Brian Molko at Tout Le Monde En Parle - 2003

Brian Molko at Tout Le Monde En Parle
2003

The interviewer is Thierry Ardisson, well known to be very direct. His tv shows were also known for its alcohol abundance before, during and after the show! He’s supported by Laurent Baffie, whom they call “the snipper” because of his humor!
Many different people are invited together at the same time to talk! Brian is here with HervéVilard, a French old fashioned singer, a man called Greg, who was “Greg the millionaire” in a French real tv.

Watch the whole interview here.
Watch part ONE here. Not translated
Watch also part TWO here. 

Part Two of Tout Le Monde en Parle / 2008

Thierry Ardisson: Live in Paris, the dvd releases on March the 16^th. Ladies and Gentlemen, here he is.

Since you came last time in this show Brian, about a year ago, I read an interview of you with Etienne Daho [French singer] in Rolling Stone Magazine, and you get all worked up with reality shows. You say it’s an insult to pop music. You say “This should not be “Looking for the new star” [French version of “American Idol”] but “Looking for the new karaoke singer”.

Brian: Who benefits? Really… It’s the phone company, the record company, and the tv company. Not really…

HervéVilard: It’s always been the case!

Brian: Maybe.

Hervé: Yes, yes, it’s always been the case! It’s always for the dough! There has always been a guy behind to pick up the dough! Claude Francois, or whoever you want, even if you don’t know them, or Lucienne Boyer… They haven’t picked up the maggot first! Lederman picked up the loot!

Brian: Maybe you’re not surrounded by people who…

Hervé: That’s the same! You don’t do this job with the television. Tv does not represent our job.

Thierry: Hervé, what he’s saying is we’re not doing this job with tv but now tv is doing this job!

Hervé: No, that’s wrong, that’s wrong, totally wrong!

Laurent Baffie: Who feels the tension?!!

Hervé: The concert halls are full! I know very good musicians from the north of France, they’re called “Les mauvaisesLangues”, they sing in front of 3000 people and they’ve never come to tv! There is an extraordinary audience in France! As long as there will be laundry in our windows, we will sing in this country.

Brian: What’s going on? Have you been to “Star Academy” to revive your career?!!

Hervé: I’ve never been to Star Academy but if they invite me I would probably go! But I think kids are allowed to dream! But you’re allowed to complain!

Brian: Kids are allowed to dream, ok,…

Hervé: Your work is to speak out, to change your haircut. If you had the same haircut as Hervé Vilard today, that would be god-awful!

Thierry: What Brian’s saying today Hervé is that show business is bounded to tv, which is bounded to a phone company. And finally, all that

Hervé: Show business has never been into singing, Thierry. Show business is somewhere else.  It’s not about singing!

Brian: The difference is that people are thinking that they’re allowed to be famous without any work. I think that’s the meaning of “france is looking for a star” and “Star Academy”. That’s the idea they put into young people’s heads! So it creates a social malaise which is the jealousy of fame. And at 21, young girls realize they won’t marry the captain of the English football (soccer) team, David Beckham, for example, and then they fall into depression.  And it’s a cultural malaise I think. And people forget… Music is not a competition for popularity! I think it’s work, it’s work and talent!

Thierry: Oh, I’ve been afraid for a while it would not be as cool as it were with Sacha Distel [When Brian came a year ago in this show he was invited with Sacha Distel, another French old fashioned singer, and  was very nice!].

Hervé: No, no, no, no, it is going very well!

Brian: But people think that rock’n roll for example, is just “sex, drugs and rock’n’ roll”. Of course in part it is but it’s real work! Really! We are on tour for 18 months. We’re busting our balls to sell records!

Hervé: Lou Reed existed before you.

Brian: Of course! And you were here before me tooooo!

Hervé: He gave you music. Listen to Lou Reed! It may seem surprising but…

Brian: I’m really surprised that you can listen to someone like Lou Reed!

Hervé: I’m listening to Lou Reed for a long time and you weren’t born!

Thierry: I’m not sure we’ll manage to reconcile you both.

Hervé: o no, it’s really ok! I’ll listen to his record!

