We Come In Pieces (DVD)

Placebo

Elevator Lady Ltd., 2011

http://www.placeboworld.co.uk/

REVIEW BY: Vish Iyer

ORIGINALLY PUBLISHED: 01/09/2012

For a band that has always had a keenness for aestheticism when it came to its visual image, it is no surprise that We Come In Pieces is not a typical live DVD. This is not a simple re-telling of the Placebo show at London’s Brixton Academy in September 2010. This concert is presented in a gorgeously stylish manner, involving every camera and editing trick possible to make the experience visually conscious and beautiful.

There is absolutely no rawness of a live performance in this concert film. Pick any individual track from this DVD, and it has the look and sound of a slickly presented music video. The weird camera angles accompanied by the often shaky, grainy, and fuzzy effects alongwith imagery that are superimposed on top of the live performance, lends the impression that the band made a conscious decision to take a one-night live performance and turn it into a well-produced concert movie.my_heart_sings_the_harmony_web_ad_alt_250

The sound bears the same cleanness as the visuals. The audio is rich and nearly studio-like. Apart from the screaming of the crowd and the occasional “thank you” from Brian Molko, there isn’t any imperfection to suggest that the music is “live.” However, there is absolutely no dearth of energy in the music. The visuals and the audio do a fantastic job at recreating the spirit and vigor of the performance, which is passionate, as can be seen in the audience of emo kids screaming every lyric word-for-word with utmost zeal.

This tour was in support of the band’s 2009 record Battle For The Sun. As a result the setlist is heavy on tracks from this record: seven. Add to it, four cuts from the album Meds, and the result is a setlist with more than half of the songs from the band’s last two records. The dominance of songs from two of Placebo’s most unexciting albums on the setlist might be disappointing to some. But Placebo proves with this DVD that it is a live band that kills, and the tracks from the last two albums find new life here. The moxie and muscle of these songs played live is nothing like their rather tame studio versions. Despite a handful, there aren’t many of beloved classics on this DVD. But in all fairness to the band, its 2004 live DVD Soulmates Never Die scratches this itch.

No matter what songs were played on this concert, watching this band perform at its best in this sleekly presented movie is an exhilarating experience.

Rating: A

User Rating: Not Yet Rated


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© 2012 Vish Iyer and The Daily Vault. All rights reserved. Review or any portion may not be reproduced without written permission. Cover art is the intellectual property of Elevator Lady Ltd., and is used for informational purposes only.