Placebo, Camden Roundhouse, July 14th
Placebo played the Roundhouse as part of the iTunes festival on July 14th
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Wednesday, 15, Jul 2009 05:38
You can tell a lot about how highly a band rates their latest album by how much of it they choose to play live. Casting aside several old favourites, Placebo thrust the majority of their sixth record Battle For The Sun upon the iTunes festival last night, in a clear statement of intent from the goth-rock trio. Their faith was repaid by a feverous crowd reaction, marking a new chapter in this band's already glittering history.
Click here to read the inthenews.co.uk interview with Placebo
General Fiasco opened the show, failing to live up to their name with a tight set of fierce, shouty rock. After half an hour some of the songs began to blend into one, however and it's clear that this young Northern Ireland threesome still have some way to go before they can set themselves apart from the general pack.
The anticipation surrounding Placebo's appearance was palpable and a synthesised intro built the atmosphere to hysterical proportions before they launched into the jagged chords of new album opener Kitty Litter. Right from the off it was clear that this would be one of the defining sets of this year's iTunes festival, as bassist Stefan Osdal lead the crowd in the infectious Spanish shout-along of Ashtray Heart. It was the title track, Battle For The Sun which really inspired, however, with Fiona Brice providing spine-tingling electric violin.
The main change since 2006's Meds comes on the drums with Steve Forrest, replacing veteran sticksman Steven Hewitt. While many fans might be sad to see a long-established band member leave, his replacement was a complete revelation. Forrest's pounding percussion breathed new life into Sleeping With Ghosts and Every You Every Me, giving the band a whole new dimension. Think of them as a classic car with a powerful new engine.
Placebo rounded off the evening with a flurry of old favourites. Lead singer Brian Molko introduced Special K as "a song about something I definitely don't recommend" before leading the biggest sing-along of the night. The tribal synth of Taste In Men wrapped up the show in emphatic style, complete with Theremin accompaniment, but the flair and panache of the newer material left the deepest impact and can proudly stand side-by-side with the very best of Placebo's back catalogue.
Chris Jefferies