Thierry: So Brian, you’ve became famous by transforming  your Teenage Angst into art, and we’ll see how it happened. Let’s do a “Trash interview”.
Brian molko, How old did you start wearing makeup?

Brian: At about 11.

Thierry: Ah, yes!

Brian: Yes, because I did drama at school, so I have always associated the make up with the stage.

Thierry: Have you ever worn a leather g-string?

Brian: A g-leather string? No, never.

Greg: I have!

Brian: Yes, but you used to be a dancer!

Thierry: When? In your porn movie? Ah yes, when you were striper!

Greg: It was not a porn movie, a charm clip!

Thierry: Brian, have you ever drunk blood?

Brian: Never. I have a friend... Well, I had a friend, 5 or 6 years ago, who drank my blood. But I’ve never drunk someone else´s blood.

Baffie: Did she have teeth like… (he shows Dracula’s teeth)

Brian: No, no!

Thierry: Have you ever worn handcuffs somewhere else than a police station?

Brian: Yes! Of course!

Greg: In court?!

Brian: What about you?

Thierry: Have you ever filmed yourself making love?

Brian: Never. No, I don’t want it to end up on internet.

Thierry: Have you ever suck spike heels?

Brian: No, I’ve licked boots, but never sucked spike heels.

Thierry: Have you ever share a girl with mates?

Brian: Knowing it, no.

Thierry: Have you ever worn your mum’s clothes?

Brian: Yes. Yes, her bras.

Thierry: Aaaah, I was quite sure of that!!

Have you ever self-harmed?

Brian: Yep.

Baffie: Self blowed?

Brian: Self-bowed, I’d like to! Give me a mirror and the capacity to perform aself-blow job and I’ll stay at home for the rest of my life!

Baffie: Here is a message from osteopaths, it’s really bad for your back, and we have to repeat that to people!

Thierry: So, have you ever deliberately self-harmed?

Brian: Well, yes I did. I suffered a lot…. Well, I apologize for being really serious for a moment but… I’m depressive. I have suffered a lot from that. I have taken meds for a long time to cure that. And yes, there have been very dark times in my life when I have self-harmed. I was in hotel rooms, I broke glasses and I cut my legs. Fortunately I’m better these days. Thank you!

Baffie: Oh, you fucked up the atmosphere!!!

Brian: Yes, but that’s an important subject to speak about because I think It’s important for young people to know that people like me went through similar things and events as the ones they go through. I have suffered of a disease which is depression. And it doesn’t mean it’s not possible to do something positive. Even if you’ve got something in your head which stops you or which forces you to hate yourself or dislike yourself. And I hope I’m an inspiration for people. That’s why I’m talking about it. I find it really important.

Thierry: Have you ever shave your chest?

Brian: Yep! Of course.

Thierry: Of course? Often?

Brian: Yes, for photo shoots.
To Greg: you must have done it too!

Greg: Not the chest but somewhere else, yes!!!

Brian: Somewhere else? Oh, your balls?

Greg: Yes.

Thierry: Why?

Greg: For the striptease, if you have hair going outside the string it’s less sexy!

Thierry: We always forget he was a striper! It’s funny! We always think he is a drug dealer!

Baffie: Dancer of charm!

Thierry: Have you ever watched Jean Pierre Pernault at 1p.m? [J.P. Pernault is a tv journalist, he presents the tv news at 1p.m since 15 years! But Brian doesn’t know him, that’s for sure!].

Brian: What????

Thierry: Here it is, Placebo, Brian Molko, Sleeping With Ghosts. The album remastered, ladies and gentlemen. The single is “Protègemoi” with lyrics from Birginie Despentes [She’s a French author, her most known books are “Baisemoi” (1993)(translate “Fuck me”) and “Les jolies choses” (1998) (translate “Beautiful things”)]

It’s the end of the interview but not of the show. A song byTéléphone (a French group, remember, Brian’s first gig at 11 was Téléphone!) and Brian is singing… It’s just too cute!! ;-)

A Special Thank You to: Bénédicte Convert for the translation into English and Diana E.T. Foghin for her helping hand.
Article design and pictures by SusanneCk
Placebo Anyway