Placebo at Islington Assembly Hall

To celebrate the release of their latest record Never Let Me Go (their eighth studio album and first in nearly a decade), Placebo played an intimate show at the Islington Assembly Hall. It was an especially chilly night in North London, but that didn’t deter a group of fans from haunting the entrance, forlornly asking if anyone had spare tickets. They did not. Some were still there after the show, presumably to vicariously enjoy the buzz.

Inside, loud, bracing, angular guitar music over-filled the Victorian assembly hall and the alternative crowd head-banged joyously. Lead singer Brian Molko cut a slight figure. With jet black bob and sunglasses, he looked like a pirate by way of a nihilistic Bono. Bandmate Stefan Olsdal was insouciantly sexy in a fitted v-neck singlet and hot pink trainers.  The stage was brimming with serious-looking musical equipment: effects pedals in front of both men and things that looked like 1970s photocopiers hemmed in one of the band (full disclosure, not sure what they were). The two founding members were supported by drums, another guitarist and bassist and a violinist/keyboardist. Each song required a new guitar for Molko and they were some noteworthy guitars: a red-lacquered number was especially cool. The sound created could be described as industrial and sci-fi. Molko’s distinctive vocals had a robotic sound to them.

The band stipulated that your smartphone and any other digital device were put into a little tech prison for the duration of the show, a kind of magnetic pouch so that you couldn’t immediately scramble to get the addictive device turned on again once you got past security. It was surprising and perhaps a little scary how radical this felt. For a relatively recent technology, smartphones have quickly made themselves frighteningly overly central to our lives. You need only to look up from yours and glance around you on public transport to see the ironclad hold they have over our attention. So it was actually somewhat of a relief to be told categorically not to use them. It kept the audience in the moment and there was no risk of seeing the show refracted endlessly in other people’s iPhone screens as they film and take photos, which is undoubtedly distracting. More bands should adopt this approach. It might seem draconian but it is actually being kind to the audience. Although it was unclear whether the motivation was for the audience or for a suspicious Molko, the end results were still good.

The lyrics to the new songs are delightfully angry. Try Better Next Time ends disdainfully: “On this planet of flakes/Somebody take a picture/Before it’s too late.” Album closer Fix Yourself also closed the show and over epic guitars, Molko implored: “Go fix yourself instead of someone else.” It was a cathartic rebut to a world that can treat non-conformity as a disease. Despite the eardrum abuse wrought by the decibels, and the awesome thrashing of Molko’s signature aggressive guitar playing, the show was strangely soothing.

Jessica Wall
Photos: Courtesy of Placebo

For further information and future events visit Placebo’s website here.

Watch the video for the single Fix Yourself here: