Opening for tonight’s main act was the utterly mesmerising Friedberg a trans Berlin & London four price who are fresh off touring with Hot Chip.

We absolutely loved what they had to offer which was a glorious cacophony of Riot Grrrl energy that was infectious and highly east to dance to.

They remind me of ESG slow dancing at a high school disco with The Big Moon. We loved the tenuous amount of Cowbell on offer (can you ever have enough?) and festival ready anthems like; “Go Wild” and “Yeah”. Catch them when they next roll into town.

I’ve been fan girling hard for Placebo since I was about 15 the band have held the hand of many a millennial throughout their teen emo phase – one I’m not entirely sure I ever fully left.

I interviewed Jamie Hince of The Kills fame – back in the days when he was touring the No Wow album and we spend an extraordinary amount of time talking about our joint appreciation for Brian Molko.

Jamie explaining about the times they squatted in flats in London’s East End, building experimental music machines with found material. Me talking about how one day I too aspired to be a Nancy Boy…

From the moment the band took the stage, the energy in the room was electric. The crowd was a sea of black leather and eyeliner, all eagerly awaiting the arrival of their beloved rock icons.

As soon as the first notes of “Forever Chemicals” rang out, the audience erupted into a frenzy of sharp pointed Mohawks and experimental eyeliner.

Frontman Brian Molko strutted across the stage, his voice dripping with raw emotion as he belted out the lyrics. The band’s signature blend of grunge, punk, and glam rock was on full display, and it was clear that they were on top form.

The band had imposed a strict no phones policy which was much to the chagrin of many a fan, was it pretentious? Or were they as they admitted trying to simply protect the audiences connection with the band themselves?

At the end of the day I know I don’t like to watch a concert on an iPhone screen while a 6 foot dude in front of me films the entirety of the show with his torch on. So honestly? I think it was for the best.

Although the band are currently touring in celebration of ‘Sleeping with Ghosts’ turning 20 years old the band didn’t play many tracks from this album.

In fact they also didn’t play many of their much loved hits such as; “Every Me, Every You” or “The Bitter End” and admittedly much to my utter dismay “Nancy Boy” instead the opted for a set littered with gems from a range of their extensive back catalogue.

One of the highlights of the night was the performance of “Bionic” which had the entire crowd singing along at the top of their lungs.

Molko’s vocals were haunting and powerful, and the band’s tight musicianship was on full display.

Placebo also played a number of deep cuts and lesser-known tracks, which only served to further showcase their versatility and talent. “Song to Say Goodbye” was a particular standout, with its driving bassline and Molko’s snarling vocals.

Throughout the night, the band’s energy never waned. Molko and bassist Stefan Olsdal were constantly in motion, jumping and thrashing around the stage with abandon.

Drummer Steve Forrest held down the rhythm with precision and power, and the entire band seemed to be feeding off the energy of the crowd.

“Slave to the Wage” – a personal favourite and “The Bitter End” received a tremendous roar from the crowd.

As the night drew to a end Placebo came back with a short en core with a rousing cover rendition of “Shout” which was prefaced by shout out to all our Trans and Non-binary friends there was some chat about having a choice about who exactly you get fucked by – which was alluding to Molko’s support for Scottish Independence (he is 50% Scottish after all – so we may as well claim him as one of our own),leaving the audience begging for more.

They closed the set with their beautiful cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” which the audience loved.

It was a truly unforgettable performance, and one that has cemented Placebo’s status as one of the most iconic rock bands of our time and not only the dreamy hero’s of our teenage years…

Words & Photos: Angela Canavan