Placebo

I have to be honest and admit that Placebo aren't really my cup of tea. Neither is Wembley Arena: the soulless feel of the place and the over eager stewards that stamp on anybody that looks vaguely like they're enjoying themselves means that even the best bands struggle to create any kind of atmosphere here.

It's a strangely disjointed night: the opening number reveals the stage in all its glory; banks of lights and projected cityscapes match the simple guitar and high pitched vocal sound that the band has trademarked: visually it's stunning and the sound is fantastic. The opening number Infra Red with it's lyric 'There's going to be an Accident' is an ironic statement given the way that it turns out in the end.

Apart from a bit of half hearted strutting near the audience, the band don't seem to want to engage the crowd. Every song is preceded by a change of guitars, the delays break the flow of the gig. The liveliest people on stage are the guitar technicians until 'Every you every me' is interrupted by a stage diver. Entering stage left, it takes two roadies to down him, taking bassist Odsal's amp stack with him.

The damage is terminal for the band and their equipment. They stagger towards the close of the show: even the drummer seems to slow clap one unexplained interruption until singer Molko announces the cause of the delay. They limp to the end: the final number of the set is an impressive squalling, wailing set piece, offset by a half naked ballerina on the screens.

The encore features an excellent stripped down cover of Kate Bush's 'Running up the Hill', well suited to the band and their vocal style, and the final insult: the band leave the stage for five minutes to allow Molko's guitar to be unplugged, checked and re-checked.

Ending the show, they thank us for our patience and milk the applause whilst we stumble into the freezing night. To play Wembley, you've got to be a boy band, a household name or a shameless sell out. Placebo are some of the first and some of the last: beneath the surface lies a decent band, but tonight they are closer to Spinal Tap than they are to greatness.