Placebo, Sheffield O2 Academy
The band feel they are breaking new ground and so this might explain why they don't perform one of their biggest hits 'Nancy Boy', which many were obviously waiting for.
Leeds-based The Officers have the unenviable task of opening up the show. To summarise, they are a hard-working five-piece crossover band with a serious passion for genre-bending and an ear for dark-yet-accessible alternative music. Tracks like 'Afraid Of Your Love', 'Long Life' and 'Poison' are packed full of bombastic riffs, a powerful stomp and tight-as-hell electronic workings. They blend influences like Muse and The Eighties Matchbox B-Line Disaster with their own driving passion to create full-fat anthems that bulldoze your senses and smack your ears silly.
Headliners Placebo have been away for a while and it is great to have them back where they belong, rocking out on stage with their new robo-armed drummer Steve Forrest. They pull out a hefty amount of material from their latest album, 'Battle For The Sun', but fortunately it seems to go down very well. The stylish pop-hooks are still there, along with the infectious glam-tinged alt-rock that we love them for. As a group, they are reinvigorated and strangely, very happy... weird. The anthemic 'Kitty Litter', with its furious punk aesthetic, alongside the ambient sway of 'Speak In Tongues' work particularly well to get the crowd moving. The band's new material is much more uplifting than their older work, though whether it will have the same monumental impact remains to be seen.
There is a definite sense that the band feel they are breaking new ground and so this might explain why they don't perform one of their biggest hits 'Nancy Boy', which many were obviously waiting for. However, they do mix in some of their older and darker songs, including 'Meds', 'Special Needs' and 'Every You, Every Me'. Indeed, the most prominent track is their final one of the night, 'Taste In Men', which satisfies everyone in attendance with its thumping industrial rhythm and huge chorus. Fans go home happy knowing that their idols are back and on ridiculously fine form. They may not be as moody as they used to be, but they still sparkle and shine.
Subscribe to the Clickmusic News Feed
