A Seaside Rendezvous
Encyclopedia
A Seaside Rendezvous was a 2009 duo of concert
s by English alternative rock
band Muse
. Held at The Den in Teignmouth
, Devon
, the town in which the band's members spent their childhoods and began their musical careers, the homecoming concerts were the band's first shows in the town for 15 years. It is believed that the name 'Seaside Rendezvous' was taken from the Queen
song of the same name (Queen being a major influence on the band.)
It was rumoured that the concert's promoters, SJM Concerts Ltd., had applied to Teignbridge District Council for permission to hold the concerts at The Den, though it was recognised that there were concerns. With the dates planned as 4 and 5 September 2009, support for the shows quickly increased and spread across the country. A band spokesperson was quoted as describing the band as "very keen" to complete the gigs, with locals describing it as "an iconic event."
A council meeting was held on the morning of 17 August in Newton Abbot
to decide whether the shows would go ahead. Muse bassist Christopher Wolstenholme attended the meeting and urged fans to show their support.
On 17 August, the two concerts were confirmed after the meeting council allowed so. Wolstenholme told the Herald Express's reporter Emma Pearcy after the meeting "I am chuffed to bits the application has been granted. What I have been really surprised by is how much support we have been getting, from a huge range of people. Obviously we will do what we can to make sure complaints are kept to a minimum." The bassist added that "It is something we have wanted to do for a long time. It is not a money making exercise. We want to give something back to the community." BBC Radio 1
presenter Zane Lowe
aired highlights from the Saturday 5 September performance on his radio show on 7 September 2009.
"A Seaside Rendezvous" was confirmed on Muse's official website on 18 August, along with ticket and travel information; general sale opens on 21 August, with a fans' pre-sale on 19 August. The concerts were approved on the basis that "a maximum noise level of 84.1dB
(A)" be produced. Despite tickets going on sale from 19 August, the shows still have to be approved by the landowner of The Den. In an interview with American radio station 107.7 The End
shortly after gaining approval for the concerts, lead vocalist, guitarist and pianist Matthew Bellamy
, speaking from Teignmouth, revealed that they had to overcome a lot of problems with the organisation of the shows, including having to negotiate with the local police force and fire brigade.
In an interview with music website Drowned in Sound
, drummer Dominic Howard
explained that "Playing in Teignmouth is going to be amazing, we're all really looking forward to it," adding "It's honestly something we've always wanted to do since the day that I met Matt [Bellamy] at The Den. It's not a park, it's just like a big piece of grass. That's where I met Matt for the first time. I remember even in those early days talking to Matt and saying things like 'wouldn't [sic
] be great to play a proper gig on here with shitloads of people!" Howard also revealed that support acts would be local bands, including Hey Molly
, with whom bassist Wolstenholme is "quite friendly," The Quails
and "two more local bands."
The concerts drew up to 15,000 fans to Teignmouth each night of that weekend and were said to have "given [Teignmouth's] economy a much welcomed boost," with all available accommodation being booked in addition to the numerous merchandise and food and drink facilities made available.
On 11 and 12 September 2009, BBC Three
broadcast a documentary about the event and the band's childhood life, growing up in Teignmouth.
, The Daily Telegraph
, The Times
and The Independent
all awarding the shows at least four out of a maximum five rating stars. The Guardian praised the performances as reaffirming the Teignmouth-held "intoxicating truth" that Muse "are now so ridiculous that they have become sublime." Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph described the shows as "a triumphant open-air concert," while The Times spoke highly of the band's tribute to their hometown and the first performances of material from The Resistance. The Independent' s Chris Mugan was similarly positive, explaining how "in performance [...] Muse emerge as one of [Britain's] most uninhibited bands."
Main set:
Encore:
Second show
Main set:
Encore:
Concert
A concert is a live performance before an audience. The performance may be by a single musician, sometimes then called a recital, or by a musical ensemble, such as an orchestra, a choir, or a musical band...
s by English alternative rock
Alternative rock
Alternative rock is a genre of rock music and a term used to describe a diverse musical movement that emerged from the independent music underground of the 1980s and became widely popular by the 1990s...
band Muse
Muse (band)
Muse are an English alternative rock band from Teignmouth, Devon, formed in 1994. The band consists of school friends Matthew Bellamy , Christopher Wolstenholme and Dominic Howard...
. Held at The Den in Teignmouth
Teignmouth
Teignmouth is a town and civil parish in Teignbridge in the English county of Devon, situated on the north bank of the estuary mouth of the River Teign about 14 miles south of Exeter. It has a population of 14,413. In 1690, it was the last place in England to be invaded by a foreign power...
, Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
, the town in which the band's members spent their childhoods and began their musical careers, the homecoming concerts were the band's first shows in the town for 15 years. It is believed that the name 'Seaside Rendezvous' was taken from the Queen
Queen (band)
Queen are a British rock band formed in London in 1971, originally consisting of Freddie Mercury , Brian May , John Deacon , and Roger Taylor...
song of the same name (Queen being a major influence on the band.)
Background
The planning of two Teignmouth concerts was first revealed by locals newspapers the Teignmouth Post and Herald Express on 7 and 8 August 2009.It was rumoured that the concert's promoters, SJM Concerts Ltd., had applied to Teignbridge District Council for permission to hold the concerts at The Den, though it was recognised that there were concerns. With the dates planned as 4 and 5 September 2009, support for the shows quickly increased and spread across the country. A band spokesperson was quoted as describing the band as "very keen" to complete the gigs, with locals describing it as "an iconic event."
A council meeting was held on the morning of 17 August in Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot
Newton Abbot is a market town and civil parish in the Teignbridge District of Devon, England on the River Teign, with a population of 23,580....
to decide whether the shows would go ahead. Muse bassist Christopher Wolstenholme attended the meeting and urged fans to show their support.
On 17 August, the two concerts were confirmed after the meeting council allowed so. Wolstenholme told the Herald Express's reporter Emma Pearcy after the meeting "I am chuffed to bits the application has been granted. What I have been really surprised by is how much support we have been getting, from a huge range of people. Obviously we will do what we can to make sure complaints are kept to a minimum." The bassist added that "It is something we have wanted to do for a long time. It is not a money making exercise. We want to give something back to the community." BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
presenter Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
aired highlights from the Saturday 5 September performance on his radio show on 7 September 2009.
"A Seaside Rendezvous" was confirmed on Muse's official website on 18 August, along with ticket and travel information; general sale opens on 21 August, with a fans' pre-sale on 19 August. The concerts were approved on the basis that "a maximum noise level of 84.1dB
Decibel
The decibel is a logarithmic unit that indicates the ratio of a physical quantity relative to a specified or implied reference level. A ratio in decibels is ten times the logarithm to base 10 of the ratio of two power quantities...
(A)" be produced. Despite tickets going on sale from 19 August, the shows still have to be approved by the landowner of The Den. In an interview with American radio station 107.7 The End
KNDD
KNDD , also known as "107.7 The End", is an alternative rock radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is operated by Entercom Communications Its studios are located in the Metropolitan Park West tower between Downtown and South Lake Union in Seattle...
shortly after gaining approval for the concerts, lead vocalist, guitarist and pianist Matthew Bellamy
Matthew Bellamy
Matthew James Bellamy is an English musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, pianist, and main songwriter of the alternative rock band Muse.-Early life:...
, speaking from Teignmouth, revealed that they had to overcome a lot of problems with the organisation of the shows, including having to negotiate with the local police force and fire brigade.
In an interview with music website Drowned in Sound
Drowned in Sound
DrownedinSound.com or DiS is a UK based music webzine financed by artist management company Silentway . The site is an editorially independent music website.-History:...
, drummer Dominic Howard
Dominic Howard
Dominic James "Dom" Howard , is the drummer for the English rock band Muse.-Early life:Howard was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in England. When he was around 8 years old he moved with his family to Teignmouth, a small town in Devon. He began playing drums at about the age of 12, when he...
explained that "Playing in Teignmouth is going to be amazing, we're all really looking forward to it," adding "It's honestly something we've always wanted to do since the day that I met Matt [Bellamy] at The Den. It's not a park, it's just like a big piece of grass. That's where I met Matt for the first time. I remember even in those early days talking to Matt and saying things like 'wouldn't [sic
Sic
Sic—generally inside square brackets, [sic], and occasionally parentheses, —when added just after a quote or reprinted text, indicates the passage appears exactly as in the original source...
] be great to play a proper gig on here with shitloads of people!" Howard also revealed that support acts would be local bands, including Hey Molly
Hey Molly
Hey Molly are an English four piece indie rock band with ska and punk influences. The band is primarily based in Teignmouth, Devon. Composed of Oli Irwin doing the lead vocals and playing guitar, Jordan West on lead guitar and vocals, Mat Key on bass and Rob Perry on drums. The band is known for...
, with whom bassist Wolstenholme is "quite friendly," The Quails
The Quails
The Quails are an English indie rock band that formed in Teignmouth, Devon in 2006. Comprising vocalist and guitarist Dan Steer, guitarist Max Armstrong, bassist Sam Banks and drummer Chris Prentice, the band has released one studio album – I've Heard It's All Rumours in 2008...
and "two more local bands."
The concerts drew up to 15,000 fans to Teignmouth each night of that weekend and were said to have "given [Teignmouth's] economy a much welcomed boost," with all available accommodation being booked in addition to the numerous merchandise and food and drink facilities made available.
