Muse and A*mei each had different approaches to tackling that challenge on Wednesday and last Friday, respectively.

On Wednesday, British alternative rock band Muse returned after a three-year break from Singapore, kicking off its second local gig and the second iteration of LAMC Productions’ annual Big Night Out concert series.

Muse graduated from the smaller Fort Canning Park to the roomier Indoor Stadium, outside which 11,000 fans started forming long queues from 4.30pm onwards, even though the doors didn’t officially open until 5.30pm.

Those fans who did arrive that early might not have expected Muse to make them wait till 10pm before serving them the main course, but fans of heavy rock fare were entertained by a pair of decent American appetisers – opening acts Saosin from California and Rise Against from Chicago.

But, after hours of waiting, it became pretty clear than nothing but the real deal would do, so Muse was cheered with a great deal of enthusiasm when it took the stage.

Muse isn’t Bon Jovi. It doesn’t banter much with audiences no matter which country it’s playing in. It’s all cool reserve. That’s fine at Britain’s Wembley Stadium because of the large scope for special effects and grand entrances, but its reserve was more conspicuous here because audiences are used to Chinese acts that go out of their way to connect with audiences.

It made up for that with a dream 18-song set list, which included a three-song encore. Muse played almost every one of its hits during its one-and-a-half hour set. With Stardust back to back with Time Is Running Out, the quality of the songwriting and the flawless execution put the spotlight purely on the music rather than the lack of friendly histrionics.

Its latest album The Resistance was performed almost in its entirety, with even the first part of the bombastic Exogensis thrown in. The rest of the concert was divided among the rest of the band’s discography, with even one song, Sunburn, from its 1999 debut Showbiz.

Singer-guitarist Matthew Bellamy’s falsetto was in fine fettle and spot on. The band sounded as whiplash tight as it does on record, but with more aggressive energy; enough energy to keep the crowd awake till just shy of midnight.

Part of Muse’s clarity and punch should be attributed to good sound engineering, and the difference between how Muse and the opening acts sounded was stark.