, I think. Imagine that. Imagine if you were playing all your favourite songs, you know, all your favourite artists songs and then suddenly...
MATTHEW: You're in it? Yeah.
ZANE: Uh, let's get straight into the Twitter questions, all right. So, we all have that. You guys are all firmly ensconced on Twitter. I'm sure you pass responsibility over to somebody else, but it's...
MATTHEW: Oh no...we've been doing...I've been doing quite a bit of it actually on the iPhone. I didn't realize how easy it was. Boff! And you are off, yeah.
ZANE: So, Twitter questions...this one is from uh, I think it's Bonnie Kimmie. 'I'd like to ask Matt from Muse, if he ever watches old stuff from Muse on YouTube?"
MATTHEW: Um, what have I seen? I've seen...I've seen bits and pieces. Um, I saw some terrible performance of 'Feeling Good' in Spain, where I just forgot the lyrics and started swearing on television.
DOMINIC: That's classic, that performance.
ZANE: So it was like a total clanger?
MATTHEW: Uh, yeah it's terrible.
DOMINIC: You just started...
MATTHEW: I just thought, I just totally forgot the lyrics and just started swearing for no reason basically.
ZANE: Swearing like what? Like 'damn, damn?'
(LONG MTV bleeping)
DOMINIC: He couldn't remember the words, and just said 'Fuck', twenty-five times.
MATTHEW: It was live on Spanish TV. I don't think it did us any favours over there, so...I've seen a couple of those things that I find amusing. I've seen the old early TV performances, which are terrible. I think we played some sort of children's breakfast show or something, or...what's it called?
DOMINIC: Live & Kicking
MATTHEW: Live & Kicking. Remember that?
ZANE: You played, Live And Kicking?
MATTHEW: Yeah. It was a mime. New Born. Miming.
ZANE: Wow
ZANE: That's Live & Kicking
MATTHEW: That's like one of those things
ZANE: There was a montage online, which we looked at this morning, it was forwarded by him, who thought it was hilarious. (Points off screen) that guy over there, who's just turned around. He forwarded over to me to use on this interview that he thought was really funny. All the 'fucks', you guys did. 'The montage of fucks'. Have you guys seen that? It's literally like twelve of them in a row, and it's awesome. Some of them are brilliant. Like just in the middle of rocking out, and then just like, 'Stop! Stop! Stop! My guitar...fuck!' Everyone just comes to a crushing halt, and then without fail, during a 'fuck', there will be Dom, always stands up, 'Hey everybody, good day. How's it going?' And I have to say, I did say in Teignmouth that your...that your in between song banter is some of the most legendary in between song banter of all time. There's something incredibly banal and nice about what you say, but it's so friendly. You could almost be literally like at a..at a meeting, you know like, 'Hey everybody, we've gathered you all here today to discuss the following thing...' it's so good...in front of 60,000 people.
DOMINIC: It's kind of...you know...it's not the most comfortable of environments, like trying to speak to 6,000 people, you know?
ZANE: All right, another one from the Twitter. This one is from, uh, Rachel Ness. Question for Muse. Everyone always asks what song you would have loved to have written or covered? Umm. I guess you sort of answered that, didn't you? You know, with the, you know, 'If Ever I Saw Your Face.'
MATTHEW: There's loads of great songs out there. I like...I've always loved erm...Blue Valentines by Tom Waits. Which I think is some of the best lyrics I've ever heard. A lot of Tom Waits songs. I think the lyrics are just unbelievable.
ZANE: Who would you...to finish off the question, who would you like to hear cover your songs? Anyone in particular you would love to have a crack at it? I mean, it's difficult cuz you make music that's so unique to you, isn't it?
MATTHEW: Celine Dion, I think, I would be nice
(LAUGHTER)
ZANE: Good shout. Good shout.
MATTHEW: Unintended
ZANE: How about a Celine Dion/Shania Twain duet for charity?
MATTHEW (laughing): That'll work
ZANE: This one from Gaz. 'If Chris didn't relent playing drums for Dom, would Dom have gone on to learn the bass?"
DOMINIC: Maybe
MATTHEW: Maybe. Well, he plays it upside down.
ZANE: Ahhh, you're a left-hander?
DOMINIC: Yeah, but you, know...
ZANE: Do you drum left-handed?
