Placebo - 3Arena 5 December 2022

flasher0030

Looking forward to this.

I recall there was some argy bargy on one of the threads a few months back on Arcade Fire versus Placebo. I have listened to the most recent album of both bands. For me, Arcade Fires album is ok. Have listened to it a few times. But Placebo album is phenomenal. Cannot stop listening to it. I enjoy most of their albums anyway, but most generally have lots of skippable filler. But the new album doesn't. It's almost perfect. Some of the heavy hitters blow away what they have done before - Sad White Reggae, Surrounded by Spies, Fix Yourself, This is what you wanted, Beautiful James.

Cannot wait to hear the new songs live.

Electric Nitwit

Don't mention the war! 😂

Seen Placebo loads and they always deliver. Have to say, the new album isn't doing it for me but I'm delighted it works for other people

Still put off by the idea of heading to Dublin on a Monday night, but I suspect I'll crack and get a ticket nearer the time

RolandGoose

Arcade Fire v Placebo..... Why!?! Two great bands! I'll take both!

I thought "Never Let Me Go" was awful on first listen, but it has grown on me to no end! Amazing album!

I think they have been playing a pretty odd set on this tour. It'd be great to hear the hits in December.

flasher0030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119567782#Comment_119567782

Was having a look at their setlist. They play 11 of the new album. It's a bit much IMO. I love the new album, but I have a feeling that with so many new tunes, it will break up any momentum at the gig. They could have mixed it up a bit more and included songs like - Every you, Every me, Nancy Boy, Pure Morning, Special K, 36 Degrees, Special Needs.

Electric Nitwit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119906842#Comment_119906842

I'd been meaning to check, thanks for reminding me!

Yeah, I'm an old fan after a bit of a nostalgia hit so that doesn't really work for me. Fair play if that's what they want to do though, hope the crowd is on board and it's a great night

Nigel Fairservice

Was thinking of going to this but after looking at the last few setlists it's not enough to tempt me up from down the country.

Burty330

Very true, the new album is a mature, intelligent highpoint in their career. Most never predicted a resurgence of this quality.

Arcade fires last album made no impact at all. They are cooked. A flash in the pan and a disgraced singer is their legacy now.. lol

https://pitchfork.com/news/fifth-person-details-arcade-fire-frontman-win-butlers-allegedly-manipulative-toxic-behavior/

Peter File

Friday's nights gig in Newcastle and tonight's in Glasgow have both been cancelled as Brian has issues with his vocal chords and is under medical advice to rest them. His statement today says he is hopeful that he can play Dublin On Monday.

s8n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/119911261#Comment_119911261

Batshit crazy statement to make

DepecheHead101

Thought Arcade Fire went up their own hole after Funeral. And I'm a massive fan of bands going up their own hole.

Placebo have always been up their own hole but their music's far more accessible so it's easier to get along with.

For anyone who hasn't been following, there's been a bit of an argy bargy amongst the fans in recent weeks since they play a no phones message at their shows, repeat it on social media, and have quite heavy security policing of it at their gigs.

For me I always agree with the message but not the messaging. Having a band member essentially tell the audience off creates a sour atmosphere.

Will be interesting to see if this show goes ahead.

Zardoz

Dublin now postponed

https://twitter.com/PLACEBOWORLD/status/1599088448777748480

DepecheHead101

Dublin being a 'remaining UK date' of course.

JupiterKid

Was really looking forward to this gig as I'd never got to see Placebo live and have been into their music since their debut album.

My best mate who was going to the concert with me texted me yesterday to say it was cancelled - he'd booked the tickets for us almost the moment they were released last Spring.

Hopefully it won't be postponed too long.

Dreamweapon

Rescheduled for Monday 26th June https://mcd.ie/placebo-dublin/

Aladdin Sane

For me, this now means…

24th June, Iron Maiden @ 3arena

25th June, Peter Gabriel @ 3arena

26th June, Placebo @ 3arena

im not even gonna mention Roger Waters or Depeche Mode on the 10th and 14th 😫

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120181735#Comment_120181735

That's some month!

Sleepy

Was at the re-scheduled night for this on Friday, a good gig but far too focused on the new album. I really like Never Let Me Go but there's only maybe 3 or 4 tracks on it that would justify their slot on a setlist taken from their entire discography.

Was cool to see them doing Bionic as a nod to having recorded it in Dublin but would have preferred Nancy Boy from the same recording session and shocked that there wasn't a single track from Without You I'm Nothing included (especially since we're approaching it's 25th anniversary - perhaps that'll be the next tour?)

https://www.setlist.fm/setlist/placebo/2023/3arena-dublin-ireland-23a644df.html

o1s1n

I had tickets to this but just was not in form for it on a Monday so sold them out Toutless about two hours before the show. Saw them the last time they played the 3 Arena and wasn't too impressed. After reading your post I'm glad I didn't go - would have been gutted by that setlist.

I remember seeing them back in 2001 in the Olympia and to be honest I think I'm going to leave that as my last big memory of them! Absolutely amazing gig.

Sleepy

I enjoyed the gig but have fonder memories of being in the pit at their performance at Oxygen back in 2006 (I'd have been 17 years younger and far, far drunker at that though!)

Dreamweapon

I read yesterday that Molko stopped the gig a couple of times to complain about the phone usage. Not sure how big a deal it was or just blown out of proportion.

