STORY BEHIND A PICTURE: DJ Set by Brian Molko & Timo Maas

Three days ago, on July 27, Timo Maas celebrated his birthday. So today I decided to share an interview with him together with a photo taken two years ago, on July 31, 2018, in Ibiza at the DJ Set they played with his “dear friend”, “the true IDOL he really is Brian Molko” as Timo beautifully wrote on his IG.

Once again, my best wishes to Timo Maas!

And much love to you, dear soulmates! Enjoy reading! 

Yours, Olga

"WE ARE ABLE TO BRING PEOPLE TOGETHER"

Anastasiya Loginova: Timo, how did you meet Brian Molko and Placebo? How did your collaboration start? If I remember correctly, your first collaboration was on tracks for the Pictures album?
Timo Maas: I met the band back in 2001 at a festival in Turkey… Then the first work was the TM remix for SPECIAL K.

AL: Why did you choose Special K for you remix? Did this specific track inspire you?
Timo Maas: I loved the track and also they asked me :)

AL: You did a joint DJ set with Brian in Ibiza on July 31. Was this your first experience with him as a DJ?
Timo Maas: Yes, [it] was the first time. As he only rarely did something like this!

AL: Is it easier to work with a partner than by yourself?
Timo Maas: We played in fact individual sets that night. We both did our thing.

AL: Communicating or collaborating with someone can inspire or bring important changes into your life. What can you say about your relationship and mutual work with Brian and Placebo? Has it influenced your life or personality?
Timo Maas: I wouldn't go so far to say that it has influenced my personality…but surely [it] has been and is always again very inspiring, no matter working with or for Brian, the band or also Stef`s new project (remix for Digital 21). I simply love and respect the guys loads and I think this will never change.

AL: In one of your interviews you said that artists were, in a way, politicians: "We bring people together no matter what race, religion or sex or anything... all for doing something together: dancing!" Placebo really inspire me as a band that is prepared to go anywhere where a gig can be organised and where fans can come hear them play, regardless of the political situation. Do you agree that an artist's first priority should be to perform for music lovers, and that there should be no boundaries between them?
Timo Maas: Totally agree, as I said many times before… We are more politicians than the politicians themselves… Аnd we are exactly able to bring people together, no matter what and not separate them, as most of the politicians do unfortunately.

AL: As a creative person, how do you usually organise your work routine? Do you have special tips like check lists or something else?
Timo Maas: Everyone's different really. My work is somehow 24/7, everything to combine with being a father with all its needs…There is really no standard recipe for me.

(Placebo Story Project, 2018)

Photo credit: @
Post by Olga

Interview with Stefan Olsdal - Silver Rocket fan magazine

The Placebo fanclub Silber Rocket (1998-2003) had its own printed fan magazine. In the first issue there was a special interview with Stefan where he was asked questions by his bandmates Brian and Steve Hewitt instead of a journalist. Enjoy reading!

SPOTLIGHT ON STEFAN

STEVE: “How does it feel to be an original Viking?“
STEFAN: “I don’t speak that language (much laughter).“

STEVE: “Are you looking forward to touring the new LP?“
STEFAN: “Very much… we’ve played old songs for far too long.“

BRIAN: “Have you ever been trapped under ice (more laughter)?“
STEFAN: (pause)
BRIAN: “It’s a simple yes or no.“
STEFAN: “No.“

STEVE: “What do you do when you’re not doing the band thing?“
STEFAN: “I do my laundry, vacuuming...“

BRIAN: “Who are your idols and tell me about the ones you’ve met.“
STEFAN: “Sonic Youth and Depeche Mode. I met Dave Gahan after Top oft he Pops once and then met him again two weeks later in Paris when we were doing a gig with the Dreams (=Dream City Film Club). We all ended up in the lobby oft he most expensive hotel in Paris with me playing Depeche Mode songs very off the key on the piano. Martin then asked me to play David Bowie songs which I couldn’t play.“

BRIAN: “Who would you like to meet?“
STEFAN: “I’d like to meet ABBA someday. They are one of my favourite bands as everyone knows. I’d like to hang out with them for a while, go for a drink in Stockholm.“

BRIAN: “Who would you like to work with?“
STEFAN: “I’d like to work with Stina Nordenstam, a Swedish jazz pop singer who has turned to photography which is quite disturbing. We could do some really good stuff with her. I’d also like to work with Martin Gore and Depeche Mode.“

STEVE: “What’s been the best act that Placebo have supported?“
STEFAN: “Bowie in Spain. I was standing right in front oft he stage with Bowie six foot away from me. The sound was perfect. Bowie has so much presence and charisma. I loved that show, it was absolutely amazing. It was a real good moment for me.“

STEVE: “What about your favourite Placebo gig?“
STEFAN: “My favourite Placebo gig was the Black Sessions in Paris about a year ago where we played amazingly and looked brilliant. That was probably one oft he happiest and most immense ones. We played really well.“

STEVE: “What do you prefer, playing bass or keyboards?“
STEFAN: “I prefer playing bass live as it gives me some leverage to move around, some weight in front of me. I like playing keyboards but playing piano at Glastonbury this year was a complete nightmare. I have never had such an experience ever because these drums were coming over the PA which were louder than ours. I was watching your hands to keep time thinking I really don’t need this in front of thousands of people!“

