Most Placebo interviews are given by Brian, but today I have one for you that was done by Stefan and ex-drummer Steve Hewitt back in 2007. Enjoy the conversation they had with a journalist from US music magazine Scene Point Blank
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ððððððððð ðððð ððððð ððððð ððððð
Much to the delight of my parents, Placebo were the band who inspired me to steal my mothers eyeliner at the lofty age of eleven. Unfortunately, even after a career with such longevity, these overtones are still what many associate with the band. For fans and anyone else paying attention, however, the trio bring so much more than a pretty boy aesthetic. This became evident after sitting down with Stefan (bass), and Steve (drums). Promptly ignoring the no smoking by law, and killing my efforts for small talk, the two showed they weren't there to shoot the shit, and certainly gave no affirmation of the decorated exterior they are often pigeon holed into. What did I get then? I got something closer to what you typically find in their music. Two guys with more rock and roll than they should rightfully be allowed to have, and something a little more honest than I expected. Here's how it unfolded:ðð§'ðĶ ððððĄ ðĪðĻðð§ð ðĶðĒð ð ð§ðð ð ðĶððĄðð ðŽðĒðĻ'ðĐð ð§ðĒðĻðĨðð ðð ððĨððð, ðĶðĢððððððððððŽ ðĶððĄðð ðŪðŽðŽðŊ, ðĶððĄðð ðŽðĒðĻ'ðĐð ððððĄ ð§ðĒ ð§ðĒðĨðĒðĄð§ðĒ. ð ðŠððĶ ðŠðĒðĄðððĨððĄð ðŠððŽ ð§ðððĨð'ðĶ ððððĄ ðĶðĻðð ð ððĒðĄð ðððð§ðĻðĶ, ððĄð ððĒðŠ ð§ðð ððĨðĒðŠð ðĨðððð§ððĒðĄðĶ ððððĄ ðĒðĄ ð§ðð ðððĨðĶð§ ð§ððĨðð ððððĶ ðĒð ð§ðð ð§ðĒðĻðĨ ðĶðĒ ðððĨ?
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “I think the reason we haven't come back is because of...well I don't know. Record companies I guess?“
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “I think the main answer is we've been playing countries we haven't played before. We played in South America since we were here last, then there was Korea and China. We've just kind of been scoping out the world, really.“
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “The first three shows of this American tour has been great. Montreal was crazy with a sold out show humming along...“
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “The last time we were here was in October with She Wants Revenge and that tour didn't hit Canada, so it's why we didn't come here then.“
ðĢððððððĒ ððĨð ðĶðð§ ð§ðĒ ðĢðððŽ ððĒðððððð ðððĶð§ððĐðð ððĒð ððĄð ðĻðĢ ðð§ ð§ðð ððĄð ðĒð ð§ðð ð ðĒðĄð§ð. ððĄ ð§ððĨð ðĶ ðĒð ððŽðĢð, ð ðððĄ'ð§ ðĨððððð ð ðĶððĒðŠ ððĄ ðĨððððĄð§ ð ðð ðĒðĨðŽ ð§ððð§'ðĶ ððð ð ðĒðĨð ð§ðððĄ ð§ðððĶ ððð. ððĶ ðĐðð§ððĨððĄðĶ ð§ðĒ ð§ðð ðððĶð§ððĐðð ðĶðððĄð, ððĒðŠ ððĒððĶ ðŽðĒðĻðĨ ðĢðĨððĢððĨðð§ððĒðĄ ððððððĨððĄð§ððð§ð ððð§ðŠðððĄ ðĢðððŽððĄð ð§ðĒ ððĨðĒðŠððĶ ððĶ ðððĨðð ððĶ ð§ððĒðĶð ððĒð ðĢððĨðð ð§ðĒ ðĢðððŽððĄð ðððððððĄð ððððĶ?
