English rockers Muse were in town at Montreal’s Bell Centre last night. The band always draw a huge crowd, and the one that was there for their Simulation Theory Tour was just as massive. One thing is easy to say, Muse put on one hell of a live show.
Their last tour, Drones, was just as visually interesting (shots of that show HERE). Instead of a stage that took the entire arena floor, Muse opted for a little more conventional stage on one end with long catwalk that came out to the middle of the area. But oh the visuals…. from Matt Bellamy’s Devo-esque glasses, the lazers, the brass orchestra dressed in light suits and masks, everything was on point for a great night.
This is one thing that I find lacks in many shows these days… the visuals. Seeing a band live is fun, but personally, you need to offer me something more than just my fave songs. Muse does that. Every time.
Photo notes
We were back at the soundboard, as is sadly customary for major arena shows. This was the first time I used my new Sigma 120-300 lens. I had rented it in the past to cover shows such as Bon Jovi and Paul McCartney, but with my recent contract renewal in the bag, I decided to upgrade to provide my client with a little more interest. The lens is expensive, new it is roughly in the $4500 range. But compared to the fixed Canon 300mm equivalent at $8000, it’s a steal for the quality you get, and the added flexibility of having a zoom.
Here is an example of what the 300mm can get you from back at the soundboard.
This shot was with the Canon 70-200mm at 200mm (yes, it’s a tad crooked, this is straight out of camera 🙂 ).
This shot was with the Sigma 120-300 at 300mm.
I’m down to write a longer review of the lens, but I do want to use it in a few more concerts to ensure what I did at Muse is consistent.
‘Look to the stars, let hope burn in your eyes’
– Stockholm Syndrome
I covered the show for iHeartradio and CHOM 97.7. Full media set can be seen HERE.
Below, some of my faves of the media set and a couple exclusive black and whites.
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