Where has the time gone?! As of midpoint of the December 8th show in Birmingham, we're already half way through our crazy trek to follow Placebo on their 20th anniversary UK/Ireland tour, so, I guess it's time to finally jot some thoughts down before they all get jumbled up inside my head!
GLASGOW, SCOTLAND:
After a brief stay in London, our fangirl adventure of a lifetime kicked off in Scotland, the country where Brian Molko's mom was born. Neither of us had ever been, so we were very excited to arrive in Glasgow a few days early for a bit of sight seeing. However, our journey got a bit sidetracked when it was announced one day before we departed for the UK there would be ONE in-store signing at the Rough Trade record store the same day as the Nottingham show! With entry requiring advance purchase along with a wristband, mail order was not an option, given we live overseas. Having travelled over 8,000km from the other side of the pond specifically for these shows, I suggested we at least try to secure tickets to the signing. Consequently, we took a detour en route to Scotland, resulting in a much longer train ride, putting us roughly nine hours off schedule! Nevertheless, a lost day of sightseeing would be so worth it if all went according to plan, so we had to at least try! More on that in a bit! :)
Getting back to Glasgow, despite my friend’s observation of many buildings in need of some major TLC, it has some amazing architecture, especially up on the hills of the historic Glasgow Necropolis with its Victorian era statues, sculptures & cathedrals. Basically, if it’s thousands of years older than what we see back at home or pointy, I like it! ;) Folllwing this, we checked out what would be the first of many Christas markets, since my friend & traveling compadre is obsessed with them. Initially, all I cared about was the pretty lights, since that’s about all I can see at night anyway, but it wasn’t long till I understood her fascination & managed to get most of my Christmas shopping done in a matter of minutes! :p
The Glasgow show itself was very good, although I could tell early on that the crowd was a bit too quiet for Brian's taste, as this was the introduction of his latest "bottom & top shelf" analogy! :) All bets were off, though after that, as the once mellow crowd suddenly went totally nuts after the “melancholic" segment of the evening was complete! Earlier, we were surprised to find a fairly small queue upon arrival. Despite getting there two hours before doors, being sick for three weeks at the time plus being unable to run, we still managed to get a good spot on the barrier. Having had to wait a month before experiencing the tour for myself, I admittedly caved & watched a few full shows on YouTube, but seeing the band live in person is a whole other experience! Regardless of the audience's decibel level, Brian & Stef, along with Fiona, Bill, Nick & Matt, are such a tight unit musically, they’ve been giving fantastic performances consistently night after night, and Glasgow was no exception.
I love the abundance of passion & emotion Brian’s been exuding this tour during songs such as "Exit Wounds", "Lady of the Flowers" & "Devil in the Details", just to name a few, and Stef’s simply a genius when it comes to anything with strings, keys or whatever else he decides to put those magic fingers to! It even seems like Brian's made a bit of peace with having to sing "Pure Morning" night after night, and they just killed me with their latest rendition of "36 Degrees", whereas of the UK leg of the tour, Brian’s started singing part of the chorus super quiet. To say it turned me into a doe-eyed fangirl would be the understatement of the year! :p If I didn’t know better, I’d swear someone’s been reading feedback about what fans would like to see from him vocally on this tour! Oh, and don't even get me started with those moans he's been throwing in throughout various songs! ; ) Another huge treat was finally hearing "Nancy Boy" live, something I waited over 19 years for, and the icing on the cake was the nightly showing of the alternate video for "Every You Every Me", a song I will never tire of! What a sight THAT was to behold on a giant LED screen! I love that even though they cut the song from the set list, they still managed to incorporate it into the show! :)
Possibly one of the most striking moments of the evening came as Stef’s rainbow bass was displayed larger than life during the intro to the "Nancy Boy" signature guitar riff. Twenty years ago when Placebo first formed they wanted to push the envelope when it came to stereotypes of what a man or woman should be. Fast-forward two decades, and they’re still doing it, albeit in a more subtle way. Back in 2014, Stefan had his stunning rainbow bass customized in response to the Russian governments's oppression of the LGBTQ community, so it may look like just a pretty bass but it symbolizes so much more. And what better song to feature it up on the big screens than "Nancy Boy"!
While the show came to a close, I held my breath hoping Brian & Stef would come down to us on the barrier like they had been earlier in the tour, but alas they did not. Prior to the UK, word in the 'Cebosphere was they were doing this less & less, however, it quickly became evident that had come to a complete halt as of the UK leg. Admittedly, I was a little sad, since I was so excited when I heard they were doing this at some shows. Still, the fact we still had the signing to look forward to went a LONG way to making up for this change. More importantly, Brian seems to be in a better place now than he was earlier in the tour, so if that's the trade off for no hand shakes, I'll take happy Brian with no handshakes ten times over. There's just no contest.
While the show came to a close, I held my breath hoping Brian & Stef would come down to us on the barrier like they had been earlier in the tour, but alas they did not. Prior to the UK, word in the 'Cebosphere was they were doing this less & less, however, it quickly became evident that had come to a complete halt as of the UK leg. Admittedly, I was a little sad, since I was so excited when I heard they were doing this at some shows. Still, the fact we still had the signing to look forward to went a LONG way to making up for this change. More importantly, Brian seems to be in a better place now than he was earlier in the tour, so if that's the trade off for no hand shakes, I'll take happy Brian with no handshakes ten times over. There's just no contest.
