a lot of words have already been written about how the famous artist πΏππ«ππ π½π€π¬ππ influenced the artistic growth of the band πππΌπΎππ½π.
But even after David's death, their journey together is still a wonderful subject to discover.
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Photo credit: Frank Ockenfels, unknown, screenshots (2 / edit by Marti |
In 2017, an interview with Brian was published in ππ‘π ππ§πππ©ππ§πππ§π, which I would like to share with you today in a shorten version. There are some beautiful mentions that led me to the idea of writing this post.
π’π’π’
π Given Placeboβs history with the press, one might think that ππ¨π₯π€π¨ would be at best wary, at worst down-right hostile towards journalists. When I meet up with him prior to a rehearsal for the last leg of the bandβs current retrospective tour however, any fears of a frosty reception are allayed almost immediately.
Instead this afternoon, he proves to be warm, friendly, engaging and never too far away from erupting into fits of laughter. He speaks slowly in that familial, nasal tone that gives πππππππ one of the distinct characteristics that people either adore or abhor and provides, considerate, well-thought out answers to all my questions, even being so gracious as to extend our interview not just once, but twice.
Twenty-one years have passed since the band first came into public consciousness and πππππππ are still here whilst Cool Britannia is most certainly not, replaced instead with a more overt, pervading sense of fear, bigotry and xenophobia β in 2017, weβre about as far away from the pervading mid-Nineties attitude of incandescent national pride as itβs possible to get.
πππππππ had the common sense not to ride the Britpop wave, which in 1996 was already beginning to show signs of dissipating, and have consequently remained whilst so many of their contemporaries fell by the wayside. In fact, one could argue (as Molko does) that πππππππ πππ ππππ ππππ‘πππππ‘ πππ€ ππ‘ π‘βπ πππππππππ ππ π‘βπ 21π π‘ ππππ‘π’ππ¦ π‘βππ π‘βππ¦ ππ£ππ π€πππ ππ‘ π‘βπ πππ ππ π‘βπ 20π‘β.
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Photo credit unknown |
π’π’π’
Brian's beautiful statement, with which I personally must agree. But let's go back to David, because Brian's memory of David's departure always touches the heart of each of us.
π’π’π’
π It was also around this time that the band collaborated with David Bowie on a re-recorded version of the title track from their sophomore album Without You Iβm Nothing, arguably the bandβs most beloved and cherished record to date.
β¦ βπβππ‘ π πππ ππ π£πππ¦ πππ π’πππππ π‘πππβ π ππ¦π πππππ, βππ‘ ππ πππ‘ π πππ£π π πππ, π‘βπ ππππππ‘ππ ππ π π’πππππππ ππππ πππ‘βππππππππ πππ€ π πππ-ππ π‘πππ. πΌπ‘βπ ππππ’π‘ ππ-ππππππππππ, πππππππ ππππ π¦ππ’ πππβπ‘ βππ£π ππ πππππ‘ππ‘π¦ π€ππ‘βππ’π‘ π πππππππ¦ πππ π.ββ¦
π Inevitably, the song has taken on a whole new meaning with a far deeper resonance for ππ¨π₯π€π¨ since Bowieβs death in January 2016. In Placeboβs early days, when critics were taking seemingly every opportunity they could to make cheap swipes at the band, it was Bowieβs patronage that garnered them credibility in the eyes of a music press that were dumb enough to be disorientated by a bloke in a dress. As was his wont, Bowie took the band under his wing, making regular live appearances with them, inviting them out on tour and providing sound counsel and mentorship.
β¦βππβπ£π ππππ ππππ βπππ π’π ππππππ ππ π·ππ£ππ π€βπππ π‘ ππππ¦πππ βπππ‘βππ’π‘ πππ’ πΌβπ πππ‘βπππβ ππ π‘βππ π‘ππ’π πππ π πππ πππβπ‘π ππ‘'π ππππ π π’πβ ππ ππππ‘πππππ ππ₯ππππππππ π‘βππ‘ πΌ'π£π ππππ π£πππ¦ ππππ π π‘π ππππππππ πππ€π πππ‘π π‘ππππ " πππππ ππππππππ .