STEVE: “What’s the best gig you’ve been to this year?“
STEFAN: “Watching Massive Attack at the Royal Albert Hall intoxicated in a box, brilliant sound.“

STEVE: “What about bass players, who are your favourites?“
STEFAN: “John Paul Jones writes good bass lines. I also like Joe Stanton from the Sneaker Pimps. When I was a lot younger I liked the bass player from Iron Maiden who I have since gone off completely!“

BRIAN: “What’s your favourite film?“
STEFAN: “‘Apocalypse Now‘ is one of my favourites. Also an Italian film callled ‘Cinema Paradiso‘ which was on TV the other night. It’s a really good film.“

BRIAN: “Final question – what’s your favourite TV show?“
STEFAN: “Definitely The Simpsons, but I also like Stars in your Eyes.“

Photo credits: Scarlet Page

Post by Silke

Translation of a German interview with Brian

Recently I found the translation of a German interview on the web.
Brian talks about life on tour and the documentary “Coming up for air”, what helps him to not go crazy while he's on the road, what he did first when the last tour ended and why he has to dye is hair black from now on. Enjoy reading.

BRIAN, ”COMING UP FOR AIR” TURNS OUT TO BE A RATHER UNVARNISHED INSIGHT INTO THE INNER LIFE OF PLACEBO. WAS IT EASY FOR YOU AS A BAND TO ALLOW THE FANS TO COME SO CLOSE WITH THE FILM?
”We as a band and as persons make sure, for a long time now, to keep our lives private. This is a reaction to us being literally avid for attention for a while in the beginning of our career, true mediawhores. From that the opposite effect developed, that we kept everything, that didn't have an actual connection to the band or a new record, away from the media. But actually this small world, which you take with you on a tour, has a lot of intimacy in it. When we decided to do a live-dvd about the tour, we thought, it'd be a nice offer to our fans to give them a little more than just our music. We wanted to show how Placebo functions and the people and characters behind it.”

IN THE DOCUMENTARY YOU SEE THE BAND MEMBERS CRYING, OCCASIONALLY OVERCHALLANGED/OVERWORKED AND YOU SEE MOMENTS OF GREAT BLANK (VOID). IT SEEMS AS IF IN THIS CASE NOTHING WAS TOO INTIMATE FOR YOU TO SHOW.
”Yet, there were such moments. But for us it basically was about showing that on tour - even if you play in our league - not all is easy and convenient. When you watch other band documentaries, i often feel deceived - everyone is always happy and thankful. But that's not how it is. You can still feel lousy, even though a few thousand people cheer you every evening. On this tour everyone of us experienced at least one total mental/emotional breakdown, which in some cases lasted for a week, in one case it lasted for almost (one) half of the last year. That's a part of it and we didn't want to conceal it. We wanted to show the true/honest feelings and go along with the people that are torn out of their normal environment for one year and a half. We wanted to give Placebo a human touch.”

THERE ARE TWO THINGS TO HEALTH ON TOUR: THE PSYCHOLOGICAL AND THE PHYSICAL. WHICH ONE IS HARDER TO KEEP?
”No matter how healthy your diet is, how careful you are with your body and how many breaks you take: Sooner or later the feeling of loneliness and uprooting/social dislocation overwhelms you. For I have already experienced it a few times now, I can even tell you the point in time: Everything longer than eight months of touring is very difficult, because you lose your perspective and grounding completely. The points of reference, languages and cultures change every day, you constantly have a whole team of people around you, that take every chore out of your hands. All these extremely important things, which keep you down-to-earth in the real world/everyday life disappear into thin air. That automatically makes you a bit crazy. Additionally, you miss everything that is normal for others: the own family. The record collection. The favourite chair, where you read a good book. And most of all the people, with whom you - when you can choose - like to socialize with. All of this is missing and a (life like a) parallel world takes its place. That exhausts you, no matter how exciting all of it seems at first sight. In this respect you could also sum up the documentary like this: It is a depiction of our attempt to stay healthy. (laughs)”

IN THOSE MOMENTS OTHER BANDS RESORT TO AFTERSHOW-PARTIES AND ALL SORTS OF STIMULANTS TO ESCAPE THE VOID.

”Yes, and it is intelligible. You think: If I'm in this world anyway, which I don't understand, I can also find myself a way to escape, no matter how delusory it may be. You believe you find hold in highs/intoxication. You just realize how deceiving this belief is, when you have hit rock bottom and carried things too far. By now we deal with that aspect in a far more realistic way. You can let yourself go, but then again you have to strive for techniques that serve the general health.”

WHAT ELSE HELPS TO NOT GO CRAZY?
”The most mundane tasks. For example looking for a launderette on a day off and washing your t-shirts yourself. Or get a croissant at the baker's at the corner instead of ordering the 100th premium-sandwich from the roomservice. When I am alone, I discovered two things for me, which do me good: meditation and Miles-Davis-records. In a strange way it almost has the same effect on me.”

DOES RELIGION HELP YOU IN THOSE MOMENTS WHEN YOU ARE ALONE? AFTER ALL YOU WERE RAISED IN A VERY CHRISTIAN WAY.
”The opposite is true: precisely my strict christian upbringing drove me into massive confusion for years because I rebelled against it. I didn't find hold in it, religion to me was a permanent nuisance. Of course I think different about it today, I have made my peace with the concept of belief on a rather philosophical level. Something like this helps me in my isolation anyway: coming to grips with certain correlations, which followed and partly agonized me all of my life. Because on the one hand it gives you wonderful material about which you can write new songs, on the other hand it teaches you to recognize patterns - also those which don't ostensibly have anything to do with yourself.”

