CONCERT REVIEW - LLL Russian Tour Special - Moscow - Subbotnik Festival Gorky Park 2014

CONCERT REVIEW - LLL Russian Tour Special - Moscow - Subbotnik Festival Gorky Park

By Xenia Gerasimova in colaboration with Placebo Anyway
Layout by SusanneCk -

Check also out Xenias Special about Moscow and the festival. Very funny, very intersting!! You will love it!! ;-)

Hello everyone, I have been recently to the Subbotnik Festival in Moscow, to say more pricesly I was there on the 5th of July!
To start with  the weather that day was surprisingly good! It was hot and sunny. Once it was going to rain and the clouds were grey, but that exact day which I had been waiting for so long couldn't be spoiled with any unpleasant things...

I came to the Gorky Park only for Placebo and didn't know any other bands. To say honestly other bands and musicians were quite boring to listen to, except The Uchpochmack and Kassabian.

I have to say I am not a professional reporter, I just want to share with you my impressions, my feelings, my recollections and thoughts.
First of all I may say only one thing - and it won't be surprise for all of you - Placebo's performance was
 A W E S O M E !!!! I can repeat this one million time!

I am HAPPY, DELIGHTED, STILL EXCITED and I don't know what part of speech can express my condition!! HAHA

I was very lucky that magical day... I didn't buy a ticket to the "fan zone", I purchased an "entrance ticket" and fortunely I stood in a very lucky place, I saw the scene quite well.
Despite all the technical problems they had in the beginning I was enjoying whole their performance that lasted for two hours, because those issues were nothing in comparison with the rest of the gig they played absolutely successful!

Of course, at first, other people and I were a little bit sad about this, because we even thought concert could be canceled, but I know that the hope for the best were inside us, and this hope was so strong, that there wouldn't any doubt - everything was going to be fine.
And minutes which "were spent" with Brian (or minutes which Brian spent with us) standing on the stage and cheering up the audience, talking to the audience, with Stefan who said that "it will take five minutes", Steve who was playing the drums while the staff attempted to rectify the situation were just amazing!! They were amazing as they were unplanned!! Unexpected pleasant moments...

The band was very open to people, especially Brian, he obviously had good mood that evening, he was energetic and full of emotions.
And these were really happy moments for many people seeing Brian's beautiful smile or the moment when he was smoking a cigarette.... By the way smoking Brian was shown on the big screen, and brought so much joy and delight women and girls...

Sometimes I sincerely think if Brian can do such things with women just standing on the scene and smoking a cigarette, or just walking through the scene, he eventually could dominate the world...!!
A charming man!
Waiting for Placebo at the park from the beginning of the festival 12:00 until 21:35 when they started the show I didn't regret any hour, any minute or any second that I was there and I don't. I was just waiting for them as many people there, or as others were waiting for Kassabian, or waiting for both favorite bands in particular...

A very interesting thing is there were people of different generations. I tell you about this because I had thought generally there would be teenagers, but I was wrong. People from, I suppose, 14 to, maybe, 50. As I see there are many teenagers who are keen on Placebo in Russia.
All that beautiful day evokes in me only positive emotions, warm and pleasant. And you can see how little one person need to become a bit happier.

What I have noticed being there is that it's very easy to find out Great Placebo's Admirers in the crowd, not all of course, but there have been number of people who are very very distinguishable!! I mean people in T-shirts with the sign "Placebo" or T-shirts with Brian's face, or T-shirts with the name and cover of one of their albums...Also a girl who wore leopard tights!! I saw people just in black - wonderful colour, with red hair or another hair colours, men with long hair. No, of course, I understand that such people could be on other rock concerts, but when you see them you realise they definitely came here for Placebo, even by their behavior.

The other story is flashmob!
Yes, again flashmob and by the way I took a little part in it. I will tell you right now.
So this time they, The Great Moscow Placebo Admirers, had a big Russian flag where "MOSCOW LOVES PLACEBO" was written if you watched the concert you saw it. Also an enormous poster with the sign "PLEASED TO SEE YOU HERE!"

Further more, on the song "Loud Like Love" participants should lift the small posters with the sing "MY DAD LOVES PLACEBO MORE THAN VODKA"...Do you remember Brian's reaction?...''Well it's tough choice, I would prefer a bass guitar right now which we don't have in present''
WOW. WOW.
The next is our favorite song. Beautiful and soulful - "A Million Little Pieces". On this song people, including me, should inflate and lift the balloons to move them to the music. And the last flashmob thing is switching on the lights on the phones to the "Infra Red".

