PLACEBO, Babyface Clan
13.09.2010,В 'Winter Sports palace', Sofia - Bulgaria
words byВ Nikola Shahpazov, photos: Dee Dee

I’m hardly the man you see walking around or drinking in a pub with anything pink on. Still, the pink wristband tonight seems only appropriate – for the band we are about to see has been making headlines and labeled as scandalous since they started in 1994. and even though they never strived for it, Placebo have now reached the statute of rocknroll icons and it’s quite nice, surprising even, we’re about to see them yet again.

When they were first here in 2003, their gig strangely and sadly coincided with the death of the great Johnny Cash and Placebo played with black armbands in his honour. 4 years later the scandalous Britts were in Sfia for another, louder and more rocknroll concert, this time delivering a Kate Bush live cover.

And even though Sofia is not London or Berlin, the local fans have seen their fair share of big and small gigs, thus becoming cynical and harder to please than 15 years ago.

And a lot of people won’t go to another concert by a band they’ve seen two times before because it’s not going to be as exciting as the first one. But all those who missed Placebo’s gig this Monday surely made the wrong decision – the concert was wonderfully different than the previous ones and all the musical cynicism in the world can’t change that.

Babyface Clan are a very logical support act. Because 7 years ago Nasso Russcov and Charlie met Placebo for the first time – the two were known as the Imbeciles back then. Now they come onstage as a part of a reformed Clan – full of rocnroll energy and heading for a new album. They kick off with a mighty ”Magnifying Glass” and continue with loads of new tracks, playing older classics ”The Hip Swindlers” and “The Wrinkles” as well. Energetic and awkward as always, Babyface Clan manage to pull off a good performance even though the audience is still gathering before the stage.

It’s hard to be critical towards PLACEBO. From the first chords of “Nancy Boy” it becomes crystal clear the band still has it – 7 years and some crucial line-up changes after their first concert here, they’re still going strong.

The setlist includes tracks from the band’s whole discography (from “Teenage Angst” to “Kitty Litter”) and classics like “The Bitter End”, “Meds” and “Special Needs” throw the crowd into a true frenzy.

Brian Molko dominates the stage as a Medieval tyrant – standing in the front alongside Stefan Olsdal and isolating the rest of the band in the back. Fiona Brice handles keyboards and violin but while the inclusion of the instrument in the live mix seems like a good idea, its sound is completely lost in the guitar buzz.

Placebo do splendidly and even throw a smashing cover of Nirvana’s “All Apologies” before the short break and a 4-song encore. Great stuff indeed!

GALLERY