Muse consists of Chris Wolstenhome (bass), Dominic Howard (drums and percussion), Matthew Bellamy (guitar, piano, vocals).
Muse are an alternative rock band formed in Teignmouth, Devon, in 1994. The band has three members: Matthew Bellamy ( singer, guitarist and keyboardist), Chris Wolstenholme ( bassist) and Dominic Howard ( drummer and percussionist). Bellamy is the principal songwriter and creative influence in the band, although some of the band's more recent material has also been credited to Wolstenholme and Howard.
While some describe them as a post-Britpop band, Muse staunchly deny such associations. The music which inspired them was not Britpop; they cite the influence of the American grunge music (exemplified by Nirvana, Pearl Jam and Soundgarden), combining such influences with the alternative and experimental approach of British groups like The Verve and Radiohead.
The band, consisting of singer-guitarist-keyboardist Bellamy, drummer Dominic Howard and bassist Chris Wolstenholme, has been on the scene for over a decade. It has only been in recent years, however, that they have rapidly risen to fame, following their second and third studio album releases.
The three members of Muse were in separate bands at the school they attended in the early 1990s, but came together to form one band shortly afterwards. This new band changed names a number of times, cycling through names such as Gothic Plague, Fixed Penalty and Rocket Baby Dolls before adopting the name Muse. (The chronology of these names is unclear, as Muse have given confusing and contradictory accounts in various interviews).
In 1994, under the name Rocket Baby Dolls, they took part in a local battle of the bands contest, playing with such emotion and violence--going as far as to break everything on stage, a trait which has remained to the present day--that they stood out from the competition and won. Following this success, the band members chose to forego university in order to pursue a career in music.
