We are not AMused!

 

Two decades of Jools Holland's Later were celebrated with a show which included Muse and Public Image Limited's first appearance for twenty years. PiL's John Lydon, the former Sex Pistol, reckoned when being interviewed in his dressing room  that 'Muse amuse...they look like shaved gerbils'. Now could this be Lydon trying to be controversial as usual, or just simple sour grapes, as Muse are everywhere nowadays.

Not only have they headlined Glastonbury, won Brit, Kerrang!, NME, Q, MTV and Grammy awards, recently they carried the Olympic flame in their home town of Teignmouth in Devon, and their song 'Survival' was the official song of the Olympics, which they played at the Olympics closing ceremony.  

But their eighteen years have not been without controversy. In 2002 they threatened to sue Celine Dion when she was about to use their name for her Las Vegas show, and they rightly didn't want to be mistaken as her backing band! The following year they successfully sued Nestle for using their 'Feeling Good' in an ad without permission, and the money was donated to Oxfam. However, a Virgin Airways tv ad featured the song, presumably legitimately, in 2011.

So how do Muse see themselves? An early name was 'Gothic Plague', and just before coming Muse  they were  ' Rocket Baby Dolls', with a goth/glam image. The new shorter name was chosen because singer  Matthew Bellamy felt he had 'summoned up' the band, like a medium does spirits. Their 2006 album, 'Black Holes and Revelations', was inspired by their political outrage and interest in sci-fi and the latest album, 'The 2nd Law', is out in the UK on Monday 1st October (tour to follow) and was according to Matt inspired by listening to Jeremy Paxman talking on tv about the Euro crisis. So not quite the furry rodents Lydon thinks they are.......