WHAT ARE THE THINGS THAT YOU THINK ABOUT IN THOSE MOMENTS?
”Concepts like love, desires/longings, phoniness, fate. It teaches the moral person inside you, or briefly speaking: I have the impression that through reflection/contemplation you become a better person.”

WHY?
”Because the decisions that you take, are taken on the basis of a broad, elaborate/sophisticated/reasoned value system. And you become a better musician, as odd as it may sound at first. I had a very long, wonderful conversation about it with Frank Black, who grew up in a similarly strict way like me and had to cast it off. I am convinced that the Pixies touched me so much back then, because I could relate to the subtle rage against his childhood, which was still in him at times of "Come on Pilgrim" and "Surfer Rosa", even if it's not directly/explicitly thematized. The personal reflection on the subject gets you to the point where you make other - i maintain: better - music. You face your demons.”

WHAT WAS THE FIRST THING YOU DID WHEN THE TOUR ENDED?
”At first I told the others that I want a whole year off. Even though by now I am used to being on the road for so long, this tour, with its intensity and duration, burned me out enormously. I felt downright lost. Then as a sign of a new start, I cut my hair. The last months I spent as is right and proper for a man at my age: I was a good father, visited museums and zoos with my son, bought me some books and loads of new records. And I have - honestly speaking - enjoyed it to the fullest to be a successful rock musician with a well-filled bank account.”

ARE YOU STILL ON A BREAK?
”Occasionally. But of course one day the madness starts again, your own as well. Cause after all you again want to make art of everything you experienced. I am already writing diligently.”

AND THE HAIR IS GROWING AGAIN?
”Yes, unfortunatley with unpleasant results: I'm turning grey. Really. That means from now on for the rest of my life: dyeing - or bald head. ”
(Visions, December 2011 – translation by Madame)

Credits: Screenshots of a TV interview in Singapore (2010)

Post by Silke

BRIAN MOLKO ON THE BEATLES

“My favourite Beatles album has always been 'The White Album', and in listening to that, I discovered 'Yer Blues', which blew my mind because it's such a brutal slice of nihilism and desperation. And this from the guys who'd written 'Lucy in the sky with diamonds' and 'Strawberry fields forever'. It was quite a shocking departure from that pastoral sound they had become famous for. It gave me a lot of hope that you don't need to be tied down to one specific identity as an artist, and every time we make a record it's important to us to try and push the limits of what our perceived identity is and surprise ourselves. We wanted to showcase our Beatles obsession on our new album 'Battle for the sun' with their fanfare-style horns. We tried specifically to incorporate their spirit. If you're going to learn, you may as well learn from the greats.”

(The Sunday Times, September 6^th 2009) 

Photo credits: Scarlet Page, Chris Walter, unknown (2) / edit by Silke Mitteregger 

🎼 𝘿𝙧𝙤𝙬𝙣𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝘽𝙮 𝙉𝙪𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧𝙨 & 𝙒𝙞𝙩𝙝𝙤𝙪𝙩 𝙔𝙤𝙪 𝙄'𝙢 𝙉𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 🎼

The last three Saturdays I have been talking to you about 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐's songs with similar lyrics, today we close this series with two great songs: "𝑫𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒚 𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔" and "𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑰'𝒎 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈". Are you ready?

"𝑫𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒚 𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔" is one of the oldest 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐's songs and the very first produced only by themselves. The song begins with a bass line by 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒂𝒏 𝑶𝒍𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒍, which is quite remarkable throughout the song. It gets louder on the chorus part, because of 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒐's guitars and we can hear to 𝑹𝒐𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒕 𝑺𝒄𝒉𝒖𝒍𝒕𝒛𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒈 on drums. It was released as a 𝑩-𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 in the band's second single, "𝑪𝒐𝒎𝒆 𝑯𝒐𝒎𝒆", in 1996, and later in the 10𝒕𝒉 𝑨𝒏𝒏𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒔𝒂𝒓𝒚 𝑪𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒐𝒓𝒔 𝑬𝒅𝒊𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 of 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐's first self-titled album.The band played it live 21 times in total between the years of 1996 and 2001.

Enjoy watching the band in their early years playing live this song!!

❤️ 𝑫𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒚 𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔 - 𝑳𝒊𝒗𝒆 1996 ❤️

https://youtu.be/4VrHcL7GFbM

🎶 𝐋𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 🎶

Open up your heart, let me slip inside.

Such determination always tries to turn the tide

Open up your arms, let me dive into

the big, big blue.

Try losing, this chromosome.

It's my choosing, down to the bone.

Open up your heart, let me slip inside.

Such imagination always helps the feeling slide.

Open up your soul, falling back into

the big, big blue.

Try losing, this chromosome.

It's my choosing, down to the bone.

Blood, dive in

blood, drowning

blood, dive in

Open up your heart, let me slip inside.

Auto-flagellation always helps the ghost to hide.

Open up your arms, let me dive into

the big, big blue.

Try losing, this chromosome.

It's my choosing, down to the bone.

Blood, dive in

blood, drowning

blood, dive in

•♫•♬• * •♫•♬• * •.¸♡¸.• * •♫•♬• * •♫•♬•

During the soundchecks of their first tour, they written many of the songs that later would be part of their second album.

