By Cathy Rose A. Garcia
Staff Reporte
British modern rock band Placebo wants fans to wear white at their upcoming concert in Seoul.
``We urge all fans to wear white! There is too much black in our audiences,'' bassist Stefan Olsdal said in an email interview.
Fans will hopefully heed Olsdal’s words when Placebo hits the stage at the Olympic Hall, Olympic Park, southern Seoul, Aug. 5.
``It will be our second time, and we are quite excited! It will be a rock show with some tracks from the new album and selections from previous Placebo albums. I feel much more of a sense of purpose now with the new album and line up,'' vocalist and guitarist Brian Molko said.
Placebo recently released their sixth album, ``Battle For The Sun,'' which topped charts in Europe. It has been described as a new beginning for the band, which Olsdal attributed to Placebo becoming more open to exploring new sounds.
``Sonically, we wanted to make something bigger and more colorful than before. We used timeless-sounding instruments like pianos, brass instruments and strings rather than loops and electronics. Thematically, something offering a bit more hope to the listener than before,'' Olsdal said.
One of the tracks, ``Kitty Litter,'' took 14 years for Olsdal and Molko to finish. ``We took part in a symphony for 101 electric guitars composed by Rhys Chatham in London. We had guitars with strange tunings, and hanging out backstage we started to jam on what eventually became `Kitty Litter.’ It’s curious how some songs take 5 minutes to write and some 14 years! That song definitely has a bit of a raw edge to it,'' Olsdal said.
Working with new drummer Steve Forrest also helped bring fresh energy to the band. ``What Steve has brought is a youthful enthusiasm and a bundle of positive energy, which for me and Brian, having been in this rock-n-roll circus for a while, is quite refreshing! He's obviously going to have a slightly different style, but from the first time we saw him play, we knew he had some real talent,'' Olsdal said.
Placebo was formed in 1994, and the band is still going strong. Olsdal says the secret to their longevity is ``determination, self belief and not following trends or trying to imitate others.''
Over the years, the band has released six albums and scored hit songs like ``Nancy Boy,'' ``Pure Morning'' and ``Every You Every Me.'' But Placebo says their new record is their favorite.
``I think listening to all six Placebo records there is a real thread running through all of them. I don’t think there has been a massive stylistic change over the years, but I feel now that with this record we’ve pushed our sound and made probably our most accomplished piece of work,'' Olsdal said.
The group, who performed during the Pentaport Incheon Rock Festival in July 2006, has fond memories of Korea. ``We got a warm welcome on a very wet and foggy night when we played at Pentaport so thank all who were there,'' Molko said.
Tickets for the show in Seoul are 88,000 won and 66,000 won. Call (02) 3444-9969 for English booking. Visit https://ticket.auction.co.kr (1566-1369) or https://ticket.yes24.com (1544-6399).