Placebo’s first ever Arizona appearance, something I could definitely not miss after flying to see them all the way in LA. Renzy and I arrived at the Marquee Theater and stood in line. Even though I hate waiting in line, it was good to see there are other people in AZ who like them. The usual Placebo crowd of gothy girls and effeminate males were there (no, not just us!). A couple, on a first date, were behind us, apparently the chick, Sarah, had seen Renzy at some goth club and began chatting with her.
Eventually we made it in only to wait again inside before having to endure one of the worst bands around, Eagles of Death Metal. I don’t know what’s worse, the members, their singing or their songs. They were a complete joke except no one laughed.
Mercifully, they ended their set. Renzy and Sarah were smoking and chatting, much to the chagrin of her date. The lights dimmed and the cheers began for Placebo!
The chords of Bulletproof Cupid blared as they came on stage and started the high-energy show. They quickly followed that instrumental with Allergic to thoughts of Mother Earth. After this song, they did another one of my faves, Every You Every Me.
One of the best moments of the show came, ironically, during a technical difficulty. Normally this would mean a stop of show. When Brian’s guitar stopped working at the beginning of Plasticine. Brian stopped the song and stated that while his guitar would be getting fixed, he was going to something a capella. These are the kind of moments fans and bootleggers dream of, a rarity. In this case it was a cover of Janis Joplin’s Mercedes Benz. The audience clapped along as he sang and the band played along. "Oh lord, won’t you buy me a Mercedes Benz" After the song, his guitar-tech handed him his Gibson, to which Brian replied "Technology has not defeated us yet." Later, when more guitar problems arose, Brian blamed the Eagles of Death Metal for performing Satanic rituals onstage and causing the problem. He also muttered "I’m not good at telling jokes, so I won’t tell any" stating "But you know, ladies and gentlemen, life is all about changes. One day, you’re broke, have hardly any friends and nobody wants to fuck you. The next you have a record contract, a fat check in your pocked, and suddenly everyone wants to be your friend." He then begun Sleeping with Ghosts. The chords to The Bitter End got people jumping. Brian asked to have the house lights turned on, he asked for a raise of hands for those whose parents were divorced. More than half the crowd there raised their hands. For them, he dedicated Black Eyed.
Sexy Brian took off his guitar as the basslines and drums indicated the beginning of I’ll Be Yours. Brian kneeled in front of Stephan as the song ended, kissing his feet as Steph played the last notes amidst cheers from the crowd.
"This is a song for all of you that bother to come tonight. This song’s for you." before playing Without You, I’m Nothing. I love this song, and those of us in ‘the know’ sang every lyric with him. More guitar trouble meant more quick thinking on Brian’s part. He did mention he wasn’t singing anymore Joplin. He told the crowd this was a photo opportunity and those of us with cameras should take a pic before playing This Picture. They ended their set with Special K and Renzy and I sang along to that as well.
As we cheered for an encore, the familiar lines to Taste in Men began. Stephan came out and did his ‘sexy boi’ dance. Shaking his ass to the audience the way only a proud gay man can. Bi-Brian joined him shortly thereafter and both danced homoerotically.
After that song, Placebo played Slave to the Wage and followed with Pure Morning as Brian punched the air during the "boxing clever" lines. Brian mentioned this was the first time they had ever played in Arizona. He thanked the crowd for their warm welcome and patience during the technical difficulties. He stated this song was one of the best ever written when they did the Pixies cover of Where is My Mind?
Though, the LA was definitely better in terms of lighting, setlist, and performance and this one was plagued with technical problems. Placebo never disappoints in concert.