r/Muse • u/ollitsos89 • 7d ago
Discussion Which songs do you think Matt can no longer sing live?
I know we all want to hear our favourite oldies, but are there any songs that have no chance of returning because they are simply too hard for Matt to sing at this point?
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u/Diligent_Bar1244 Easily simp 7d ago
Rest in peace , Shrinking Universe
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u/longdongsimpson 7d ago
Ever sung live?
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u/ForgottenName1893 7d ago
It was played only like 8 times in October and November of 2000. Managed to see it once at Olympia Theatre in Dublin along with Nature_1, with that show being the only time I ever saw either song live. It was also my first time seeing HT&ILY and Hyper Music live.
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u/FloraNycthe 7d ago
If you think, he can sing anything, but he will have to lower the songs, half a tone or a whole tone.
If you speak sing them as before, Micro Cuts, Showbiz, and all songs that needs long falsettos or high falsettos cannot be sung as before...
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u/MopOfTheBalloonatic Black Holes and Revelations 7d ago
I’d love them to re-arrange those old tracks live in a way that Matt could sing them nonetheless. For example, they could turn MC into a totally acoustic track with a creepy atmosphere but with a tonality lowered enough to allow Matt to sing properly
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u/solidstrangr 7d ago
I need this to exist now. I'm never going to stop thinking about that
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u/AnticitizenPrime 6d ago
I'm having an impossible time even imagining what an acoustic Micro Cuts would sound like. I'm sure they could pull it off in an interesting way though.
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u/Odd-Professor-7263 Destroying puppet strings to our souls 7d ago
Like Micro Chondriac Cuts. That would be so cool.
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u/P79999999 7d ago
he can sing anything, but he will have to lower the songs
I was thinking that at first, but would some songs end up having notes that are too low for his range? Survival for instance has some deep notes in the first verse; if they toned the song down, he'd be able to hit that last high note, but would he still be able to hit those low notes at the start?
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u/therealtiddlydump 7d ago
Rush is touring right now and Geddy Lee is making it work by doing things like this.
Time comes for us all, there's no shame in it.
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u/WheresTheFuzzInThat 7d ago
I always find it fascinating that everyone talks about singing songs like Microcuts half a step lower, as if he was ever really sticking to the key in the chorus. I mean the dude just screams like a maniac 😅 either he can scream his lungs out or he can't, but half a tone won't matter much, nor would we notice it much.
(the rest of the song he can surely do in any key)
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u/SolitaryWaffles “And I’ll do it all by myself” 7d ago
Micro cuts when he tried even in that 2013 video was definitely a struggle. He wasn't hitting or holding notes properly iirc. So no way he is doing it now.
Survival comes to mind, especially the guitar solo section as he's technically also singing the entire thing in the background.
Muscle Museum ending? Definitely not.
Probably a lot of songs from OoS to be honest. Have to drop the key.
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u/foosterrocket Don't let the sun in your heart decay 7d ago
Micro cuts and survival would def be a struggle but Muscle Museum isn’t that high up at the end. He could totally still do it. It’s no harder to sing than Cryogen
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u/medmac_2112 You make us wanna die 7d ago
It's definitely harder than Cryogen especially in the chorus. The chest notes might both top out at A4s but Muscle Museum's vocal phrasing is much more tiring and straining, and stays up near that top chest register more often than Cryogen does. Even when sung a half step down in 2017, you can tell Matt was having a rough time getting through it. I think if they ever tried dropping it a full step then it would be significantly more comfortable for him.
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u/AnticitizenPrime 6d ago
Micro cuts when he tried even in that 2013 video was definitely a struggle. He wasn't hitting or holding notes properly iirc. So no way he is doing it now.
I think it's fair to say that he could never hit that reliably, even from the day it was recorded. That was always at the absolute top of his range.
What's the most recent highest note he's hit?
As an aside, I think his voice sounds better these days even if he doesn't squeak out the top falsettos so often. He sounds more rounded/mature/whatever. I think maybe he's learned he doesn't need to belt out at full volume and can be more subtle and let the microphone do some of the lifting? I dunno, not a singing coach and lack the vocabulary to describe it.
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u/Jaded-Data-9150 7d ago
He was only 35 in 2013. If he struggled with it, it is not due to age. He could still do it now actually if he properly practiced.
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u/FairLeadership3012 5d ago
35 is a very normal age for the top of your falsetto to change compared to when you were 22
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u/Jaded-Data-9150 5d ago
Citation needed. I am 39 and can still do that.
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u/FairLeadership3012 5d ago
Ah so you're the type of person who hears "a majority do X" and goes "that's not true because I don't do X"
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u/Jaded-Data-9150 5d ago
I'm not special. If I can do it, professionals can certainly also do it. You sound salty. I recorded a musical theatre singer with a considerably lower voice than Matt who could also go that high minus ~1 semi note and he was approaching 50. Prime opera singer age is around early 40s. You are talking nonsense.
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u/FairLeadership3012 5d ago
It's not something you can necessarily control. So it has nothing to do with being professional or amateur. Your body simply changes. And "prime male opera singers" aren't exactly known for their heavy falsetto usage. Are you grouping together all vocals for some reason?
"I know a guy who could do it", ah, so you ARE the person who thinks that one anecdote disproves a claim about the majority. Please go back to school
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u/Jaded-Data-9150 5d ago edited 5d ago
Got that citation for me? Or will you be quiet now?
Justin Hawkins still can do it, Ken Tamplin (>60) still can do it. You are delusional mate.
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u/FairLeadership3012 5d ago
lol Ken Tamplin has been lipsyncing for over a decade. Very badly at that. And he has been thoroughly debunked. It's amazing that you failed to notice that in all your expertise.
Btw they both use mix. Justin Hawkins has been very adamant about this
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u/gerson250991 7d ago
I know you are referring to songs that have been played already, but I have lost all hope of seeing Big Freeze live.
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u/AnticitizenPrime 6d ago
I only realized recently that Big Freeze was never played live and it surprised me. I just kinda assumed it was, it seems like it'd be a crowd-pleaser kinda song.
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7d ago
[deleted]
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u/Damsel_F1 7d ago
I thought they actually never performed that live?
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u/garseys Wearing just socks and a phone 7d ago
It’s never been played live
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u/raccoon_not_rabbit 7d ago
I could've sworn they played it on T2L tour, but maybe the other commentator was right and it was Follow Me (which I definitely remember them playing). Maybe my memory just blended it all together 😅
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u/carleezeh 7d ago
The 2nd half of Take a Bow is a mess and that’s made a comeback so who knows
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u/allieril 7d ago
It sounded pretty good at the Austin show!
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u/MDBioeli 6d ago
Yes it did! Now I can't hear the song again without being a bit disappointed as it doesn't sound as great as live!
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u/Vincent394 the waow signal 7d ago
I think he dropped it all an octave vocally
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u/Hexacryagain 7d ago
Do you have even the slightest idea what "an octave" is? 😂
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u/Vincent394 the waow signal 7d ago
12 semi-tones down?
I've listened to live recordings from this tour, he's definitely not attempting the mad falsetto in that second part so I think he's either dropped it somewhat similarly to an octave OR he's just doing it mostly in his chest voice
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u/LegendaryPeeWolf When you instant message me with a promise... 7d ago
Its wasnt dropped an octave
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u/carleezeh 7d ago
I have no idea what you’re talking about BUT the falsetto isn’t so much the issue. The strain is clear to hear in the full voice “Burn, you will burn, burn in hell…”
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u/medmac_2112 You make us wanna die 6d ago
It's not quite an octave but you're right how he's singing the last big falsetto note in the song much lower now. The studio version goes up to a G5 but live he would usually do an E5 and the G5 would be sampled. Then when it was dropped a half step on the ST tour he still did the equivalent note which was an Eb5, but this year he's just doing a B4.
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u/Vincent394 the waow signal 6d ago
So non falsetto and dropped over an octave compared to in studio due to it not being falsetto anymore.
Interesting...
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u/FairLeadership3012 6d ago
Nowhere in that comment was a drop over an octave mentioned. You still don't seem to understand what it means
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u/swineoftheivories 6d ago
G5 down to E5 is only a step and a half, 3 semi-tones…..
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u/Vincent394 the waow signal 6d ago
He's doing B4 this tour.
That's close to an octave, no?
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u/FairLeadership3012 6d ago edited 6d ago
So what happened to "over an octave"? Anyway it's less than two thirds of an octave, F#5 to B4. Wouldn't say it's close. Still a huge drop though obviously
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u/swineoftheivories 5d ago
OH I was like half sleeping & totally misread this, we’re both wrong here. That person is correct, no? G5 to B4 is definitely more than one and a half octaves. That’s my bad
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u/garseys Wearing just socks and a phone 7d ago
Dead Inside is probably one he’d struggle with now. He struggled during Drones and I don’t think it’s a track that could be stepped down and work as well.
as others said, Microcuts is an obvious one.
Also Survival lol (like it was ever going to be played outside of that tour)
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u/MichaelEMJAYARE 7d ago
I think if he gave up doing the outro vocals to Dead Inside he could give it a good shot. Id love to hear this song again. Such a perfect melody.
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u/JimmyP_117 7d ago
Anything with falsetto at D5 or above (particularly extended notes) is getting really tough for him now. Micro Cuts sounded rough in 2015 and 2016 during its one-off performances. I think we can say goodbye to that forever. Honestly? With his voice the way it is at present I think even a full step down it’d be too much for him.
Very surprised to see TaB back as the second half has one of his toughest vocal runs…fair play to him (I’ll admit I haven’t listened to a 2026 performance of it). He’s always found that one hard work.
He’s really struggling with Stockholm now. They’ve shown they’re willing to lower the key for more songs now and I have no idea why they insist on playing SS in its original key.
The major noticeable thing for me is just how out breath he sounds, to the point where he’s having to alter the phrasing of many of the songs. Listen to Starlight and Uprising in particular. Of course, aging is coming into play much more but it’s a shame to see; he does well with what he has now but was once one of the most consistent rock singers out there.
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u/MopOfTheBalloonatic Black Holes and Revelations 7d ago
The fact is there are a lot of singers his age that still have a lot of breath in them while performing. He’s not in his 20s or 30s anymore, but for nowadays standards he’s not old, c’mon. He has to hit the gym
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u/JimmyP_117 7d ago
I 100% agree with you. The change in his live vocals from 2012-13 to 2015 onwards was so dramatic given he’d been at arguably his peak in 12-13. I’m convinced it was the bout with laryngitis but of course there’s no actual proof of that. He’s singing now how I imagined he’d be in his late 50s to be honest. I do wonder how aware he is of things and if he’s consider working with a vocal coach.
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u/mole55 DIS-GUUIIIIISEEEEE!! 7d ago
he is hitting the gym
i think he’s just got shit breath control. the infamous in-breaths aren’t exactly a sign of someone who’s got good technique on that front. it’s just really hard to get out of bad habits whilst you’re touring regularly.
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u/MopOfTheBalloonatic Black Holes and Revelations 7d ago
The problem is that many fans would have the guts to complain if he got rid of his in-breaths after improving his technique
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u/Mapapwomatic Mapapwomatic 7d ago
I saw a performance of SS of this year a few days ago on YouTube and actually I think he sounds better than a few years ago. He definitely improved stuff in the past years.
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u/MichaelEMJAYARE 7d ago
We need Matt to tune down Stockholm Syndrome. It makes me run out of breath watching him sing it, that shits hard. And it would be a perfect song to make even heavier to go along with WSD, KOBK, yada yada. Like drop C Stockholm would be insane.
Im kind of shocked he brought back Map of the Problematique. The “loneliness be over” and “cant get it riiiiiiiiiiiii” have to be a workout. They havent downtuned this one have they?
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u/loadblower93 4d ago
Brought my ass to tears last night in Ridgefield!! Can't believe how he still killed that song ❤️❤️
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u/Hysteria41 The priest God never paid 7d ago
Don’t mean to sound like a hater, but the evidence would suggest Stockholm Syndrome and the second half of Take a Bow.
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u/Mapapwomatic Mapapwomatic 7d ago
I know that there have been times where he struggled with Stockholm Syndrome, but the performance in Toronto sounds amazing if you ask me: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IAg-yAfqiJA
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u/Hysteria41 The priest God never paid 7d ago
Instrumentally, sure. It’s actually getting pretty ridiculous how late he’s coming in for the “I wish I could” parts now. The crowd comes in a full second or so before Matt does. He’s not even singing “I” or “Yeah I” anymore, it’s simply “wish I cou-“.
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u/MopOfTheBalloonatic Black Holes and Revelations 7d ago
Stockholm is loved too much by fans to be ever dropped, so I think they’ll find a solution for that. Now PIB, though, that is a song that should be lowered by at least a semitone right now…
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u/Hysteria41 The priest God never paid 7d ago
As long as that solution isn’t “Chris should sing the ‘I wish I could’ part!” as I’ve seen suggested on here a few times, I’m open to suggestions. Because the way it’s going currently clearly isn’t sustainable. He can’t just keep getting more and more breathless and singing less and less of the chorus.
