Another round of Muse? Sure, why not…

Clink Postings

That morning, I walked throughout the kitchen and lobby looking for Amethyst. The kitchen was not only packed with people… it was packed with people wearing Muse shirts, engaging in conversations about Muse. Even the tiny bulletin board in the lobby was littered with Muse-related fliers, soliciting last-minute ticket trades.

Eventually, Amethyst and I found each other in the lobby and together with her friend and coworker, Isaac, walked to a small eatery near King’s Cross station. It wasn’t too far from the shop I sat in front of my first morning in London, keeping my nausea in check while listening to some locals in conversation. Amethyst and I had omelets, while Isaac had a more distinctive English breakfast that included beans and I think black pudding.

Brunch

We talked about our plans for the day as we dug into our brunch. Amethyst and Isaac were sightseeing in the afternoon but they had general admission tickets this time (they had reserved seats the night before). Since Lisa, Liz and I decided the night before that we would try to score unreserved seats so we could take photos and get a good view, I’d save the two of them seats with us.

We went back to the hostel after brunch to get ready and split ways. I think Liz, Lisa and I went to The Rocket with everybody but for only maybe an hour because we caught the tube together around 1pm-ish. It was still early but we wanted to make sure we got good seats since they were unreserved.

When we got to the Wembley Park station, there were notices advising passengers to buy their return tickets in advance since there would be a repeat of last night’s jampacked-ness. Lisa, who was still ticket-less (for the concert) at this point, went off to go find the person she got in contact with to buy one.

There were already a ton of people lined up on the giant ramps leading to the gate. They were lined up maybe 10 people wide. We quickly realized it was a Saturday so more people were able to queue longer, though it was pretty pointless if they were going for standing in the pitch, considering the size of the stage. We actually hoped they were all going for standing spots so we could have a chance at unreserved seats.

Liz and I sat/stood in line for about two-and-a-half hours, hoping Lisa would come back with a ticket. It was the longest two-and-a-half hours ever, and we had been in line for other shows much longer than that. In the meantime, we tolerated the security’s occasional re-sectioning and compacting the line—when they’d tell people to move forward every now and then. The sky was gloomy, the asphalt still damp from the earlier rain.

Finally, we were let in and the huge line started moving. Lisa still hadn’t come back and we were worried. We speed-walked to the closest unreserved section on the right side of the stage. We sat down in the second row—perfect view. We saved seats for Lisa, Amethyst and Isaac.

Lisa texted me shortly after we got our seats and said she wasn’t able to find the person she was looking for! Now we were anxious. It wouldn’t be the same without Chief with us! Lisa eventually met up with us; she ended up finding a ticket from someone else. Later, Amethyst and Isaac found us. We walked to the other side of the stadium and up the stairs to get some food. Along the way, Amethyst ran into some friends.

Jazz Hands?

Armed with fish and chips, we waited until it was time for the opening acts: I Am Arrows, White Lies and Biffy Clyro. We spotted and laughed at a random guy dancing to the music the stadium was broadcasting. He was busting out some MJ moves. We also caught our friends in the crowd raising their hands and wiggling their fingers. I think they were trying to get someone’s attention.

It was a lot of fun watching most of the stadium sing along to White Lies and Biffy. Between Biffy and Muse, a video about human trafficking set to “MK Ultra” in its entirety (and sponsored by MTV, of all things) played on the screens. I assumed this meant the band wouldn’t play “MK Ultra” but they later proved me wrong.

Then of course Muse came on. A staged protest opened the show into “Uprising” again. This might sound cheesy, but when the heavens opened and the rain came down right when the instrumental break started, it was quite magical. The timing was impeccable.

Skip to 4:53 for the rain/instrumental break

A few absolute delights that made this night better than the previous night: “Bliss,” “Citizen Erased,” “Ruled by Secrecy” and “MK Ultra.” Some would later say that night one was for the noobs and night two was for the diehards.

“Bliss”

It was also nice to have an unobstructed view this time. We were lucky to get the best of both worlds of concert viewing spread out between the two nights: I like being able to see the band on stage, but I also love the physical and visceral experience of being in the crowd.

“Knights of Cydonia,” the usual set closer, was our signal for us to make our way out of the stadium and beat the rush to the tube station. As we were walking to the gate, though, it just felt so wrong for us to leave prematurely, so we walked back to the top of the steps and watched Muse and the crowd put in their all in the final song. This was, after all, the last time we were seeing Muse in possibly a long time.