Dr_Colossus

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120778483#Comment_120778483

He made an announcement before they came on to leave the phone in your pocket and to respect the band and fellow concert goers, no one wants to be looking at your phone screen blocking the view. Of course certain selfish and entitled gobshites assumed that only applied to others and they didn't heed the notice so he stopped mid way through Happy Birthday to plead once more and single out one guy in particular who was front centre. He was pretty pissed off so thought/hoped he was going to encourage a mob rule for those around him to disarm him off his phone. After that no more interruptions although security were going around and shining strobe lights at some culprits.

It’s so annoying at concerts to see so many on their phones with bright screens and even torches alight. Recording crap quality snippets to never watch again.  I was at Tool last year and that was heavily advertised prior that there would be no phone usage and it was refreshing to see.

Hellrazer

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120776520#Comment_120776520

Same here - Placebo are one of those bands that a smaller venue suits better. Olympia in 2001 was an amazing gig. New album is a bit meh to be honest bar one or two good tracks. Im glad I didnt head in for this one as I had 2 tickets from the cancelled show but my 25 year old daughter and 21 tear old son went and said it was fairly sh1t to be honest.

flasher0030

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120778843#Comment_120778843

I like Placebo, and have seen them twice - loved it. But in fairness, it is a bit self-indulgent to play almost all of a very recent album at a gig.

I was weighing up going to it on Monday night. I had a few things going on, but could have made room for it., But when I checked the setlist, I decided to give it a miss. I reckoned there would be too many lull moments for the gig to take any real momentum. I could be wrong, and hope all those that attended had a great time.

Akrasia

Placebo are one of my all time favourite bands but the 3 arena is not their sweet spot. Same as Sigur Ros. Amazing at the Ambassador but shite at the arena

Mainly down to the crowds

DJB030244

interesting, what it? Lack of knowledge of the newer songs or something else?

Sleepy

The entire top tier was curtained off and I think the left and right-most sections of the first seating tiers were too so it was actually quite a small show int terms of numbers there. Rescheduling it and having it on a Monday definitely hurt the ticket sales

The focus on the new album at the start definitely lead to a general lull in the crowd that picked up for some of the better tracks from it (Beautiful James, Sad White Reggae and Try Better Next Time) and Bionic but it really only felt like they got into full swing towards the end as they moved into a selection of hits from the earlier albums... from around Meds forward in the setlist gave a taste of what the gig could have been imho.

horgan_p

I think that they (PLacebo) are kind of victims of their own success.

Much like Iron Maiden, no one goes to an Iron Maiden gig to hear the new album.

Everyone wants to hear the back catalog , same scenario with the Rolling Stones.

I was at the gig in 2001 and loved it, missed the 20th anniversary tour - still annoyed about that.

But I had the option of tickets for the show this week, but looked at setlist.fm and didnt like what I saw.

davywalsh7

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120778452#Comment_120778452

was in the pit for this myself, thought they were brilliant

Aladdin Sane

Re “Much like Iron Maiden, no one goes to an Iron Maiden gig to hear the new album.”

I beg to differ.

o1s1n

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120787870#Comment_120787870

Yeah it was a bad comparison, their new album is fantastic 😁

Aladdin Sane

For me Brian Molko’s tetchy attitude ruined the show. After his quibble about the crowds use of phones (which was minimal by the way), there was an uneasy feeling that they could walk off the stage at any point.

Changing the lyrics of the song “Too many people” to read “all the c#unts do all day, is stare into their phones” was in bad taste. Remember this gig was supposed to to take place last December and postponed at 48hrs notice. Rather than appeasing the crowd, Molko displayed distain towards the enthusiastic crowd throughout the show.

I knew the setlist would be heavily populated with new songs so that posed no issues for me, but I felt it was only during the encore that the show hit the heights it should have. Ironic considering the 3 song encore consisted of 2 covers, but both were absolutely brilliant.

Overall, a good gig but not as great and it could have been.

DepecheHead101

Yeah Molko can suck a fat one. I don't like phones at gigs either but the heavy handed, snarky way this has been dealt with has soured this entire tour from the off. I don't think it's particularly healthy from him either. Honestly, it's a genuine mental fixation at this stage that seems to be done in the face of how detrimental and alienating it is to a lot of proper fans.

RolandGoose

My first time seeing Placebo, great band and I'm a fan of the new album. However, I thought the gig was overall so so, and pretty flat at times. I didn't overly mind the phone rant, granted I was worried they would walk off when a person kept blatantly filming when Brian asked him directly to stop. Security just flashed the torch a few times and that was that. The lack of big tunes didn't really help, especially in the encore! What sounded like a 99% playback version of Shout, a deep cut from the new album and a slow burn Running up that Hill to finish. I think the band could have put together a better balanced setlist. No doubt a smaller venue would have helped the atmosphere too. Hard to know how many tickets thry sold, GA was very spacious and a lot of seats where curtained off. Hopefully thry do the Olympia next time!

Still Ill

Not great reviews for this gig compared to Arcade Fire's..

Hippodrome Song Owl

Just reading through these reviews and glad I didn't get tickets now. One of my all time favourite bands, but the new album is only OK. I also have great memories of being in the pit at Oxegen 2006, and also the SFX in I think 1999, and amazing night in the Olympia in 2000 - I remember they had to pause mid-gig as the ceiling started to fall down on the drummer. I would be so disappointed with the lack of old tracks - think I read to expect that here last year so decided to skip. But it sounds like Brian has become a little too moody and snarky with his fans.