There is a special place in the history of music for those bands that we could call ‘the most influential of all time’ and there, The Cure has its place. Just imagine how many musical projects have grown under the influence of Robert Smith and company… And of course one of them must be Placebo.
From different eras, but undeniably two British bands that have marked generations that, despite time, are perhaps not so different. Thus, Seeing both groups –or their vocalists– sharing the stage must be a unique experience.
Well, the truth is that this has happened before and just thinking about it is exciting. Let’s take the nostalgic dive and remember those times that Placebo and The Cure got together in 2004 for some shows.
The first approach of The Cure and Placebo
It may sound a bit adventurous, but there are bands that -so to speak- wouldn’t exist without The Cure. Or well, at least not as we know them. And the influence not only covers the musical; also the aesthetic, the ideological, the emotional… It is a universe that we could define as influence.
However, the link between the gangs led by Robert Smith and Brian Molko, overcame the barrier of time and idol-fan issues. Because when Placebo began its career in the 90s, critics did not take long to compare them with the legendary Smith band or with other idols of the style of Siouxie and the Banshees.
But they were not devastating or destructive criticisms; They were comparisons with legendary bands because you felt the essence of that post-punk that Molko and company would adopt for add a more aggressive soundwhich would be his seal.
So, What was the first approach between The Cure and Placebo? It all happened at David Bowie’s birthday celebration in 1997 at Madison Square Garden, that mythical show where the Starman invited Lou Reed, people from Sonic Youth, from the Pixies, Dave Grohl, Billy Corgan from Smashing Pumpkins and of course, both Robert Smith and Brian Molko.
Surely you already know the mythical backstage photo with all those musical luminaries posing together. Broadly speaking, we do not know how much Smith and Molko would have talked…. but that there was a rapprochement, it is most likely and the proof is in what they would cook during the first years of the new millennium.
And the bands got together
If you are lovers of two thousand year old music, you will already know it. And if not, we clarify them: Placebo was at the height of its career between 2000 and 2004 as one of the most outstanding British bands of the moment. possibly next to The Libertineswere leading the revival of the British scene after Britpop faded in the late ’90s.
Figures like David Bowie y Johnny Marr de The Smiths they backed Molko and company. In that sense, one could say that having these two bannermen of British music on your side is enough to consider you a great band… and they are right. But if that needed confirmation, there were the jumps to The Cure with Placebo stage and vice versa.
By the mid 2000s, Placebo, as we said, was already one of the biggest bands in the world. Their self-titled debut album, Without You I’m Nothing, Black Market Music y Sleeping with Ghosts They are four record jewels that did not falter in their releases and on the contrary, they made Robert Smith himself see in the group a project that he had to follow no matter what.
And it happened, but it wasn’t just praise between one band and another. By 2004, a friendship filled with onstage collaborations was cemented. A new meeting between both parties, but now directly, took place that same year in October when both bands were invited to play at the 20th anniversary show of the French Canal Plus (when rock was still highly profitable for the mass media). ). Placebo played “Special K” and true to form, their presentation was 10.
Then, The Cure came up, who invited Molko and company to play “If Only Tonight We Could Sleep”original of the disc Kiss Me, Kiss Me, Kiss Me from 1987. Listening to Brian share the verses with Robert, it is interesting to understand the influence that the latter exerted on the Placebo vocalist.
You can also read: WE REMEMBER THE IMPACTING SHOW OF THE MARS VOLTA AT THE 2003 MTV LATINO AWARDS
One more show between Placebo and The Cure (or Robert Smith)
Well, the interference in the French channel event was good, it had mystique and everything was great. But perhaps, that does not compare with what would come later in that same 2004. In November, Placebo gave a concert at the legendary Wembley Stadium as a consolidated band and to close, they had a surprise of epic proportions.
Yes: Robert Smith would now go up as a guest of Molko and company. But it is valid to say that this intervention was even more emotional since on the one hand, Placebo rose as the band of the moment and Robert Smith, without hesitation, acceded to the invitation affirming that idea.
Of course, although Smith sang “Without You I’m Nothing” with them, Molko and his colleagues did not hesitate to honor the legacy of The Cure with a great cover of “Boys Don’t Cry” that surely those who attended that concert, must have saved as an unforgettable memory.
In more recent years, the covers continued and some joint appearances as well, but certainly nothing compares to those first times. And if you don’t believe us, listen to the howls of the crowd in this video from that 2004 Wembley show. At 01:17:40 they find the cover of Placebo with Robert Smith:
