On June 30, 2024, British alternative rock band Placebo performed at the OpenAir in Switzerland and faced temporarily unrepairable technical issues, which disrupted the performance. As a result, netizens online reacted, expressing their dissatisfaction.
On July 8, 2024, the band addressed the issue and what they felt from the fans' reactions, calling it "many insults"; in a series of posts shared on Instagram suggesting readers "get a life" —
"This is a polite way of saying - get a life," the rock band wrote.
Placebo, formed in London in 1994, consists of five members, including Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal on guitar, with Robert Schultzberg, Steve Hewitt, and Steve Forrest on acoustic drum kit across different periods.
Trending
The band is on Open Air 2024 tour, which kicked off on June 25, 2024, and will wrap up on September 12, 2024, in Radio City, Tbilisi, Georgia.
Placebo explained what happened during the St. Gallen performance
On Monday, the frontman of Placebo took to the band's official Instagram account, where he suggested that the rock band notices "unimaginative and entitled insults" from the fans online. Therefore, they have penned a clarity on what happened during their St. Gallen —
"We have also been on the receiving send of many (unimaginative and entitled) insults. So we would like to offer some clarity on what happened during our concert at St Gallen festival," the band began.
The Placebo further shared—
"Shortly into the set, Stefan [Olsdal] began to have technical issues until finally his guitar system ceased to function completely. So he could no long play any songs where he plays guitar."
Brian further suggested that they were left with two choices: either leave the stage or continue with what they had. So they continued to "take back to the stage and finish playing." In the next slide, the band revealed that they made several announcements from the stage in German to make it clear from the beginning.
The band's frontman wrote that they do not use recordings onstage, and the technical issues are not something in the band's control —
"Placebo use no recordings onstage. Everything is 100 per cent live. It appears obvious that this is still insufficient for certain entitled and demanding individuals," the band added.
The rock band ended the post suggesting that people must get a "sense of perspective" and said that they must compare the music from the band, whose shows are recorded.
"If the idea of this unavoidable situation continues to enrage you regardless, we suggest that you go watch bands where most of the music coming from the stage is recorded," Brian said.
It is challenging to discern which responses the band found insulting. Nevertheless, upon announcing their plans for an Ashtray Heart concert, many individuals expressed displeasure and sought clarification regarding the event's details.
"Guys you can't just go back to ashtray heart and not tell us why. I can't keep calm about this," one said.
"WHAT ARE YOU DOING. WHAT DO YOU MEAN," the second suggested.
"THEY'VE GONE BACK TO ASHTRAY HEART??," the third said.
Placebo will commence the summer festival season with a special event celebrating 35 Years of Riverman and Ashtray Heart, performing at the Camden English Summer Rain Festival Closing Party on July 16, 2024, at the O2 Shepherds Bush Empire in London.
