Суббота 13 Авг 2011, 8:55
Czw 11 VIII – Stuttgarter Sternstunden
It happend. It's so hard to believe in, but it really did.
I saw Placebo live.
And it was better than I could have ever expected.
About a month before the show, Polish fans from PFWW decided to go to Stuttgart to see Placebo onstage again after a long break. It was their only festival show in 2011, they're not on tour now. We started the preparations and on 10th August me and 49 other Placebo and 30stm fans went on our beautiful journey together. We spent about 13 hours in our bus and about 8 am finally arrived in Stuttgart. We started queueing very early when there was almost no one else, but it was so worth it.
Me and my friend saw Stefan Olsdal in the street, we were about 2 meters away from him, but we acted so fucking stupid and freaked out and didn't dare say a thing…
At 4 pm they started letting people in, and, really, I didn't know that I can run SO fast. We had to run across the whole place, it was horribly hot and some of people had collapsed even before 30 Seconds to Mars came.
The Words
They were the support of 30stm and they were doing very fine, the leader said it had been their first time in front of such a huge audience - and they were really, really good, I honestly had a great time with them and their drummer was adorable, they also had very nice contact with us.
Setlist:
1. Everybody With You
2. Siren
3. LA LA LA
4. Under Your Bum
5. F.A.G
6. Truth and Faith
7. Stand Up, Sit Down
I wish they played more songs, I enjoyed it a lot and I hope I will be able to see them live again someday.
Setlist:
1. Escape
2. A Beautiful Lie
3. Attack
4. Search and Destroy
5. Vox Populi
6. This Is War
7. L490
8. Hurricane (acoustic)
9. The Kill (acoustic)
10. Closer to the Edge
11. Night of the Hunter
12. Kings and Queens
PLACEBO
I've been waiting for this moment for such a long time and, that's for sure, I didn't disappoint.
I was already tired, but when I saw the members of my beloved band coming one after another on the stage I wasn't thinking about it at all, I felt I could do anything. I didn't know I can scream and sing so loudly.
First we all heard the intro, everyone started cheering, screaming and clapping.
Steve - he's a walking wide grin. I screamed so terribly loud when I saw him, that I have no idea how it was possible that I still could speak afterwards.
Stefan in his silver space suit = ecstasy. I was standing in front of him totally speechless with open mouth and then I smiled so widely that I'm pretty sure Stevie would be proud of me. Because of Stef and his blinding outfit (I know, shame on me) I didn't notice Brian……………….
At first, of course. When I finally stopped staring at Stef I saw something small on the left. Okay, let's stop it. To be honest, Brian is even more beautiful live (and I didn't know it's possible at all).
They started with For What It's Worth, it's a really great track to open. After this song I felt, for the first time, that I really was there, you know, I finally understood that OH MY FUCKING GOD I'M SEEING PLACEBO LIVE.
Then they played Ashtray Heart, generally I don't like this one, but then I enjoyed it a lot and all the crowd singing CENICERO, MI CENICERO, MI CORAZÓN DE CENICERO looked awesome.
Soulmates - Brian singing 'soulmate, dry your eye' and so many people crying all around me.. It was a beautiful one, so emotional, I also had tears in my eyes, visual effects were magnificent, the atmosphere is impossible to describe, I felt like a part of the crowd, like one, large body, with one heart, that was beating in the drums and basses' rythm.
Bright Lights - the same like with Ashtray Heart, this song is hopeless, it has good lyrics, but its music makes me laugh, but there I was singing with the others and I enjoyed it, too. Also, it was the 4th song, so we showed our flags and cards with 'WE MISS YOU' on them, they smiled back after reading them and someone said that Stef had read it and had said that he had missed us, too ♥
The next track was Follow The Cops Back Home, I personally love it so much, but I wasn't sure if it's a good song for the festival, but it was truly beautiful. We all were singing and waving slowly, and it was good to, uhm, 'rest' or 'relax' aren't good words, maybe 'to have a short while to take a deep breath' and start getting crazy again by Every You Every Me, of course everyone knew the lyrics perfectly, so it was really, really great. They play EYEM almost always, but every single time it's pretty special. And so was it then.
