Placebo: We Come In Pieces Blu-ray delivers stunning video and audio in this excellent Blu-ray release
This concert was filmed at London's Brixton Academy in September 2010 to culminate the world tour in support of their Battle For The Sun album released the previous year. The tour had been an unqualified success with the band playing to over 2.5 million fans in all parts of the world. The concert film is a visual feast enhancing the live footage with skilful editing and selective digital effects to create a stunning film that really captures the essence of a Placebo live performance. Bonus Features Worldwide Live Tracks: (1) Kitty Litter (Switzerland 09) (2) Speak In Tongues (Mexico 09) (3) For What It s Worth (Japan 09) (4) Breathe Underwater (Germany 10) (5) Bright Lights (Switzerland 10) (6) Trigger Happy Hands (Belgium 10) Hour long documentary Coming Up For Air following Placebo on their world tour. The short film Trigger Happy Hands.
Placebo's music blends elements from a variety of different genres, from neo-punk to classic new wave to alternative rock. The band is fairly comfortable dabbing into dark wave and even gothic rock, though at least some of their edgier songs appear to have been directly inspired by lead singer and guitarist Brian Molko's past history with hard drugs, not by a specific desire shared by the rest of the band members to explore darker territories.
Placebo have done a fair amount of covers that reveal the enormous influence specific bands and singers have had on them throughout the years (check out their covers of Depeche Mode's "I Feel You", T'Rex's "20th Century Boy" for the Velvet Goldmine soundtrack, Serge Gainsbourg's "The Ballad of Melody Nelson", and the superb cover of Kate Bush's "Running Up That Hill", which was used for the Daybreakers soundtrack). Various songs by Placebo have also been remixed by other bands and artists and some made club hits as well, such as "Every You Every Me" (remixed by Sneaker Pimps), "Space Monkey" (remixed by Timo Maas), and "Pure Morning" (remixed by Les Rythmes Digitales).
Placebo: We Come in Pieces was filmed at the Brixton Academy in London in September 2010 at the end of the band's world tour promoting their latest album "Battle For The Sun". The tour started in Angkor Wat, Cambodia on December 7th, 2008.
The show features a total of twenty one songs, amongst them a number of Placebo's biggest hits, including "Nancy Boy", "Every You Every Me", "Meds", and "The Bitter End", and an excellent cover of Nirvana's "All Apologies". There is also a selection of bonus tracks from other shows the band played throughout Europe, Japan and Mexico: "Kitty Litter" (Paleo Festival, Switzerland, 2009), "Speak In Tongues" (Guadalajara, Mexico, 2009), "For What It's Worth" (Summer Sonic Festival, Japan, 2009), "Breathe Underwater" (Area 4 Festival, Germany, 2010), "Bright Lights" (Open Air Festival, Switzerland, 2010) and "Trigger Happy Hands" (Pukkelpop Festival, Belgium, 2010).
A few of Placebo's new songs, some of which have string arrangements, are slightly heavier in comparison to their classic songs. "For What It's Worth", in particular, has a strong industrial edge, while "The Never-Ending Why" borrows plenty from Nirvana.
The atmosphere in the venue is very similar to that witnessed in Kings of Leon: Live at the O2 London. Similarly impressive pyrotechnics, lighting fixtures and lasers are also used. Even the wild camerawork and editing remind about the aforementioned show.
Placebo are: Brian Molko (lead vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards), Stefan Olsdal (bass, guitars, keyboards, backing vocals), and Steve Forrest (drums, percussion, backing vocals). The band is also assisted by: Fiona Brice (violin, keyboards, piano, theremin, percussion, backing vocals), Bill Lloyd (bass, keyboards, synthesizers, piano), and Nick Gavrilovic (guitars, lap steel, keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals).
Every You Every Me
Tracklisting:
1. Nancy Boy
2. Ashtray Heart
3. Battle For The Sun
4. Soulmates
5. Kitty Litter
6. Every You Every Me
7. Special Needs
8. Breathe Underwater
9. The Never-Ending Why
10. Bright Lights
11. Meds
12. Teenage Angst
13. All Apologies
14. For What It s Worth
15. Song To Say Goodbye
16. Bitter End
17. Mendelssohn
18. Trigger Happy Hands
19. Post Blue
20. Infra-Red
21. Taste In Men
Bonus Tracks
1. Kitty Litter
2. Speak In Tongues
3. For What It's Worth
4. Breathe Underwater
5. Bright Lights
6. Trigger Happy Hands
Presented in an aspect ratio of 2.07:1, encoded with MPEG-4 AVC and granted a 1080i "live" transfer, Placebo: We Come In Pieces arrives on Blu-ray courtesy of Riverman Management/Eagle Rock Entertainment.
It appears that there is a small number of people who did not appreciate the unorthodox camerawork and editing of Placebo: We Come In Pieces. This is unfortunate because the filming crew and the editors obviously tried to recreate the special atmosphere Placebo shows are known for.
The show was filmed with multiple cameras that follow the band and the audience in the venue from a variety of different angles. There are numerous overshots and zooms that interchange quickly, as well as additional raw footage from cameras that were actually placed amongst the fans. The raw footage from these cameras is intentionally blocky and noisy, while the original footage is crisp and exceptionally vibrant. Throughout the entire show bits of the raw footage overlap the original footage to give the viewer a taste of the intense atmosphere, with some of the cuts coming in and out very fast. I liked the effect a lot because it gives the viewer an excellent idea what attending a Placebo show would feel like (not only what it would look like) - an intense and at times borderline nauseating experience. For the record, color-reproduction is excellent. Contrast and brightness levels are also pleasing. There are no purely transfer related anomalies to report in this review either. (Note: This is a Region-Free Blu-ray disc. Therefore, you will be able to play it on your PS3 or SA regardless of your geographical location).
There are three audio tracks on this Blu-ray disc: DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1, LPCM 2.0, and Dolby Digital 5.1. For the record, Eagle Rock Entertainment have provided optional English, German, Spanish, and French subtitles for the documentary film Trigger Happy Hands.
The DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1 track is excellent. The sound is rich, well rounded and dynamic. The separation between the vocals and the guitars is also very good, even during edgier songs such as "The Never-Ending Why". The drums are also loud and clear (check out the opening of "Soulmates"), while the bass is given enough room to breathe ("Trigger Happy Ends"). The crowd is definitely felt, but I did not think that it was in any way overwhelming. Lastly, there are no sync issues or audio distortions to report in this review.
I tested a couple of songs with the LPCM 2.0 track and what it seems to lack the most is the good balance between the guitars and the vocals from the DTS-HD Master Audio 5.1. Everything appears to have been pushed up too close, which is why there are some obvious dynamic inconsistencies.
Trigger Happy Hands - a short film about a sad clown living in a world of violent clowns. Directed by Andreas Nilsson. In English, not subtitled. (11 min, 1080p).
Coming Up For Air - a very informative documentary film about Placebo's last world tour featuring an enormous amount of archival footage, various interviews (including a very interesting video interview with the President of Chile), and concert footage. Directed by Charlie Targett-Adams. In English, with optional English, German, Spanish, and French subtitles. (62 min, 1080i).
Placebo's music constantly evolves. Some of it is quite dark, some of it is filled with optimism about life. What never changes is its intensity. I like that. I also like the fact that various bands and even DJs routinely remix Placebo's hits, and the results are typically very interesting. I wish someone would compile a comprehensive collection of the best remixes and release it on Blu-ray. Placebo: We Come In Pieces features excellent live performances of some of the band's greatest hits, including quite a few that have already been remixed, that should please their fans. RECOMMENDED.
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