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All fired up, Muse performed a hit-packed set with a visual to boot at Milton Keynes’ national bowl – the venues’ first concert in seven years.

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On the last Sunday of June, Muse played to 65,000 chartering a course to the resurgence of a “cultural icon” and emblem of UK live music, Milton Keynes’ Bowl in which it hosted it’s first show in seven years – with the last one taking place in 2016. Interestingly, only a year before had I managed to see Hawkins’ Foo Fighters at the same site. Sponsoring their latest post-apocalyptic warzone of rebelling against disproportionate power and toppling those in power, the band took 2022’s Will of the People with an impressive display of props from a mirrored and hoodied rebel to a gargantuan devil slick in red as his hands extended out from the stage. These lot don’t like to do things by halves, that’s for sure.

The foundation was laid for newcomers Compliance – a wall of seedy synths and Won’t Stand Down, an enigmatic powerhouse of heavy breakdowns and glitchy vocals; the easiest standout of the WOTP bunch. Equally, rock-stalwart Psycho went well into Bliss, a ’01 flashback to Origins that the crowd certainly welcomed. Tracks plucked from The Resistance still hold up with their sparkling tinge as Undisclosed Desires returns to the fold in what seems like years. The 2nd Law also got its moments in sun with both Madness and Isolated System getting a fair share of love, while we only saw two compiled from 2018 Simulation Theory in the form of euphoric Thought Contagion and The Dark Side, a moment squandered somewhat. Unsurprisingly, a treasure trove of Muse “Greatest Hits” was unleashed out onto a crowd of young and old as Hysteria, Uprising, Starlight, Plug in Baby and Supermassive Black Hole came spewing out one after another. It may have formed the pastiche of “dad rock” throughout their time – they’re treading on late’90s / early noughties after all – but it doesn’t mean it’s any less entertaining. Finally after a 25-track Hall of Fame runthrough, the big showstopper Knights of Cydonia finally got those dads in front of us to unfold their arms and actually move. You could say that it was a tearjerker moment. That’s exactly what a Muse show is all about. We make every effort for both my brother and my dad to see Muse every year, almost like a family tradition of sweat and mild tinnitus; as different generations are brought together for the frenzy of UK rock at its finest.

Clocking in at 4 hours since doors – with The Warning and “this is rock music” Royal Blood leading the follay for support – it was a mighty-fine “welcome back” for Milton Keynes’ Bowl into the world of live music and entertainment. With rock royalty of Queen and Oasis previously performing, you’d be quite silly to even dream up of stopping shows from happening at MK’s Bowl. It’s literally a ramen soup bowl of stir-crazy fanatics blended into a woozy flavour of musical dopamine. What on earth could possibly be better than that?

*I also didn’t take any photos because y’know, I like to live in the moment while at gigs, and not living vicariously through a screen.*

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If you were mildly disappointed with Muse’s tame offering of The Will of the People earlier in this year, you needn’t be feeling the same when it comes to MUSE Live…

Emphatically raw and powerful live, Muse have been trailblazing their own caustic path within live rock going on 20 years, and have no signs of moving aside for those up-and-coming young ‘uns. A set packed with a riptide of Muse Best Ofs interlaced with some of the new stuff – which surprisingly, pops off live – matched with a visually impressive magnitude of props, stage hands and pyrotechnics amassed into a highly suggestive performance that the three-piece were far from finished.

Their recent works may not play out right in recordings, but Muse have always been a band that will almost certainly show up for a good time live.

** Hey hey hey! You can also read our review of Muse’s latest HERE. **