MUSE - "By Request" Intimate Show

When I knew I will be studying in the UK, one of my bucket-list is to watch MUSE live in concert. By the time I got here, I never heard they would start their UK tour. Yea they haven't released any new songs as well. But after several months, they finally released a new single called Dig Down (which I do not really like), and they announced that they will play in Leeds (25 August 2017) and Reading Festival (27 August 201). In terms of location, Reading is much closer, so I immediately bought the ticket. Weeks later, They suddenly announced that they will play a London Benefit show. That means that the benefit from this show (19 August 2017) will be given to raise funds for homeless people at The Passage. Interestingly, this gig will only play "by request" tracks from fans who have the tickets. I WAS SO THRILLED OMG!! I would let go my Reading Fest ticket if I got this Intimate Show ticket-pass!! FYI, the date of Reading Fest is very near from my Dissertation Project deadline so it would be great if I just watch this special show. At first, I lined up on the ticket webpage for pre-sale, but didn't get it at all. I missed it as they were sold out in less than 3 mins! I had to wait until they sell it in normal time, but still I need to hurry and be very lucky as the venue is intended for 2000 ticket holders only. My second chance had come. After struggling from the first minute,  I finally got the ticket YAY. However, you can't choose whether you'll get a seat or standing ticket (it's a chance by luck only). And the tickets were sold out too in less than 30 mins. When I know I already got the ticket, I sold my Reading Festival ticket through Viagogo.

Ticket holders can submit up to 10 tracks of their own setlist and muse will play (eventually) 18 most selected songs. They sent me the code to submit my request a few days later. In case you wanna know my request: Futurism, Nature_1, Microcuts, Eternally Missed, Fury, Citizen Erased, Reapers, Do We Need This, Butterfly and Hurricanes, and Stockholm Syndrome. I actually wanna vote for Hyper Music as well, but the system didn't let me if I already chose Do We Need This. And my number 1 fav track is actually In Your World, but it's not available on the list. Seriously, most bands don't often do stuff like this, they normally hold big concerts to promote their current album only. Off course hardcore fans wouldn't miss this chance to submit some rarities.

I was this close

As the venue is at O2 Shepherd's Bush London, I went by bus from Coventry after lunch time. As I got there, I spent a bit time in a mall near there and I lined from 4 pm. When I was in queue, Dom Howard appeared to greet the fans. OMG I couldn't even take good quality photos of him (cries). After Dom left, Matthew Bellamy appeared. This time he was really close to me but there were many stronger and taller fans near me so I couldn't force them to move just to ask for a single selfie :((. I was devastated but yeah I was all alone there so I could only went back to my line, waiting for the gate to open. I thought the show would start at 7 pm, turned out that's the opening gate time. I need to buy another bus ticket as I already bought earlier bus ticket. After the gate opened, I bought an official t-shirt merchandise and went straight to the level 2 seating area (that's where I got my seat). I still need to wait for more than 1 hour until the band starts. This is where my heart started to pound. Tom Kirk (forever best friend and a road manager) always updated muse's instagram so I kept being updated with the information before the show. He said that there would be some rarities and old songs OMG. He also streamed the whole show via instagram live.

