Placebo to release full-length documentary, live album

The release is scheduled for September 12 and will arrive via SO Recordings as part of a four-disc set. This includes the full documentary on both Blu-ray and DVD, live audio recordings from their Mexico City show, a bonus-track edition of their most recent album Never Let Me Go, and a printed poster booklet in a special collector’s package.

The film, directed by Scottish filmmaker Oscar Sansom, originally premiered in cinemas last year. It offers a deep dive into Placebo’s creative evolution, exploring the ideas and emotional currents that have shaped their music and identity over the past three decades. Featuring candid interviews with band members Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal, the documentary also includes contributions from a range of collaborators and admirers such as Shirley Manson, Robbie Williams, Yungblud, Rebecca Lucy Taylor of Self Esteem, Joe Talbot from IDLES, and actor Benedict Cumberbatch.

Speaking at the premiere, Brian Molko noted that Sansom encouraged the band to be brutally honest in front of the camera, even when it meant including moments that felt embarrassing or exposing. That honesty, he said, resulted in a film that tells the most truthful version of Placebo’s story to date.

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This new release, beyond the documentary offers fans a comprehensive archive that ties together Placebo’s live energy, creative process, and musical legacy. The live album This Is What You Wanted - Live in Mexico City captures the band in top form on stage, while the bonus version of Never Let Me Go includes previously unreleased material, including their recent cover of Tears for Fears’ Shout.

This new chapter in the band’s discography also serves as a reminder of their unique backstory. Both Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal spent much of their formative years in Luxembourg, where they attended the American International School of Luxembourg. Though they were not close at the time, their paths would cross again years later in London, where they reconnected and formed Placebo in 1994.

Placebo quickly gained attention for their distinctive blend of glam rock, alternative grit, and emotional candour. Their self-titled debut in 1996 introduced them to a wide audience with the breakout single Nancy Boy, and they soon became one of the defining acts of the late 1990s and early 2000s alternative scene. Known for their provocative image and fearless lyrical content, the band built a reputation for confronting topics like identity, addiction, alienation, and love with poetic precision and raw energy.

Over the course of their career, they have released eight studio albums and sold over 12 million records worldwide. Their influence can be heard across multiple generations of alternative and indie artists, and their live shows continue to draw loyal fans around the globe.

Rather than tying a neat bow around their legacy, This Search for Meaning leans into the ambiguity that has always surrounded Placebo. It’s not a victory lap or a final word, the film doesn’t aim to explain everything, but it captures something true about the tension between art, identity, and survival that has defined the band since the beginning.