"πβπππ π€ππ π πππππ‘ ππ’ππππ π‘βπ π π’ππππ π€βπππ πΌ π πππ π‘π ππ‘ππππ 'πΌ'π πππ‘ π‘ππ π π’ππ ππ πΌ πππ ππππ¦ π‘βππ πππ¦ππππ, ππ‘'π π‘ππππππ ππ πππππ‘'.
π΅π’π‘ πΌβπ£π πππ‘ ππ£ππ π‘βππ‘ πππ€ πππ πππ π‘πππ, ππ‘ βππ ππππππ π ππππππππ‘πππ ππ π€βπ π·ππ£ππ π΅ππ€ππ π€ππ πππ π‘βπ ππππππ‘ βπ βππ ππ ππ ππ π βπ’πππ πππππ, ππ π€πππ ππ π ππ’π πππππ. πβπ πππ π‘ πππ£πππ βπ ππ£ππ πππ£π π’π π€ππ 'π€βππ‘ππ£ππ π¦ππ’ ππ, πππ£ππ πππ π π¦ππ’π π ππππ‘πππππ‘π¦'.
π·ππ£ππ π€ππ πππ€ππ¦π πππ πππ π‘πππππ ππππ‘-πππππππ πππ πππππ πππ ππ π‘ππππππ‘π πππ πΌ π‘βπππ βπ ππππ’π ππ π πππ’ππππ ππ π’π π‘π ππ ππ₯πππ‘ππ¦ π‘βππ‘, π‘π ππππ π‘πππ‘ππ¦ ππ-πππ£πππ‘ ππ’ππ πππ£ππ .
ππ π¦ππ π‘βπ π πππππππππππ βππ πβπππππ, ππ‘'π ππππππ π πππ‘ ππππ ππππ’π‘ π·ππ£ππ πππ ππ, π€βππβ ππ ππ. π»π'π ππππ ππ ππππ π‘πππ‘ππ¦ π€ππ‘β ππ ππ‘ π‘βπ ππππππ‘, π€βππβ ππ ππ’ππ‘π π π€πππ‘ πππ πΌ πππππππ‘ ππ ππ’π ππππ£πππ ππ‘ππππ , ππ βππ πππ£πππ πππ π€βππ‘ ππ‘ π€ππ ππππ π‘π π ππ βππ ππππ¦ ππ£πππ¦ πππβπ‘ πππ πππ£π π¦ππππ π€βππ π€π π€πππ π‘ππ’ππππ π‘ππππ‘βππ; βπ'π ππππ ππ¦ ππ’ππππππ πππππ!β β¦
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Brian and David at Looking Glass Studios in New York, March 1999. |
I had to shorten this beautiful interview, but I will allow myself to publish its end here. We are all looking forward to the birth of a new baby, π΅ππ₯πππππ¨π is already on its way, it is being intensively prepared to appear to us in its absolute perfection. What will it be like? And what was Brian's idea in 2017?
π’π’π’
π But what of the future of ππ₯πππππ¨? ππ¨π₯π€π¨ reveals that he is currently writing songs for the bandβs as yet untitled eighth album, a project that will no doubt become the main focus of their 2018.
β¦βπΌ'π ππππ π‘βπ πππ₯π‘ ππππππ π‘π πππππππ‘ π‘βπ ππππ, πππ’π π‘πππ‘πππ πππ π£πππππππ π‘βππ‘ π€π'ππ π πππππ ππ π‘βπ πππ€π ππ π πππππ¦ πππ ππ β βπ π ππ¦π .
βπΌ'π ππππ ππ‘ π‘π ππ π ππππππ ππ π‘βπ π‘ππππ πππππ’π π πΌ'π£π πππ£ππ ππ πΏπππππ πππ 27 π¦ππππ πππ πΌ βππππ π‘ππ¦ βππ£π πππ£ππ π πππ πππ¦π‘βπππ ππ’ππ‘π ππππ π‘βπ πππππ‘ππππ ππππππ‘π π€πβππ πππ£πππ ππ π‘ππππ¦, πππ‘β ππ π‘βπ ππΎ πππ ππ π‘βπ ππ.
