Placebo - Show how great they are at the iTunes Festival

September 23rd 2014

London, Roundhouse (iTunes Festival), UK

****

Still 'Running up that Hill' to the mainstream from the underground!!!

Placebo **** have not played the UK since last year and with tonights show at the iTunes festival being their only UK date their is a great deal of people queing outside early in anticipation for the show. Placebo I think are one of the bands on this years line-up that are not really promoting recently released albums with 'Loud like Love' coming out in 2013, but I do think they give the Rock fans something to enjoy with this years bill being mostly Pop orientated. It's also nice to see the big banners of the band all down the street and a massive poster on the building itself, so makes you even more excited about going to see them tonight.

They open up the set with the Electronic Synth sounds of 'B3' a song that I personally loved the first time I heard it, because I love keyboard based music and I think it brings a great new depth to the bands sound. Brian Molko looks really cool and determined with shoulder length hair as he puts power into his vocals and not so new boy Steve Forrest puts down a steady beat at the back, behind his see through kit. The first song that the crowd can really sing-a-long to in the set is the single 'For what it's Worth', which was of the more stand out tracks on the bands album 'Battle for the Sun'. This album was one that not all fans took to straight away but has sunk into their minds now.

The title track of the bands last album 'Loud like Love' is really haunting and sends shivers down your spine so I really enjoy it. While 'Every You, Every Me' is the first mega Placebo hit played in the set tonight and the crowd just go crazy for it...jumping up and down to every chord. I really love 'Scene of the Crime' off the last record, it really shows off how good the band are now at song writing and shows them off in a more educational way.'A Million little Pieces' is just beautiful with amazing Piano / Keyboard playing by bass player Stefan Olsdal, who brings the band to a different emotional level. 'Too many Friends' is one of the new tracks that irritates me a little, it also makes me think of other songs I have heard before. I do normally skip this track when I am listening to the album... but I have to admit it sounds ok today. I have not listened to the album 'Meds' for a while so it's nice to hear 'One of a Kind' off it, which brings back memories for me of the time it came out and it has a really cool steady bass line.

They follow this song up with the title track off this album 'Meds' which brings back even more memories "Baby, did you forget to take your meds?". 'Song to say Goodbye' for me is one of the low points in the really steady set and shows a slight dip in the performance, but I think this is almost intentional because they bring it back up with the amazing 'Special K' which everyone just goes frantic to. They end the set with one of their best tracks 'The Bitter End' which is a really stand out Rock track and blasts them into a great main set finale of memorable guitar riffs, but this bitter end is short lived because the band come back on for their encore. They open up their encore with their Kate Bush cover of 'Running up that Hill', which is absolutely amazing and really topical with the 80's singer making a massive comeback this year.

They follow this up with 'Post Blue' which is now a fan favourite and a track that has lyrics that really stick in your head. You do realise that the band have not spoken that much during the set, but with songs like this do they really need to. They close the set with the brilliant 'Infra-Red' which really stands out now as a classic song and you find yourself screaming out every word. I do start to feel the lack of early songs like 'Nancy Boy, Teenage Angst' and 'Bruise Pristine'. These are all the songs that got us into the band in the first place and for older fans of the band are sadly missed, but it was a really good steady enjoyable set and the band really showed that they are growing every year as musicians. I can't wait to hear new material and see them live next time they play.

Placebo - Setlist
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B3
For what it's Worth
Loud like Love
Every You, Every Me
Scene of the Crime
A million little Pieces
Too many Friends
One of a Kind
Meds
Song to say Goodbye
Special K
The Bitter End
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Running up that Hill
Post Blue
Infra-Red