Rewinding back to the supporting acts, this was the only UK gig featuring not one but two openers - The Mirror Trap followed by Minor Victories. Having seen The Mirror Trap during Placebo’s 2014 Loud Like Love North American tour, i was thrilled “Puranas" continues to be part of their energized set. My only complaint was we only got them for one night this time around. As for Minor Victories, my initial impression was that they had a very cool ambiance but were surprisingly mellow - so much so that I actually micro slept for a millisecond during their last song! But wait, wait, wait! This had NOTHING to do with their talent and EVERYTHING to do with the fact I was absolutely exhausted after being sick for several weeks, so if you’re by some small chance reading this, Rachel, Stuart, Justin or James, I'm SO sorry!!! I actually like their set quite a lot! It just so happens much of it would be the perfect soundtrack to unwind to at the end of a long day! :) ! In fact, I enjoyed their set more & more with every passing night! That being said, they did balance things out with a few more upbeat & catchy tunes along the way, and they had THE coolest cat with laser eyes up on the screens each night that we all just fell in love with!
LEEDS, ENGLAND:
The next day was totally crazy, as we rode four hours on the train to the next gig in Leeds, which tturned out to be the polar opposite of the previous night's show! While the crowd was less boisterous during the "dance motherfucker" segment of the show, it was 100 times louder in every way! Case in point, during "36 Degrees" while singing at the top of my lungs with Brian, I could still hear the rest of the crowd singing along as well! Pure Placebo magic! This is what it's all about! :) Another standout moment for me was Brian’s use of his lower register during "Lady of the Flowers”! Oh…my…god! Before this tour, I always liked the song but now I absolutely love, love, LOVE it!
Earlier, en route to the venue, my friends spotted the buses, so despite being aware the band had not been stopping for autographs this tour, we waited by the buses afterwards anyway, just in case they had a change of heart. To say it was freezing would be an understatement. I was so cold, I actually had to add layers. Two t-shirts & a hoodie later, it was by far the coldest night we would experience during our time in the UK. Just as we were about to give up, a third hidden bus suddenly drove off, clearly with the band in it, so with that we went off in search of warmth, food, and oh yeah, did I mention WARMTH?! :p. Oh well, at least we had the signing in Nottingham to look forward to, so it was all in good fun! What doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, right?! :)
A QUICK DETOUR TO YORK, ENGLAND:
After two gigs in a row, we had a day off to head over to Manchester for the next gig on the 5th but not before stopping in York for the day to soak up the breathtaking scenery, including remnants of a roman wall, ancient buildings, and of course, a huge Christmas market & street fair featuring what’s got to be THE CREEPIEST clown ever a top of one of the rides! Given Brian’s love of clowns, I’m sure he’d approve! :p We even came across a busker who was from our home country! It's no wonder so many amazing artists flock to this part of the world. I've seen buskers back home many times, but the UK takes this art to new heights. Everywhere you go, there is live music of some kind, whether it be at a Christmas market, town square or train station, music is simply EVERYWHERE!
MANCHESTER, ENGLAND:
Next up came the Manchester gig where Brian seemed to be in a great mood & the show was amazing, despite the venue's patronizing attitude towards concert goers with disabilities. Long story short, they'd previously advised that once doors opened, we could take the lift down to avoid the stairs but then decided AFTER they got us down to the ground level that disabled people are NOT allowed anywhere on the main area of the standing-only floor at all other than by the sound booth, even though they’d said nine months earlier it wouldn’t be a problem! I even called again a week before flying over to the UK, and still they said it’d be fine for us to take the lift to the floor when doors opened. After 30 minutes pleading with the security supervisor, they finally let us on the floor but by then we were further back & way off to the side, not to mention further away from security if there had been a problem.
