The world according to Matt Bellamy (20061122 Kerrang article)
The world according to Matt Bellamy
I'm not much of a showman. I'm always surprised that people go nuts at our gigs, because I don't really talk to the audience, or work the crowd or anything. I'm generally quite shy. There was a point where I considered getting someone else to play guitar so I could run around like a twat. But you know, I'm no Robbie Williams.
I'll always remember Reading 2006. I had a strond feeling with the crowd, because I've been in that crowd so many times, watching bands like Rage Against The Machine. I had the feeling that there were people out there thinking what I was thinking back then, age 15. I'd like to think that bands of the future were formed that night.
Touring in America is a lot of fun, because we're still perceived as a new band. In Europe it's been uncomfortable recently, because if you step outside the dressing room or hotel room you get hounded. You try to go in a bar after a gig and it turns into a signing session. It's not a good vibe. I'm starting to feel like it'd be nice to go back a few steps, in terms of fame.
People call me a conspiracy theorist. But with things like 9/11, you have to realise that the official story is the real conspiracy theory. It hasn't been proven. But the lies about 9/11 are just a small part of an overhaul that needs to take place. The whole climate thing has kicked off now. Things are going to get intense.
There were a lot of ballads on our first album. But then we decided that, while we're still young, we should enjoy ourselves and make music that rocks. I find it strange when guys in their 20s are writing love songs and ballads. One day we'll mellow out a bit. But as long as we're able to jump around like fools and throw our guitars around, we'll keep rocking.
Do I ever want kids? Well, Chris (Wolstenholme, bass) has got three already, and he's younger than me! When we did the festival run this summer he had all his kids backstage. There's no booze anymore, just kids' toys everywhere. It was good fun playing little games with them. I can definitely see myself as a family man one day.
I wouldn't swap my job for anything. One of my childhood best friends went to prison for drug dealing. Another one became a drug addict. So I've done alright, really.
I never imagined myself as a singer. That was never part of the plan. I wanted to be in a band, but not as the frontman. It was purely because, in the beginning, no-one else wanted to sing. And besides, I really didn't have anything better to do with my time.
My dad was wary of me going into music. In the 50s he sold millions of records with a band called The Tornadoes, and even toured with The Beatles, but he never made any money. The business was pretty dodgy back then. He ended up working as a builder.
I'm really proud of the song 'Knights Of Cydonia'. It's a bit of fun at the end of the album, which is pretty heavy for the most part. Mainly though, it's just so much fun playing the riff at the end. When it kicks in, the crowd always goes mental.