Muse 'Will of the People World Tour'

Muse:

It had been seven years since the last concert at Milton Keynes National Bowl, a venue which has hosted rock mammoths such as Queen, Oasis and Green Day, but on June 25th Muse fittingly placed their name amongst these all-time greats. The 65,000 strong crowd filled the amphitheatre, being treated to one of the best live productions you will ever see, a statement that has come synonymous with Muse overt the last 15+ years.

This career spanning set featured songs of all but one of their albums (the omission being debut album showbiz), including seven songs of newest album being toured 'Will of the People', being seamlessly tied together as Muse shows so often are, by themes of uprising and revolt. The show loosely followed the story of the most recent LP whereby a group of underground rebels are fighting tyranny in order to regain their freedom

Muse took to the stage wearing mirrored masks and hoods, an outfit which has frequently appeared throughout the promotion of their newest album 'Will of the People'. It was the title track of this album which Muse opened with, in front of a burning symbol used by the rebel characters in this album's story. The chanting style chorus meant crowd sing-alongs were possible from the start.

When you have a back catalogue with as many hits as Muse, you really can throw them out at any points, as shown by Hysteria's 
placement as the second song of the night. The iconic bass riff of Chris Wolstenholme sounds even better live and was greeted with a huge roar from the crowd. This crowd appreciation continued into 'Psycho' with the crowd chanting back
the infamous riff to guitar-genius Matt Bellamy. Bellamy then pre-warned the crowd we are taking a trip back 20+ years before beginning an epic performance of 2001's 'Bliss' that went down incredibly well with all fans, old and new.

Next up was 'Resistance', the track inspiring the title of Muse's fifth album, with a chorus that still sounds equally as huge 14 years later. It wasn't just the old songs that went down well, recent single 'Won't Stand Down was responded too with equal energy from the crowd. The songs heavy backing had all the crowd bouncing, with even a few pits opening up.

The Felsmann +Tiley Reinterpretation of 'Kill or Be Killed' playing though the PA system, providing a backing track to one of many 
stunning visual packages and allowing the crowd to have a brief break. This combined with the giant mask and hand of 'Will the Hacker' created quite the visual. 

This was short lived as Lead Singer Matt Bellamy immediately brought back the energy with their synth-based banger 'Compliance', 
before playing 'Thought Contagion', both of which have catchy, easy to learn choruses making every single person in The National Bowl singing along

We were then treated to a stunning performance of 'Verona, one of the only songs not to be released as a single in any form from the most recent album, and yet it's place in this setlist could not be more perfect. It was a soulful performance that you could not help but
stand back and admire. However, this standing quickly transitioned into dancing as Time is Running Out rang out, song that garnered yet another huge response from this capacity crowd. The dancing continued through 'Undisclosed Desires' and You Make Me Feel Like It's Halloween', before 'Madness' slowed things down with its ballad like sing-along choruses.

There were definite heavier themes across Muse's most recent album, with no song showing this more than 'We Are Fucking Fucked. Performed live the song had more pyro than most bands will use in their life, making you feel like you really were witnessing a last-ditch effort in an uprising

As was a constant theme throughout the set after a massive song which could have easily closed the set the pacing was brought right
back down to allow the audience to regather themselves, this time whilst watching Matt Bellamy masterfully work his way through an 
instrumental version of 'The Dark Side: Alternate Reality Version'.

The other constant theme throughout the set was if energy was purposely brought down for one song it was exploded back up for the
next, this time by monster performances of 'Supermassive Black Hole', 'Plug in Baby' and 'Uprising', all of which could have
conceivably closed the set; this privilege however was given to 'Starlight. All hands were in the air clapping along to Dom Howard's drum beat as the main-set finished

It was then encore time. Firstly, we had a riotous performance of 'Kill or Be Killed in front of a giant minitour, before Wolstenholme's Harmonica brought us into Knights of Cydonia. This had everyone who jumping, leaving the night to end as it started, with the Bowl Shaking!!

Royal Blood:

Walking into the National Bowl you'd have been excused for thinking this was a double headline show, or even Royal Blood were
the evening's main band, with the number of Royal Blood tops on show easily matching the number of Muse tops, a testament to the 
connection Royal Blood have with their fanbase.