Still, with every cloud comes a silver lining. I’m legally blind with 5% low vision in my “good” eye, so I made the best out of the situation by using my phone like binoculars and (please forgive me, Brian!) took the opportunity to snap more pics than usual in the process. Sure there were the big screens, but I found them way too busy with all the effects going on & had a clearer view using my phone as binoculars instead. Been behaving since, though, using more restraint in that department, but since we were so far off to the side, I figured why not go a bit nuts just once to get the shutter bug out of my system (with screen brightness turned way down, of course!). Besides, I had eight other shows in which to "enjoy the moment”, "y’know!" ;) I’m sure some of you must be wondering why someone with low vision would bother taking photos. Long story short, the finer details everyone else takes for granted standing right there on the barrier, I can only see when they’re magnified in photos, such as all those beautiful shiny guitars! :p Of course there are always other people’s photos, but it means more when they’re taken from my own vantage point. I should mention, though, I took zero pics in Leeds, which I regretted. As a result, I swung to the polar opposite but then evened things out after that. :p Anyway, while looking through my pictures, I’ve been admiring all the beautiful new guitars Brian & Stef have this tour! I absolutely adore Brian’s new blue & white guitar (it’s like “Bitch’s” blue cousin!) & Stef’s wings guitar! Oh, and I just noticed another mostly-blue guitar I hadn’t seen before! I wonder what their names are! And then there’s Stef’s red & white guitar that seems new to me as well! So many shiny guitars, so many pretty colours! :)
Moving onto the show itself, this time Brian's shelf-talk seemed more out of humour, rather than frustration, complete with "sad clown" voice & all, as Brian told the top shelf, even though it was Monday night, they were still allowed to get up & dance! :) Speaking of which, one nice thing about being off to the side was we had plenty of room to dance, so dance we did, or as Brian would say, we "shook our bits to the hits", LOL! ;) He had a number of cliches up his sleeve to get the top shelf going, but that just added to the night’s awesomeness! It was like the comedic interlude before all hell broke loose during the last part of the show! That being said, I’m starting to hope they mix things up a bit more by dividing the melancholic section up for the next leg of the tour. I didn’t mind the slower section myself, but it seems it’s not the most conducive for energizing the audience. It was like three quarters of the show is calm & then during the last quarter a pack of giant slugs was released & we’re transported back to the 90s! I forget which show it was now, but one of the shows even had somebody crowd surfing! YES, CROWD SURFING in 2016 at a Placebo show! Perhaps they were extra excited for the melancholy to end? :p I didn’t see the crowd surfer myself, but I sure felt the mosh pit behind us!
NOTTINGHAM, ENGLAND:
With the previous night’s slugfest behind us, we were off to Nottingham for the much anticipated signing & show! Ah, but where to begin! First things first, we were successful the week before in obtaining our precious wristbands guaranteeing entry to the signing. It’s a good thing we did, too, as tickets sold out the day of the signing itself! Words can not express how much this opportunity to meet the band meant to me. Despite having met them before, it was always under less than ideal lighting conditions, where all I could see was as silhouette. Last UK tour, I even walked right by Brian without realizing who the passing silhouette was, because I’d gotten separated from the crowd. It was only after when a friend confirmed I’d walked right by Brian who was signing stuff that I found out it was him. To say I was devastated would be an understatement since I'd just been diagnosed with a large tumour, which upon my return home learned was a rare, high grade form of cancer. Fortunately, I’m in remission now, but back then I didn’t know if I’d survive long enough to get another chance. Fast forward nearly two years later when ironically, two or three weeks before the signing was announced, I wrote to Riverman asking if there would be any signings in the UK & explained to them what happened. I never dreamed in a million years there would actually BE one! It’s probably a total coincidence, as I never did hear back from Riverman & the signing was probably planned months in advance, but who knows!
When the signing was announced at the last minute, I made it my mission to overcome the severe case of tongue-tied-itus that afflicts me in the presence of Mr. Molko! To my delight, the in-store signing went far better than I ever could have dreamed! Not only did my mouth work in producing full intelligible SENTENCES, before I could even utter a word, Brian actually exclaimed that he remembered we'd met before! He even remembered where I’m from & was gracious enough to accept the tiny pocket-sized gift I gave him as an early brithday present. I was very lucky, because from what I've heard, it went slightly down hill from there, as somebody thought it would be a good idea to blast Pure Morning over the store's speakers! As a result, all my friend got was a quick hello & thank you. The one comedic downside for me, though, was Stef mishearing my name AND WRITING IT DOWN WRONG, but thankfully that was something my friend was able to creatively rectify! :p What’s funny is I actually meant to ask Brian to write my name, since I already have things personalized by Stef. Unfortunately, my linguistic abilities don't function much better in Stef's presence either. I just opened my mouth & words fell out, whether I wanted them to or not. :p *sigh*. Still, the fact Brian remembered me just totally eclipsed everything! Stef could call me Fred at this point & I wouldn't care! The only thing that would’ve made the signing more perfect is if Brian had removed those darn sunglasses, thus my dream to make eye contact with those beautiful eyes still lives on!
Immediately afterwards, we dashed over to the venue for that night's show, where we were lucky enough to get barrier despite the signing making it a stretch. I’m guessing probably most of the first few rows also attended the signing, so that probably helped. We just all arrived at the venue a little later than usual. :) But the show was perfect, complete with the bottom & top shelf analogies & all. The venue staff were incredibly helpful & friendly, unlike the night before in Manchester, although by the end of the show, they flipped from allowing people to take photos to suddenly asking everyone to stop . I only took a few pics that night, though, so it wasn't my fault, LOL! ;)
One song I’ve really been connecting with this tour is “Twenty Years”, particularly the “That’s the end & that’s the start of it…” part. That whole bridge just really resonates with me now, more than it ever has before. Something about how they’re playing it is different from how it’s been played in the past. Perhaps they’re feeling it more. Perhaps I’m feeling it more. Whichever it is, it just grabs me. Despite barely having a voice left with which to sing, I’ve been singing my heart out & dancing my ass off night after night during this song, but never more so than on this night. I was & still am on cloud nine! It’s going to take a lot to top this day!
BIRMINGHAM, ENGLAND:
After a habitual grocery run & obligatory wander through, you guessed it, another Christmas market, it felt as though we were suddenly transported into a real world Coronation Street as we took a stroll down a cute little residential road lined with row houses…and palm trees! Yes! Palm trees, which amazingly, were still alive…in DECEMBER! I realize the UK has milder winters, but even three times over, this oddity never ceases to amaze me!