DOMINIC: Yeah, which is all backwards. But um, I might have picked up a left-handed bass by now. Who knows?
ZANE: You never know.
DOMINIC: Yeah. I mean, we used to...
ZANE: Was he tasty on the drums?
DOMINIC: Chris?
MATTHEW: Chris? Yeah. Yeah. He's real aggro. He's more like Dave Grohl…
DOMINIC: Yeah. He's real power.
MATTHEW: He just whacks it...all the time. He's good.
ZANE: He's no jazz drummer, is he?
MATTHEW: No.
DOMINIC: No. He doesn't tickle 'em.
MATTHEW: He just plays Helmet songs basically.
ZANE: Good band as well. Throw ??? and riffing every now and then. This is from T TOUCH 10, 'I have two questions for Muse. This one...number one, any plans for imminent downloads of live cuts or demos from the new album?" I know that before for like demos or live cuts or any off cuts from the recording of the record, but you told me in Como, that you pretty much recorded everything that's on the record, right?
MATTHEW: Yeah...
DOMINIC: Yeah, there's nothing else there...
MATTHEW: There's a couple of...we recorded a version of Popcorn actually, but we're not sure if we're not put that as a B-Side or something, but yeah, yeah, yeah, that was fun
ZANE: Uh, 'When do you next plan to come to Ireland?'
MATTHEW: Ireland, we will be there...Dublin, is it, November time? I suppose?
DOMINIC: Yeah, October or November or something.
MATTHEW: We will be there, and hopefully again next summer as well.
ZANE: All right, cool. Here's one here from Hope Tomeni, "We want to know what happened between Muse and Feeder, way back in the good old days. Why Matt 'couldn't go there?' I don't know, is there beef between you and Feeder, ever?
MATTHEW: I don't remember.
DOMINIC: I'm not sure there was between us...
MATTHEW: What does it say? There was beef, was it?
ZANE: Apparently, in quotation marks, 'Matt couldn't go there'. Maybe it was an interview, you said something?
MATT: Oh, 'couldn't go there?'. Oh, I can't...let me...I really can't remember back them.
ZANE: You guys have never really beefed have you? You've always been pretty friendly?
MATTHEW: A couple of people...a couple of people had a go.
ZANE: Who's had a go at you guys?
DOMINIC: Phonics.
MATTHEW: Phonics had a go at us back in the day.
ZANE: Did they?
MATTHEW: Yeah.
ZANE: Really? Under what premise?
(As is their way, MATTHEW and DOMINIC speak over each other)
DOMINIC: They asked us to tour, and we couldn't
MATTHEW: I think we could do ???? better than them, I think
(DOMINIC laughs and puts his hands over his eyes)
MATTHEW: You know, something like that, but you know, whatever, everyone's got their issues. I don't know...
ZANE: God, anyone else of note? I'm loving this strain of conversation, who has had a crack...
DOMINIC: But you know, Feeder though we supported Feeder, and then they came and supported us in Australia once as well. They've always been friends of ours.
MATTHEW: We've always been very friendly with them. I'm not sure where that came from.
ZANE: Yeah, they're fantastic. Grant's a very nice man, I think.
DOMINIC: Not a lot of beef really. You know, we like to keep it nice and friendly.
ZANE: 'In the unlikely event that your house catches fire'...(we're on to the really positive uplifting questions now), this one from Loopy Lou, 'What items belonging to others would you save?'
MATTHEW: Belonging to others?
ZANE: Yeah, belonging to the others. Like I guess that's the twist of the question, like if you...I guess...what items belonging to the others would you save, if their house was on fire? There you go. So, what do you think would be important to you?
MATTHEW: What would I save of Dom's?
ZANE: What do you think would be important to Dom?
MATTHEW: I reckon Dom's definitely got a stash somewhere. I'm not into collecting stuff, but I know that he's got a stash of like old Gothic Plague posters and all that, like the bands we were in when we were young. I'm sure he has.
DOMINIC: Yes
MATTHEW: So I'd probably save like the stash of like early demos and flyers of the band.
ZANE: So you're the archivist in the band, do you think?
DOMINIC: I've got some bits and pieces, yeah, you know...
ZANE: Always a good retirement plan, that one...
DOMINIC: Initially, last night when we were at Jules, someone, (we met like a few of the fans after we played), they handed us a tiny little flyer from some gig we did in probably like 1992...