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “Well you're playing to a bunch of people who haven't seen you before, so you've kind of got to shove it down their throats and sell yourself in a different way. When you do your own show you have much more freedom and much more control. A festival is sort of like a conveyer belt of bands really. You go on and try and do your best to win people over...“
ððĶ ð§ðððĨð ðĄððĨðĐðĒðĻðĶðĄððĶðĶ ððĒððĄð ððĄð§ðĒ ð§ððð§?
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “There is a nervousness going into every show.“
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “Still, yeah.“
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ð§ðððĨð ððĶ ð ðĨðĻð ðĒðĨ ððĒððĄð ððĨðĒðĻðĄð ð§ððð§ ðŽðĒðĻ'ðð ðð ðĢððĨð§ ðĒð ð§ðð ðððĄðððĄ ðĢððĨð'ðĶ ðĢðĨðĒðððð§ ðĨððĐðĒððĻð§ððĒðĄ ð§ðĒðĻðĨ ððĒð ððĄð ðĻðĢ ð§ðĒðŠððĨð ð§ðð ððĄð ðĒð ð§ðð ðŽðððĨ. ðððĐððĄ ðŽðĒðĻðĨ ðĶð§ððĄðððĶ ðĒð ð§ðð ðĨððĢ ðĨðĒðð ðĒð ð§ðð ðððĨððŽ ðŪðŽðŽðŽ'ð ð§ðððĶ ðĶððð ðĶ ðððð ððĄ ðĒðð ððĒð ðððĄðð§ððĒðĄ.
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: (laughs) “Well, it's a rumor.“
ðĶðĒ ððĶ ð§ðððĨð ððĄðŽ ð§ðĨðĻð§ð ð§ðĒ ð§ððð§?
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “It's a rumor.“ ( laughs )
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “We're rather diplomatic today, aren't we?“
ðŠððð, ð ðĒðĐððĄð ðĒðĄ ð§ðĒ ð ðŽ ðĄððŦð§ ðĪðĻððĶð§ððĒðĄ ð§ðððĄ: ðððĄ ðŽðĒðĻ ð§ððð ð ð ðððĒðĻð§ ð§ðð ððĒðĐððĨðĶ ðððĐðĻð ðŽðĒðĻ'ðĐð ðĨððððĄð§ððŽ ðĢðĻð§ ðĒðĻð§ ððĶ ððĄ ððĄð§ððĨðĄðð§ ðĨðððððĶð?
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “That was something that was just released on the special edition of 'Sleeping with ghosts'. There was a fan demand for it, because many people couldn't get a hold of it due to a limited run. We decided to put it out on Itunes as a mini album, just because of that demand really, wasn't it? It's a nice little disc really; all the stuff we grew up with, used for soundtracks, and done for ourselves really. We just wanted to make it available for people to get because a lot of people were trying to find it.“
ðĒðĄ ðĄðĻð ððĨðĒðĻðĶ ðĒððððĶððĒðĄðĶ ðŽðĒðĻ, ððĶ ð ðððĄð, ðððĐð ððððĄ ðĪðĻðð§ð ðĐðĒððð ðððĒðĻð§ ðŽðĒðĻðĨ ðð ððĨððð ðĒð ð§ðð ððĄð§ððĨðĄðð§ ððĶ ð ð ððððĻð . ðŠðĒðĻðð ðŽðĒðĻ ð ððĄð ðĨððð§ððĨðð§ððĄð ðŠððŽ ð§ðððĶ ðĶð§ððĄðð ððĶ ðĢðĻð§ ððĒðĨðŠððĨð?
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “The thing is you can't stop technology. As you said, we've really embraced it through out our career. Keyboards have gotten more expensive, but we've incorporated electronics into our recording processes and writing processes. When you're on tour the internet is the most easy way to access music. We don't have much time to go to record stores anymore and having everything ready at your finger tips makes it so much less complicated. You can have your whole record collection in your little Ipod.“
ð ð ðððĒðĨ ððððð§ð ððĄ ðĶðĒð ð ðĒð ð§ðð ðððĨððððĶ ð'ðĐð ððððĄ ððĄðĐðĒððĐðð ððĄ ðĨððððĄð§ððŽ ðððĶ ððððĄ ððĒðŠ ððĒðŠðĄððĒððððĄð ð ðĻðĶðð ðððĶ ðððð ð§ðĒ ð§ðð ðĶðĻðĢððĨðððððð ððĒðĄðĶðĻð ðĢð§ððĒðĄ ðĒð ð§ðð ððĨð§ ððĶ ð ðŠððĒðð. ðŠðððĨð ðĢððĒðĢðð ðĨðð§ðððĨ ð§ðððĄ ð§ððððĄð ððððĻð ðĶ ðŠððð ðð ð§ððððĄð ðĒðĄð ðĒðĨ ð§ðŠðĒ ðĶðĒðĄððĶ...
