Thursday, June 25, 2015

Brian Molko: "I don't bite" - Interview by Silke Mitteregger BZ Austria 2009




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 Placebos 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.