In 1997, 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐 tried a new song at their live shows, which they played 7 times before officially recording it. Now, let's watch the one they played on May 22th,

1997 at 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒙𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝑨𝒄𝒂𝒅𝒆𝒎𝒚, in London.

♥️ 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑰'𝒎 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 - 𝑳𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝑫𝒆𝒎𝒐 ♥️

https://youtu.be by /JTHj1KZiscg

🎶 𝐋𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 🎶

Strange infatuation seems to grace the evening tide.

I'll take it by your side.

Such imagination always helps the feeling slide.

I'll take it by your side.

Instant correlation sucks and breeds a pack of lies.

I'll take it by your side.

Oversaturation curls the skin and tans the hide.

I'll take it by your side.

tick - tock tick - tock

tick - tock

tick - tick - tick - tick - tock

It's obscene and scattered dreams

And everytime we take a spin

Then I got you high and listen to your

breathing

And kiss you like a soft machine

You grow me like an evergreen

You never seen the lonely me at all

I...

Take the plan, spin it sideways.

I...

Fall.

Without you, I'm nothing.

Without you, I'm nothing.

Without you, I'm nothing.

Without you, I'm nothing at all.

•♫•♬• * •♫•♬• * •.¸♡¸.• * •♫•♬• * •♫•♬•

As you may have already noticed listening to the two previous songs, 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐 used some lines from "𝑫𝒓𝒐𝒘𝒏𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑩𝒚 𝑵𝒖𝒎𝒃𝒆𝒓𝒔" to compose the lyrics of "𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑰'𝒎 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈". Adding different words, verses, and with 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒕 on drums, the song took a totally different meaning and sound, becoming that epic and heartbreaking power ballad that gave title to their iconic second album and one of the most important songs of 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐's history. We can never forget to mention that it was the song that the legend, 𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅 𝑩𝒐𝒘𝒊𝒆, chose to sing along with them. A unique and very special moment in which the admiration, respect and friendship that existed between 𝑫𝒂𝒗𝒊𝒅 and 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐 were immortalized in some recordings, photos and, of course, their hearts.

🔹𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐠:

🎙️“That song is very misunderstood. It is not a love song, the narrator is suffering from pathological low self-esteem. It’s about co-dependence, feeling like you don’t have an identity without somebody else.”

▪️𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝙼𝚘𝚕𝚔𝚘, 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙸𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚙𝚎𝚗𝚍𝚎𝚗𝚝, 2017.

🔹𝐀𝐛𝐨𝐮𝐭 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐭𝐢𝐭𝐥𝐞:

🎙️“It's a very romantic title and when we were demoing the album it seemed to sort of emerge as something that... a way of getting the theme of the record across. You know the record's like sort of primarily about an ever-pervading loneliness and heartbreak really and you know there's quite a few relationship songs in there so on one level it's kind of like us... it's a message for us, from us to ourselves, to each other in the band. It's a message to our fans and it's also sort of something that's universal in the way that most people have felt that at least once in their lives.“

▪️𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝙼𝚘𝚕𝚔𝚘, 𝙿𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎𝚋𝚘 𝚒𝚗 𝙲𝚘𝚗𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚜𝚊𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝚂𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚂𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚝𝚝𝚘𝚗, 1998.

❤️ 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑰'𝒎 𝑵𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 - 𝑳𝒊𝒗𝒆 1998 ❤️

https://youtu.be/I5GylL1p78M

🎶 𝐋𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 🎶

Strange infatuation seems to grace the evening tide.

I'll take it by your side.

Such imagination seems to help the feeling slide.

I'll take it by your side.

Instant correlation sucks and breeds a pack of lies.

I'll take it by your side.

Oversaturation curls the skin and tans the hide.

I'll take it by your side.

tick - tock

tick - tick - tick - tick - tick - tock

I'm unclean, a libertine

And every time you vent your spleen,

I seem to lose the power of speech,

Your slipping slowly from my reach.

You grow me like an evergreen,

You've never seen the lonely me at all

I...

Take the plan, spin it sideways.

I...

Fall.

Without you, I'm Nothing.

Without you, I'm nothing.

Without you, I'm nothing.

Take the plan, spin it sideways.

Without you, I'm nothing at all.

•♫•♬• * •♫•♬• * •.¸♡¸.• * •♫•♬• * •♫•♬•

🎶𝘐 𝘩𝘰𝘱𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶 𝘩𝘢𝘷𝘦 𝘦𝘯𝘫𝘰𝘺𝘦𝘥 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘴𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘦𝘴 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴! 🎶

It has been wonderful and exciting for me to know a little more about the origin and evolution of these songs together with you.

🪐𝑹𝒊𝒕𝒂🪐

📸 Photo Credits:
Pic 1: Band - Kevin Westenberg / Brian - Screenshot / Images from Pinterest / Edit made by Rita
Pic 2: unknown
Pic 3: Andy Willsher

Post by Rita

STORY BEHIND A PICTURE: Brian receiving an Honorary Fellowship at Goldsmith

Dear soulmates!
I think all of you remember that Brian Molko studied Dramatic Arts and Theatre and graduated from Goldsmiths’ College in 1993 with a degree in drama. But do you also know that later he received an Honorary Fellowship at his alma mater?

