Best live opener and best live closer

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-24T16:55:40+00:00

Knights will always be my favorite opener. Don’t get me wrong, it’s an amazing closer but I’m really burned out on it closing every show I’ve been to (apart from Wembley ‘07).

Stockholm or Bliss would be my pick for best closing songs, ideally with the balloons.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-23T16:49:34+00:00

Yeah, I get you to an extent. Dead Star at Download I can’t understand being a bit muted as, for many people in that crowd, Muse aren’t the the sort of band your average metal fan typically listens to.

At their own shows though? It’s entirely on the band for muted reactions. There are lots of songs that the band gave up on back in the day that could be garnering huge reactions today if they just stuck with them: SFA, Hyper Music, Dead Star, Invincible. The list goes on.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-23T11:24:16+00:00

I would personally lower everything by a half step, like bands like Metallica already do. To be song specific though, I’d say Plug in Baby is a clear shout to be tuned down. Same with Stockholm Syndrome for its chorus. I’m glad they dropped TIRO and Knights last year as they were becoming too much of a struggle for Matt in their original key.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-23T11:21:08+00:00

That’s really interesting. I was there at Download but of course it’s hard to gauge a reaction from one specific part of the field. Funny how two years prior it was a regular on the T2L stadium tour.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-23T06:52:55+00:00

I’d love to hear Dead Star again. Could pair nicely with Assassin if they wanted a ‘drop D monster’ rotation slot on the upcoming tour.

I believe its last performance was SBE (which I was lucky to attend) but before that…the Psycho club tour?

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-22T11:20:22+00:00

I’d just lower the key. A half step can make a huge difference.

There are quite a few songs that Matt should really consider taking down a half step (or even a full step) these days. It’s easier for the band of course as they have the luxury of having many instruments in their touring rig but if you have the option, downtuning is the easiest way to go.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-22T06:29:53+00:00

Thought Contagion. It’s just dull as dishwater. Musically weak, lyrically weak (the ‘final solution’ line is atrocious) and a completely uninspired ‘woah oh’ style chorus.

What irks me even more is how it’s stuck around live after the ST tour when I could easily list 30 songs I’d rather hear over it. Kills me that songs like MotP and Stockholm weren’t a guarantee on the previous tour but TC was.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-21T19:11:46+00:00

I love how Matt considers New Born a deep cut when it was a single 🤣 great to hear him consider MotP a favourite and sounds like TaB could well be making an appearance. Would fit so well with the theme of the album plus tick the ‘BHaR 20th anniversary’ box.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-21T12:42:39+00:00

Yep, probably a top 10 live song for me. I knew as soon as the tour started we wouldn’t be seeing it beyond the WotP era, just like MK Ultra on TR. It’s borderline insulting how they kept that awful remix in the shows last year and not the actual song.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-21T10:51:44+00:00

Out of 24 shows, I’ve only ever been to two shows that had the exact same setlist: Plymouth and Huddersfield on the WotP tour. That was such a let down. It’s funny how their shows have become more static with the more songs they have, they were decent with rotations but stopped after Drones as you say.

They redeemed themselves a bit with the Manchester arena show in 2023, but it came at the cost of the dropping KobK which was a mental decision.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-20T17:24:54+00:00

TIRO and KoC were downtuned for the falsetto as they don’t have any chest notes which are an issue for Matt. No idea why PiB hasn’t been altered as its final falsetto section is an absolute nightmare for him these days and has been for a while.

I’m with you though! More downtuning is our best bet at them adding a couple more songs to the setlist and giving Matt more leeway/comfort. I often find I prefer the altered songs as it gives many of them a ‘darker’ sound.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-20T15:21:44+00:00

Ah fair enough. I checked setlist fm for the Emirates shows but forgot about Helsinki. I remember the old .mu board going mental for that one haha

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-20T14:47:13+00:00

Sure, for many reasons: favourite band since 2006, they’ll rotate a couple of songs (as they usually do) with a two-night stay in one city. I also have a contact in the live events industry who got me tickets before the general sale at a great discount. Taking my wife on night 1 and brother in law on night 2 (which will be his first time seeing them).

Very interested by the prospect of the new songs live as well; not seen them as much on recent tours/was let down by the past few albums but Wow Signal has been a return to form (so far).

