Looking back on their 30-year career, British alternative rock stars Placebo will perform at the Xiaomi Arena in Riga on October 16. The concert program focuses on the musical material of the band's first two albums "Placebo" and "Without You I'm Nothing", which many critics and even fans consider to be the brightest of the group's creativity. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gdIIbHwrS1c

Nancy Boy, Teenage Angst, 36 Degrees, Every You Every Me, Pure Morning, You Don't Care About Us, Without You I'm Nothing are those compositions that then directly, poignantly, provocatively appealed to thousands and now form a significant part of Placebo's golden hit fund.

In the mid-90s, Britpop dominated the UK, and Placebo entered this environment like a breeze through a wide open balcony door. Adolescent maximumism, provocative directness, emerging boundaries of sexuality, mental health, intoxicating substances - everything that was certainly relevant to young people, but not dominant in the pop music of the time, was openly discussed in the lyrics.

Remembering that period, band leader Brian Molko emphasizes the song Nancy Boy in particular: "We reacted very strongly to the machismo, fan-calling and revisionism characteristic of Britpop, as well as to nationalism, which we interpreted as musical xenophobia. With the clothes and make-up we wore, we tried to make a strong political statement about the fluidity of sexuality. We wanted to confuse the audience, and I think Nancy Boy was perfect for that".

Brian Molko's provocatively ambiguous androgynous character added fuel to the talk and judgment. But the gold status of their debut album Placebo and the million-plus-copy-confirming platinum status of their second album Without You I'm Nothing clearly indicated that a bright new star had risen in the alternative rock sky.

Marking the third decade of the debut, a special restored version of the album "Placebo RE:CREATED" can be ordered from March 18. The new record features remastered and enhanced versions of all ten songs from the album, as well as two bonus tracks from the original release, capturing how these songs have evolved over decades of performances, while retaining the raw spirit that characterized them originally. The remastered record accentuates the intensity and vigor that made the original songs resonate so powerfully, while reflecting the band's growth and experience accumulated in the years since their debut. Speaking about the new record, Placebo explains:

"We consider this record a director's cut. We didn't make it from scratch. We went back to the original tapes and put 30 years of playing these songs live into the record.

This project is about finishing the record, sonically bringing it into the 21st century, while maintaining the integrity and spirit of the original. It's not about improving it, it wasn't bad, it's about finishing it.”

Placebo was founded in 1994, when singer, composer and multi-instrumentalist Brian Molko met guitarist and keyboardist Stefan Olsdahl, who is still the core of the group.

With 14 million records sold over 30 years, Placebo are undoubtedly one of the leading British alternative rock bands. All 8 of the group's studio albums have ranked at least in the top twenty of the UK charts. On the other hand, 15 singles are at least in the top 40. During their career, the band's musicians have gone on several ambitious concert tours, performed at prestigious festivals on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean, and received recognition from both critics and fans. Search for tickets at the "Bilešu Serviss" ticket office.