As 'Love to Love You Baby' by Donna Summer rings out through the PA and Royal Blood take to the stage the huge queues in place for the Bowl's amenities were suddenly non-existent, with everyone taking their place in the crowd ready to hear the opening riff of 'Out of the Black'. This opening track was played with all the bold swagger we have grown to expect from Royal Blood, however the extended outro
allowed both Mike Kerr (Lead Singer/Bassist) and Ben Thatcher (Drummer) to really flex their musical muscles.

The duo then followed up with another one of their big hitters 'Come on Over' which proved a huge, pits opened, arms were in the sky and everyone in the crowd was moving. 'Boilermaker", the tongue-in-cheek hit from their most recent record, was the next song played. This more easy-going song provided an opportunity for the crowd to take a step back and appreciate the brilliance that was unfolding in front of
them, before 'Lights Out immediately re-sparked the energy and movement into the crowd

'Troubles Coming' was played next, one of the more recognisable songs for those less familiar with the band. It provided an easy 
opportunity for audience involvement, with a sea of hands clapping flowing across the Bowl. A riotous performance of newest single 'Mountains at Midnight would then reassure any doubters that whatever direction Royal Blood are taking next; it will be brilliant. This is brilliant to see with the bands next album 'Back to the Water Below' being released this September.

The new music didn't last long as the next song 'Little Monster' provided yet another trip back to Royal Blood's 2014 self-titled album, a 
record which sounds as fresh today as it did 11 years ago, especially when played live. This track proved a firm favourite, with crowd loudly chanting the bass riff back to Mike. It wasn't just Mike getting the adoration however as an extended drum-solo ending provided 
another opportunity for Ben Thatcher to show why he is one of the best in the modern rock game. Ben's solo flawlessly transitioned the band into 'How Did We Get So Dark?, the title track from the bands second studio album.

The duo then briefly stopped the music for a moment to say how appreciative they are to have the opportunities they do and express how crazy it is that they are now on the same line-up as one of their biggest inspirations. Royal Blood closed their set with an electrifying 
performance of arguably their biggest hit Figure it Out reinforcing them as a must-see band!

This set was 45 minutes of unadulterated chaos in the best possible way. Royal Blood seamlessly worked through their back catalogue showing why they are as big as they are now, whilst displaying new music that shows they are not slowing down any time soon.

A lot is said for how incredible it is that two musicians can make as much noise and as many different tones as Royal Blood can, and 
having seen them five times myself now, I am still amazed by it.

I first saw Royal Blood back in 2015 when they supported Foo Fighters in the very same venue, and today's performance was a far cry from the two men who walked on the stage feeling they desperately had to prove their worth eight years ago (despite that performance still being incredible). Today they are a self-assured band who will not be pushed in any directions other than the ones they chose, and this confidence and decisiveness have made them the modern greats they are

The Warning:

The Warning were recently described by us as 'The future of rock', but after seeing them live it has become so obvious that even our high praise was selling them short.

The trio, made up of sisters Alejandra, Daniela and Paulina, took to the stage as a slight unknown for many in attendance, but left as clear future headliners who looked perfectly at home playing to a crowd of tens of thousands.

Opening song 'Z' provided the perfect opener for the group with its 'building-up' style intro immediately displaying the groups' masterful musical ability, complemented by the grunge-inspired vocals of lead singer Daniela. 'MORE' followed, providing an energetic riotous 
anthem for the crowd to really pick up, before my favourite from the night 'CHOKE' was played, being greeted by a rapturous response from the whole of the National Bowl

The trio then took a brief break to take in the respect and adoration the crowd were giving them. Daniela took this opportunity to show off her new Manson guitar gifted to her by Muse's Matt Bellamy, showing The Warning's appreciation for this well- deserved opportunity, and the brilliant relationship that has formed between both bands during this tour

Daniela then took this guitar for a test drive with a ripping performance of 'MONEY', which was quickly followed by the groups original take on Metallica's 'Enter Sandman that was originally recorded in collaboration with Alessia Cara for 'The Metallica Blacklist album.

The Warning proceeded through their set with high-energy renditions of 'ERROR', 'DISCIPLE' before closing with their anthemic hit 'EVOLVE'. This marked the last of their support slots for Muse and what a legacy they are leaving behind. I have no doubt that in a few years The Warning will be world-beaters.