Muse

Biography

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Muse (1994-present): a Hard Rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, UK.

nglish rock band Muse formed in 1994. Today the band consists of its original membership of Matt Bellamy (lead vocals/guitar/keyboards), Chris Wolstenholme (bass guitar/backing vocals) and Dominic Howard (drums) all of whom met at Teignmouth Community College in the early 1990s.

It all started when guitarist Matt Bellamy successfully auditioned for drummer Dominic Howard's band, Carnage Mayhem, becoming its singer and songwriter. They renamed the band Gothic Plague. They asked Chris Wolstenholme, at that time the drummer for Fixed Penalty, to join as bassist; he agreed and took up bass lessons. The band was then renamed Rocket Baby Dolls and adopted a goth-glam image. After receiving a £150 grant from the Prince's Trust for equipment the band was set to play. But after a In 1994, local battle of the bands, smashing their equipment in the process, the members started to take their work seriously and worked on a fanbase eventually changing their name to Muse and quitting their jobs. The name Muse was chosen and was intended as a word reflecting the way mediums could summon up inspirational spirits at times of emotional need.

After working to build their fan base, Muse released their debut album, Showbiz (1999), showcasing Bellamy's falsetto and a melancholic alternative rock style. Their second album, Origin of Symmetry (2001), incorporated wider instrumentation and romantic classical influences and earned them a reputation for energetic live performances. Absolution (2003) saw further classical influence, with strings on tracks such as Butterflies and Hurricanes; the album would be the first of seven consecutive UK number-one albums for the group.

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Black Holes and Revelations (2006) incorporated electronic and pop elements, displayed in singles such as Supermassive Black Hole; the album offered the act wider international success. The Resistance (2009) and The 2nd Law (2012) explored themes of government oppression and civil uprising while making Muse a major stadium act. Topping the US Billboard 200, their seventh album, Drones (2015), was a concept album about drone warfare and returned to a harder rock sound. Simulation Theory (2018), prominently featured synthesizers while being influenced by science fiction and the simulation hypothesis. Their ninth album, Will of the People (2022), combined several genres and themes from their previous albums.

On 12 April, 2007 they played a one-off concert at the Royal Albert Hall, London in aid of the Teenage Cancer Trust.

During the recording of Muse's fifth studio album The Resistance, Wolstenholme checked into rehab to deal with his alcoholism.

It is also important to note that Morgan Nicholls (guitars/keyboards and synthesizers/backing vocals/samples/bass (2004, 2006-2022)), Dan "The Trumpet Man" Newell (trumpet (2006-2008)), Alessandro Cortini (keyboards/synthesizers (2009, substitute)) and Dan Lancaster (keyboards/synthesizers/guitars/percussion/backing vocals (2022-present)) have stepped in to augment the band during recordings and/or live over the years.

Muse have won numerous awards, including two Grammy Awards, two Brit Awards, five MTV Europe Music Awards and eight NME Awards. In 2012 they received the Ivor Novello Award for International Achievement from the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers and Authors. As of June 2016, they have sold over 30 million albums worldwide.

Footnote: 'Prince's Trust' is a charity established in the UK by then Prince Charles (as of September 2022, now King Charles III) to support needy youth.

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