Ahead of their forthcoming 30th anniversary tour Placebo have released a brand new single ‘Helen Keller’ via Elevator Lady Ltd / So Recordings.
New single Helen Keller sees Placebo hark back to their self-titled debut and its hidden track H.K. Farewell. Rather than revisiting the original recording, the band have created an entirely new song, referencing the keyboard melody from H.K Farewell as its foundation. The track takes it in a fresh direction, retaining the haunting character of the original melody while adding the raw angst the band are known for. The new single, which was recorded in London earlier this year, was produced by Placebo and Adam Noble and mixed by Adam Noble.
Speaking about the new single Brian explains: ‘‘This is a new rock song inspired by the piano melody from H.K. Farewell and named after one of my favourite people from history.”
This new release follows on from their recent Placebo RE:CREATED album, released this summer – a powerful new reworking of the record that first introduced them to the world in 1996. Thirty years on, Placebo RE:CREATED saw the band return to this pivotal album with a fresh perspective. The new record featured reworked and embellished versions of all ten tracks from the original album plus two bonus tracks from the original release, capturing the way these songs have evolved across decades of performance while retaining the raw spirit that defined them.
Today sees Placebo embark on their extensive UK and European arena tour to celebrate this momentous anniversary. The band will be exclusively performing songs from their first two albums, Placebo and Without You I’m Nothing – some of which have not been performed live for over 20 years. The tour kicks off in Portugal today before heading across Europe and ending in the UK, seeing them perform to hundreds of thousands of fans across 36 dates. Earlier this month Placebo also announced a forthcoming 2027 Latin America tour which kicks off February 20th in São Paulo before making three additional stops in Brazil. From there, the band will visit Buenos Aires, Santiago, Lima, and Bogotá before wrapping the run with shows in Guadalajara and Monterrey in March.
PLACEBO RE:CREATED TRACKLISTING
Come Home
Teenage Angst
Bionic
36 Degrees
Hang On To Your IQ
Nancy Boy
I Know
Bruise Pristine
Lady of the Flowers
Swallow
Drowning By Numbers
H.K. Farewell
Placebo RE:CREATED is available across a range of physical formats, including 1CD, 2CD, Cassette, a Box Set, and five vinyl variants including a Picture Disc. All available here.