06.03.2016 Muse

Lanxess Arena at Cologne (Germany)

The evening progressed, and by now, the sold-out Lanxess Arena was packed to the very last seat, with everyone eagerly awaiting the start of the headliner’s show. At 21:15, the lights finally went out, and to the sounds of Sergei Prokofiev’s "Dance of the Knights", the spectacle began. The intro transitioned into "Drones" from their latest album of the same name. As the song played, enormous illuminated spheres suddenly floated through the arena, gliding above the heads of the audience. After performing a sort of ballet, they aligned themselves above the stage, and Muse launched into "Psycho" with full force.
This was just the beginning of the visual extravaganza that was about to unfold. Multi-talented Matthew Bellamy began singing the first words, immediately joined by a choir of 19,000 voices, bouncing along with him. Beside him stood Chris Wolstenholme on bass, while Dominic Howard sat in the center behind his drums. The English band shone with their diverse musicality, each album embodying distinct thematic elements reflected in their style. Following their opening with newer material, they took a trip back in time with "Plug In Baby" from their 2001 album "Origin Of Symmetry", which sent the crowd into a frenzy. By the second half of the song, Bellamy barely needed to sing—the voices from the audience had completely drowned him out. As mentioned, visual elements played a massive role in the show. During "The Handler", enormous semi-transparent screens descended from the ceiling, displaying hands seemingly connected to the band with strings of light, as if controlling them like puppets, a truly breathtaking spectacle. The band celebrated the audience, and the crowd reflected that energy back. Bellamy and Wolstenholme repeatedly ran across the walkways toward the outer stage sections to ensure that everyone in the venue got a close-up experience, an exciting challenge and advantage of a 360° stage. With a nod to Jimi Hendrix’s "Voodoo Child", the band launched into "Supermassive Black Hole" from their 2006 album "Black Holes and Revelations", continuing their journey through their discography.
Their songs were constantly accompanied by projections and other mesmerizing effects. Bellamy’s impressive voice was in top form that evening, leading into a segment from their 2003 album "Absolution", featuring explosive tracks like "Apocalypse" and "Hysteria", interwoven with references to classics like AC/DC’s "Back in Black". The set came full circle, ending with "The Globalist" from their latest "Drones" album, before the band exited the stage for the first time, once again to the eerie sounds of "Drones".
However, this absence was brief, they returned for an encore featuring three songs. Besides "Take A Bow", Bellamy showcased his vocal prowess in "Mercy" once more. Finally, after nearly two hours, the show concluded with Ennio Morricone’s "Man With a Harmonica" intro, leading into the explosive fan favorite "Knights Of Cydonia". By this point, the audience was beyond control, celebrating with every last bit of energy they had left before the three musicians finally departed for good.
For me, it was an unforgettable evening where everything was just perfect: an incredible stage production with constant action both on stage and above the audience, an electrifying atmosphere, and the central stage placement making it an immersive experience. And, of course, the band delivered a well-balanced set with fantastic sound quality. It’s absolutely worth seeing them live, there’s no hesitation needed when deciding to attend a Muse concert.

Setlist:

Dance Of The Knights (Sergej Prokofiev Song)
Drones
Psycho
Plug In Baby (Extended Outro)
Dead Inside
Map Of The Problematique (Who Knows Who Riff + Rage Against The Machine's Maggie's Farm Riff Outro)
The 2nd Law: Isolated System (gekürzt)
The Handler
Supermassive Black Hole (The Jimi Hendrix Experience's Voodoo Child Intro)
Prelude
Starlight
Intro
Apocalypse Please
Munich Jam (Schnelles Ende)
Madness
Interlude
Hysteria (Led Zeppelin's Hearbreaker Riff + Earthquake's Riff + AC/DC's Back In Black Riff Outro)
JFK
Reapers
Time Is Running Out
Uprising (Extended Outro)
The Globalist
Drones (Reprise)