RM - Muse - Butterflies and Hurricanes Deconstuction

Band: Muse
Song: Butterflies and Hurricanes
Genre: Rock
Audience: 15 - 24
Year Released: 2004

Muse’s “Butterflies and Hurricanes” is a live performance based music video. The footage taken was from their 2003 - 2004 Absolution tour including the Arena of Nimes in Nimes, France as well as Glastonbury, United Kingdom. The video also features special effects throughout. These special effects either constructed the stage, placed each band member on stage and quickly zooming after changing the setting of each stage.


Throughout the music video the majority of the focus is on Matthew Bellamy, the lead vocalist, of the band. Thus being a common convention of music videos. This can be anchored in the opening few shots with the stage being set up around him with the exception of the foundations. As well as this the stage is also being constructed in layers, like how it would be in real life. This isn’t a common convention, if it was to be the stage would of already been constructed an example of this is the band’s cover of “"Feeling Good" which was on the album “Origin of Symmetry” which was firstly released in 2001 with "Hyper Music" (both music videos have similar styles - click here to see the original videos for "Feeling Good" and "Hyper Music") but "Feeling Good" has another music video released in 2007 which is a live music video for their sell out tour called HAARP. Click here it so Muse's cover of "Feeling Good" live performance music video.

The special effects used for the changing of setting occur whilst the music picks up its tempo, this also happens with a music video, as the effects used quickly zoom out from one stage to another one in a different country. Whilst this is happening the audience views the countryside of the countries in. As well as this there are also shots used which included wiring and stops at band members looking for the lead vocalist, if he isn’t found there is move travelling looking at wires until he is found. This anchoring the common convention that is the focus is mainly being on the lead vocalist.

As well as this as each instrument is introduced the focus switches to the band member playing that instrument. This is anchored at the beginning of the music video when Dominic Howard, the drummer, and Christopher Wolstenholme, the bassist, are introduced into the song the audience’s focus is on the instead of Matthew Bellamy. Thus being another common convention for a music video.  As well as this there is no lip-syncing throughout the video as it contains footage from gigs and festivals. Another way this is anchored is that Muse an objection to lip-syncing one example of this is when they went onto an Italian television show when the band where asked to lip-sync each member changes position. During this performance Matthew Bellamy normally the vocalist played drums, Christopher Wolstenholme normally the bassist plays lead guitar and Dominic Howard normally the drummer was the lead vocalist and bassist. Click here to view the performance.

The last shot the audience view is taken from Glastonbury during their 2004, of this song. A possible reason for this is because the song was released as a dedication to Dominic Howard’s father who died shortly after the band’s performance at the festival.