Placebo embark on UK leg to celebrate 20 years together as a band.

Having spent October on the road playing shows around the UK, Placebo brought the grand finale to London’s O2 Brixton for triumphant two nights.

As I get to experience the last of their performances, I must admit that Placebo’s fans surely have settled down comfortably, making themselves feel at home. Unintentionally I overhear the conversation between security and a group of people in the first row, and I realise that many of them were here last night. What’s more, they were relentlessly camping overnight just to catch their heroes play again. The dedication to your favourite band has no boundaries. And believe me, I’m talking from experience here.

20th anniversary is a big one, so must be the way to celebrate it. Before the men of the night grace our presence, a display of various imagery starts to flicker in front of our eyes. A flashback to the journey Placebo have been on throughout those 20 years, all presented in an accompanying promo video for Every You Every Me. It’s a poignant accent to express the significance of everyone gathered in the room. Needless to say, the audience’s attention is fully captured.

Covered in blue light, Placebo emerge on stage to the sound of loud screams as they continue with striking guitars and haunting beat of Pure Morning. Now duo, the band sets a grandiose and theatrical ambience, all dressed in black with Brian Molko’s signature dark eyeliner. The crowd mirrors his cult androgynous attire perfectly.

Their extensive catalogue is quite a challenge when deciding on setlist choices. However, Placebo did pretty well when picking tracks for their last year’s greatest hits compilation, A Place For Us To Dream, rounding things off on the number 36. Tonight’s set is a testament to that, their passion and desires, as well as their belief in living your life the way you want it.

Jesus’ Son is a new song taken from just mentioned 2016’s record, and it brings forth that familiar restless urgency hailing from Molko’s vocals, wrapped in a purely dark spirit. Stefan Olsdal keeps the rhythmics intact throughout the set, teasing the crowd with his confident stage persona.

Loud Like Love and Too Many Friends, taken from their latest 2013’s album Loud Like Love, are being executed with a certain precision, injecting a more refined spark but keeping it all in a classic Placebo style. Twenty Years is an aesthetically nostalgic moment with Olsdal on piano duties and a building up tension in Molko’s vocal delivery, whilst Without You I’m Nothing is a truly emotional tribute to David Bowie as we watch retrospective sequences unfold on the massive screen.

Naturally, every song seems like an ultimate fan favourite but it must be stressed that there is little interaction between the members of the band. They fluently move from one track to the other, no explanation or commentary given. It’s not specifically needed at any given moment, however a few words of acknowledgement towards their fans would be greatly appreciated.

Song To Say Goodbye and The Bitter End round the main set off, with flashing colours as dazzling visual accompaniment throughout.

Nancy Boy is just a cherry on the cake, a reminiscence of Placebo’s raw punk spectre and punchy attitude, with Infra-Red being the last song before their painful disappearance.

Placebo have always had this kind of mystic aura around them, so distant and so close at the same time, and I guess that attribute reflects beautifully in their live performance. Evoking a sense of melancholia with a modern twist, this is a band who do what they please while still leaving their fans completely satisfied. 20 years in, and they’ve still got it. So cheers to the next 20 years.

Photos: Kasia Osowiecka