After a 250 mile round trip and at least three laps around Blackpool itself because of some very dubious directions (including one person intent to send us to the transvestite club), we arrive late with Placebo on stage. We even manage to get told off by the venue staff for running, and by ‘staff' I refer to those who flunked getting into the police force and now grasp for any kind of authority to exert over others.

As we shift about for a better view, the band kicks into ‘Come Home'. After the song, Brian confesses they hadn't played it in eight years. The crowd, other than some hardcore fans at the front, are very low tempo. The band picks out ‘Commercial for Levis', ‘Every You, Every Me' and ‘Special Needs' which Brian says he doesn't like, thus putting a dampener before the first chord is struck. We also get new versions of old songs - a slower version of '36 Degrees' is a welcome surprise - but with the pace of the gig and the new material being generally, well umm, lethargic, perhaps a shot of rock adrenalin would have been a better choice.

The band departs to great applause with the encore the best part of the show. A treat in the form of a cover of Kate Bush's ‘Running Up That Hill' is fantastic, despite the poor acoustics of the venue. Moody yet intense, Brian gives a great vocal performance. We're also get a rendition of '20 Years' before ‘Nancy Boy' seals the night off.

The encore essentially saves the gig though it's not helped with the awful sound quality, which put a dent in Placebo's overall performance. Coupled with mainly new tracks it was hardly worth getting excited over. Still, it was the opening night of their tour...
(2/5)

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