MATTHEW: I can't believe Chris's band was a headliner, like Fixed Penalty.
DOMINIC: And it's like a little list, Fixed Penalty, Gothic Plague...
MATTHEW: And we were supporting them...
ZANE: 'Fixed Penalty'...what an incredible band name...it's awful
DOMINIC: Some band called, Bagpuss Shot Kennedy. Great name.
ZANE: Wow.
DOMINIC: Yeah, that was early days. Yeah, I've got a few old bits and pieces.
ZANE: What would you save of Matt's?
DOMINIC: Ummm...his wine collection (laughs)
MATT: You make me sound a right twat or snob, now. I don't have a wine collection! What's he talking about?
ZANE: You remain in control (?) This thing can be done in...
MATTHEW: I don't have a wine collection, what are you talking about?
DOMINIC: Okay, uh...
MATTHEW: I've got about four bottles...
ZANE: Nice bottles though
MATTHEW: Very nice
DOMINIC: I'll wheel your piano out of the door
MATTHEW: That's all right. Just pick up the ???? yeah?
ZANE: You can do both, just chuck him on the top of the piano and wheel him out of the door. What about Chris, what's he particularly fond of, do you think?
DOMINIC: Well, he's actually got a really big old guitar
MATTHEW: Yeah, yeah, he's got some amazing vintage guitars. Yeah, I think he's got an amazing vintage...
ZANE: Vintage bass guitars, or normal guitars?
MATTHEW: Everything. Like their good guitars as well. I'd probably go for the Gibson Gold Top he's got I think.
DOMINIC: Yeah, he just goes crazy on E-BAY and buys all sorts.
ZANE: Can be play guitar, like a six string one?
MATTHEW AND DOMINIC: Yeah, yeah
ZANE: So he's an all rounder?
MATTHEW: Definitely. Yeah.
ZANE: All you guys really are ultimately
MATTHEW (ABOUT DOMINIC): He struggles a bit on the drums (laughs) Dom actually taught me guitar in the early stages.
ZANE: Really?
MATTHEW: Yeah, the first..the first....well, when I first learnt I could play side guitar, Blues stuff, and then I met Dom, and he taught me how to play power chords, man. And all that kind of stuff. And he taughr me like Ned's Atomic Dustbin, likr Kill Your Television, and that kind of thing.
ZANE: Oh dude...this has been such a great interview. I have enjoyed these revelations so much.
MATTHEW (about DOMINIC): He can play bass and guitar
DOMINIC: How long have we known each other now?
MATTHEW: Dom was like...Dom was like...kind of like the musical leader back then. He was like...Chris couldn't play the bass or the guitar either, and Dom was like...Dom was like, knew all the parts for Ned's Atomic Dustbin songs and taught us.
DOMINIC: Right, it goes like this guys...
MATTHEW (carrying on over him): We were fourteen...thirteen/fourteen at the time...you can forgive us.
ZANE: Yeah, but dude, thirteen or fourteen for you guys is around the time of very good music, there's no excuses, you know what I mean? It's not like...You are still going to be listening to Public Enemy.
MATTHEW: Senseless Things were probably my favourite band back then
DOMINIC: They were great for...
ZANE: Man, I was listening to good music at the time. I was lost somewhere...I was in New Zealand, probably listening to Grunge or the pre-cursers of Grunge.
DOMINIC: First year, we went a little a bit...well, we looked over to The States, for a bit of rock music, like Soundgarden, Pixies, Nirvana...
ZANE: There's a reformation I want back, Soundgarden. I'd be happy to see them back
MATTHEW: Definitely. Yeah.
DOMINIC: Are they coming back?
ZANE: I don't know. I hope so.
MATTHEW: Yeah, I think Chris Cornell has come back with back...
DOMINIC: Back from where? Back from that silly RNB album he made?
(LAUGHTER)
MATTHEW: I'm not saying he's come back, he needs to come back from...
ZANE: Club is closed, Bars closed, you need to get back to Seattle
MATTHEW: Great voice...great voice
ZANE: Yeah, one of the best...um guys, really good to chat with you. Thanks for stopping by and saying hello, and good luck with the record and the touring, we will see you...I guess I will see you on and off throughout the coming months and year and everything else, and um, yeah...nice one.
MATTHEW: Thanks a lot
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