Next up was the Birmingham gig, which had all sorts of potential to be repeat of the challenges in Manchester, but we got creative & managed to work around the venue’s restrictions - thankfully, there were no stairs or lifts to worry about. We were able to go on the floor without any issue, and despite misreading the ticket’s door time as being 7pm instead of 6pm, we managed to get barrier, as there were only about 12-15 people in queue when we arrived just in the nick of time. It seems Birmingham isn't much for queuing in the winter, despite the venue having an indoor queue! In fact, Manchester was an indoor queue, as well, though you'd never know it by the temperature in there!
Birmingham was another consistently phenomenal gig, and wow were the staff laid back about photos! In fact, the girl beside me filmed video a few times & my friend was taking pics as well & security didn't care, so I gave in to my inner fangirl & snapped a few - yes only a few this time, LOL, nowhere near my Manchester splurge! :p As I type this, I am STILL playing catch up on my Manchester photos - OOPS! :p - so I'm only allowing myself one photopalooza per tour…LEG! I was going to say tour, but who am I kidding?! ;)
Anyway, we were a little further left than what's ideal but the cool thing about that was we got a better perspective on what was going on with the big LED screens, which I must say were absolutely stunning. Although I could’ve done without some of the effects they layered on top of the band footage, as a whole, the screens added a really vibrant element to the shows, especially the spiral screen during Special K! That’s got to be the coolest visual effect ever! I also love the Bowie & Leonard Cohen tributes they’ve included each night. Considering not many know Cohen outside of his homeland, it’s nice to know Brian’s a fan.
Ah, but mother of gongs, this wouldn’t be much of a Placebo review without mention of "Without You I'm Nothing"& "Protect Me from What I Want"! Whenever Brian used his lower register on the “tick tocks”, my heart just skipped a beat! The only thing that would make WYIN more perfect is if they'd slow it down to its original tempo. As for "Protect Me…", while I realise its extended intro was so our beloved Princess could take his smoke break, Stef’s lingering guitar intro was nothing short of haunting & really added to the song, making it all the more poignant. Need I say more? Last but not least, I really loved how Brian's changed up the melody ever so slightly for "Space Monkey". :) In fact, I love all the little changes they’ve made to their past catalogue this tour, apart from "Teenage Angst". Although, I think this current version more closely resembles how Brian originally composed it, I prefer the faster debut album version. Still, it’s a nice rest after the chaos that follows the melancholic period! Okay, wait…n second thought, us older recidivists need our rest, keep the slower version! ;)
Well, that's it so far. Later today as I write, is the coveted, sure to be INSANE birthday show that every Placebo fangirl & fanboy in the solar system will be attending, so I guess I'd better get some strange thing called sleep! Before I do, though, just have to give a few shoutouts to fellow forum members Sam & Holly whom I met at the Manchester show & the Nottingham signing respectively! It was great to finally meet you both in person. OK, sleep calls! I’ve been sick with the cold from hell for over a month now & really should've gone to bed two hours ago, but this is the first real chance I've had to sit down to write. There'll be plenty of time to sleep on the 8,000+ km flight home! For now, five shows down, four more to go! :) What the hell day is it anyway?! :p
DUBLIN, IRELAND:
Dublin was nothing short of amazing & hands down THE best gig I've experienced & probably will experience this tour! But before that, we had a bit of comedic adventure the previous night, as the tram took off with our accident prone & directionally challenged friend, leaving us behind, so my other friend was frantically miming to her trying to communicate through the glass where to get off! Thankfully, it all worked out, but with her directional challenges & my visual challenges, for the rest of our stay there, we clung onto each other for dear life every time we stepped on or off, just to make sure no one was left behind!
Equally amusing, at least for me anyway, were Dublin’s “talking pedestrian lights”! What’s a talking light you ask? Put simply, they make a distinct sound, so that people who are blind or low vision know when it’s safe to cross. But these were lights like no other! Typically, at least in North America anyway, these lights either chirp like a bird or just beep, but trust Dublin to outshine all the rest! What starts off as a slow beep unexpectedly morphs into this supersonic beat that sounds more like it was sampled from a 70s disco record! I didn’t know whether to shout “DANCE MOTHERFUCKERS!“ or turbo-wobble for an imaginary finish line! Someday, that WILL be my ring tone! Seriously, it's THAT awesome!