As soon as the last note resonated through the stadium, we turned back toward the gate and sped-walked/ran to the tube station. There were others who were doing the same. We weren’t stuck in the human traffic jam from the night before and made it to the station relatively smoothly. We journeyed back to our hostel room and went to sleep. It was three days of go, go, go, and we were spent. But it wasn’t over yet…

September 10, 2010

If I remember correctly, we had a late start. I don’t even remember if I had breakfast. I just remember taking pictures of the Herp Factory’s bunk, which we treated as a crime scene; no one wanted to be near it.

The Herp Factory

Muser Takeover

We walked over to The Rocket in Euston for another one of our Muser meetups there. Had a big burger, chips and Sprite. Our massive group took over the jukebox and played all kinds of music, from Muse—cue groans and sing-alongs during “Feeling Good”—to Britney Spears—cue cheers during “Baby One More Time.” SO funny. We had a sing-along at our table during “Knights of Cydonia” and cracked up as Chris nailed Bellamy’s falsetto. After staying there for a couple of hours, Liz, Lisa and I were getting antsy so we headed to the tube station and made our way to Wembley.

When we arrived, we checked out the merch booths. I got a couple of shirts for myself and my sister, as well as a program. We walked up the biggest ramp ever toward our gate, went to another booth and got drinks, and walked back toward the gate. We spotted a megaphone resting on the ground and couldn’t resist mocking Bellamy, his megaphone and “Feeling Good.”

No es bueno

“No es bueno!” cried Lisa, as she picked up the megaphone for pictures. The security team that was in a huddle nearby didn’t seem to care that we were messing with their megaphone. Good ’cause hey, they left it there. Lisa and Liz reiterated a sign they had made for another show the year before: “Mr. Bellamy, if you have a heart, don’t play ‘Feeling Good’!” After posing with the megaphone and finishing our drinks, we made our way through the gates.

Seeing Wembley Stadium in person is almost indescribable. It is an architectural spectacle; we could already see the stadium’s arch several stops before Wembley. Now that we were inside, it was mind-blowing. The majestic, trademark arch; the red seats; the sheer size of it; Muse’s massive, triangular stage. We stood near a beverage booth (on the left if you’re facing the stage), took it all in, chatted and drank beer.

Everything was falling into place. We were inside Wembley Stadium.

Wembley Stadium

Inside Wembley Stadium

Wembley at last

White Rabbits took the stage at 6pm. I had missed part of their set at KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas the previous December, so I was glad to catch them again. They received a lukewarm reception from the crowd; we bopped along to the music. At the end of White Rabbits, we realized the rest of the group was maybe 20 feet in front of us. We made our way through and joined them!

Foreign ladies

We made fun of The Big Pink. They aren’t a favorite with Muse fans; some of us said they should just play “Dominoes” and GTFO. Then a pregnant Lily Allen came onstage and we sung along—if I’m not mistaken, even the guys.

After Lily finished, the tension was mounting for Muse. We sang along to Muse’s pre-show playlist while laughing in wonderment and disgust at the makeshift condom balloons floating through the stadium.

Finally, the time had come. MUSE! At this point, the stadium was PACKED. The show was sold out.

Stage and arch

Singing along

We watched as the show started with a pretend protest, then Muse came onstage. We bounced along to “Uprising” as the bass surged through our bodies. At some point during the gig, a guy in front of us was delighted how “into it” we all were—we sang along to all the songs, whether we loved them, liked them or didn’t care much for them. But then at one point, he carried his buddy over his shoulders for a better view/better video/better photos. Chris pushed the guy and scolded them for being inconsiderate.

Moments of cheese: We moaned yet sang along when “Feeling Good” came on. We also moaned yet sang along when “Neutron Star Collision” (of Twilight/Eclipse fame) came on. Lisa in particular turned her back to the stage, crossed her arms and said, “I want to go home!” Some rude English chick who overheard her muttered, “Then go home.” >:( “Guiding Light,” forever associated with the Herp Factory, was also played, complete with what turned out to be “salty” confetti. (Someone on the board later claimed to have tasted the confetti and could not get rid of the taste. It was so ridiculous, it had to have been a joke.)