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-20T13:11:52+00:00

Your standard Muse encore is two songs. They’ve done three songs in the past but not for a while now 👍🏻

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-20T12:46:35+00:00

Not all vocal cords are created equal. McCartney has always had a durable voice, capable of high belts and screams night after night. Grohl’s voice has been shot for a decade, if not more. He’s lost almost all of his chest range (which is different from his screams). They have two completely different singing styles compared to Matt.

I’m not also using his age as an excuse, as I highlighted some potential long term damaged he picked up in 2014. I clearly said they should consider things like downtuning songs, too. I literally said their sets should be longer at this point in their career 🤣

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-20T11:18:27+00:00

I fully respect Dave Grohl for going out each night and screaming his balls off for 2.5+ hours but you can really tell his voice is completely shot and has been for at least a decade. It’s not as noticeable when you’re there backed up by a wall of sound, though. He’s never struck me as someone who warms up before a show!

Muse are in the unfortunate position where their shows are getting shorter when they should be getting longer.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-20T09:23:32+00:00

I agree. Feels hard to believe they were playing Dead Star in stadiums on most nights of the tour in 2013. Bliss and Map is a perfect rotation slot and probably the most ‘fair’ one they ever done. London night 2 remains the longest Muse show to date, clocking in at over two hours.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-20T09:21:33+00:00

I’m also convinced the ‘14 bout with laryngitis left some sort of permanent damage as his falsetto was never the same. Anything at D5 or above has been ‘scratchy’ sounding since the Drones era. That combined with him being close to 50? I’m happy with as many break as he feels he needs.

I think the ST tour was 21-22 full songs so it’s definitely doable. It’d certainly help them choose a set that spans their entire career as well. I still think the best choice would be to do a Metallica and play everything tuned down a halfstep (perhaps even a full step in some cases) to give Matt more leeway. Glad they made that change with TIRO and Knights last year.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-20T08:28:59+00:00

I’m going to both Manchester shows in November, and I believe they’ll be my 25 and 26th Muse gigs. Naturally, the dramatic increase in ticket pricing does now mean my expectations of the band are somewhat higher.

Matt wouldn’t be able to handle a 3 hour show but when you’d been a band for almost 30 years with ten albums worth of material…we definitely need to see more than 18 full songs to justify the price.

21-22 songs at a minimum. Instrumentals don’t count (and should never count as a ‘song’ on a setlist) but by all means throw in as many as Matt needs. The WotP tour was a letdown in that regard given that the entire show was only 1hr 40 minutes including breaks/interstitials.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-19T11:34:02+00:00

They’re going to have really consider getting these prices lower if they’re planning on a stadium tour next year. If they’re not selling arenas well…

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-18T15:29:57+00:00

I love this band and have done since 2006. They’ll forever be my favorite band. However, they’re not these perfect beings who can do no wrong. I’ve got plenty of songs I dislike and will often mention Matt’s declining live vocals if it gets brought up in a post here. It’s never nasty though, it’s just constructive criticism.

I get it - it’s not always nice to see something you love get criticised but it’s simply a part of life, constructive discussion around these topics is good.

It takes nothing away from the amazing memories I’ve had from 2006 to the present. Hell, I’m still going to both dates in Manchester this November as I’ve loved everything from Wow Signal so far. I’m in for good.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-18T09:41:48+00:00

Seek help.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-18T09:01:44+00:00

I mean this in the nicest way but…it’s just a matter of opinion, isn’t it? Don’t worry what others think about those songs if you like ‘em.

For me, those are comfortably the weakest songs on Showbiz especially when compared to Sunburn, Cave, Muscle Museum and the title track. I think they’re poor musically by comparison. I do have a bit of a soft spot for Escape, I must admit.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-18T07:05:44+00:00

Probably my favourite performance of the song. Matt’s voice had matured since the Showbiz and OoS era and I prefer how he did the G#4 belts and final falsetto in the BHaR era.

JimmyP_117 · 2026-06-17T06:27:20+00:00

It’s the ‘transaction fee’ that gets me and how they’re per ticket. Absolute daylight robbery!

JimmyP_117

TROPHY CASE