Having survived the perils of Dublin transit , we started off the next day by visiting a park commemorating the late Oscar Wilde. After an hour of taking in the fresh air & tranquility of the still very green park. Yes, even Ireland still has LIVING vegetation in December!!!), we headed back to our hotel room to get ready. I say room, but it felt more like a luxury suite to me! Usually, we stay in budget hotels that lie between affordable yet decent & clean - aka not sketchy & gross - but we splurged for this one particular date & stayed at the Gibson Hotel across from the venue, which felt more like a mall than hotel with its three escalators complete with glowing green lights along each side, giant U2 mural & wall covered in vines. If the band stayed there, they would’ve had plenty of room to hide! We practically needed a map just to find our own room! In fact, if it weren’t for my friend, I’d probably still be lost trying to find my way out of there! :p
Once at the arena, we met up with some old friends & fellow members of the United Nations of Placebo Fans we hadn't seen since last tour & got photo bombed by this hilarious security guard who looked like he could've been a missing fourth member of ZZTop! In fact, the venue staff were amazing, as was everyone we met here in Ireland - very friendly with a great sense of Irish humour! I feel so very grateful to have beeen able to checkvisiting Ireland off my bucket list! As for the show itself, THE much coveted gig that just happened to coincide with the 44th birthday of our beloved Brian Molko, it was absolutely electric! Every chance we got, the audience started singing happy birthday, which of course, Brian conveniently would never let us finish! However, there was soooo much love in the air this night, and he knew it, so FINALLY once the melancholic section of the night came to a close, he gave us our moment to shower him with all the love in the world that only Placebo fans can give, so we proceeded to scream, shout & yell our hearts out for what felt like five minutes straight! Once the adoration segment of the evening was over, Brian responded with "There's a whole lot of love in this room" with no mention of the usual top & bottom shelves, and rightfully so, as this was easily the loudest crowd so far. There was also no need for Brian to use Special K's alternate title, as no doubt the birthday boy was pleased with our audience participation! Just a quick aside, many thanks to Matix for suggesting Ibuprofen for my looming laryngitis. Along side the hot chocolate, it was just enough to revive my voice enough too be able to participate,even if I was drowned out by every man, woman & all who find themselves inbetween! :)
Musically, Placebo did what they do best & put on a spectacular show, and Brian was thankfully in a good mood the whole night, which was a relief, as we all figured this night was either going to go really well or... Well, y'know! :p But fortunately it was the former. :). Considering how Brian kept skirting around the birthday issue, though, I got the feeling Stef was under strict instructions NOT to mention the birthday thing like he did last tour, so we did it for him, showing up decked in birthday tiaras & I brought a sign that said “Love from the bottom shelf! Happy birthday!". Other than the fact they were amazing, Brian really gave us his all this night & sang his little heart out! So incredibly happy I was able to play a tiny little part in helping to make his birthday a happy one! I only took my phone out once to snap a few quick pics & kept it out of sight the rest of the night specifically to make him happy. I literally had it out for less than five seconds, just long enough to rapidly press the shutter in hopes of capturing SOMETHING to commemorate the special occasion. :) I feel like I'm forgetting a ton of stuff, but I was just so lost in the moment, all I can say is it was an extra dose of Placebo magic!!! :)
NEWPORT, WALES:
Now we are in rainy Newport for our seventh of nine shows. Already ran into Holly, who I'm so glad was able to make it, and hoping to bump into Sam again later tonight. Our hotel is a bit scary, but the bathroom's colour scheme is just beyond awesome - it's red & white, as if Brian had designed it himself to match his signature fender guitar of the same colours! :) Its been a fun but exhausting trip so far! Fun because, well, y'know, it's Placebo damnit, but exhausting because as of Newport, I've been sick with this cold from hell for a month & five days. Something tells me I have an antibiotic prescription in my future upon my return home, because this is beyond ridiculous now & must be a world record for the longest cold ever! One good thing about arriving in Newport on a Sunday night was everything was pretty much closed, so we took the night off to just relax & I was actually in bed before 10:30pm! Anyone who knows me knows what a major nightowl I am, so you know I'm under the whether if I'm willingly going to bed THAT early! Of course, this means I'm now up stupid early as well & willl probably be completely drained again by tonight, but at least I got a full eight hours of sleep for once! Stayed in bed another hour but gave up at 8am when sleep just wouldn't return. My friend who's usually up before me is still fast asleep, so I am taking this opportunity to write here. But now that's done, I’m off to continue sorting through my never ending stream of pics from the Manchester show! There are a lot that didn’t turn out but I’m really happy with the ones that did. The key to low vision photography, press the button a whole bunch of times & pray something turns out! :p Once I am done that, I have a much more reasonable number of pics from the remaining shows to go through, I swear! Sorry, Brian! :p
Speaking of pics, I only took two pics during tonight's show at Newport Centre, because just when I thought this trip couldn't get any better, the venue ended up being super tiny like the ones they played during their North American tour, plus the stage was super low, so it felt very intimate. I think Brian also felt the intimacy, as he mentioned feeling nervous being able to see Minor Victories in the audience. To give you an idea of how odd of a choice this venue was, even the locals were confused as to why the show was there. It was adjacent to a swimming pool & felt more like a school gymnasium, complete with floor tape & all! While we were waiting outside the doors, little kids were actually running by on their way to swimming! It was the oddest combination ever, but the venue surprisingly had good sound.
