Finally, the day had arrived for Placebo to make their eagerly anticipated North- East return. The band had been due to perform at the end of 2022, but the show was rescheduled due to illness. The group have recently been on a US tour.
Following an excellent opening set from all-female London-based four-piece Friedberg, Placebo took to the stage in front of a packed-out O2 City Hall Newcastle. Brian Molko acknowledged the audience by announcing that it was good to finally make it here, before thanking the crowd for their patience.
Last year Placebo released Never Let Me Go, their first new album since 2013. The album was recorded during the lockdown and was the first Placebo album to be recorded as a duo following the departure of drummer Steve Forrest in 2015. The album reached #3 in the UK album chart.
Placebo’s last show on Tyneside was at the O2 Academy Newcastle back in 2015. And with a new album under their belt, the group centred their performance around their latest offering. Opening the show with both Forever Chemicals and the first single from the album Beautiful James. Whilst Scene of the Crime took the fans back to the band’s last record Loud Like Love.
In an age where technology, mobile phones, live streaming and recording video of concerts have become the norm, what was refreshing about this show, in particular, was the audience respectfully refraining from conducting such activities. A polite notice from the band asking the fans to just enjoy the show and be present rather than watching the gig via their devices certainly transformed the atmosphere in the room. It was almost like going back to the 90s again.
The fourth single from Never Let Me Go was featured early in the set and showcased a more mellow and emotive sound for the band.
For the old-school fans, bass player Stefan Olsdal dedicated the classic Bionic to those who came to see the band at the sadly missed original Riverside club almost twenty years prior.
Eleven of the thirteen songs on Never Let Me Go were featured in the band’s twenty-three-song setlist.
Seven back-to-back tracks from the new album featured mid-set. The single Try Better Next Time was one of the highlights of the new material, along with a beautiful airing of Too Many Friends. The latter featured both violin accompaniment and Stefan on piano.
The closing stages of the set showcased many of the band’s fan favourites and crowd pleasers including Slave to The Wage and The Bitter End. The aforementioned song along with Infra-red proved to be a fitting finale to the main set.
Placebo’s set illustrated the evolution of the band’s sound. The group continues to push their creativity and musical boundaries and it has certainly paid off. Of course, nine years for a new album is a long time by any stretch of the imagination, but in Newcastle Placebo proved that their new material was worth waiting for.
Words and Photos by Adam Kennedy
