My Life, My Soundtrack

Placebo @ The O2 Arena London December 13, 2009

Placebo at The O2 Arena, London
Wednesday 9th December
supports Silversun Pickup and The Horrors

I find it hard to choose my favourite band. Is it the one that I listen to the most, the one that I see live every time they plan, the one that currently makes me happy… there’s so many ways to choose and far too many bands to choose from.

But, I think if I had to choose, it would be Placebo.
They’re not always top of my play list and I’ll go months without hearing a single song. But whenever I turn them on or come across them they evoke so many more feelings in me than any other band has, they have to be way up the list!
They also, not coincidentally, held the title of ‘best ever gig’ I’d seen, from 2003 to 2009 (when Lostprophets took over that title). Mind you, it’s a tough call not to put them right back to the top after last week.

It’s the first time I’d been to the O2 arena so we booked seats. I’m suspicious of being on the floor at arena venues as so often you just get trapped in a crowd of people who are not feeling the music. At least with the seats you can guarantee a good view and a space where you’re not impacted by indifferent audience members.

The venue deserves praise. The sound quality was superb and the headline set well mixed. The supports did fall into that trap of sounding like they were trying too hard to fill an arena with sound instead of just playing their music and letting it happen, but then again, maybe that’s just their style of music! Silversun Pickup remind me of a not quite so good Killing Hannah, roughly similar in style and the singer’s voice had the same sound as Mat Devine’s. The Horrors seemed very much like The Cure, which was nice, but too many of their songs overdid the sound.

Placebo were amazing. I’d last seen them in 2003 when it was just the 3 of them in a moderately sized venue in Melbourne. Tonight they were backed by strings, brass, keyboards, extra guitars and backing vocalists. However, all the support were just part of the background. The stage space kept the focus very much on the 3 members and their energy and passion took over the arena.

They’re not a band that talks much and they don’t need to. They let their music set the scene. Each song has so many layers in sound and meaning that you can experience it on a hundred different levels. Some people just take it at surface value and enjoy the tune, others tap into the deeper meanings and are affected in a very emotional way. It makes them a very accessible band that allows people to take what they want from the experience.

For me, it was one of those gigs that you do remember forever and it well deserves to earn the top of my best ever gigs list. But then, Lostprophets also evoked a very emotional response or me so it’s a tough call!

I left the arena emotionally drained and full of awe and happiness. My only complaint is that I know it will be a while before I have the chance to see them live again.