Muse, V Stage, V festival, August 16th

Muse were in majestic form at V festival,on August 16th

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Monday, 18, Aug 2008 03:48

inthenews.co.uk's Lewis Bazley and Rob Wheatley find that the Devon three are untouchable in person.

Kings of Leon are probably the best band in the world at the moment, but in the live arena, it's the Teignmouth trio of Matt Bellamy, Dom Howard and Chris Wolstenholme who are streets ahead, combining a mighty sonic wall with a mesmeric light show the likes of which you've never seen before.

And when such a spectacle is backing a band on such world-beating form - as it did at V 2008 - it's hard to melt away from the crowd without feeling a little bit changed.

Supermassive Black Hole epitomised its name with thunderous intent while Howard's drums pounded with the fury of Valhalla and there's a temptation to check that such a monumental sound is being made by three men alone.

Hysteria was heartstoppingly good, as lasers, smoke and robots lifted the show out of the realms of rock concert and into Beijing opening ceremony territory, before the ludicrously-talented Bellamy indulged in Hendrixesque guitar wanking prior to Time Is Running Out, which rumbled like a terrible psychic trip.

An appropriately ethereal Starlight kicked off an exhausting encore and only if the Devon threesome had been granted their wish to have a UFO land on stage could this performance have been more impressive.

With the theme to Once Upon a Time in the West, Ennio Morricone's crowning achievement, used to usher in a rendition of Knights of Cydonia that epitomised everything great about Muse live, the Chelmsford crowd left exhilarated, energised and safe in the knowledge that they could put a tick on the list of 'bands to see before you die'.

Lewis Bazley and Rob Wheatley

Check out their Wembley Stadium rendition of Supermassive Black Hole below: