This is the third time that the British alternative rock band, Placebo performed in Chile. The date was March 20th, 2024 in Movistar Arena, Santiago. It was a show where the tickets sold so fast that they added another show for the next day too, March 21th.
Brian Molko on vocals and guitar and Stefan Olsdal on bass are the band, but they play with touring musicians, most of whom have been for a long time with the band:
- Bill Lloyd – keyboards, bass, guitar
- Nick Gavrilovic – guitar, keyboards, backing vocals
- Matt Lunn – drums, percussion
- Angela Chan – violin, keyboards, percussion, backing vocals
This is the second time I have seen them.
The first time they played in Chile, in 2010, I got the ticket and I was super excited to see a band that I had been a big fan of for so many years. Sadly, I got sick with a cold with fever, so I couldn’t go.
My revenge came a few years after, in 2014 when I got to see them at last, and enjoy their lovely show at Movistar Arena, where they were presenting their seventh studio album, Loud Like Love.
For me it was a great experience, even though I went with my father who didn’t like the band at all (who insisted on going with me, despite of me telling him that they weren’t his style).
Now, they were presenting their eighth studio album, Never Let Me Go, which was almost in its entirety played. 
This time, I went with my youngest sister.
Placebo show started at 9.00 pm, so keeping in mind the vast experience in concerts we have with my sister, we arrived at the venue at 8.00 pm. We hoped that most of the people would be inside the arena at that time (like in most concerts), so we would have a calm entrance. Nevertheless, was nothing like that.
There was a colossal line in which we had to stand and wait for almost one hour. The security organization was awful and painfully slow. Luckily nothing bad happened. Lastly, we entered the show 10 minutes before the concert started and there were still a huge amount of people waiting to get in, who surely missed the first songs of the show.
The opening acts were the British duo Big Special and the Chilean duo Diavol Strain. We couldn’t see either of the bands, due to the problems of the organization in letting the people access the venue.
Placebo began a few minutes after 9.00 pm, with Forever Chemicals and Beautiful James, two songs from their last album. Then came Scene of the Crime, of Loud Like Love album. Afterward, also from their latest work, Hugz and Happy Birthday in the Sky (which was written to celebrate our loved ones that have passed away). Brian dedicated it to his late brother.
The classic Bionic from their first, self-titled album, came.
Two other songs from their last work, Twin Demons and Surrounded by Spies, lead the way to another classic Soulmates from their Sleeping with Ghosts: B-Sides album.
And then they continue with the other two tracks from their last album, Sad White Reggae, and Try Better Next Time.
A white piano makes its entrance, so Stefan can play Too Many Friends, from the Loud Like Love album and Went Missing, from their new album.
Brian stopped the concert for a bit because a girl was getting crushed by the crowd so he waited a little bit until she was alright. The show continued with Exit Wounds from Loud Like Love.
Then came the turn of the most known songs, like For What It’s Worth from Battle for the Sun, Slave to the Wage from Black Market Music, and Song to Say Goodbye from Meds album.
Now, it was the moment from one of the most awaited songs of the night and the crowd went wild with its first chords, The Bitter End, from the Sleeping With Ghosts album. It didn’t sound so well, at least from where I stood, it was so loud that at times it saturated itself, but nothing too bad. Up next came Infra-red from the Meds album, this song also was cheered and sung by us, the crowd.
Now, it was time for a break, the band went out for a couple of minutes and then returned with another classic, Taste In Men from Black Market Music.
The next song was the last one from their latest work, Fix Yourself. Here Angela Chan plays violin.
The show ended with the beautiful cover of Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God), original by Kate Bush. The first notes started playing on the piano and everybody recognized the song and started singing along and when the song finished, the concert did as well.
The previous days before the concert, I’d read on social media a lot of people complaining about the setlist, that they were not going to play a lot of hits, and that the setlist would be boring. It’s true, they mostly played their last album, but because they are on tour presenting it since it was an album recorded around the time of the pandemic. However. they also played songs from almost all of their albums, the only one that was left behind was Without You I’m Nothing.
If they only played the hits, the band would get bored and it wouldn’t be motivated for them to play. If they have new music, us the real fans, want to enjoy those songs too.
To listen to Placebo and to see them live, you have to be in a specific mindset at that moment because they are a more relaxed band, more calm, with some punk and Britpop moments.
For me, it was a great concert, a celebration of a band with more than 30 years of career. Of course, you would always want more songs, but I’m happy with my second experience seeing Placebo live.
Setlist
- Forever Chemicals
- Beautiful James
- Scene of the Crime
- Hugz
- Happy Birthday in the Sky
- Bionic
- Twin Demons
- Surrounded by Spies
- Soulmates
- Sad White Reggae
- Try Better Next Time
- Too Many Friends
- Went Missing
- Exit Wounds
- For What It’s Worth
- Slave to the Wage
- Song to Say Goodbye
- The Bitter End
- Infra-red
- Taste In Men
- Fix Yourself
- Running Up That Hill (A Deal With God) (Kate Bush cover)