Magnificent ceremony, following all the glorious traditions of University of London, took place on December 19, 2012 at Goldsmiths. Mr. Molko was one of five people were given honorary awards by the institution that year alongside Big Issue founder John Bird, novelist Rose Tremain, playwright and screenwriter Moira Buffini and primatologist Dame Jane Goodall.

Brian commented on his award: “I am extremely pleased to be offered an honorary fellowship from Goldsmiths. I have very fond memories of my years spent there, which helped shape me into the artist that I am today. I am particularly grateful for the freedom to take risks which the staff encouraged and for the ambition they nurtured in us – no matter how brazen or off-the-wall it appeared”.
(CMU Editorial, December 13, 2012)

Telling about the milestones of alumnus’ life and career, then Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Professor of English Alan Downie finished his introduction with touching “Welcome home, Brian!”
Nevertheless, Mr. Molko seemed to be really nervous and moved by the solemnity of the moment. He addressed his speech to the students: "I am very humbled to be here ... I'd like to congratulate you all for having the determination and the courage of your convictions and the singular vision that is necessary to come as far as you all have already and I wish you all the best."

You can watch the whole ceremony here:
https://bit.ly/2NztdRC

Brian is remembered by the faculty as a “quiet” but unusually creative young man. In the documentary “Placebo Androgyny” (also known as “The Sun Also Rises”) some of Brian’s teachers share their memories of him as a student.
https://bit.ly/2VsgwfN

However, choosing the only right direction in life hasn’t come at once.
"I'm the black sheep of the family," Brian admits. "I come from a long line of bankers, yet when I was 11, I really got into acting and drama.”
(Belfast Telegraph, February 19, 2015)

“The name of this track [Pierrot The Clown] reflects my obsession with clowns and my passion for the circus. In high school, I even thought of enrolling in a clown school and becoming one … But fortunately for everyone, I was accepted at university!” (Rock Mag, April 2006)

So, having previously studied at the European School of Luxembourg, and later the American International School of Luxembourg (AISL), Brian decided to pursue his dramatic dream at Goldsmiths’ College in London. He was accepted into university at 17, the first in his family to do so.
"By the time I left university, my passion had turned again," Brian says. "I decided that I wanted to form a band. So I spent two and a half years on the dole after I finished studying - which I call my artistic grant, and I've paid that back in taxes! - meeting Stefan Olsdal at South Kensington tube station along the way. It all happened from there."

Almost 20 years after graduating – and just in a several days he turned 40, by the way! - Brian was back to Goldsmiths in a completely different status receiving his award and, more important, well-deserved respect and recognition.

GOLDSMITHS HISTORY

Goldsmiths, University of London is a public research university specializing in the arts, humanities, social sciences, computing, entrepreneurial business and management. It is a constituent college of the University of London. It’s situated in New Cross, a highly populated, vibrant area of South East London with a considerable art and music scene.

It was founded in 1891 by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths as Goldsmiths' Technical and Recreative Institute (more commonly referred to simply as the "Goldsmiths' Institute"). The Goldsmiths' Company was established in the 12th century as a medieval guild for goldsmiths, silversmiths and jewellers.

In 1904, the Institute was acquired by the University of London and was renamed Goldsmiths' College. The word 'College' was dropped from its branding in 2006, but Goldsmiths' College, with the apostrophe, remains the institution's formal legal name.
Nowadays, Goldsmiths is internationally known for creativity and innovation - a reputation backed up by the highest academic standards. There are many world-renowned artists among its alumni. Goldsmiths has always had a reputation for independence and free thinking both as an institution and among its student body. The university cultivates an atmosphere that is encouraging and receptive to new ideas.

Dear soulmates, what do you think of a value of such an award for Brian? How does it feel for you to watch him in this quite uncommon situation?
Much love!
Yours, Olga

Photo credits: Goldsmiths - University of London, Alamy
Post by Olga

"Up close and personal with Brian Molko"

A week ago I shared an interiew with Stefan that was printed in Kerrang magazine unter the title "Up close and personal with ..." twenty years ago. Brian also participated in this interview series back then and he was asked exactly the same questions as Stefan.

Has Brian ever been arrested? What's his favorite joke? How does he want to die when his time has come? What was the most embarrissing moment in his life? Why is his nickname The Smiler?
Brian answers all of those and many more questions in the article below.

"UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL WITH BRIAN MOLKO”

WHAT'S YOUR NICKNAME AND WHY?

"Steve calls me Molks. He also calls me Smiler, because even though I laugh quite a bit, I do get a little bit intense."

AT SCHOOL, WERE YOU A DUNCE OR A TEACHER'S PET?

"Academically I was pretty good, but in order to be popular you had to be good at sports. I was more interested in the drama club - so I was more of a social outcast.

WHAT WAS YOUR FIRST SHAG LIKE?

"I was 14 she was 16. We were in love, and we deflowered each other - it was fantastic."

WHO'S YOUR BEST FRIEND?

"I'm married to Steve and Stef. And I have one friend who's a filmmaker and has been working with me on out concert visuals. I also have a very, very close friend who woks in TV. I think it's really important to have a few extremely close friends."

WHAT'S THE BEST PET YOU'VE EVER HAD?

"A girlfriend of mine at college, after we split up, gave me a goldfish. I didn't change their water and I just kinda watched them die."

HAVE YOU EVER BEEN ARRESTED?

"No, but I've come very, very close on numerous occasions. My guardian angel must have been working overtime."

WHAT WOULD YOU DO IF YOU WEREN'T A ROCK STAR?

"I think I would have probably tried my hand at acting, because it was my first love."

HOW WOULD YOU DESCRIBE YOURSELF ON A BLIND DATE FORM?

"Fuckin' hell that's a tough one; 'Artistic person with gender issues seeks adventurous soulmate'."

WHAT'S THE MOST EXTRAVAGANT THING YOU'VE EVER BOUGHT?

"I've just bought some art. I did a phone bid at an auction at Christie's in New York. It's a Warhol lithograph of the Moon landing."

WHO'S GAGGING FOR A SHAGGING?

"Well, we have the same tastes here Chainsaw, it's gotta be Asia Argento. It's true that she does look like me, so I guess sexual attraction is often quite narcissistic. Out of the boys who are around, in bands at the moment, I guess the cutest is Som from My Vitriol."

WHO'S GAGGING FOR A SMACKING?

"Too many people to mention."

WHAT'S THE WORST JOB YOU'VE EVER HAD?

"When I needed money to finish my film at college I shredded documents. It's so mind numbingly boring, I had to amuse myself by seeing how many non-paper things I could put through the shredder before it broke: plastic, cigarette-butts, tinfoil, stuff like that. I almost broke the shredder once. It was actually part of the inspiration for the new video for 'Slave to the Wage' - old stuff to shred."

WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU CALLED HOME?

"I spoke to my mom at Easter, and that's probably it."

WHAT'S YOUR MOST EMBARRASSING MOMENT?

"At an airport when we were flying to a festival in Sweden. We all got given our tickets and everybody disappeared to buy some duty-free. I noticed my flight was taking off an hour later than I thought. I was like, 'Oh my God, that's great, I've got loads of time'. After a while I started to notice there was nobody around any more, nobody I recognized. Then I realised I'd been looking at the Copenhagen flight which happened to depart one hour later, I'd held up my own flight for 45 minutes. There was Death In Vegas on board as well as several other bands. The captain was saying, 'Ladies and gentlemen, we're waiting for a certain Mr. Molko'. So when I finally walked on the plane there was rapturous applause, but it was incredibly embarrassing."

WHO WOULD YOU LEAST LIKE TO SEE NAKED?

"Ann Widdecombe (Shadow Home Secretary)."

WHAT'S THE BEST RUMOUR YOU'VE HEARD ABOUT YOURSELF?

"That me and Stefan used to go out with each other."

WHAT'S IN YOUR WALLET RIGHT NOW?

"Just a bit of money, a credit card and some keys."

WHAT'S YOUR FAVORITE JOKE?

"What do you call a Spice Girl with a brain? Pregnant."

IF YOU WERE MAROONED ON A DESERT ISLAND WITHOUT FOOD, WHICH MEMBER OF PLACEBO WOULD YOU EAT FIRST?

"Steve obviously, he's got a lot more muscle than Stef."

WHICH PLACEBO SONG WOULD YOU DONATE TO A COMPILATION ALBUM ENTITLED 'CRAP SONG OF OUR TIME'?

"'Nancy Boy'. I've always felt that it was the most moronic of all the songs that we've ever written. In fact, during rehearsals I'd apologise to the rest of the band for the lyrical content of that song. We've moved on so far since then.

WHAT'S YOUR DRUG OF CHOICE?

"Vodka at the moment, with Slimline tonic dahling, 'cos I have to stay fit for my fans...with ice and a slice."

WHAT DOES GOD LOOK LIKE?

"She's black."

WHEN YOU DIE, HOW DO YOU WANT TO GO?

"I think quietly in my sleep would be fine for me."
(Kerrang, October 2000)
Photo credits: Jamie Beeden
Post by Silke

Shock Hound interview with Brian Molko, 2009

In June 2009 Brian gave an INTERVIEW to Shock Hound. Main topic was the new album “Battle for the sun” but he also talked about other things like a possible break-up of the band, if he feels like a musical outsider or if he thinks that Placebo's sound has stayed true over the years. I hope you'll enjoy reading the article.

WHERE WAS YOUR HEAD AT GOING INTO THIS ALBUM?“I don't really know. By the time we reconvened to start discussing this record and planning the making of this record, we actually had started to feel optimistic again about the future after a bit of a dark period and what we call our divorce. Losing a band member after such a long period of time does feel a little bit like a divorce, I guess. So, yeah, we went through a bleak period after which we were starting to feel a little more optimistic. When we started writing, even when we started recording this record, we didn’t actually have a record company. So we were completely free to do whatever we wanted. We had the opportunity to create a future for ourselves — one that we wanted and one that was sunnier, hopefully, than the past few years. It was a good place. We were feeling reinvigorated and refreshed.“

DID YOU EVER CONSIDER BREAKING UP?“Never, really. We wanted to continue in the formation that we were; certainly not in the atmosphere we were in. Myself and Stefan, we started writing songs together in 1994, and this has pretty much been our lives since we were 20. We just felt we had invested much too much blood, sweat and tears into the whole affair to walk away from it. Besides, we’re very much a songwriting partnership. We sort of complement each other. It's never been tested if either of us would be as good without each other.“

WAS IT HARD FOLLOWING UP AN ALBUM THAT DIDN’T DO AS WELL AS YOUT OTHERS?“I think Meds (released 2007) did as well as the previous one. I really don't know how well it sold in different territories. I don't pay a great deal of attention. I know in the ballpark it’s about the same. Maybe it sold a lot less in America. I'm not really a figures kind of guy.“