Before the show begins

Before the band starts, a guy from The Passage was giving speech saying thank you for muse to be involved in this charity matter. Approx 10-20 mins later, the band finally showed up. They came with the first song, Assassin (Extended version). As there were only hardcore fans in this building, they were all like singing the extended lyrics when muse play the outro. This track was first played again since 2007. The whole O2 Shepherd's Bush were ecstatic when they played Deadstar afterwards. This one's also every muser's favourite rarity. Everyone had bet that this must be played in this show haha. The next one is Muscle Museum. I was quite surprised this one's gonna be played. Not really my fav but this is one of muse's legacies. We got a heart attack once again. Easily. Yes that one had never been played before. The band also said that probably they won't play this again. This one is from Starlight's single. Not everyone's cuppa tea, but such a rare memory to witness this track is being played by them. To add the surprise effect, they were also playing Glorious. OMG this song is rarely brought, they sometimes played this in Japan but this time they specially brought to this intimate show. Last time they played it was in 2005, even before the track was released. It is a bonus track from Black Holes and Revelations (Japan version). Now I know why this stage was named an intimate show. You would definitely sing along although the rarest song was played during the show and wouldn't hear any beats like Starlight or Time is Running Out. The next one is Butterfly and Hurricanes. This is a unique one although they played it in Jakarta circa 2007. This song always has that magic, particularly when Matt played the piano part. The next one is my favorite song ever. Maybe you can guess if you know me from a long time haha. Yepp, Citizen Erased. This beautiful 7:19 min song, the only track with 7-string guitar, combining psychedelic and rock together in different parts, and is also included in the best ever album of muse, Origin of Symmetry. As I was born in 7:19 (July 19th), this song has always been on the list as my favorite (hahah). Nevertheless, I often feel (like most of the time) that I wanna be a citizen erased. I never like being a center of attention, and better get erased than being present but get abandoned. Yeah, just skip that part of my mumbling haha. After they tore our hearts with such mind-blowing tracks, they had a break by playing Munich Jam. It's so typical, but we never get bored to that tune though. They continued again with Showbiz. OH MY GOD. This is the best track ever, EVER in Showbiz, their very first album. I always get carried away with this song, not to mentioned in this show. They closed it with Ashamed outro, making this tune even more majestic. Additionally, this is the first time they played it again since 2006. They also played Fury after showbiz. Ughhhhh so many good quality, heart-melting, and such memorable yet touching songs they played for us. I don't think the audience will sing along like this if muse brought these kind of songs in their regular tour. Interlude was then heard slowly, we kinda knew that they might play Hysteria. This time I saved my energy by not really sing along. Turned out I recorded this one as a video that I only fully recorded from my cam-phone. They continued with the classic New Born. This one was played as well in Jakarta back in 2007. They still have that vibes thou with Agitated outro for a closure. The last one (before the band came out with encores) was Yes Please. This track is one of a kind from Hullabaloo (the album dedicated for fans who demand rarities). This one came with Reapers outro (a song which I voted but did not came out).

They turned back to backstage without any words and We all knew that this was sort of code for encore. After several minutes, they returned and greeted us again. They said that the next one is a song that they never thought would be much voted by us. Turned out they played Sing for Absolution. Yeah I never thought as well they would bring it up to the stage. They also played Plug In Baby, a masterpiece from Origin of Symmetry. The next one is unbelievable. A song that I loved so much when I was really really an alay hardcore fan (lol), Futurism! I once told Matt during a press conference in Jakarta (you can read my story here) that it was my fav song of all time. I am so lucky to have this gig in my life. Thank you scholarship, I wouldn't experience this if I didn't get you hahah. Then Chris started with his harmonica playing A Man With a Harmonica intro. Fans normally would have guessed which song that will be played after this melody. Yes, Knights of Cydonia. This must be the very last track they're gonna bring. We, fans, always have that goosebumps whenever this song is played during the concert. It is always a best closing, although when in Jakarta they put it as an opening. I never wanted this show to be over but it should have been. We all then scattered from the building, and waited outside near the fence, waiting for the band to greet us. After 30-40 mins waiting, they did not show up. I decided to go home as the latest bus will leave in a half hour. 

O2 Shepherd's Bush London

For me, this show has the best setlist EVER (call me lebay but I cried during Showbiz & Citizen Erased) compared to 2 muse concerts I've seen previously (Jakarta, 2007 and Singapore, 2015). However, I still have a project dissertation to be done, so I needed to go back to Coventry as soon as possible, and missed Leeds and Reading festival as the dates are not possible to attend. Moreover, I still wish to have more concerts of my #1 fav band in the future. This show is definitely scores 10 out of 10 (although with no confetti at all).