In 2003 we had tickets to see Placebo at Southampton Guildhall, cancelled due to injury which if I remember rightly was tendinitis. 21 years later I finally got to see them, not quite at the Guildhall, literally just outside, close enough.
Outdoor Southampton Summer Sessions are running for a number of days / weeks sponsored by TK Maxx with a fantastic array of acts. I opted for Placebo for the reason mentioned. I’ve always wanted to see them live, yes bucket list, but the stars have never aligned with me and them touring.
Thought we’d get there early for a good view, arrived at 5.30 for a 6pm gate and were only a couple of people from the front barrier dead centre. 26.5 degrees when we arrived and not a cloud in the sky. It was HOT! Water was plentiful from the bars and crowd no crowd as it filled up slowly.
The support act Friedberg finally came on at 7.45, yes two and a half hours but a great view for all. Friedberg was entertaining. Three ladies with Guitars and a guy on drums, and a series of cowbells! All there social media shows and describes them as a female four piece leaning into rock with an electronic roots and a big hint of pop, and cowbells!
About 5 minutes before Placebo came out a message was broadcast with Brian Molkos voice requesting nobody photograph or film the gig, NO phones! Stay engaged with the music not with your phones! This was met with big cheers but also by a constant view of security standing up on the front barrier telling people to put phones away, and a lot of footage online this morning from further back in the crowd.
For the record I applaud this idea, however, when I saw Tool at Madison Square Garden in January they said the same, BUT, said towards the end of the gig for one song phones would be allowed to get those clips and images as mementos, to populate social feeds to say “hey look what I did last night” that’s the modern way so those in attendance were given the best of both worlds! I do think Placebo missed a trick not allowing those in attendance to get that takeaway from the gig. I grabbed a pic after the encore and was still send a few images later.
Placebo took to the stage at 8.30, the sun was still leaving its mark on the sky but the lighting rigs were holding their own as dusk approached.
They came out and straight into Taste in Men followed by Beautiful James. Crowd in full voice obviously.
Setlist from Setlist.fm
- Taste In Men
- Beautiful James
- Scene of the Crime
- Happy Birthday in the Sky
- Bionic
- Surrounded by Spies
(Stopped midway due to moshpit trouble) - Soulmates
- Every You Every Me
- Sad White Reggae
- Try Better Next Time
- Too Many Friends
- Went Missing
- For What It’s Worth
- Slave to the Wage
- Song to Say Goodbye
- The Bitter End
- Nancy Boy
Encore: - Infra-red
- Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)
Sadly as shown above in this list, six songs in during Surrounded by Spies the gig was stopped midway through the song due to mosh-pit trouble, didn’t see why it started but they were grown men and really? There were kids in the crowd!
Brian Molko stopped the gig himself and just looked disappointed stating “if you can’t beat each other up in a mosh pit safely, don’t mosh!” or something to that effect!
Placebo were Fantastic!
I’ve always been a big fan and still listen regularly. Would I wait another 21 years? Not a chance! To see them on a small stage up close was a perfect night. The setlist was a journey with a few old classics such as Nancy Boy and The Bitter End and they couldn’t play live without Every Me and Every You, the shrieks of Joy around me a clear marker of the appreciation. Musically as good as expected, electric violins on stage along with a grand piano, extra guitars for impacr. It was an audio assault!
Idiots aside it was a perfect night, great weather, great music and the added bonus of signing for the deaf in attendance, great to see that inclusivity and those ladies were not shy with the air guitar!