On 11 and 12 September 2009, BBC Three
BBC Three
BBC Three is a television network from the BBC broadcasting via digital cable, terrestrial, IPTV and satellite platforms. The channel's target audience includes those in the 16-34 year old age group, and has the purpose of providing "innovative" content to younger audiences, focusing on new talent...
broadcast a documentary about the event and the band's childhood life, growing up in Teignmouth.
Reception
The concerts in Teignmouth were largely well-received, with English newspapers The GuardianThe Guardian
The Guardian, formerly known as The Manchester Guardian , is a British national daily newspaper in the Berliner format...
, The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph
The Daily Telegraph is a daily morning broadsheet newspaper distributed throughout the United Kingdom and internationally. The newspaper was founded by Arthur B...
, The Times
The Times
The Times is a British daily national newspaper, first published in London in 1785 under the title The Daily Universal Register . The Times and its sister paper The Sunday Times are published by Times Newspapers Limited, a subsidiary since 1981 of News International...
and The Independent
The Independent
The Independent is a British national morning newspaper published in London by Independent Print Limited, owned by Alexander Lebedev since 2010. It is nicknamed the Indy, while the Sunday edition, The Independent on Sunday, is the Sindy. Launched in 1986, it is one of the youngest UK national daily...
all awarding the shows at least four out of a maximum five rating stars. The Guardian praised the performances as reaffirming the Teignmouth-held "intoxicating truth" that Muse "are now so ridiculous that they have become sublime." Neil McCormick of The Daily Telegraph described the shows as "a triumphant open-air concert," while The Times spoke highly of the band's tribute to their hometown and the first performances of material from The Resistance. The Independent
Set list
First showMain set:
- "UprisingUprising (song)"Uprising" is a song by English rock band Muse, featured on their fifth studio album The Resistance. Written by lead vocalist and guitarist Matthew Bellamy, the song was released as the lead single from the album on 7 September 2009...
" - "Supermassive Black Hole"
- "Stockholm SyndromeStockholm Syndrome (song)"Stockholm Syndrome" is a song by the English alternative rock band Muse from their third studio album: Absolution. The song was released as the album's lead single and also appears on the Absolution live DVD. It was released alongside its artwork as a download-only single through the...
" - "ResistanceResistance (song)-Chart performance:On 21 February 2010, "Resistance" entered the UK Rock Chart at #2. Following from its success on the Rock Chart, on 28 February 2010, the single entered the UK Singles Chart as a new entry at #38, beating previous single: "Undisclosed Desires", which only peaked at #49....
" - "HysteriaHysteria (song)"Hysteria" is a song by English alternative rock band Muse and is featured on their third studio album, Absolution. It was also released as a single from that album on 1 December 2003 in the United Kingdom, peaking at number 17 in the UK Singles Chart...
" - "New BornNew Born"New Born" is a song by English alternative rock band Muse available on the eponymous single, the album Origin of Symmetry and on the Hullabaloo Live DVD.-History:...
" - "Map of the ProblematiqueMap of the Problematique"Map of the Problematique" is a song by English alternative rock band Muse, released on their 2006 fourth studio album, Black Holes and Revelations. It was released as the fifth single from the album on 18 June 2007 as a digital download only...
" - "United States of EurasiaUnited States of Eurasia"United States of Eurasia" is a song by English alternative rock band Muse and is featured on their fifth studio album The Resistance. The song was made available as a free digital download online on 21 July 2009 and is followed by an instrumental solo entitled "Collateral Damage", based on...
" - "Cave"
- "PopcornPopcorn (instrumental)"Popcorn" is an early electronic pop instrumental, originally composed by Gershon Kingsley in 1969 on his album Music to Moog By. The same year this tune was released and recorded at Audio Fidelity Records label in New York City....
" (Gershon KingsleyGershon KingsleyGershon Kingsley a contemporary German American composer, is well known as a pioneer of electronic music and the Moog synthesizer and founder of the First Moog Quartet, as a partner in the famous electronic music duo Perrey and Kingsley, and for his rock-inspired compositions for Jewish religious...
cover) - "Starlight"
- "Undisclosed DesiresUndisclosed Desires"Undisclosed Desires", also known as "Undisclosed", is a song by English alternative rock band Muse, featured on their 2009 fifth studio album The Resistance...
" - "Time Is Running Out"
- "Unnatural Selection"
Encore:
- "Plug In BabyPlug In Baby"Plug In Baby" is a song by English alternative rock band Muse, featured on their 2001 second studio album Origin of Symmetry. Released as the lead single from the album on 5 March 2001, "Plug In Baby" became the band's highest-charting single when it peaked at number 11 on the UK Singles Chart,...
" - "Man With a Harmonica" + Knights of CydoniaKnights of Cydonia"Knights of Cydonia" is a song by English alternative rock band Muse and is the closing track on the British release of their 2006 album Black Holes and Revelations. The song's title comes in part from the region of Mars named Cydonia, famous for the "face on mars"...