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: The thing is, the album concept was invented in, what, the sixties ? Before that it was just single songs. People just have this sort of nostalgic attachment to albums. It's a concept that came, and now it's probably going.
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: When people buy music they buy the songs that they like, and a lot of time, I know from what we've experienced, you buy an album and you many not like all the tracks. It's more consumer orientated and gives you a choice. You're not stuck with the one format. You can do your own mix tape and compilations, and that's a positive thing. I prefer it that way.
ðŠðððĄ ð§ððððĄð ðŽðĒðĻðĨ ððððĻð ðĶ ððĶ ð ðŠððĒðð, ðĶðĢððððððððððŽ ð'ð ðĶððŽ ððĨðĒð 'ðŠðð§ððĒðĻð§ ðŽðĒðĻ ð'ð ðĄðĒð§ðððĄð' ððĒðĨðŠððĨð, ð§ðð ðĨðððĒðĨððĶ ðððĐð ð ðĒðĨð ðĒð ð ðððĒðŠ ððĄð ð§ððð ð ð§ðĒ ð ððĒðĄðððĢð§ ððĄ ðð§ðĶ ððĄð§ððĨðð§ðŽ. ðŠðððĄ ðĢððĒðĢðð ððĨð ð§ððððĄð ðĶððĄððð ðĶðĒðĄððĶ ððĒ ðŽðĒðĻ ðððð ð§ðððĶ ððĨððððĶ ðĻðĢ ðŠððð§ ðŽðĒðĻ ðŠððĨð ð§ðĨðŽððĄð ð§ðĒ ððĒ?
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “There is a part of that, but I think again you've got to modernize what's been done before. You've got to give the costumer that much freedom. I think that's the just the way people think these days; they all think differently. You've opened up an old sort of format, haven't you? It can break something up, especially from an artists point of view. You make a record you want the whole thing there, but if you don't like the tracks you don't like the tracks. End of story.“
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “I think we're still part of the album generation in a way. The tracks on the album (Covers) are from various parts, some of them were written six years ago. They span a long period of time, and all inhabit their own little world. Making records, we're still doing that, so you try to make it as much a journey as possible. But what can you do about it, you know? There are going to be negative and positive sides to this whole story. The positive side of this is music is so much more readily available for everyone. Like Steve was talking about the other day, there are records we haven't thought about in years, and shit man, those are probably available now. You're just sitting at the computer and you can get it. It's probably reignited an interest in music for many people:“
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “And discovery as well. It's healthy in a way, there is a lot more back catalogue stuff being used.“
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “I think we should just get away from this whole nostalgia thing. Just because that's the way it was then doesn't mean it's the way it needs to be now. Technology has changed the way we listen to and consume music. First it was sheet music, then vinyl came and sheet music goes out of business. Then CD's came, and there was the golden era of CD's with record companies just rolling in it. Now the internet, it's just the next phase in the way we consume music. Of course it's going to be "no I don't like this" you know...“
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “Music has changed.“
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ð ðĒðĐððĄð ððŠððŽ ððĨðĒð ð§ððð§ ð§ðĒðĢðð, ðŽðĒðĻ ððĻðŽðĶ ððĨð ððĒððĄð ð ðĐððððĒ ððĒðĨ ðŽðĒðĻðĨ ððð§ð ððĻðĶð ððĒðĐððĨ 'ðĨðĻðĄðĄððĄð ðĻðĢ ð§ððð§ ðððð' ðŠðððð ððĄðĐðĒððĐððĶ ðĪðĻðð§ð ð ððð§ ðĒð ðððĄ ðĢððĨð§ððððĢðð§ððĒðĄ. ðŠðĒðĻðð ðŽðĒðĻ ð ððĄð ððŦðĢððððĄððĄð ð§ðððĶ ððĒðĄðððĢð§ ððĒðĨ ð§ðð ðĢððĒðĢðð ðŠððĒ ððĒðĄ'ð§ ððĄðĒðŠ ðððĒðĻð§ ðð§, ððĄð ððĒðŠ ð§ðððĶ ððĒðĄðððĢð§ ððð ð ðððĒðĻð§?
