Brian Molko: “Being a rockstar
is also a fulltime job”.
Exclusive: The Austrian newspaper Wiener Bezirkszeitung BZ was the only
Austrian newspaper allowed to meet Placebo’s singer Brian Molko.
Interview by Silke Mitteregger - 11/2009
BZ editor Silke Mitteregger chatted with Brian
Molko / Placebo before the show at the Wiener Stadthalle.
By Silke Mitteregger .
Translation into English by Susanne Ck & Diana E.T. Foghin. Placebo Anyway
How to have a more or less objective
conversation with a big idol?
Correct answer: You just can’t!
Nevertheless, I tried – and I was the only
Austrian newspaper editor who was allowed to interview Placebo’s front man
Brian Molko in Vienna.
BZ: Hi Brian. I have to confess, I’m nervous
meeting you….
Brian Molko: Don’t be afraid. I will not bite
you! Probably (laughing).
BZ: Let us speak about your new album “Battle For
The Sun”, which reached number 1 in the Austrian Charts. What sets “Battle For
The Sun” apart from the previous albums?
Brian Molko: A band it’s like with a relationship, where you develop, evolve, change,
and experiment. ’Meds’ was a very
dark album – we all had problems with certain drugs and we were depressed.
Placebo was practically at its end as a band. ‘Battle For The Sun’ in comparison
is a colorful album full of energy. It should evoke hope.
BZ: Recently you got the MTV Award as best
alternative band. Is this belated fame (the band exists since 15 years,
editor’s note) an accomplishment?
Brian Molko: Well, there are a few people in the
music business and the media sector, I call them ‘taste-makers’, who have power
to make people believe what is good.
This award was given directly by the audience;
therefore, it’s something valuable for us.
BZ: What would you say it’s special about you as
an artist?
Brian Molko: My voice, which is unmistakable. No
matter which song you are listen to, you will always know: this is Placebo. (He
seems extremely self-confident).
BZ: Are you still nervous, when you go on stage?
Brian Molko: No, I haven’t felt that way in a
long time. And this is a multi-tasking thing. I have to control my instrument,
get the right note, communicate with my band mates, and give the fans a show…. there is no space for speed wobbles (panic).
BZ: It sounds almost like as you got bored of being
a rock star?
Brian Molko: No, It’s not like that it is
(Pause) a job in the end.
BZ: How is your stay here in Vienna?
Brian Molko: I arrived an hour ago. What do you
think I should have seen?
BZ: Placebo got several shows in Vienna over and
done with. Did you have the possibility to see more of the city?
Brian Molko: Vienna is well known as a city of
art. I already have been to some
museums. But please do not ask me for their names….
BZ: To finish, tell our readers now something
really crazy about you!
Brian Molko: (starts to grin). There is nothing
to confess. I’m a totally normal guy. And just in case it’s not true, I will
not reveal it to you now.
BZ: Thank you for the interview.
By Silke Mitteregger .
Translation into English by Susanne Ck & Diana E.T. Foghin - Placebo Anyway
BZ editor Silke Mitteregger chatted with Brian
Molko / Placebo before the Placebo show at the Wiener Stadthalle.
