Live Music

Placebo – O2 Academy – 13th March 2015

Friday the 13th of March, androgynous alternative rock ensemble Placebo returned to Sheffield’s O2 Academy to celebrate their 20th year of remarkable music making.

Completely sold out, the gig’s crowd filled the Academy from front to back. Pure Morning played softly while the band prepared behind the scenes. It was gratifying to see fans young and old attending the gig, reminding us that music is something that stays close to us regardless of age.

The show started with the brilliant B3 and continued with songs from newer albums Loud Like Love and Battle For The Sun. Next up, perhaps the most popular Every You, Every Me, from the 1999 film Cruel Intentions.

For me, I would have been keen to have heard more from the group’s previous albums but it seemed although the show was marketed to celebrate 20 years of hard work, it really only focused on their newer material. This meant that in a sense we were denied some of the best work that Placebo have produced as they have dipped into different styles and mastered them all.

Space Monkey was the song of the evening in my opinion, well delivered and just incredible to hear live, it certainly packed a punch and displayed Molko’s vocal talents perfectly.

Brian Molko looked and sounded beautiful and gave a stunning performance, however overall I do wish they had given us a little more from their outstanding back catalogue.

Review: Inherit The Stars at The Corporation

Inherit the Stars (who played at Corporation on 7 February 2015) are one of the few reasons that make me proud to be watching local bands in Sheffield at this time, writes Jade Knox. The tracks they play have been nurtured and practiced until perfect. As I’ve mentioned in previous reviews, a band that is true to the music that influences them and can avoid the slippery indie slope that Sheffield bands are so eager to fall down, are always a plus in my book.

Songs with heavy riffs or with pop twists ensure that the group don’t alienate themselves from other genres which leads to a wider and more varied fan base that they certainly deserve. It is clear that Inherit the Stars have gained extreme popularity as evident by the hectic dance floor antics and soul-felt singalongs. It’s no secret that the group have found themselves friends and not just fans.

Sounds similar to those of Enter Shikari and less well known I Set My Friends On Fire, reminded me of why I used to be so heavily involved in this music scene as an older teen. It is a fantastic crowd to be part of and a band I’d like to see go even further than they have already.

A solid performance from all four members, a true pleasure to watch.

Chase away the winter blues

Local performers got together to put on a Happy January event.  The Old Woolies on the Moor is being transformed in to a space where artists create and perform while people have their coffee. Comedians, singers and dancers got together to cheer people up and to support the new venue.