DO YOU GENERALLY MAKE ALBUMS ONLY TO PLEASE YOURSELF?
“That's where the spark comes from. There's a need. There’s a need for creative expression. Once you externalize it and release it to the general public you certainly hope people will like it. You're always scared of losing it, as well. If it was to take the sharpest of sharp dips you might have to ask yourself some questions. I don’t know. “

HAVE YOU ALWAYS FELT LIKE OUTSIDERS? YOU NEVER FIT IN WITH THE BRITPOP SCENE OR ANYTHING THAT FOLLOEWED.
“Even though we had records in the charts and stuff like that we've always operated slightly to the left of the mainstream. Maybe more than just slightly to the left, which is a paradox in of itself. We just kind of followed our own path. We had our own singular vision and never allowed ourselves to be influenced by what's sort of trendy or hip. I guess, we’re very similarly to people like the Cure andDepeche Mode, who never stopped making records and still have a very loyal fan base and still make music that is vital to this day. That’s probably what I aspire to a lot more. For me, it's the longevity thing. I really wouldn’t know what the hell else to do.“

DO YOU FEEL THE MUSIC HAS STAYED TRUE TO PLACEBO’S ORIGINAL SOUND?
“That's the challenge. That’s the ultimate challenge, I suppose, if you’re not interested in working to formula; if artistic success is your driving force and not following a formula, and not turning your back on what made people fall in love with you in the first place. So it's difficult to strike that balance. There have been times in the past where we've been a little hit-and-miss, but I think this time around we got the balance right and I’m quite happy.“

WHAT MADE YOU WANT TO WORK WITH DAVID BOTTRILL?
“We did want to make a big-sounding record, so he was an obvious candidate. We wanted to make something that was epic and anthemic. Then again, there are hundreds of those guys in the US and Canada that could do that for us. What interested us in Dave is that he had worked with some friends of ours, a Belgium band called Deus. He made a very European-sounding, subtle, delicate at times record. It was almost on the other end of the spectrum from the huge sonic monoliths he creates with Tool. We were aware he could do these things very, very well. We were also aware of the fact that he cut his teeth working with Peter Gabriel. He worked on tracks like “Sledgehammer,” for example. So he has a refined understanding of pop. That kind of versatility attracted us. We don’t like to make one-dimensional sounding records. There has to be a great deal of light and shade and variation.“

PLACEBO HAS NEVER SHIED AWAY FROM A GOOD POP HOOK.
“When it gets too sweet, the melody stays the same and the distortion gets turned up. The sweeter the melody, the most distorted the fashion it’s delivered.“

DOES IT FEEL GOOD TO BE A FUNCTIONAL BAND AGAIN?
“It bodes well at the moment. We're going through a good streak right now. Long may it last. I spend a lot of time quite divorced from the whole process of marketing. I try to keep my role within the whole enterprise as simple as possible, otherwise I would go insane. I try to focus on the task at hand. I'm not really thinking about the success of the record.“
(Shock Hound, June 2009)

Photo credits: unknown
Post by Silke

⭐🚀 𝙇𝙀𝙉𝙄 & 𝙎𝙋𝘼𝘾𝙀 𝙈𝙊𝙉𝙆𝙀𝙔 🚀⭐

🔹𝘏𝘦𝘭𝘭𝘰 𝘥𝘦𝘢𝘳 𝘚𝘰𝘶𝘭𝘮𝘢𝘵𝘦𝘴!🔹

Today I will continue talking to you about this very interesting topic of 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐's songs with similar lyrics. In this third part of the series it's the turn of "𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒊" and "𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒚".

Surely a lot of us know "𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒊" very well.

It's - in my opinion - one of the most beautiful & breathtaking songs 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐 has ever written. 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒕 on drums, 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒂𝒏 𝑶𝒍𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒍 on guitars and 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒐 on vocals and piano, a song with few elements but in it you can feel the magic that each one contributed to the band, how they complemented and formed something awesome and perfect at the same time. This gorgeous ballad was released as a 𝑩-𝒔𝒊𝒅𝒆 of the single "𝑺𝒍𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒈𝒆"(2001) and was played live during the 𝑩𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒌 𝑴𝒂𝒓𝒌𝒆𝒕 𝑴𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒄 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒓 in 2001. A difference to the studio version, when they performed it live, 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 used to add to the lyrics the line: "𝑪𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒎𝒚 𝒉𝒆𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒉𝒐𝒑𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒊𝒆".

Some time later, during the 𝑺𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑮𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔 𝑻𝒐𝒖𝒓 in 2003, the band again included "𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒊" in the setlist and when they played it, they also added new words to the lyrics that came from a song they had been working on during the recording of 𝑺𝒍𝒆𝒆𝒑𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑾𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝑮𝒉𝒐𝒔𝒕𝒔 album, but they did not manage to finish. This incomplete song three years later we would know it by the name of "𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒚", that's why this version of "𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒊" with extra lyrics, fans use to call it "𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒊". Now, we are going to listen to one of the only 7 times they played live the ""𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑳𝒆𝒏𝒊" version. This one was recorded at a private concert in Paris in March 2003. Enjoy!!

