Ahead of the release of their new single 'Bliss', Entertainment News' Sue Charles met up with Matt Bellamy from Muse to talk about their constant touring. She also accuses them of being the new Queen and finds out their plans to take America

How would you say you've changed as a band over the past year?
I'm not sure. I think we've changed mainly through a whole lot of touring. We've been on tour so much it influenced how we think about music and how we write music. A lot of the new album has been influenced by being on tour for a long time and the different experiences you have.

Does it ever annoy you that your singles, so far, seem to get very close to the top ten but not quite there?
I've never really worried about chart positions and things like that too much. Any time you get to do this is a real pleasure, I got into a band for the first time to play live and we've just done a whole European tour and every date was sold out. For me that was a dream come true. I think chart positions are all fickle anyway.

What is going through your head when you walk out in front of 60,000 people?
Initially, I'm probably worried about the guitar effect pedals being set properly and if my guitar is in tune. As soon as I start playing I start looking out and become aware of what is happening, and it's an amazing feeling of fear and pleasure.

And what is it like when you come off stage?
That's usually the best bit. If it's gone well then that's a great feeling and you become a bit more relaxed. You can start watching the other bands appearing and enjoy them.

Are you looking forward to V2001?
Yeah, I'm really looking forward to that. It will be the first time we are playing a big outdoor festival at night-time, and we've never played that festival before.

What was it like touring with the Red Hot Chili Peppers?
That was amazing, because it was a band I used to go and see when I was 14 or 15. Also Foo Fighters were playing as well - we did an arena tour around America. That really changed me because it was the first time I'd experienced playing to 20,000 people, so it was amazing.

How is it going for you in America?
It's alright. The album isn't coming out there for another six months because we are concentrating on touring here. In terms of how different artists promote themselves, for us touring is the main way of people getting to know us. So, we are going over there to tour for six months.

Why is it so hard for bands to crack America?
I think in the mid-90s when Nirvana died out English music broke away from American music. English became this Brit-pop thing and became stereotypical of what it is to be an English person. At the same time massive stadium rock bands like Limp Bizkit and Korn were becoming big over there, and the two genres moved away from each other. I think at the moment there is a big gap between the two different styles. Hopefully that will be changing over the next few years, bands like Coldplay are starting to break over there.

What do you think of someone describing you as a modern day Queen? Do you agree with it?
I wouldn't say Queen, I'm not sure where that came from. On this new album there is an element of classic influence, because I play a lot of piano. A lot of the piano has influenced a lot of the song writing. People are hearing a combination of hard rock and the classical thing there, and I think the only other band that did that was Queen. But I cannot really see too much similarity.

Who has influenced you most musically?
I don't know, musical influences come from loads of different stuff. I listen to a lot of folk music from south Europe, like a lot of flamenco guitar and Russian folk music. Also how that music has influenced the classical music of the early 20th century. I'd say that stuff in combination with hard rock from America, Rage Against The Machine.

Where is your favourite place to play?
I think probably any place in England, because it feels at home. You get a real amazing feeling when there is people coming to the gigs, jumping around and getting a feel for the songs in your own home. Outside of that I'd say somewhere like Italy because the crowd just go absolutely mental there. Or somewhere like Japan because the fans are obsessive, and strange, and follow you around everywhere.

What are your plans for rest of the year?
At the minute our plan is to do a few festivals, then do a European tour towards the end of the year. Then a Japanese and Australian tour, which takes us up to January. Then I'm going to move down to San Diego in America for six months and learn to para-motor and fly, and probably do some gigs over there.

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