PLACEBO AT 9:30 CLUB IN WASHINGTON, D.C.

The first time I heard Placebo was in Cruel Intentions in 1999. I was 14 and obsessed with the movie and therefore obsessed with the soundtrack. “Every You Every Me” was the song I fell in love with most on the soundtrack and it’s a song that’s always been consistently on my playlists as I’ve gotten older. They’re a band that helped define my taste in music in my most formative years. 

With all of that said, getting to photograph them on May 2nd at the 9:30 Club was a massive honor. It’s the first time I’ve gotten to see them live and after loving them for 23 years, an almost surreal experience. They’re good. Like, as good as you’d hope a band would be after loving them for over 20 years. 

The show itself was a no cell phones show, with the band starting the night off with a small video explaining that they want everyone to be in the moment and have this one, singular, experience. As a photographer, even when I don’t have my camera, I take photos of shows with my phone. So, to be without it for the show really did heighten the experience and make it much more special. 

The started off amazing with opening band Poppy Jean Crawford getting the crowd ready for Placebo with their incandescent and melodic tunes. By the time Placebo took the crowd, they were incredibly hyped to hear music from Placebo’s newest album, Never Let Me Go, as well as some songs from past albums. They finished out the show with a Kate Bush cover of “Running Up That Hill (A Deal with God)”, another song I’ve consistently had on my playlists since it’s release in 2003. 

Placebo is on tour with various US dates until the end of May and then in the UK and Europe until the end of August.