The article focused on the bands tendency to take us to outer dimensions and undiscovered universes which shines through their craftsmanship, albeit on stage, in print or when pen is put to paper. Take for example artist William Eager whose work appears on the cover of the bands 2001 album, ‘Orgin of Symmetry’ which shows strange looking rugby posts on a deserted, undiscovered planet. The image is recreated on stage tonight at this year’s Reading Festival for the band’s only live performance this year, unless the pedantic among you care to count their former headline set two nights ago in Leeds. Of course in Matt Bellamy’s idiosyncratic mind we wouldn’t be surprised if he believed both concerts are being played at the same time in a parallel universe.
The set is broken into two segments, the first sees Matt, Chris and Dom play Orgin of Symmetry in its entirely before taking us through their twisted and elaborate journey of classic tracks which have established them to become one of today’s biggest alternative rock bands of the past few decades.
Before the red curtain is raised we hear the intro speech from Tom Waits, relating to noisy neighbours in America which repeats the question, ‘What’s he building in there?’ after which we are confronted by the bands stage creation and the opening chords to ‘New Born’.
The eleven tracks, featuring ‘Plug In Baby’, ‘Citizen Erased’ and ‘Feeling Good’ are back dropped by mind-boggling films which take us to Roxy disco, glide us through London landscapes invaded by flying extra terrestrial bats and contaminated breakfast cereal packets whilst the arena is plagued by inflatable bloodshot retinas and eerie smoke which covers the night sky.
After ‘Megalomania’ brings Orgins to a close sirens hark the arrival of the second half which is brought to life by ‘Uprising’ and swooping the crowd into a ‘Supermassive Black Hole’. In this segment we have the spine-tingling chords to ‘Starlight’, ‘Reisitance’ and ‘Hysteria’ among the bellowing tunes to ‘Stockholm Syndrome’, ‘Helsinki Jam’ and ‘Undisclosed Desires’.
‘Time Is Running Out’ sees Bellamy’s Hendrix moment. The guitar isn’t on flames, those are thrown skywards from the stage distinguishing themselves into operatic smoke clouds but as Matt smashes his instrument to smithereens’ on Dominic’s drum kit and the molecules break down the Resistance cover sleeve on the screen behind him fireworks sends the fading notes to ‘Knights of Cydonia’ to a triumphant close at Reading and Leeds, at the same time somewhere in Matt’s convoluted universe.
Disabled Access at Reading was at a very high standard, there were two viewing platforms at both main stages as well as platforms on each stage. Guests with special needs could take advantage of the short cut from the disabled campsite straight through to the main arena which was secured around the clock and allowed guests to park their cars within easy walking distance to their tents.