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “It's intended to be a tribute to our fans. We left it open for them to sing the track in the close up and we'll edit it all together. It's a cover versions so it's not our track, and this is just a way to bring the fans closer to the band and have some fun moment with it, you know?“
ðŽðĒðĻðĨ ððĒðĄð§ðĨððð§ ðŠðð§ð ðĐððĨðððĄ ðĨððððĄð§ððŽ ððŦðĢððĨðð, ððĄð ð§ðððĨð ðððĶ ððððĄ ð ððĒð§ ðĒð ððĻðð ððĨðĒðĻðĄð ðŠððð§ðððĨ ðŽðĒðĻ ððĄð§ððĄð ð§ðĒ ðĨððĶðððĄ ðŠðð§ð ð§ððð ðĒðĨ ðĄðĒð§...
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “None of your goddamn business.“ (laughs)
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “It's too early to call at this point. We try to keep our business and private lives out of the public eye. It's safest that way.“
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “We've been burned in the past.“
ð§ððĨðĒðĻðððĒðĻð§ ðŽðĒðĻðĨ ðððĨðððĨ ð§ðð ð ðððð´ðĶ ððĒððĻðĶ ðĶðĻðĨðĨðĒðĻðĄðððĄð ðŽðĒðĻðĨ ðððĄð ðððĶ ððððĄ ðððĨððððŽ ðĨððĐðĒððĐðð ððĨðĒðĻðĄð ðŽðĒðĻðĨ ðððĶð§ððð§ðððĶ ððĄð ðĶððŦðĻðððð§ðŽ. ðð§ ð§ðððĶ ðĢðĒððĄð§ ðð§'ðĶ ðĨðððĻðĄðððĄð§ ð§ðĒ ððĶð ð§ððĒðĶð ð§ðŽðĢððĶ ðĒð ðĪðĻððĶð§ððĒðĄðĶ, ððĻð§ ðŠððŽ ððĒ ðŽðĒðĻ ððððððĐð ð§ðððĶ ðððĶ ððððĄ ðĶðĻðð ð ðððĨðð ð§ðĒðĢðð ðŠðððĄ ððððððĄð ðŠðð§ð ðŽðĒðĻððĨ ðððĄð?
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “It's just the easiest aspect to criticize and comment on. We come from a very tabloid, journalism, mentality in England and that's kind of what the world first read about Placebo. They just bought into the character, and it became a character assassination after awhile. I think it's just the superficial, celebrity obsessed, media world we live in right now. There is a shallowness that's become so much more present in the last couple of years. We don't like it, we don't want to be part of it. I think the whole issue of our sexuality and our personal lives have been written about so many times to a point where it's really fucking boring to talk about.“
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “It's the day and age of analyzing on anybody. Whether you're famous or not, anybody who's anybody, people want to fucking tear apart. Nature of the beast, really. It's a modernist thing, isn't it? Obsessive.“
ðŠððð§ ðŽðĒðĻ'ðĐð ðĶððð ððĄ ðĒð§ðððĨ ððĄð§ððĨðĐðððŠðĶ ððĶ ð§ððð§ ð§ðð ðĢðĒððĄð§ ðĒð ðŽðĒðĻðĨ ð ðĻðĶðð ððĶ ð ððĒð ð ðĻðĄðððð§ððĒðĄ ðĒð ðð ðĒð§ððĒðĄ, ððĻð§ ðŽðĒðĻ'ðĐð ððððĄ ððĒððĄð ð§ðððĶ ððĒðĨ ðĪðĻðð§ð ð ððĒðĄð ð§ðð ð ðĄðĒðŠ. ðŠððð§ ð ðŠððĶ ðŠðĒðĄðððĨððĄð ððĶ ðð ð§ðð ðððĶððĶ ðĒð ð§ðððĶ ððĐððĨ ððððĄðððĶ, ðĒðĨ ððĻðĶð§ ððĐðĒððĐððĶ ðŠðð§ð ðŽðĒðĻ ððĶ ðŽðĒðĻ'ðĨð ð ðð§ðĻðĨððĄð ððĄð ððĨðĒðŠððĄð ðĻðĢ?