"
Second show
Main set:
- "Uprising"
- "Map of the Problematique"
- "Supermassive Black Hole"
- "Resistance"
- "Hysteria"
- "New Born"
- "United States of Eurasia"
- "Feeling GoodFeeling Good"Feeling Good" is a song written by English singer-songwriters Anthony Newley and Leslie Bricusse for the 1965 musical The Roar of the Greasepaint - The Smell of the Crowd starring Cy Grant, who sang the original version of the song...
" - "Cave"
- "Popcorn" (Gershon KingsleyGershon KingsleyGershon Kingsley a contemporary German American composer, is well known as a pioneer of electronic music and the Moog synthesizer and founder of the First Moog Quartet, as a partner in the famous electronic music duo Perrey and Kingsley, and for his rock-inspired compositions for Jewish religious...
cover) - "Starlight"
- "Undisclosed Desires"
- "Time Is Running Out"
- "Unnatural Selection"
Encore:
- "Stockholm Syndrome"
- "Plug In Baby"
- "Man With a Harmonica" + "Knights of Cydonia"
Personnel
- Matthew BellamyMatthew BellamyMatthew James Bellamy is an English musician, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist, best known as the lead vocalist, lead guitarist, pianist, and main songwriter of the alternative rock band Muse.-Early life:...
– lead vocalsLead vocalistThe lead vocalist is the member of a band who sings the main vocal portions of a song. They may also play one or more instruments. Lead vocalists are sometimes referred to as the frontman or frontwoman, and as such, are usually considered to be the "leader" of the groups they perform in, often the...
; guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
; pianoPianoThe piano is a musical instrument played by means of a keyboard. It is one of the most popular instruments in the world. Widely used in classical and jazz music for solo performances, ensemble use, chamber music and accompaniment, the piano is also very popular as an aid to composing and rehearsal...
on "New Born", "United States of Eurasia", "Cave" and "Feeling Good"; keytarKeytarA keytar is a relatively lightweight keyboard that is supported by a strap around the neck and shoulders, similar to the way a guitar is supported by a strap. Keytars allow players a greater range of movement compared to conventional keyboards, which are placed on stands...
on "Undisclosed Desires" - Christopher Wolstenholme – bassBass guitarThe bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
, backing vocalsBacking vocalistA backing vocalist or backing singer is a singer who provides vocal harmony with the lead vocalist or other backing vocalists...
, headless bass on "Uprising" and "Unnatural Selection", harmonicaHarmonicaThe harmonica, also called harp, French harp, blues harp, and mouth organ, is a free reed wind instrument used primarily in blues and American folk music, jazz, country, and rock and roll. It is played by blowing air into it or drawing air out by placing lips over individual holes or multiple holes...
on "Man With a Harmonica" - Dominic HowardDominic HowardDominic James "Dom" Howard , is the drummer for the English rock band Muse.-Early life:Howard was born in Stockport, Greater Manchester, in England. When he was around 8 years old he moved with his family to Teignmouth, a small town in Devon. He began playing drums at about the age of 12, when he...
– drumsDrum kitA drum kit is a collection of drums, cymbals and often other percussion instruments, such as cowbells, wood blocks, triangles, chimes, or tambourines, arranged for convenient playing by a single person ....
, backing vocals on "Supermassive Black Hole" - Morgan NichollsMorgan NichollsMorgan Nicholls is an English musician, member of Senseless Things and best known for performing with Gorillaz, The Streets, Muse and most recently Lily Allen. He released one solo album under the name Morgan.-Career:...
– keyboardKeyboard instrumentA keyboard instrument is a musical instrument which is played using a musical keyboard. The most common of these is the piano. Other widely used keyboard instruments include organs of various types as well as other mechanical, electromechanical and electronic instruments...
s, synthesizerSynthesizerA synthesizer is an electronic instrument capable of producing sounds by generating electrical signals of different frequencies. These electrical signals are played through a loudspeaker or set of headphones...
s, backing vocals, percussionPercussion instrumentA percussion instrument is any object which produces a sound when hit with an implement or when it is shaken, rubbed, scraped, or otherwise acted upon in a way that sets the object into vibration...
, brief guitarGuitarThe guitar is a plucked string instrument, usually played with fingers or a pick. The guitar consists of a body with a rigid neck to which the strings, generally six in number, are attached. Guitars are traditionally constructed of various woods and strung with animal gut or, more recently, with...
on "United States of EurasiaUnited States of Eurasia"United States of Eurasia" is a song by English alternative rock band Muse and is featured on their fifth studio album The Resistance. The song was made available as a free digital download online on 21 July 2009 and is followed by an instrumental solo entitled "Collateral Damage", based on...
".