It’s fair to say that 2022 is a banner year for Placebo. Twenty-eight years into their career, you could argue that they have never sounded better in the studio and on stage.
Their eighth album, Never Let Me Go, was released earlier this year to critical acclaim, and a sold-out tour quickly followed. The core of Placebo, eclectic frontman Brian Molko and bassist Stefan Olsdal have evolved as a sonic force to be reckoned with, and I find it fascinating to watch the image of the band transform as well. While they’ve always been provocative with their look and lyrical content, the brand of Placebo—with its beautiful mix of dark shadows and gloriously beautiful bright colors—continues to build on the mystique, evoking that emotional response that is undeniably singular.
And that emotional response can be overwhelming, in a good way, during the live show. If you haven’t heard yet, the band has been very outspoken about using phones and mobile devices during their set. It’s pretty refreshing to see a gig without screens flailing in the air—it reminds me of when I first saw them back in the States on their first tour in the late ’90s. Yeah, I know it’s not fashionable to talk about the way things “used to be,” but previously it was a much better experience. Now, once more, you can get lost in the music without distraction, and they make this point while underscoring the message that’s plastered across the venue: “This exact moment will never happen again.”
Only a handful of bands can go on a sold-out tour and play 90% of their new album, even going so far as to leave their biggest hits out of the set. Do the fans notice? Of course, they do, but the new album is spectacular, and this is the time to celebrate it. The band has finally found that perfect balance between their breakthrough sound, the emotional connection of their best songs, and the slight evolution of their lush soundscapes splashed with industrial nuances.
And Molko remains at the center of everything. He has one of those voices that need little to no supplementation. It’s distinctive, it’s classic, and it’s never overdone. You could argue that their cover of “Shout” may be heading in that overdone direction, but again, Placebo is that voice, and it is always immediately distinguishable.
The setlist included eleven songs from the latest album, the stellar Never Let Me Go. What a fucking album this is, and how do these moments blossom at the right time for a band that has been playing together for nearly three decades? Creativity really did thrive during the lockdown, as Noel Gallagher stated.
Either way, they could have played this one from start to finish and it would have been enough. Instead, they peppered a hit or two across the nearly 90-minute set. My favorite album, Loud Like Love, showed up with “Scene of the Crime” and the divisive “Too Many Friends.” I would have loved to hear a few more from this one, as I think it’s the band’s best work as an album from start to finish. Still, they visited my second favorite album, Battle for the Sun, with the blistering “For What it’s Worth.”
The encore opened with their masterful cover of the Tears for Fears classic “Shout,” then right back into the new album with “Fix Yourself,” before finally wrapping with the now infamous Kate Bush song “Running up that Hill.” Two sold-out nights at the legendary Brixton Academy, one epic band celebrating their brilliant new album, and thousands of adoring fans paying attention with zero distraction—what a great way to wrap up that banner year.
