The stage was *so* close, the people in the first row could actually reach over the barrier & touch it! This reminded me of my first Placebo show back in 2001 here in Calgary. I was in almost the exact same spot, we were packed in like sardines & it was CLOSE! Very close! The only difference is this time I could actually see the band! Yay for short people! By the end of the show, I was absolutely exhausted. You know, the kind of exhaustion you get when a show is really good, really packed & you’ve given every ounce of energy you have to the band on stage?
Met a lot of international fans - people from Netherlands, Belgium, Italy, Wales & another one of my fellow rare PFWW Canadians.
In fact the centre section of the first two rows was like the United Nations of Placebo fans, LOL! I really must say, Placebo fans are the best, always looking out for one another. I don’t think I’ve met a nicer group of people than the ones I’ve met through this board & my last few Placebo shows. Cheyenne Pony was especially a great help! Thank you! I was sad to hear not everyone had such a good experience. That drunk guy must’ve been just over to my left. I recall there being a big surge from that direction at one point & figured someone must’ve been pulled out, but I had no idea why till I read the posts on here! I’m pretty sure I met that drunk guy after the show, too. He was pretty messed up!
The show itself was great & was the full newer version of the set I’d been looking forward to seeing. I was THRILLED to finally hear Purify live, as well as Twenty Years. Other highlights for me were seeing Stef close up on the piano just a few feet away from me, having the stage low enough to actually be able to SEE Steve behind those drums for once, and OMG, I LOVE how animated Stef is when he plays! I hadn’t been able to see that detail in my usual spot over by Brian, but during the Boston show, even *I* couldn’t miss it, LOL! He is like a 6’4” Energizer Bunny!!! I just love the fervour he puts into his performance!
Another thing that really took my breath away this night was Brian’s beauty. This was by far the closest I’d been to him, even though I was technically more towards centre, the stage being two feet away totally made up for that. I just couldn’t get over how stunning he looked whenever the spotlight was on him. And last but not least, not only did Steve shake my hand end the end of the encore when he came up to the front of the stage, Fiona also whizzed past me & a girl I met from Belgium after the show when we were standing across from the buses. Unfortunately, I had to catch a 3am shuttle, so I never got to see anyone else. Hoping I’ll have better luck in Toronto, Chicago or Minneapolis!
[EDIT: I later learned, I missed Brian by *30 MINUTES*!!! Needless to say, I was devastated, having come so close yet so far!]On a side note, during Meds, Brian had to cough, so he had to stop the performance & start over again! Hope he’s not got that cold I suffered through for a month! He was a really good sport, though. You could tell he was embarrassed, so we all gave him a supportive round of applause for taking it in his stride.
I loved how loud we all sang after that, as if to try to help him out! Other than that one little blip, though, his vocals sounded amazing to me.Brian continued his new course of ad libbing his banter between songs! Gone are the canned, rehearsed scripts between songs! Every show this leg, he’s had something different to say & I can’t wait to hear what he has in store for us during the rest of the tour1 I am loving this newly added spontaneity!
Has anyone else noticed how damn CUTE he sounds when he does ad-lib as opposed to the scripted dialogue! I swear, his voice goes up an octave & he’s just all cute & squeaky & I just want to hug him! 
But seriously, I really think he's showing his more vulnerable side to be winging it like that. For someone who suffers from stage fright like he does, I think it takes a lot for him to depart from his usual routine on stage, so much respect to him for taking that step. Taking pics was a challenge during this sold out gig, which I'm sure Mr Molko would be delighted to hear! In fact, thanks to that & Brian's little "social experiment”, I willingly gave up just before Too Many Friends AND YES I KEPT UP MY END OF THE BARGAIN, BRIAN!!! For those about to join me on tour who like to snap a few pics despite our beautiful grumpy "princess", be sure to take them BEFORE "Too Many friends"! For me, his current approach was very effective! After all, he made us promiss, and I don't go back on my promises!!! I think this is his way of meeting us half way. Allowing us to take pics the first half & then getting us to agree to stop the second half. Damnit, should've recorded the NYC encore from front row when I had the chance, LOL! Doubt I'll get that good a spot at any of the other shows!!! And if he keeps using this new approach, I don’t know I’d be able to bring myself to film the encore! I’ve definitely given up on filming three songs per show. Now I just want to get EYEM in full (only got part of it @ Boston), Exit Wounds or the entire four-song version of the encore. I did manage to get some ok video stills & will eventually post some of them here, but it'll probably be either next week or after the North American tour's done.
[EDIT] Ooh, just remembered another personal highlight for me during the Boston show... During the group bow, Brian was literally RIGHT IN FRONT of us - that being myself & the girl in front of me!!! If only he would've done the same as Steve had just minutes before & shook our hands! But as per usual, he just smile & waived & had that dazed look he usually gets when the show's all said & done!
I recall looking at him wanting to smile, but I was *so* exhausted, I think my expression must've mirrored his! The fact he was close enough for ME of all people to SEE the expression on his face was HUGE for me! Sadly, no pics to capture this moment, as I kept my promise in Brian's little "experiment. 1. B32. For What It's Worth3. Loud Like Love4. Every You Every Me5. Scene of the Crime6. A Million Little Pieces7. Twenty Years8. Too Many Friends9. Rob the Bank10. Purify11. One of a Kind12. Exit Wounds13. Meds14. Song to Say Goodbye15. Special K16. The Bitter End
Encore:17. Begin the End18. Running Up That Hill19. Post Blue20. Infra-Red
This show was nuts, so it was pretty difficult to get any good pics, but that's ok! The energy of the crowd was irreplaceable! Here are the few pics I did manage to snap at the Boston show...
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