On a bright, very brisk night I ventured out to a venue I haven’t been to before, Leicester’s De Montfort Hall, for a band at my recollection I hadn’t seen in over 20 years… the world renowned Placebo as part of the Never Let Me Go tour.
Starting off proceedings were Cruel Hearts Club. The trio were high octane from the get go opening up with “Sink This Low”. The set had some absolute gems such as the phenomenal t.A.T.u. cover of “All the Things She Said” and “Where Has The Summer Gone?” which is actually my favourite track. It has the balladic quality of Catatonia with a great nostalgic pull. There were two more songs with a great pop punk feel and disco-esque elements before the interval.
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Before Placebo‘s set there was a video message from the band about their policy of the use of mobile phones and recording. It was presented in such a way that they wanted the audience to live in the moment, enjoy the music and immerse themselves in the atmosphere rather than behind a sea of phones. It’s almost a throwback to the gigs of old and after experiencing it presented in such a way I must it that I got fully swept up in it. However, the police also extended to our own accredited photographer (and the others present) which is why our gallery only features images of the act.
The lighting and staging were captivating. For the next 90 plus minutes the band played almost non-stop, with the only break being for quick swig of tea! Opening up the evening was “Forever Chemicals” and “Beautiful James”, which is my favourite track from the latest album.
Over this hour and a half, Placebo grabbed songs from all over their back catalogue though “Nancy Boy”, debatably their biggest hit, was conspicuous by its absence. While Never Let Me Go is the focus of the tour I was still surprised to hear no fewer than eleven of its twelve tracks featured throughout the set. I really hope most of the audience had bought / streamed it beforehand! The fact that the new material gets a chance to butt heads with the old shows that while the band’s sound may have evolved somewhat, it’s still very much “Placebo” at its core. Catchy, melancholy and doubtless personal, each Placebo song seems self-referential. Even the bouncier numbers have a dark undertone… just how we like it.
Personal highlights for me, “Slave to the Wage” and “The Bitter End”, snuck in as the set was winding down. There was also an encore of “Fix You” and the Kate Bush cover “Running Up That Hill” which concluded the evening’s proceedings.
A great evening in a wonderful setting.
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Photos by Sean Larkin Photography
Placebo: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | youtube
Cruel Hearts Club: official | facebook | twitter | instagram | youtube
