Placebo

21^st Century Appearances: 2009 Main Stage, 2006 Main Stage, 2004 Main Stage, 2003 Main Stage, 2000 Main Stage

The Defining Reading Moment: Returning “Nancy Boy” to the setlist in 2004 with suitable cataclysmic results.

Placebo are practically a fixture on the Reading Main Stage, when the sun is setting and you need that perfect band to transition the mood from day to night, Briano Molko is always on hand with those perfectly unsettling pop gems.

“Every Me And You” has proved one of the most enduring festival anthems, but Placebo haven’t simply fallen back on ‘90s classics, over the years they’ve created huge sing alongs to their newest singles. During a particular special set in 2006 they had the crowd in the palm of their hands as they reeled off “Infra-Red” and “Meds” to rapturous applause. The crowd was so into the set that even a ten minute power failure couldn’t halt the momentum, instead, girls bared their breasts on the big screens, until Placebo were ready to finish of glorious set in rabble rousing guitar smashing fashion.

Of course when it came time to close proceedings Placebo had some of alternative rock’s biggest anthems in their arsenal. In 2004 it was “Nancy Boy” that electrified Little John’s Farm, and in 2006 it was a seismic reading of “The Bitter End” that sent everyone home happy. Some might argue that they’ve more than over stayed their welcome, but with so many hits, and having displayed such remarkable consistency over the course so many years, Placebo have more than established themselves as true Reading legends. David Hayter