To our delight, we ended up closer to Brian than expected. We actually meant to be further left to avoid all the chaos that sometimes happens closer to where Brian stands, but due to the smaller stage size, we miscalculated slightly. So, I decided to wait till the very last song where I took two nearly identical photos, which thanks to the joys of technology will undoubtedly morph into four or five photos. :p To top off my night, just before "Running up that Hill", a man suddenly came up to me & gave me a set list!!! I asked my friend who the guy was & it turns out it was Brian's security guard, Billy!!! I then proceeded to smile like an idiot for the remainder of the show! Such an amazing night with yet another great crowd. With the venue being so small, we were crammed in there like sardines, so it was by far the warmest venue on this leg of the tour so far! Still, I felt this actually added to the whole experience. Whenever a venue's too cold, I always feel as though something is missing from the gig! It’s rock ’n’ roll, after all, you’re supposed to get hot & excited, not cold & frigid! :p I think Brian would agree, as I believe this was one of the shows where he mentioned the fact that him already sweating two songs in must be a good sign! Don’t quote me on that, though. After so many shows in three weeks, things start blurring together! :p
On that note, I can't believe we only have two more shows left, I am starting to feel those end-of-tour-blues us “recidivists” of the travelling circus know all too well. I was really hoping new North American dates would've been announced by now, but still nothing. After being sick for so long, hopefully the delay in dates will give me time to get over this cold from hell once & for all!
Now we're all packed & at our hotel resting before we do it all over again for the next round! Perhaps that should say *trying* to rest! If it weren't for the horrible music, you'd almost think Placebo was having their after party next door to our hotel! It's past 3am on a Monday night here & it's crazy loud like there's a show or party going on! Thank the slugs for ear plugs, that's all I can say!!!
BRIGHTON, ENGLAND:
Being my second visit to Brighton but only the first to feature SUNSHINE, we headed over to Brighton Pier after a bit of lunch while admiring the Royal Pavilion’s architecture along the way. While the rocky shoreline poses a stark contrast to the sandy beaches of Bournemouth I saw during my last visit to the UK, the seaside was still just as beautiful. Had I not had a gig to go to, I could’ve listened to those waves all day! Later on, we learned via their Instagram, Stef had been at the pier mere hours earlier with his family. Great minds must think alike! :) Possibly one of the coolest things we saw on our travels was an area called The Lanes, which is Brighton’s original old town from days of old. Its cobbled streets were so narrow, if I didn’t know better, I would’ve sworn we’d stumbled onto a Harry Potter set! Then before heading to the venue, we stopped for yet more shopping, because, well…our suitcases just weren’t quite full enough, y’know! :p The only other place we frequented more than Placebo gigs, Christmas markets & the grocery store was Primark! I don’t even LIKE shopping all that much, yet still I manage to get sucked into that place! :p It’s just like our hotels! Decent but affordable - perfect for travelling fangirls on a budget!
Being my second visit to Brighton but only the first to feature SUNSHINE, we headed over to Brighton Pier after a bit of lunch while admiring the Royal Pavilion’s architecture along the way. While the rocky shoreline poses a stark contrast to the sandy beaches of Bournemouth I saw during my last visit to the UK, the seaside was still just as beautiful. Had I not had a gig to go to, I could’ve listened to those waves all day! Later on, we learned via their Instagram, Stef had been at the pier mere hours earlier with his family. Great minds must think alike! :) Possibly one of the coolest things we saw on our travels was an area called The Lanes, which is Brighton’s original old town from days of old. Its cobbled streets were so narrow, if I didn’t know better, I would’ve sworn we’d stumbled onto a Harry Potter set! Then before heading to the venue, we stopped for yet more shopping, because, well…our suitcases just weren’t quite full enough, y’know! :p The only other place we frequented more than Placebo gigs, Christmas markets & the grocery store was Primark! I don’t even LIKE shopping all that much, yet still I manage to get sucked into that place! :p It’s just like our hotels! Decent but affordable - perfect for travelling fangirls on a budget!
As for the insane crowd, it felt like this girl was gyrating on my backside or most of the evening, however, I eventually learned she was the girl who security kept asking if she was okay & eventually had to be lifted over the barrier because she was too drunk, stoned or both! What I thought was her gyrating was her barely being able to stand & grabbing onto everyone around her to try to stay up! To echo the general consensus around me, thank god she didn't throw up!!! Poor girl probably won’t even remember the show, but she sure made it memorable for me! One of my friends noticed Brian looking in our direction a lot. My guess is, he was probably just watching Crazy Girl! :) Once THAT commotion subsided, there was another girl who pushed her way to the front demanding to be let in, but Billy had our backs & was quick to sort her out. He is awesome! Didn't expect him to help us out since his main job from what I understand is to look after Brian, not us fans, but he did just that. :)
All in all, it was a great crowd, though rather nuts, and the band played fantastically! Oh, and how could I forget, December 14th is Stef's son's birthday, so Billy also got to play the role of child minder & took him on a tour of the stage. I didn't get a good look at him (OK, I couldn’t see him at all, he was too far away…), but my friend who did said he was wearing an orange vest that said Placebo Crew on it! So very cute! I'll bet that made his day, bless him! :)
During "Exit Wounds", it really hit me, we only have one last show to go. Part of me is glad because I've just been so sick for so long that I'm ready to go home, but the other half of me can totally feel the post-Placebo-tour depression kicking in! This song always hits me extra hard when nearing the end of a Placebo trek. *sigh*
Following the show, we bought yet more merchandise which I have no clue how I'm going to fit in my suitcase for the trip home next week. By some miracle I did manage it tonight! Let's hope my suitcase holds up to the task! Up until departing from Dublin, we were careful not to buy too much due to the airline’s insanely strict baggage restrictions, so we kind of went a bit nuts! Oops! :p
While exiting, we'd hoped to snag some of those gorgeous tour posters on display in the office, but sadly, it was closed. The fact we forgot to stop by the next day didn't help matters either! :p Why they didn't think to sell those at the merch booth, I'll never understand! They could've funded 10 tours by making those available, because crazy fans like us would've snapped them up! Oh well, the ones in the office weren't on the best quality paper anyway. I'll get better results printing them off myself upon my return home.
