Many eyeliner wearing, slightly androgynous alt-glam-rockers have come and gone since Placebo emerged over a decade ago, but Monday night (April 9) the veteran alt-rock threesome showed why they still have a more than loyal legion of fans. Opening with the energetic trio of “Infra-Red,” “Meds,” and “Because I Want You,” all off last year’s Meds, Brian Molko led his compatriots through a fast-paced set that delved through the band’s entire catalogue, including “Every You Every Me” and “Special Needs,” much to the delight of the die-hard Placebo fans who filled up the Kool Haus in Toronto.
Molko’s intense, passionate performance, with his signature melodrama en tact, remains a killer match to the stern stoicism of bassist Stefan Olsdal, whose angular face and intense glares were paired with a bag full of rock’n’roll poses. A stunning cover of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill,” complete with prog-rock outro, and the soaring closer “Twenty Years,” closed out the night, for which the band brought out a cellist to round out the sound.
As the lights came on, it was startling to think that Placebo had just gone through a selection of its entire history as a band with no song sounding like generic filler or a throw-away making it obvious why Placebo is still thriving ten years later. MIKE WARNER / PHOTOS BY CARRIE MUSGRAVE
>> Listen to Placebo on Napster
We asked: Placebo recently released an online album of covers, which included a version of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”. What song would you like to hear Placebo cover?