Muse onstage

The treat that night was finally seeing “Butterflies and Hurricanes” live—that piano solo. The UFO acrobat during “Exogenesis” was also breathtaking. The sing-along for “House of the Rising Sun” was magical. No vocals from Bellamy; just the other 90,000 people who were there (at least the ones who knew the words). Muse performed on a portion of stage that floated above the pitch crowd for “Undisclosed Desires”—the only time we could even attempt to take pictures of them. “Plug In Baby” is always fun, especially with the balloons. I briefly played tug of war with someone for a balloon shrapnel… and won.

Undisclosed Desires

Muse busted out their usual set closer, “Knights of Cydonia.” Brian and his friends helped start a circle pit right behind us. We all jumped, sang, raised our fists and put in the last of our energy. My legs were weak and I was out of breath—and, oh yeah, I was still sick, as was Aurora and others—but we couldn’t stop then!

90,000 people moving to and singing with the same band. Incredible. Seeing it on DVD is one thing. Being there is something else entirely.

Tom Kirk

Human traffic

After the show, we made our way toward the soundbooth and saw/briefly chatted with Tom Kirk, Muse’s close friend and media manager, again. We left the stadium toward the tube station and got caught in the biggest traffic jam of people I’ve ever been in. Eventually, we made it to the tube station. We didn’t realize until later that we had caught the last train back to King’s Cross. Phew. We stood (and eventually sat) like sardines in a tin in mostly silence. We were exhausted.

When we got to King’s Cross, we headed for… McDonald’s. LOL. SO glad for the food and drink, though. We hung out in the hostel’s “living room”—the Clink hostel used to be a prison so it actually was a courtroom—and ate. There, we ran into Amethyst, who I met in Texas. While King Kong played on the overhead TV, Amethyst sat with us in the jury booth and talked about their trip plans; she and her coworker/friend were only there for the weekend so they were cramming in sightseeing the next day, before Muse night two.

Finally, we all went to bed. It must have been 3am. Another night of Muse to follow…

You must be somewhere in London
You must be loving your life in the rain.
- The National, “England”

I’ve traveled half the world to say
You are my muse…
- Muse, “I Belong to You (Mon Coeur S’ouvre À Ta Voix)”

I only spent a week in England, so I didn’t enjoy my life in the rain—though it did rain for most of the trip. And I didn’t exactly tell my favorite band Muse that they were my muse… because a) the odds of meeting them again were close to nil and b) that’s just stupid cheesy like the song that quote came from. But back in September, those were two lyrics that occasionally went through my head as I traveled half a world away from Hawai‘i to England.

Muse tickets

With Liz and Lisa in Wembley

I traveled to England along with hundreds, maybe thousands, of other Muse fans to see them at Wembley Stadium. At the hostel my friends and I stayed at, there were so many people speaking in different languages and accents. Judging from all the Muse shirts, there was one uniting factor.

Historically, Wembley Stadium has been the mecca for football (uninformed Americans, that’s soccer) fans. Wembley seems to have become something of a mecca for Muse fans, too. As we fans know, this isn’t the first time they played two consecutive, sold-out shows there. June 16 and 17, 2007, marked the UK rock trio’s first set of shows at the stadium, establishing them as the first band to sell out the renovated stadium. Their feat is documented in the live album/DVD, HAARP.

Sometime between the spring and September, I decided that this would also be the last time I would travel to see Muse live. (Well. At least for a very long time.) Wembley was the big sendoff.

———

Of course, the entire trip wasn’t about Muse. If anything defined this trip, it was illness. The morning I arrived in London was a cool, gray one—of course! After an hour on the Tube, I arrived at King’s Cross. Shortly after attempting to check in at the hostel—I arrived five hours too early—I felt sick to my stomach. It was the start of what would be the worst infection I’ve had in recent memory, the first of my friends to get sick, and the beginning of illness-related inside jokes.

I walked the 10 minutes back toward the train station and bought some Sprite and Ritz crackers—so unabashedly American. I mean there I was, sitting in front of a shop, across the street from the majestic St. Pancras station, nibbling on Ritz and sipping Sprite. Right in front of me, a couple of middle-aged Cockney guys were having a decidedly British breakfast—baked beans and toast—while they talked about a weekend fishing excursion.

