Placebo performed a unique show in São Paulo last Sunday, the 17th, at Espaço Unimed. It was part of the tour for their 2022 album, Never Let Me Go, which has already visited several countries. Before the show began, Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal asked the audience not to take photos or videos. The band returned to Brazil after 10 years and performed a show without a premium standing area.
With the setlist mostly composed of songs from their latest album, the group ended up leaving out big hits like "Every You Every Me" and "Special K". However, the audience showed they enjoyed the songs from the new album, singing along to every track, from the first "Forever Chemicals" to "Beautiful James" and "Surrounded by Spies". During "Happy Birthday in the Sky", they even sang "Happy Birthday" to a band member who was celebrating his birthday, despite saying the song was sad.
But they didn't leave out the rest of their discography; they performed at least one song from each album. During songs like "Too Many Friends" and "Infra-red," the audience recalled the band's older hits. During "For What It's Worth," the crowd sang at the top of their lungs, as well as during "The Bitter End.".
Between each song, Brian and Stefan switched instruments, always paying close attention to the quality of their performance. As is tradition on the tour, they closed the night with "Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God)," a cover of Kate Bush .
Big Special pleases fans at the opening
The opening act was Big Special , a British duo formed shortly after the pandemic by two college friends, Joe Hicklin and Callum Moloney. The audience was very receptive to the band, who were playing in Brazil for the first time. One of the songs was "Butcher's Bin," a recently released single that will be part of their first album, Postindustrial Hometown Blues , to be released on May 10th. At the end of the show, Joe and Callum, being friendly, lingered by the exit chatting with passersby.
Placebo and the request for a show without a cell phone
Before the show began, a message requesting that no one photograph or film the performance was displayed on the screen in English and translated into Portuguese via audio. The band's aversion to cell phone use at their concerts is nothing new. In fact, in Europe, they partnered with a company that sealed cell phones during the show.
The duo claims that cell phones disrupt the audience's connection with them. Furthermore, they bother other spectators who want to see the show, not the background of a cell phone. During the first few songs, the audience was quiet, but soon fans began filming and photographing. The crew even had to call the attention of some with a flashlight.
It was almost a two-hour show for a diverse audience. With 30 years on the road, Placebo manages to maintain a connection with its older fans while still captivating new generations. We hope they don't take another 10 years to come back.
Our contributor Jéssica Marinho also went to the show and captured the evening. Check out our photo gallery below:
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