Niki N. Phaser

                Besides the massive touring of the United States, Muse have also been selected to play at one of the most popular shows. I’m talking about Saturday Night Live, of course. The alternative brits will be the musical guest this Saturday, December 19. James Franco will be the host. A match made in heaven.

                There is no point in denying that this appearance has a great symbolic value for the band’s evolution. It’s just a show, yes, two songs probably, but it’s also a great exposure to mainstream America. This is a little landmark in Muse’s campaign for conquering the States and the world, for that matter.

                  And if America wants more of Matt Bellamy and his henchmen, there are plenty of chances in the upcoming tour of North America and Canada, stretching from February to April.

DATES HERE

NME is informing us about a new Manic Street Preachers tour in the United States and Canada, after a decade since their last official visit there. The first gig will be in Seattle in September and it will be an occasion for the Manics to take their new album, the already legendary Journal for Plague Lovers, to new crowds. The response to the new material has been more than positive in Europe, both in concerts and in the musical press, though their tour has been a bit jinxed by illness. In the beginning, Nicky Wire had some back problems due to a prolapsed disc, which limited his stage movements dramatically. Also, their Japan appearance at the Nano Mugen Festival had to be cancelled because of Wire’s bacterial gastroenteritis. Hopefully, their US shows will go as planned.