Last night, me and the misses, went to the Amsterdam Arena to see Muse. The show was greater than great. A lot of new songs from their latest album 'The 2nd Law', and several oldies. They started around 20:30, and they wrapped things up around 23:00. 2.5 hours of musical happiness and an excellent show. Even our prime-minister Mark Rutte made an appearance on video (along with Frau Merkel of Germany).
One of the highlights of the show was 'Blackout' where the band was located in the near-middle of the Arena and when a lightbulb floated into the venue from behind the stage. Attached (at first hidden on the inside) was an acrobat (no tricks on my part in this photo).
The concert was so good, that I even 'forgot' to make a lot of photos or videos. Below is one of my many favorite parts of the show: The 2nd Law: Unsustainable.
Finally, the acoustics in the Arena Stadium in Amsterdam is crap on most days, and not so good on its better days. This time it was well above acceptable. Probably a combination of good seats (1st ring on a 20-30 degree angle towards the podium), and echo-proofing the venue with thick black cloth in strategic areas. Still no Heineken Music Hall or the new Ziggo Dome (both located in the immediate vicinity of the Arena).
The setlist:
Intro: The 2nd Law: Unsustainable (First verse dialogue only)
1. Supremacy (Extended intro)
2. Supermassive Black Hole
3. Panic Station
4. Bliss (Extended)
5. Resistance
6. Animals (with Muse money confetti)
7. Knights of Cydonia (Man with a Harmonica intro)
8. Dracula Mountain (Lightning Bolt cover) (Drum and bass jam)
9. Sunburn (Matt with piano on B-stage)
10. Butterflies & Hurricanes
11. Monty Jam (Drum and bass jam)
12. Feeling Good (Leslie Bricusse & Anthony Newley cover)
13. Follow Me
14. Liquid State
15. Madness
16. Time Is Running Out (House of the Rising Sun intro)
17. New Born (Ashamed outro)
B-Stage
18. Unintended
19. Blackout (with a ballerina)
20. Guiding Light
21. Undisclosed Desires
Encore:
22. The 2nd Law: Unsustainable (with Charles, the Robot)
23. Plug In Baby
24. Survival
Encore 2:
The 2nd Law: Isolated System
25. Uprising (Extended outro)
26. Starlight
Chop Suey! (System of a Down song)