The wisdom of Muse’s Matt Bellamy

On forthcoming fifth album ‘The Resistance’: “Every time the vocals kick in on [standout track] ‘United States Of Eurasia’, it just makes me laugh every time, because it’s so outrageous, like a scene from ‘Highlander’.” (NME, July 2009). Pic: Dean Chalkley

On working without a producer for the first time: “We did have a lot of problems, fights and arguments – but we made decisions really quick; we’re more decisive than we were on the last album.” (NME, July 2009). Pic: Dean Chalkey

On having a girl’s voice: “We saw Jeff Buckley do a concert, in 1995, and he wasn’t scared to be a high-voiced male. I think that helped me open up and not be afraid to use a more expressive and emotional vocal style.” (Keyboard magazine, 2005). Pic: Ed Miles

On using weird instruments: “Old wagon wheels are good. The second verse of ‘Time Is Running Out’ has got a fair bit of wagon wheel work going on.” (Guitarist magazine, June 2004). Pic: PA Photos

On the demise of record labels: ”A lot of people get hold of our music through friends or through the Internet. It’s nice to know that even without the ‘system,’ you can still build up a fanbase.” (Boston Globe, 2005). Pic: Andy Willsher

On paranoia: “We once cancelled a press conference because there was talk of an asteroid hitting New York. As it turned out, it disintegrated before it was due to reach Earth.” (Mail On Sunday, May 2007). Pic: Andy Willsher

On human evolution: “Surely it’s more plausible to believe that aliens were involved in the evolution of man than believing that the world was created by a man with a big white beard?” (Mail On Sunday, March 2007). Pic: Andy Willsher

On state coercion: “I think that so long as there are things like MySpace to keep everyone entertained, people are generally going to be quite happy being treated and controlled like cattle.” (The Montreal Gazette, July 2006). Pic: Dean Chalkley

On being misconstrued: “When you’re in a bar having a beer, before you know it you’re talking about conspiracy theories and alien abductions – and some people print that as if I’m making some kind of serious statement.” (Q, September 2006). Pic: Dean Chalkley

On anger: “When you’re being frisked in an airport you want to say, ‘Fuck off, don’t touch me, you cunt.’ You can’t do that in real life because you’d probably get locked away – but you can say that in a song.” (Q, September 2006). Pic: Dean Chalkey

On 9/11 being an inside job: “Are we supposed to believe that a man in a cave in Afghanistan orchestrated the most unbelievable attack on the United States of all time?” (Total Guitar, August 2007). Pic: Andy Willsher

On being ludicrous: “If you’re sitting in an office with music on in the background, listening to The Strokes and then Muse come on, we probably sound pretty silly.” (The Guardian, June 2006). Pic: Andy Willsher

On being flamboyant: “I once nearly went on in a cloak with some Dracula fangs, but I bottled out in the end.” (The Guardian, November 2003). Pic: Andrew Kendal

On his shady past: “I once got in with a dodgy group of friends and we’d steal shit cars. One guy came round to my house and said he’d burn my house down if I didn’t give him £500. I gave him our tour bus instead.” (NME, February 2000). Pic: Dean Chalkley

On revolution: “Democracy is a fucking joke. Rock music should shake things up and say, ‘Fuck that! Let’s burn down the Houses of Parliament!’” (NME, November 2006). Pic: Ed Miles

On his greatest fear: “Being impregnated by an alien and giving birth. It’d be awful to give birth to a freak and have to bring it up as your own.” (NME, February 2000). Pic: Andy Willsher

On crooked cops: “They must have such a laugh, getting fucked up on all these drugs for free. But the thing that really bugs me is that they sell it back.” (NME, July 2000). Pic: PA Photos

On nightmares: “I have recurring nightmares about being in a Nazi concentration camp with all my family and constantly being sent to solitary confinement.” (NME, February 2000). Pic: Andrew Kendall

On Muse’s numerous NME awards: “It’s nice to have at least one offensive statue on your mantlepiece.” (NME, 2008). Pic: PA Photos

On sneaky stalkers: “A couple of guys dressed as gasmen asked to come in and read the meter. I asked to see some ID, and one of them blurted out, ‘You’ve changed your hair colour’ – which kind of gave the game away.” (The Guardian, June 2006). Pic: PA Photos

On being a conspiracy theorist: “It’s a slippery slope. Before you know it, you’re on about lizards controlling the world.” (The Guardian, June 2006). Pic: PA Photos

On global capitalism: “It’s absolute fucking corruption and enslavement and that’s what we live in.” (The Guardian, June 2006). Pic: PA Photos