Muse are an English alternative rock band from Devon, England. Since their inception, the band has comprised Matthew Bellamy (vocals, guitar, piano), Christopher Wolstenholme (bass, backing vocals), and Dominic Howard (drums). They are highly praised by both fans and critics alike, with Acclaimedmusic.net ranking them as the 720th greatest musical act of all time.[1] Muse are known for their energetic and extravagant live performances [2][3][4][5] and their fusion of many music genres, including progressive rock, classical music and electronica.[6]
Muse have released five albums – Showbiz (1999); Origin of Symmetry (2001); Absolution (2003); Black Holes and Revelations (2006), which earned the band a Mercury Prize nomination and a third place finish in the NME Albums of the Year list for 2006;[7] and The Resistance (2009). Muse have won many other music awards throughout their career, including five MTV Europe Music Awards, five Q Awards, six NME Awards, two BRIT awards and four Kerrang! Awards. The majority of these awards have been attributed to their live performances.
Muse have been involved with Teenage Cancer Trust and have performed at the Royal Albert Hall where they donated all money made from the merchandise stands to the charity. On the 25th of September 2008 all three members of the band were awarded Honorary Doctorates of the Arts by Plymouth University.
History
Formation and early years (1992–1997)
The members of Muse played in separate bands during their stay at Teignmouth Community College in the early 1990s, but soon the formation of Muse began when Bellamy successfully auditioned for the part of guitarist in Dominic Howard’s band. They asked Chris Wolstenholme, who played drums at the time, to learn to play bass guitar for the band. Wolstenholme agreed and took up lessons.
In 1994 the band used the name Rocket Baby Dolls with a goth/glam image to compete in a local battle of the bands. The band won the contest, smashing their equipment in the process.[8][9] “It was supposed to be a protest, a statement,” Bellamy said, “so, when we actually won, it was a real shock. A massive shock. After that, we started taking ourselves seriously.” Shortly after the contest, the three decided to forget university, quit their jobs, change the band name to Muse, and move away from Teignmouth.[10]
First EPs and Showbiz (1998–2000)
After a few years building a fan base, Muse played their first gigs in London and Manchester. The band had a significant meeting with Dennis Smith, the owner of Sawmills Studio, situated in a converted water mill in Cornwall. He had seen the three boys grow up as he knew their parents and had a production company together with their manager to-be Safta Jaffery.[11]
This meeting led to their first proper recordings and the release of an eponymous EP on Sawmills’ in-house Dangerous label,[8] with a front cover designed by Howard. Their second EP, the Muscle Museum EP, reached number 3 in the indie singles chart and attracted the attention of British radio broadcaster Steve Lamacq as well as the weekly British music publication NME. Dennis Smith introduced the band to Safta Jaffery with whom he had recently started the record label Taste Media. Muse signed with Smith and Jaffery and recorded their first three albums, Showbiz, Origin of Symmetry, and Absolution, with Taste Media.
Despite the success of their second EP, British record companies were reluctant to sign Muse. It was after a trip to New York’s CMJ Festival that an American record label flew them to Los Angeles to showcase. Nanci Walker, then Sr. Director of A&R at Columbia Records, flew Muse to the U. S. to showcase for Columbia Record’s then Senior Vice President of A&R, Tim Devine, as well as for American Recording’s Rick Rubin. It was during this trip, on 24 December 1998, that Muse signed a deal with Maverick Records.[12]
Upon their return from America, Taste Media arranged deals for Muse with various record labels in Europe and Australia, allowing them to maintain control over their career in individual countries.
John Leckie was brought in to produce the band’s first record, Showbiz. The album showcased the band’s soft style, and the lyrics made reference to the difficulties they had encountered while trying to establish themselves in Teignmouth.[8][9]
The release of this album was followed by tour support slots for Red Hot Chili Peppers and Foo Fighters in the United States. 1999 and 2000 saw Muse playing major festivals in Europe and gigs in Australia.
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