✨🚀 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙇𝙚𝙣𝙞 🚀✨

https://youtu.be/0UBhfhkibLM

🎶 𝐋𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 🎶

I kneel before her,

Beneath this frozen sky

Beneath her shoulder,

Beneath her evil eye

She towers over this male who is a fly

My sci-fi lullaby

I kneel before her,

Beneath this frozen sky

I beg below her,

My limbs are paralyzed

She feels much softer

Than any kind of guy

My sci-fi lullaby

Beside her

Astride her

I die inside her

Forever

And ever

She's born to mesmer

It's sacred

Don't break it

Don't let go

Let me die

Cross my heart

And hope to die

⭑♪•*♬.•☆•.⭒.•♫•♬•*☆*•♫•♬•.⭒.•☆•.♬*•♪⭑

Now we land on the '𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒏𝒆𝒕 𝒐𝒇 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒏𝒅', with "𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒚", in words of 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 itself :

" 𝚃𝚑𝚒𝚜 𝚝𝚛𝚊𝚌𝚔 𝚠𝚊𝚜 𝚊 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕 𝚓𝚘𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚢 𝚘𝚏 𝚍𝚒𝚜𝚌𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚏𝚎𝚕𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚓𝚞𝚜𝚝 𝚍𝚛𝚘𝚙𝚙𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚘𝚏 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚜𝚔𝚢 𝚘𝚗𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚢." 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒂𝒏 said:

"𝚂𝚙𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚔𝚎𝚢 𝚒𝚜 𝚊 𝚖𝚢𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚞𝚜! 𝚆𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚗'𝚝 𝚛𝚎𝚊𝚕𝚕𝚢 𝚔𝚗𝚘𝚠 𝚑𝚘𝚠 𝚒𝚝 𝚝𝚞𝚛𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚒𝚝 𝚍𝚒𝚍. 𝚆𝚎 𝚜𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚝𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚘 𝚠𝚛𝚒𝚝𝚎 𝚒𝚝 𝚊𝚛𝚘𝚞𝚗𝚍 𝚂𝚕𝚎𝚎𝚙𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚆𝚒𝚝𝚑 𝙶𝚑𝚘𝚜𝚝𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚟𝚎𝚛 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚢𝚎𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚒𝚝 𝚌𝚑𝚊𝚗𝚐𝚎𝚍 𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚖. 𝚆𝚎 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚒𝚗𝚜𝚝𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚎𝚗𝚝𝚜 𝚠𝚎 𝚑𝚊𝚍𝚗'𝚝 𝚞𝚜𝚎𝚍 𝚋𝚎𝚏𝚘𝚛𝚎 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚎𝚍 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚐𝚞𝚒𝚝𝚊𝚛𝚜 𝚝𝚘 𝚗𝚎𝚠 𝚝𝚞𝚗𝚒𝚗𝚐𝚜."

The band added string arrangements - made by the very talented 𝑭𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒄𝒆 - and the rhythmic base of the song came from one day that 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒕 was bored and he began to drumming on a bicycle that was around there. They experimented without limits until they achieved that alluring, intriguing and unusual atmosphere that surrounds the song, a result that would even surprise them.

𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝑯𝒆𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒕 stated:

"[...] 𝚆𝚑𝚎𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚊𝚝 𝚒𝚝, 𝚒𝚝 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚜𝚎𝚎𝚖 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚊 𝚝𝚢𝚙𝚒𝚌𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚗𝚐 𝚏𝚛𝚘𝚖 𝚞𝚜.“

Finally, the sound of "𝑺𝒑𝒂𝒄𝒆 𝑴𝒐𝒏𝒌𝒆𝒚" fitted perfectly with the dark vibe of the next 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐's album,"𝑴𝒆𝒅𝒔"(2006), so it was released as the track number 4. Let's watch to the band '𝒓𝒂𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒕𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒕𝒖𝒓𝒆' while they perform live this song.

✨🚀 𝙎𝙥𝙖𝙘𝙚 𝙈𝙤𝙣𝙠𝙚𝙮 🐒🚀

https://youtu.be/j0_pVOG4yqo

🎶 𝐋𝐲𝐫𝐢𝐜𝐬 🎶

Space monkey in the place to be

Riding in a rocket to a planet of sound

Shooting the moon, playing dominoes in drag

An increase in population of a hundred percent

Space monkey in the place to be

With a chemical peel and a picture of Mary

Out on a limb in the carnival of me

Raising the temperature one hundred degrees

We're sown together

She's born mesmer

Beside astride her

I die inside her

Space monkey in the place to be

A mass of contradictions in a golden frame

Raising the roof in a calamity way

Completely meretricious of a poke in the eye

Space monkey in the place to be

Talk of the town with a Colombian rock

Out on a limb in the carnival of me

Raising the temperature one hundred degrees

We're sown together

She's born mesmer

Beside astride her

I die inside her

It's far too sacred

Don't ever fake it

And don't, and don't, and don't let me down

Like you let me down before

Space monkey in the place to be

With some free-association and a hole in her head

Out on a limb in the carnival of me

Raising the temperature one hundred degrees

We're sown together

She's born mesmer

Beside astride her

I die inside her

It's far too sacred

Don't ever fake it

And don't, and don't, and don't let me down

Like you let me down before

⭑♪•*♬.•☆•.⭒.•♫•♬•*☆*•♫•♬•.⭒.•☆•.♬*•♪⭑

📷 Photo credits:
Pic 1: Screenshots from the live videos of the songs / Edit made by Rita

Pic 2: Nulle part alleurs (NPA)
Pic 3: Oscar Tejeda 

Post by Rita