While exiting, we'd hoped to snag some of those gorgeous tour posters on display in the office, but sadly, it was closed. The fact we forgot to stop by the next day didn't help matters either! :p Why they didn't think to sell those at the merch booth, I'll never understand! They could've funded 10 tours by making those available, because crazy fans like us would've snapped them up! Oh well, the ones in the office weren't on the best quality paper anyway. I'll get better results printing them off myself upon my return home.
Given this was only the second venue with the buses in clear view, we decided to wander over, hoping against hope, Brian or Stef might be in the mood to sign for a few minutes, but it wasn't to be. By the time they came out, a fairly sizeable crowd had formed behind the two barriers they erected to create a clear path to the bus, so in the end, they dashed right by. All I saw was a little Molko-sized swoosh. I'm sure they were probably going straight home, eager to sleep in their own beds. Alas, still no luck in getting my lyrics book signed, which I've been dragging along with me for nearly two years now! It’s a long story, so let’s just say there’s some history there! Also, I was under the impression we were required to only have the latest CD or boxset signed at the meet & greet, so I didn’t dare pull the book out. Oh well, hopefully I'll have better luck during the North American tour if it ever happens. :) Besides, they were kind enough to autograph those 900 or so boxsets a few months back, so it’s not the end of the world. I’d just like to retire that darn book is all! A goal for the 40th anniversary perhaps?! ;)
On a happy note, we did run into Gaby from the forum, whose name I’ve been pronouncing wrong for months now! Poor woman had to repeat her name a gazillion times before I realised she wasn’t saying “Katie”! Sorry about that, Gaby!!!
London crowds are super intense, so tomorrow night could be interesting! Speaking of intense, there are drunken students arguing right now in the street below outside our hotel room window! On that note, I'm off to stick ear plugs in & try to get some sleep before we do it all over again one last time!
LONDON, ENGLAND:
We made it! Here we are on the last night of Placebo's 20th anniversary tour - a tour Brian hinted at two years ago while joking of being blackmailed into playing their greatest hits, a tour we've looked forward to ever since the fan pre-sale nine months earlier, and a tour which got me through one of the toughest times of my life when dates had yet to even be confirmed. Now that it's come & gone, part of me is sad but part of me is ecstatic to be going home! It's gruelling enough at the best of times trekking across the UK with ridiculously heavy luggage, never mind while fighting a prolonged cold the entire time, but it's been well worth it, and I wouldn’t change it for the world (other than the killer germs, of course! One night when the shelves weren't quite lively enough, Brian proclaimed we should do more cardio! Ha! Brian, you have no idea the things we endure for love of this band! Following Placebo around ***is*** cardio! ;)
As the UK tour has progressed, the crowds have increasingly given more energy with the band reciprocating every step of the way. From the gut wrenching melodies of "Without You Im Nothing" to the seduction of "Lady of the Flowers" & hypnotic tones of "Space Monkey", the live Placebo experience is like no other. It's about that transcendental exchange that only happens when audience and band unite for the love of music. It is for this reason, Placebo continues to pour their hearts out night after night, and it's for this reason so many fans simply can't get enough, often crossing borders & oceans to relive the Placebo magic just one more time.
Just when I thought things had reached their peak, Placebo put on a show to end alll shows! This final night was as good as if not better than the birthday show in Dublin! Not only do we think they may have filmed tonight's gig (my friend saw mounted cameras), Brian once again allowed us to shower them with love for double the time during “I Know", where he paused for dramatic effect. Instead of just five minutes, it felt closer to 10! And we got the whole "Look at all the people here to night" spiel, complete with thank you to Minor Victories. Meanwhile, during the beginning of "Jesus’ Son", Brian's guitar wouldn't work, so they actually had to switch the guitar outright. Still you could hear the smile in his voice as he just took it in stride and it it just added to the show! I couldn’t resist jesting, “At least you turned your petal on!” but considering I barely have any voice left to shout with, I doubt he heard me! :p One interesting thing I noticed was Brian seemed to censor himself a bit, at least verbally anyway! I assume this was due to family possibly being in attendance, but I also wonder if perhaps any possible footage might make it onto BBC someday! On the other hand, perhaps the cameras were for nothing other than security. Guess only time will tell! It’s worth noting, however, that even if Brian did self-censor, it didn’t stop him from doing the much coveted “Devil in the Details" crotch grab that I kept missing & finally saw with my own eyes! For good measure, my friend took so many photos of this visual delight, our other friend was able to create an animation of that extra special moment! :p All joking aside, this was hands down one of the best Placebo shows I've been to, and I've been to quite a few!
