"How Can We Win When Fools Can Be Kings..?"
Created in Devon but born on the world stage with their heightened sense of musical ridiculousness, alternative rock trio, Muse, bring their lavish extravagance to the big screen this week with the Drones World Tour, a ninety minute spectacle which merges footage from the titular tour in support of the 2015 album, Drones, as it glues together songs performed at three different venues in an attempt to offer the best musical and visual representation possible. Succeeding before with the likes of the Wembley Stadium based H.A.A.R.P and Live at Rome Olympic Stadium, the latter of which was shot completely in 4K, Drones World Tour takes a slightly different stance by strictly containing the footage within the confines of arenas, a decision which does indeed restrict the bombastic scale of Muse audiences many are used to, but on the other hand does allow for a much better sound quality and mix then previous examples of the band's genuine outstanding ability when playing live. With the vocals and guitar antics of Matthew Bellamy finely tuned to match each other with a sense of rawness and expertise, the resulting equalisation of the film is undeniably its' biggest strength, offering a genuine sense that the audience have been transmitted right into the heart of gig itself and touching distance away from each of the core members.
With the camera swinging between the trio, the audience and the rather wild stage set-up, floating, LED-sphere drones and all, the visuals of the performance are mesmerising enough even when the band themselves have chosen to understandably focus heavily on performances from the Drones album and leave behind the more well-respected, early tracks from the group, resulting in perhaps even the most dedicated Muse fan questioning the logic of two book-ended performances of the choir based "Drones" in favour of a "Stockholm Syndrome" or a "Plug in Baby". That said, the one-two riff heavy opening of "Psycho" and "Reapers" wholeheartedly sets the tone for what lies ahead, with dark, catchy riffs being perfectly balanced with Bellamy's falsetto, Christopher Wolstenholme's under-appreciated bass work and Dominic Howard's steady percussion, with the likes of "Hysteria", "Knights of Cydonia" and "Time is Running Out" the standout examples of when the group all come together at the top of their respective games. Directed by long-term band accessory, Tom Kirk, whose previous credits also include directorial duties for a couple of tracks from Metallica's latest album, Drones World Tour is space-rock at its' most absurdly enjoyable, a movie undeniably for die-hard fans of the band's work but most importantly, a movie which understands the necessity to make the viewer feel part of the action, a feat the movie manages with great success.
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