Live Review: Placebo, Little Scout

With tickets selling out for the show, Brisbane indie rockers Little Scout had a very sizeable audience to open to. The five-piece certainly didn't lack confidence as they belted our dreamy nuggets of pop-rock. At their best, they recalled the lushness of early '90s acts like Slowdive, yet unfortunately the vocals of Melissa Tickle were generally not quite strong enough to rise above the quality music. Conceptually, it did all feel rather gorgeous; the result was just somewhat flat upon delivery, despite finding a rockier groove, and better sound, by the set's close.

The interim music between bands was cut suddenly, interrupted by a crash and a boom, followed up by flashing white light and pulsing electro tones. Placebo certainly meant business as they sauntered on, kicking off with EP-only track B3. Brian Molko's voice, always the defining aspect of any Placebo track, has miraculously been left relatively undamaged by the sands of time (and everything else). The band too held their own, with new heavily inked drummer Steve Forrest injecting a much-needed youthful energy. Traditionally a three-piece, the band was in peculiar six-piece mode, which brought an immediately fuller sound, of course, and an overall 'stadium-rock' approach to the songs (though at this stage in the band's career, can we not call them a stadium-rock band?). Fortunately, Molko's voice and lyrics, when at their most seductive or self-loathing, still brought an intimacy to the evening's proceedings. If the crowd weren't singing along quite as loudly to newer songs like Loud Like Love as they were classics like Special K, this meant little for the band, who gave it all for every song. Placebo's heyday might be over, but they've still a whole lot to say.