St. Pancras Station

A random elderly woman, a passerby, stopped where the guys were sitting and started chatting with them. That moment of seeing strangers engaged in conversation as though they’d known each other their whole lives felt so familiar… so Hawai‘i… despite the fact that I was in a foreign country, half a world away. And the fact that they had thick Cockney accents.

I felt that oddly familiar feeling when we traveled to Teignmouth after the Muse concerts. Being on the beach, no matter where you are, does that to you. But more on that part of the trip, and the Muse shows, later.

Then a tornado hit. I’m taking that as a sign to continue chronicling my travels on my sorely neglected blog, so I can write about events that are more… current.

So back to where we left off: the film and music portions of South by Southwest in Austin, TX.

SXSW Film: March 12-20

I didn’t get the opportunity to catch very many films, but I made it a point to see several documentaries, one of which was Under Great White Northern Lights, a film about The White Stripes and their Canadian tour that I previously blogged about. You can read about my takeaways from that film there.

The Radiant Child, about artist Jean-Michel Basquiat, was a film my late friend Justin was also interested in seeing. The Sunday before he passed, Justin reminded me to tell him my thoughts on this film after seeing it. Well Justin… it was fascinating to see rare footage of Basquiat in action, and tragic to see and hear about his life spiral downwards to his eventual passing. And I loved the film’s opening credits… interview outtakes and manic footage of Basquiat paired with “Salt Peanuts” as the soundtrack.

The screening was on the last Saturday of the festival, and I’m so glad I fought off festival fatigue to see it. Director Tamra Davis, an old friend of Basquiat’s (and yeah, Mike D’s wifey) was on hand for a Q&A session, too.

I also attended a live interview with Michel Gondry, the man behind films like Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind (one of my favorites) and music videos from Björk, Beastie Boys, The White Stripes, and Foo Fighters. The following night, I saw his film The Thorn in the Heart, which chronicles the life of his aunt Suzette in the French countryside. Though the subject matter was nonfiction, some of his whimsical filmmaking found its way onto the screen.

SXSW Music: March 17 (more from Music to come)

SXSW Music kicked off on St. Patrick’s Day, which is brilliant timing—as though SXSW wasn’t occasion enough for revelers to hit up Austin’s pubs. That day, I caught word through Twitter that Broken Bells was doing a free, open-to-the-public, AOL-sponsored gig at the parking garage across from Stubb’s BBQ. Not knowing where else to go with my SXSW pass-less friend Stefanie, we made our way over there. We had just eaten gyro sandwiches for lunch, but as we stood in line in the afternoon sun, an Ice Cream Man truck pulled to the curb. What perfect timing!

The funny part was after the gig, it hit me that Broken Bells was on the National Public Radio showcase lineup, which I was attending, so I ended up seeing them twice the same day. I wasn’t sure how I felt about that. They had a few good songs, but they’re not a band I was extremely enthusiastic about seeing twice.

Obviously, the highlight for me that night at the NPR showcase wasn’t Broken Bells. Neither were Visqueen or The Walkmen, who are fine bands. And though I (and many other people there, I assume) was there for headliners and Austin locals Spoon, the performance that really got us pumped was Sharon Jones and the Dap-Kings. Da-yum. Her moves. Her energy. Her voice. Their music. So much power. You had to have been there to feel the reciprocated energy from the crowd that night. We loved her.

I’m so glad I got this moment on camera. That fan was standing a few people behind me and so enthusiastic, no wonder Sharon brought him onstage! I hope he finds this video!

Broken Bells’ set list of songs was in the exact order they appear on their one and only album, so as we were waiting for Spoon to come on, the guy next to me on the barrier, a big Spoon fan, sarcastically said that Spoon better play the entire Kill the Moonlight record in order or he’ll leave.

Spoon came onstage about a quarter after midnight. I didn’t care if my feet hurt from standing all night. We were seeing, swaying, and singing along with Spoon in the flesh.

A comment from SXSW that will always bug me
A few days later on the shuttle to the convention center, this guy told me how he loved Broken Bells but thought Spoon was trying too hard to sound like Radiohead. Really? Did you just namedrop Radiohead just to make yourself sound smart? Because I don’t know about you, but either he had his bands confused, or was just straight-up confused. Because Spoon sounds nothing like Radiohead. They sound like… Spoon. Quality poppy-funky-indie-rock goodness.

More, ahem, “musings” from SXSW Music to come…

Related photos: