How The Last 29 Hours Were The Best And Worst Of My Life [Warning: Muse]

[Speedtouch]

Muse at Marlay Park, Dublin. Everything was set. Fly out from Stansted to Dublin, rent a car, drive to our hostel and check in, go to the gig, come back, stay one night, do a bit of sightseeing around Dublin, fly home. Simple, right? Oh no.

 

A 9-seater (there were 8 of us) 2008 Toyota Hiace in red was ours for 24 hours (timed well so we didn't have to pay for 2 days). We were on our way. We thought nothing could go wrong...

 

So arriving at the hostel. Simple enough, it looks very good from the outside, and the website portrayed a nice place, however it wasn't. The toilets didn't have seats, and some didn't flush. Utilitarian is an overstatement. The room was basic, but maybe a little too basic... This was the smoke alarm and a plug in our room.

 

 

Sorry for poor quality - I tried to save it in PS.

 

So later back into the van, nicknamed Clifford The Big Red Van, and off to Marlay Park. The gig was pure awesome (more below), but after it was when things got worse. Walking back to the car, I started to feel very sick. And I was, a bit, into the bushes. We made it back to the bus, and all seemed well (minus my illness)...:|

 

When leaving the car park, the bus got stuck in a bit of mud. So a few people jumped out, leaving the sliding door open, to push. Once free, we would turn the corner and wait for them to jump back in, but the driver took the corner just slightly too sharply... There was a bollard hidden on this corner, and the edge of the sliding door clipped it (if it had been closed, we probably would have missed it). The smash was quite nasty, as the rear window was smashed in, showering my mate with glass. At least they make them to shatter into tiny pieces, instead of large chunks. No injuries from glass thankfully.

 

So once we had said *nasty words* a lot, we started shouting to the others to get back in. I stuck my head out the window to see why they weren't coming, to see them picking something large up from the floor. At first I thought it was some kind of roadworks barrier type thing, but then I thought 'Hang on, that looks like a...'. I looked slightly further to the left to see that indeed, the door had come off. :lol: I shouted that the door had come off in reply came a load of 'WHAT???'s from inside. But indeed, we parked in a lay by, and inspected the damage.

 

Basically the door had popped out of its runners, and one of the supports had gone through the rear window. It was...hilarious. After managing to struggle the door back onto 2 out of 3 runners, it closed enough not to open randomly. So we set off back to the hostel. On the way, I was more sick out of the window, covering the other side of the van with puke. Oh how this was a rockstar's van! We left it in a side street in the centre of Dublin (because that was the only parking) late at night with a hole in one of the windows, and a door that didn't shut properly or lock. We renamed it Clifford The Big Red Lolbus Of Death.

 

On arrival at our room as well, we opened the door to find another bunk placed in the room, with 2 people sleeping in it. Wha? Anyway. This is a youth hostel, its cheap for a reason.

 

From then on, everything was fine. We cleared up the window in the morning, so there wasn't any more glass to fall in, and after wandering around Dublin (very boring city), headed for the airport.

 

The most amazing thing about this, was the fact we had insurance. Apparently the adult with us never has insurance on hire cars, but this time he randomly decided to tick that box. And I quote:

Me: "You are a genius for getting that insurance."

Him: "No. Insanely lucky."

 

The glass inside the back.

 

I took this photo in the carpark when we were giving it back. The man came out and smiled a bit when seeing it, and said 'Well thats what you have insurance for'.

 

Well they do say you have to crash a hire car before you die... :lol:

 

Anyway, what we were all there for, the gig. Sorry its taken me so long to get to it, but anyway. This beat Wembley and the Royal Albert Hall by quite a long way. It was my first proper standing gig, and I can now see why people love it so much. The atmosphere is so much better when you are all crowded up.

 

Glasvegas and Kasabian were supporting. Glasvegas were terrible, as expected, and Kasabian were pretty good. But the main act was incredible.

 

Kasabian on stage. They played amongst others Fast Fuse and another new song called Fire. I'll upload my videos later.

 

The stage, from where we were, just as Muse's stuff was being uncovered.

 

Muse tracklist: (With nerdy Muse notes in the brackets)

- Map Of The Problematique (No-one expected this to be first)

- Supermassive Black Hole

- Dead Star (With lasers. This was epic)

- New Born

- Hysteria

- Butterflies And Hurricanes

- Feeling Good

- Space Dementia (:blink::o:D)

- Drum 'n' Bass (To give Matt a break)

- Invincible

- Bliss (Extended as always, and epic as always)

- Time Is Running Out (Plenty of moshing)

- Stockholm Syndrome (Incredible light/video show)

- Take A Bow (More lasers)

- Starlight

- Plug In Baby (Even more moshing)

- Chris Playing the Harmonica (Oh my god awesome)

- Knights Of Cydonia

 

During Space Dementia I think.

 

The lasers. They were insane.

 

They like their large sets...

 

Overall, it was entirely worth the £160 it cost altogether. But the worst part was the 'me being sick' part. I cannot wait until the next gig (which will probably be much further down the line, because of their new 5th Album in the works.

 

If anyone on here (or reading this) is going to V Festival, Muse are supposedly going to play loads of old songs, and they have redesigned their whole set. V will be amazing, just because of the best live band in the world. Muse have been touring BHaR now for 2 years straight. And it never gets old.

 

Dave, Muse correspondent, signing out.

[CarMadMike]

Oh my god, That sounds like you had so much fun! XD

[Fridge Magnet Rabbit]

crash a hire car before you die - check!

be in a burning car - not done

one more to go mate :P

[The Queen]

Insane two days and there were many up's and down's but not everything can go to plan all the time so it's good for some surprises :p

 

Lasers looked the part and I wish I was there :p

[HavockJoker]

Crazy experience. bad hotel.

[Who]

I saw muse live last year, really didnt think very much of them =/

[TDU 505]

Haha! CLIFFORD!

Seen that show like a couple of months ago!

Ooooh and yea green lasers are impressive

[Mb]

Lmao at the accident :p

[Pherelas]

Wow that gig looks good, want to see them somewhen. Quite high up on my list below David Gilmour and Peter Gabriel. That stage set is quite impressive and lasers like that outside over your heads must have been amazing. Was the sound good. Oh and the hotel, surly thats all part of the experience? Whole trip must have been amazing. Nice one.

 

Any more pics?