Just when I thought things had reached their peak, Placebo put on a show to end alll shows! This final night was as good as if not better than the birthday show in Dublin! Not only do we think they may have filmed tonight's gig (my friend saw mounted cameras), Brian once again allowed us to shower them with love for double the time during “I Know", where he paused for dramatic effect. Instead of just five minutes, it felt closer to 10! And we got the whole "Look at all the people here to night" spiel, complete with thank you to Minor Victories. Meanwhile, during the beginning of "Jesus’ Son", Brian's guitar wouldn't work, so they actually had to switch the guitar outright. Still you could hear the smile in his voice as he just took it in stride and it it just added to the show! I couldn’t resist jesting, “At least you turned your petal on!” but considering I barely have any voice left to shout with, I doubt he heard me! :p One interesting thing I noticed was Brian seemed to censor himself a bit, at least verbally anyway! I assume this was due to family possibly being in attendance, but I also wonder if perhaps any possible footage might make it onto BBC someday! On the other hand, perhaps the cameras were for nothing other than security. Guess only time will tell! It’s worth noting, however, that even if Brian did self-censor, it didn’t stop him from doing the much coveted “Devil in the Details" crotch grab that I kept missing & finally saw with my own eyes! For good measure, my friend took so many photos of this visual delight, our other friend was able to create an animation of that extra special moment! :p All joking aside, this was hands down one of the best Placebo shows I've been to, and I've been to quite a few!
As for the hordes of Placebo devotees united in song, we were in an awesome section of super nice, happy & positive people who just made it a pleasure to be there. We met a father & daughter who were both Placebo fans going to the daughter's first Placebo gig, and an awesome medic with pink hair! Coolest medic I've ever met! Wish my doctors looked like that! Also met a fellow Placebo/Marilyn Manson fan, so we compared MM/Placebo tattoos, which was cool, and this was all before the gig even started! The energy was positively contagious.
Like all the other shows this leg, we were treated to a rollercoaster of emotions before the band turned things up ten fold for the finale. But make no mistake, even while lost in the depths of melancholy, the house was jam packed, and it FELT like a concert! In fact, I had to ask for water three or four times that night, that's how hot it was! But it was a great foot on which to end the first leg of the 20 Years of Placebo tour! Here's hoping we can do it all over again in a few months! If these recently announced Mexican shows are anything to go by, hopefully we'll be seeing a few North American dates in February or March. Everyone start praying to the gongs NOW for an early spring! If you thought the UK was cold, look out! On the other hand, there is a small gap just AFTER the Mexican dates... Rolls the dice, c’mon April!!!
The night after the London show, we hit yet another Christmas market in Camden Towne - no Brian sightings, though, I’m sure he was either long gone to the tropics or hibernating in his flat by then! Not that we’d do anything if we did see him. My friend would just spot him from a billion miles away while I’d be squinting trying to figure out where the hell he was without being obvious about it, LOL! But we’d never have the nerve to approach him. It’s one thing to do so at the venue, but his personal time is just that. We did, however, find the Mind the Gap market stall, which I was thrilled about! :p Then we headed over to Winter Wonderland, which was like a summer carnival meets Christmas light display! It was absolutely huge, complete with rides & everything you'd expect to see...in JULY, not a week before Christmas! Not what I was expecting at all, since across the big pond, we only see that kind of thing in summer! Case in point, while we were walking around in hoodies over in the UK, my friends & family were freezing back home in the -20’s, so needless to say, this was a real treat! As the evening came to an end, we had the pleasure of running into yet more fellow Placebo forum members, Anne and her friend whose name keeps escaping me...was it Be a?), but it was lovely to meet you both! :) Finally, our last day was spent checking out the Natural History Museum, allowing me to indulge my dinosaur-loving inner child, followed by a stroll by that cool LEGO store featuring dozens of lego sculptures on display. Unfortunately the latter was closed, but this suited me just fine, as I was spent & it was time to go!
COMING HOME WITH A HEARTFELT THANK YOU:
I’ll just skip the part about Heathrow being the WORST AIRPORT EVER & jump to the happy stuff! After a long nine hour flight home, I basically slept for a week, and I’m finally almost over this cold from hell SEVEN WEEKS LATER! :) :) :) [I've since learned, it may have actually been a more severe respiratory virus called RSV that's going around right now!] But once again, I wouldn’t change it for the world! Placebo is a band like no other. I’m so proud of them for reaching this 20-year milestone & equally grateful that I could be there to help celebrate it!
Hand on heart, I want to thank Placebo for putting on these nine spectacular shows, not to mention all the other Placebo gigs I’ve attended & 20 years of amazing music! I’ve been a fan since 1997, but it was thoughts of this tour that got me through all the chaos my life has had over the past two years, and I honestly don’t think I could’ve gotten through everything without your music to comfort me when nothing else could. Also, a big thank you to Riverman for arranging the signing & of course to Brian & Stef for putting up with all us tongue-tied fans & writer’s cramp for an hour! Many, many thanks to Billy for the set list & looking after us! Thanks to all the wonderful people we met along the way who were so welcoming and helpful, and last but not least, much love & thanks to all my friends new & old that I either met or travelled with during this tour! I couldn’t have done it without you! You all made my year! Thank you!
