The elements for a classic gig are so varied that their coincidence makes astronomical conjunctions seem run of the mill. On Saturday night, Placebo gave one such demonstration of pop greatness, mixing their rich musical imagination with a vibrant stage presence to produce a sense of occasion that too few gigs match.
The venue certainly helped. The SFX, with its high ceiling and big stage, is Dublin's most atmospheric venue and the young audience was magnificently responsive. It was the band's qualities that shone brightest. Placebo have personality, style and technique in spades, and are on the crest of the wave of their powerful album Without You I'm Nothing. Like early Therapy?, an outfit they resemble in many ways, they combine that rhythmic excitement with the drama inherent in a three-minute pop song.
And they are versatile enough to turn out both classic anthems like Every Me Every You and beautiful slow songs like The Crawl that would not sound out of place in Suede's hands. Yet, like the Smiths, their great success is the many strands of pop they bring together to give them a "now-ness" that distinguishes the great bands from the merely good.