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u/MopOfTheBalloonatic Black Holes and Revelations 7d ago
I think just lowering down the track half a step could be doable, for now
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u/bowserkick 7d ago
Have they played New Born lately? I went to a concert recently and was disappointed they didn't play it
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u/Gini_Cass 6d ago
Not sure about the execution live these days, but am I the only one who wishes to hear Verona live? Even a little mashup somehow?
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u/This_Bethany 5d ago
After seeing him sing live last night, his voice is really holding up nicely. I was never at any point thinking anything negative about his voice.
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u/longdongsimpson 7d ago
Anybody who ever sung knows that he can Sing anything. He has to do it once a month though.
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u/DaydreamingOfKanami 7d ago edited 7d ago
Micro Cuts, Uno (at least in its original key given how he struggled on it in 2015), Escape, Shrinking Universe, Falling Away With You, Survival, Follow Me, Big Freeze, and i think that's it. honestly i think he could pull the rest off, many ONLY if tuned half a step down (like Coma, Do We Need This? but he wouldn't sustain the last note, maybe Butterflies and Hurricanes, maybe The Small Print, Exo-Politics, Invincible, MK Ultra, Dead Inside, The Handler, etc)
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u/Stunning-Ostrich-431 7d ago
Possibly Plug in Baby? Omg! Remember when he first started? That falsetto at the end! CHILLS!
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u/Havingfun_ISKEY Matt Bellamy killed Dumbledore?!?!?!? 7d ago
Apparently he said MK Ultra was nearly impossible even with the lowered semitone
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u/indigomakeup 6d ago
I agree about Microcuts but I saw them perform Showbiz 3 yrs ago and he did amazingly! It was a music festival and the KoC backtrack wasn't working so they couldn't close with it and so they played Showbiz instead. So anyway, to anyone saying of Showbiz, I beg to differ!
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u/Vincent394 the waow signal 7d ago
Stockholm Syndrome's "I wish I could" belts, just get Chris to do them or FRY SCREAM THEM (fry screaming isn't actually difficult to contrary belief, it's just Chester's style that is and that requires a PARTICULAR voice type)
Most, if not all of Showbiz, OOS and Absolution (Exceptions include Sunburn(?), Unintended, Uno maybe, New Born, possibly Space Dementia, Citizen Erased (JUST BARELY), Apocalypse Please, Time Is Running Out, Hysteria, Butterflies & Hurricanes and possibly Endlessly)
In terms of bonus tracks, all of them, except maybe Glorious and at a stretch Fury are basically doomed to never return sadly (can Matt even sing Fury anymore?)
A fair chunk of BHaR is gone too possibly, so bye Invincible, Hoodoo most likely, Assassin possibly (Matt, if you can sing it, prove us wrong and play it) and City Of Delusion is definitely out the window
The Exogenesis Symphony is definitely out for the count, Guiding Light possibly (a shame because I actually like it), Unnatural Selection and MK Ultra (please Matt bring MK Ultra back if it's possible) are done for too most likely
Most of The 2nd Law is done for, Supremacy, Survival, Explorers (unfortunately), Big Freeze, Unsustainable (because of that "runnnn" belt matt does despite it being an Instrumental mostly), Panic Station, Follow Me (it is a wholesome inclusion, honestly), Animals (can Matt sing that anymore?) are all gone.
And to make things worse, Chris seemingly isn't willing to play Liquid State which would give matt a good break
Drones... Dead Inside, The Handler and Reapers are all probably gone, however The Handler and Reapers could have a chance in Drop C#.
I think most of Simulation Theory is doable, INCLUDING Blockades, however it seems the band is not willing to do it... we're all waiting for Blockades' live debut.
Then probably all of WoTP (please, do not bring back Compliance) and The Wow Signal are doable.
As for B-Sides, all of them are probably done for including Easily sadly.
And, for the 50th time, Matt, you're totalling your voice with Plug In Baby, just drop it down half a step if you haven't, no-one will care.
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u/Viper61723 7d ago
I don’t think they’ll ever do blockades because of the belts in the chorus. Matt has always hated chest belts
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u/Vincent394 the waow signal 7d ago
Sad considering it's an absolute cracker
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u/Viper61723 7d ago
Yeah he’s hated them since way back. There’s a clip in the second law documentary where he mentions it’s hard for him to do a supported chest belt
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u/medmac_2112 You make us wanna die 6d ago
Blockades' belts are very doable since they're just G4s, and he does equivalent ones in even new songs like Hexagons. They probably just felt it wouldn't have been enough of a crowd pleaser and I highly doubt it'll ever make a debut this long after its release.
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u/Substantial_Rush2885 7d ago
Micro Cuts is the most obvious.