First sounds of Special Needs - the audience seemed to scream even louder then ever before, altough I was pretty sure it's not possible. After that Brian reminded every single one of us to Breathe Underwater, I adore this song and had a great fun, everyone was jumping, waving, clapping, screaaaaaaaaaaaaming, I wasn't tired at all, or rather I was, but I didn't feel anything, just a huge wave of energy (STUTTGART, COME ON!!!!!!! HAHAHAHHA, I loved that moment. And while 'take my ego for a ride, because there's no one by my side' Brian. looked. at. me.). The air was filled with all the best.
Then Molko said that he wanted to dedicate the next song for its author and for his absent friends and for absent friends of us and also for Amy Winehouse, it was beautiful. They played All Apologies and although I rather dislike this song, it was awesome live. And I started laughing like mad when Brian sang 'everyone is gay', because Stef's face was just priceless.
Meds - it was like with Every You Every Me, every single person knew the lyrics, so the crowd was very, very, very loud, and it was kind of special, too, I mean singing 'baby' to Brian. Yeah, childlish. But it was.
Then it was time for Teenage Angst, Bri said something about old school (probably) and that it's thanks to Steffie, but he said it half in German, so I didn't understand everything, what a moron, he laughs at Gumpie and his geography skills, or rather a lack of them (Steve.. Where are we?) and then he sees loads of Polish flags and speaks German, pffff. Anyways, that version was awesome! I knew that it was TA only because I knew the setlist from their warm-up show and because of Bri's introduction, but the melody was changed and it all sounded perfect! It's strange, you know, I generally dislike when they play their old songs now, because they sound stupid nowadays, but Teenage Angst… I can't explain it, but I liked it a lot, a lot, a lot!
After that they played Song To Say Goodbye, it was the first song by them I've ever heard and I more than love it. And Brian changed 'like' (though I don't like you anymore) to 'love' and sang it with a soft smile and with such a smooth voice that it sounded like a declaration of love actually.
People around me were getting nervous, because Placebo sometimes finish their concerts with Song To Say Goodbye, but I knew the Berlin setlist, so I knew it wasn't a goodbye. Not yet.
Complete madness came with The Bitter End, it appears that you can headbang not only on heavy metal concerts. Again people around me were like 'oh god no please don't finish yet!', but Placebo disappeared. We all started cheering and calling the back, chanting 'PLA-CE-BO' and after a short moment Stevie came back first and the rest of the crew returned after him. The most beautiful fragment began. Sound of a beating heart spewed out the large speakers. I was standing there completely paralysed and praying for it to be true. And it was. They played Running Up That Hill, I was sure I couldn't sing any longer, but then I found strenght and ignored a fucking pain in my throat. It was the most magnificent surprise that they could have ever given to us. They played it, were freaking out with the sound and their basses. And disappeared for the second time. Panic. Not mine, others'. I knew it still wasn't the end. But I already felt that soon it'd be over. I wanted them to stay, staaay, I couldn't imagined that now I'm going to come back to Poland and live my normal, boring life again.
We called them back one more time, they started playing Trigger Happy Hands, I was happy, really happy. I love this song, the studio version and live ones, too. Stef started waving and the whole crowd was doing it with him, we were a huge wave of arms and hands screaming out 'SO PUT YOUR HANDS IN THE AIR AND WAVE THEM LIKE YOU GIVE A FUCK'.
First sounds of Post Blue made me smile. It was awesome, too. Okay, every single thing was awesome that day, I know. Brian sang something strange in one verse, but I didn't hear what exactly it was.
Infra-Red, the whole stage was red, it looked really dangerous and mysterious. Brian sang 'I will be the one to watch you fall' two times instead of 'make you crawl', mwahha.
Taste In Men, what a great track to end with! Stefan stood next to the drums with crossed arms and his usual po-po-po-poker face, everyone on the stage was silent, only Bri was playing, or rather freaking out with his bass. And after a longer while they all started playing, it was just perfect, this song, its music, aaaaaaaaaaaa. I was jumping like crazy, I knew they will go away in a few minutes and I will see them again in a few years… They finished playing, started waving, Sunshine threw his sticks, they bowed together and came away.
During the whole performance Brian looked at me 3 and smiled 2 fucking times.
Stefan lost a few pectrumes, but let's act like nothing happened. And no, of course he DIDN'T almost drop his bass…
Stevie is amazing, it's a great fun and joy to watch him all smiled and cheerful.
Fiona is one of the most beautiful women ever.
And, I'm sorry, but I have to say it - it was the best day in my life.