PLACEBO – “Live Box Set”

Automatic translation. Improvements are constantly being worked on.

Endorphins on prescription
PLACEBO
“Live Box Set”
Album (SO Recordings)
Release date: December 15, 2023

The London duo achieve a clear placebo effect with this live compilation. Recordings from their last world tour provide first-class listening pleasure in the living room at home. The complete box set contains a whopping three live sets with different titles. Thus (1) “Collapse into Never” appears on a transparent double vinyl album. It contains an audio recording of the Low Festival in Spain. (2) “This Is What You Wanted” was recorded live in Mexico and comes as a concert film in Blue-Ray format. (3) “Live from the White Room” will be released in the form of a softpack gatefold CD and contains seven tracks from the current album “Never Let Me Go”. Only the audio recordings from Spain will also be available digitally. The remaining material appears exclusively in the complete box set.

Sound: “Collapse into Never”
The three individual versions differ from each other in their very own way. Listening to “Collapse into Never”, Brian Molko casts a spell over you with his unique aura. With fluent announcements in Spanish, he also makes a powerful impression on his fans. While “Sad White Reggae” invites you on a mental journey, the classic “The Bitter End” radiates pure passion.

Picture and sound: “This Is What You Wanted”
A total of 23 songs, or 110 min. playing time includes the high-quality concert film “This Is What You Wanted”. Thousands of fans create a gigantic sea of lights in a Mexican stadium to welcome Placebo. Numerous LED screens frame the large stage before Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal enter their venue. With black nail polish and dark eye shadow, the singer looks just as fresh as he did in the nineties. Already with “Beautiful James” the band put their audience into ecstasy. With a grandiose sound, you will encounter a truly pleasant color scheme. Precisely applied special effects visually loosen up the action. No cameras obscure the view of the musicians and so the concert experience at home quickly turns into a bonfire. When Stefan Olsdal takes a seat at a white grand piano to sing “Too Many Friends”, Placebo give us some subtle moments. Even if the party mood spreads again shortly afterwards with a hit like “What It’s Worth”. As an encore, the popular cover versions “Shout”(Tears for Fears) and “Running up That Hill”(Kate Bush) are of course a must and complete this wonderful journey through the band’s musical history in an excellent way.

Intimate: “Live from the White Room”
The songs on “Live from the White Room”, on the other hand, take a completely different tack. They nestle pleasantly in the ear canal and create a special closeness to the band. With its euphoric effect, the box set should not be missing from any music collection.

Nadine Kloppert

Recorded in: Spain, Mexico, London, Studio 1, Twickenham Studios