Muse Musing

Muse are playing in Teignmouth tonight - fifteen years ago ( fifteen years ago!) that would have been a regular gig I suppose. The band`s two home town concerts have filled Teignmouth with fans, which is now overflowing and will rake in a lot of cash. One local hotelier said he could have sold the rooms he had on offer ten times over, but being useless at maths I didnt understand what he meant. ("John goes to Blackpool, Susan goes at five miles an hour -which of them has ten pence left after buying six pairs of plimsolls aboard the Orient Express?" - that ).

Anyway, as the summer`s been so awful, the Teignmouth Chamber of Commerce, out of clumsily expressed gratitude for the influx of dosh, have decided to erect a statue in the square, in honour of its musical saviours, most of whom had never heard of Muse before last week. It will be a black, guitar-shaped hole, surrounded by air.

Quite obviously what`s missing from Plymouth`s decaying identity/economy is a MASSIVE SUPER GROUP . Why havent we got a Muse of our own? Who comes from Plymouth that`s famous? I mean, in the music world? Is there anyone? Has there ever been anyone? Has Plymouth got a problem when it comes the The Arts? I did think we could swap Tom Daley for Muse, but it`d be cheating and I doubt this is a popular answer to anything. Tom may come in handy after the Olympics, if he brings home the gold medal (to Plymouth I mean. I realise Plymouth isnt that far from London, but then again, in many ways, it`s on another planet). Will he bring in money to the city though? Tom Daley souvenir dolls. Tom Daley swimwear range. Tom Daley Instant Athlete Tan. (That`s actually a good idea!) But it`s not like having a world class band playing back in their home town.