ππβππ πππππ πππππ€ππππ πππ‘βππ π‘βππ ππππ€ππππ ; ππ£πππ¦πππβπ ππ ππππ πππ π π πππ π ππ ππππ ππππ£ππππ π€ππ‘β π‘πππππππ π‘ ππ‘π‘ππππ πππ π€ππππ πππππππ π‘βππππ‘πππππ π‘π π€πππ ππ‘βππ πππ’ππ‘ππππ ππ π‘βπ ππππ ππ π‘βπ ππππππ‘.
π΄ππ ππππππ πππ π‘βππ‘, πΌ πππ π ππππππ£π π‘βππ‘ π€πβπ£π πππ‘ππππ π‘βπ πππ π‘ ππππππ π ππ π‘ππ πππ π‘βππ‘ πΌ'π£π ππ£ππ ππ₯πππππππππ ππ ππ¦ πππππ‘πππ π‘βππππ π‘π π‘βπ π€ππ¦ π‘βππ‘ π‘ππβππππππ¦ βππ πππ£ππππππ.
πΌ πππ'π‘ πππππ π πππππ¦ π‘βπππ π‘βππ‘ πππ£ππ ππ π πππ-πππ‘ππ‘ππππππ‘ ππ βππππ‘βπ¦ πππ π’π ππ π π πππππ‘π¦. πβππ π πππ π£πππ¦ πππ ππππππ π‘ππππ πππ πππ‘ππ π‘π πππ πππππ‘ππ£π π‘π¦πππ .ββ¦
πΌππππππππππ‘ 10/19/2017
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Photo credit unknown |
π’π’π’
To make your evening and the memory of the amazing musician and very cordial man πππ―π’π ππ¨π°π’π perfect, I share a few videos for you.
The first video I share with you is Placebo's performance in Moscow, October 2016, a song "Without You I'm Nothing" and Brian's heartbreaking sadness.
πhttps://bit.ly/31lr7vN
This next video was mentioned in πππ:
π πππππππ ππππππ‘ππ¦ πππ£πππππ ππππ ππππ‘πππ ππ π‘βπππ π‘πππ π€ππ‘β π·ππ£ππ π΅ππ€ππ. ππππππππ ππ πππ£πππ π‘βππ ππππ π‘βπ ππππ π‘ π‘πππ βπ βππππ π‘βππ, π΅ππ€ππ ππππππππππ π‘βπ ππππ π‘ π‘πππ βπ βππππ βπππππ¦ π΅ππ¦β, π ππ¦πππ βπ‘βππ‘βπ π π‘πππππππ π πππ πππ π ππ’ππβ ππ πβπππ π‘π π πππβ.
π»π πππππ π‘βππ‘ βπβπ βπππππ¦ππ π€ππ‘πβπππ π‘βππ ππππ€ β βπππππ’πππ¦ πΌ πππ π€ππ‘πβ π‘βππ ππππ€ πππ‘π πππ πππ ππ π€πππ.β
πππΈ 14π‘β ππππ‘πππππ 2017
and David's last sentence is:
π"πππππππ π°'π πππππ πππππ ππ π ππ"π
πhttps://bit.ly/34a4tZm
Placebo interview and "20th Century Boy" with David Bowie at The Brit Awards (1999)
πhttps://bit.ly/2T7B3F1
2016, Brian jokes about the fateful phone call with David in Barbados and about recording WYIN. It's amazing how Stefan laughs at Brian's story, which he must have heard a thousand times.
πhttps://bit.ly/3dDsScW
Interview from Hungary 2016 - Brian talks about the pain of David's departure, but also about the cover of the album "π΄ πππππ πππ ππ π‘π π·ππππ" - very interesting.
πhttps://bit.ly/31iuaFh
Two videos from Antwerp 2016, a 2-minute standing ovation from the auditorium in honor of David, and Brian wiping his tears.
πhttps://bit.ly/2FLqqoc
πhttps://bit.ly/3o5klEr
Post by Marti