MY previous two live helpings of Muse had been very tasty, if somewhat overly grand affairs.

Wembley in 2010, by the very nature of a stadium show, and at Birmingham’s NIA in 2009, when the Teignmouth threesome entered on separate platforms 15ft above the stage.

In 2012, on the back of their sixth studio album The 2nd Law, a Muse gig is as spectacular as ever, with The 2nd Law: Unsustainable making a wonderfully sedate and climatic show opener.

Matt Bellamy and Chris Wolstenholme unite with drummer Dominic Howard centre stage, to jam out the dubstep influenced number, amid a red wash of erratic spot-lighting on a darkened stage.

For the next hour and 45 minutes Muse prove why they are considered by many as the best act in the world today, with a flawless performance of tracks from the six albums which amount to worldwide sales of more than 15 million.

The capacity LG Arena rocks out to Supremacy and Hysteria, before the full scale of a stunning stage show starts to become evident during Resistance.

A feast for the eyes is the massive inverted pyramid hanging above Howard’s head, flashing footage and imagery onto individual LED screens.

Throughout the show its layers morph into different shapes, eventually dropping down to completely consume the drummer.

From their archive come fan favourites and modern classics Supermassive Black Hole, Time Is Running Out, Plug In Baby and Stockholm Syndrome.

Frontman and bass player patrol back and forth, with several microphone stands allowing the pitch-perfect Bellamy to take position in various locations, including a stint at the piano for the new track Explorers, and Sunburn from the 1999 debut album Showbiz.

From the most recent album they also play Panic Station, Liquid State and single Madness, during which lyrics are projected onto the lenses of Bellamy’s sunglasses.

As a fan of Muse’s earlier albums I have struggled with their latest material, although it has to be said, tonight it all sounded as monumental as any of their previous offerings.

If crowd ecstasy is not reached during the first encore of Uprising and Knights of Cydonia, then they are tipped over the edge during the second wave.

The glorious Starlight is followed by Survival, the Olympic epic, with the full stage production of screen visuals, lights and lasers accompanied by huge jets of smoke, before the band bid Birmingham goodnight.

And what a good night it was.

During an ongoing period of financial hardship, 50-60 quid a ticket may be an expensive outing, but nobody tonight can argue that Muse were not value for money.