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “Oh. I think by the nature of not trying to be something we're not, you can still hear in this last album 'Meds', though it's our fifth album, it still sounds like Placebo. There is still a red line that connects it to the first couple of albums. To be honest with you, it's not something we consciously think about when we're writing and recording. If we all hit off on the same ideas and lyrics then that's what becomes a Placebo song. We don't say not that we've done that we have to go off and do our Kid A for example, or we have to sound like the Velvets or the Stones on this one. Now it's cool to do a new wave or an electronic punk album or something, but it's much more organic when it comes to the way that we work. By the fact of not trying to be something that we're not, we're still here. It's not something that we analyze really...“
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “We always make music in a vacuum anyway. We never listen to anything else when we're in the studio so there is a sense of purity there. If we all agree then it becomes a Placebo thing. We've never been cool or trendy, so we've never had the problem of having to find the next step. Just really on our own root. Pretty much just the same way as Radiohead, we're just doing our own thing so we never had to contend with what's hip, or worry about it. I think that's been a saving grace of the band.“
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| Photo credit: Robin Sellick |
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “We intend to sleep. (laughs) This has been the most intense tour we've ever done with about 130 shows in nine months last year, and we're going to go until September. So when we get off that I think we'll need a bit of a breather.“
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “It's been nothing but rock and roll.“
ð ððĶðĶðĻð ð ð§ðððĨð ððĶ ðĄðĒ ðĶðĒðĨð§ ðĒð ðĢðĨðð ðððð§ðð§ððĒðĄ ðĨððððĨðððĄð ð§ðð ðĄððŦð§ ððððĻð ?
Steve: “No.“ (laughs)
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “That's the answer to that one.“
ð ðĢðð§ ðĢðĨðĒðððð§ ðĒð ð ððĄð ðððĶ ððððĄ ððð§ð§ððĄð ððĐððĨðŽðĒðĄð ð'ðĐð ððĒðĄð ððĄð§ððĨðĐðððŠðĶ ðŠðð§ð ð§ðĒ ðð§ð§ðð ðĢð§ ð§ðĒ ðððððĄð ððĨð§. ðĶðĒ ðŠððŽ ððĒ ðŽðĒðĻ ððĻðŽðĶ ððĨððð§ð ð ðĻðĶðð ððĄð ðŠððð§ ððĒððĶ ð§ðððĨ ððĒ ððĒðĨ ðŽðĒðĻ?
ððĩðĶð·ðĶ: “First and foremost it's about expression. That's the bottom line for me. You have many ways of doing that. From making records comes other things like videos. I've had many channels to produce art but it all stems from expressionist feeling for me.“
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “We're very lucky to be doing it, it's not a bad job. Art is art, and everything else is everything else.“
ð§ððð§'ðĶ ð ððĒðĒð ðĢðððð ð§ðĒ ððĄð ðð§, ð§ðððĄððĶ ððĒðĨ ðŽðĒðĻðĨ ð§ðð ð. ððĄðŽ ðððĒðĶððĄð ððĒð ð ððĄð§?
ððĩðĶð§ðĒðŊ: “It's good to be back, and hopefully it won't take as long to get back next time.“
(Scene Point Blank, April 2007)
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