Don't you think guys could become a bit spoiled with so much Loud Like Love dedicated to them in Russia... Haha

About new songs and old songs. I even cannot say what gave much pleasure to people old hits or new songs from LLL album!! Because each song started with shouts, applauses, big smiles on faces and what ever you want. Also at the concert I found out that I know all the songs by heart, it was surprise.

For me this concert was a very special one, the first one! And I am so happy I has been there, I have heard them LIVE, a big difference in comparison with listening to records on the phone, computer or stereo system.
I have become a little deaf at the festival. But that is nothing! It has been worth it, haha.
It was amazing! Amazing! Stunning! The atmosphere overwhelmed me... I cannot forget that day at all! I want to back in time and feel all that again, to hear all that once again - all my favorite songs, music. To see all their performance again. To immerse myself in that magical atmosphere...again.
One more paragraph I want to dedicate the song Too many friends, Too many people...
(I know all the mass medias talk about this song, so I have to pay attention to it too).

First of all, I like the words Brian had said before he started singing it: "The next song is based on a true story but the names have been changed in order to protect the guilty and every single one of you here tonight know exactly who you are" and more I like it when Brian emphasises "YOU PEOPLE do all day..." singing it.
So what I want to say:
Yes, he is right, but (there's always place for 'but' - we always make exclusions) I cannot agree with his opinion on 100% because I don't have "too many friends" on Facebook, Instagram or there is such Russian social network as "Vkontakte". Only the closest and people with whom I really communicate or though know.
I don't push the button each time I have got a friend request to have more and more friends...
Because on my pages I have my personal photos and information, I don't need unknown people.
On the one hand, Internet takes so much time and I have to say people must get rest of the Internet sometimes, because it is pulling you down into as quicksand.
And in reality it seems that such thing as Internet enslave our world in some ways...
So many people I see in the underground, in the streets, in the cafès, everywhere and they stare to the phone. I am no exclusion.
I think we are loosing so much time inside this virtual world.

On the other hand it can be a very useful thing sometimes...
For instance, when I had been going to the festival I had had two possibilities: one - to go there alone and spend the whole day on my own,  and I would do like this if one occasion didn't happen: I am signed on the "Placebo. SVOY Субботник Festival" event so one day I had gone to that page and seen the post where one girl had been looking for a company. I had written her and we went there together, plus one more girl. I am so grateful they kept a company me! They made my day much happier. And I couldn't wish about a better company!
(Though I know, I could, I have two people with whom I want to go to Placebo concert Susanne and Alexandra. I hope to meet them someday)
I know this song is about "feeling so alone...".

One more reason is one person that I have found here on Placebo Anyway page. Occasionally or it's destiny, stars or what you want it to be.
This person is truly wonderful, this person helps me and support me. More than a friend. Soulmate. And for the period I have been keen on Placebo our friendship is becoming stronger and stronger. I hope reading this small paragraph she knows I mean exactly her. And I want to say her BIG THANK YOU for every single thing. Love you!!
Without Internet I wouldn't have known her. We live so far and this virtual world makes us a bit closer to each other geographically, to lessen the distance between us. Haha
So I can say I have some overseas friends here on FB with whom I am really really glad to communicate and glad I have made friends with them.
The last words I want to dedicate to a light show! It's a very important thing for every concert. I think Placebo's light  show is great! Because it strengthens all that energy, extreme power that goes from them for thousand listeners!
The stupefying and exciting force supported with the amazing light show!!
When the show was over, I couldn't believe it... The band came downstairs to bow, they become a little closer to the audience and this was wonderful! The magic evening came to its end. They said Good Bye. And Steve gave the crowd his drumsticks.
A crazy happy day.
Now, writing this so-called review I feel sad, but more is never enough...
So I am looking forward to new concerts!
It was wonderful, lightning and swift... I was shocked, remembered nothing, intoxited with happiness and still am.
Thank you everyone for reading me and thank you Placebo Anyway!!

CONCERT REVIEW - LLL Russian Tour Special - Moscow - Subbotnik Festival Gorky Park

By Xenia Gerasimova in colaboration with Placebo Anyway
Layout by SusanneCk -
Watch all the concert pictures here. included credits for the pictures used in this post.