Dear soulmates,
Placebo's new album is out. We are happy to publish all new interviews, all reviews.
Today, however, I had a great need to go back in time and remember Placebo's beginning.
I found a beautiful Stefan's interview from 1997, which is worth sharing just because of the last two sentences.
Screenshot from the video |
/.../ "I started playing drums about ten years ago in the school orchestra. I decided that I wanted to be up front in a band, so I got on to bass and played that for a while at the same time as learning piano. The first bass I bought was a Fender Precision, because Iron Maiden's Steve Harris," he gulps, visibly startled at his own confession,"played one; maybe I shouldn't admit to that...."
๐๐จ๐ก, ๐๐จ๐ง'๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐จ๐ฌ๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐จ๐ง ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ค๐๐ซ๐ฌ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ซ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฅ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐๐ฒ?
"Since then, I've tried to emulate a particular sound or hero. I've always thought more about the creative side. I had two or three bass lessons, but I don't really believe in being taught how to play; I think it's better to teach yourself. I played guitar for about four years when I was in a band in Sweden. Then I came to London and guitar. With the guitar I tried to get as technically good as I could, so I could play as second nature and express myself better."
๐๐ก๐ข๐ฅ๐ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐จ๐ง๐๐จ๐ง, ๐๐ญ๐๐๐๐ง ๐ซ๐๐ง ๐ข๐ง๐ญ๐จ ๐๐ง ๐จ๐ฅ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ก๐จ๐จ๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐จ๐๐ข๐๐ญ๐.
"I bumped into Brian (Molko, guitar?vocals) after a five year gap. He did a gig in a pub in south London, and when I saw him play I just said "let's play together", and that was that. I fell in love with his voice and his guitar playing because it was really different. We started playing together but we kept on switching instruments. I could never be satisfied with one instrument."
๐๐ข๐ฏ๐, ๐๐ญ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐ซ๐๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐ฌ๐ฐ๐๐ฉ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐ซ๐ข๐๐ง ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐๐ค๐ ๐ก๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ก๐๐ซ๐ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ, ๐๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐ฌ๐จ ๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฎ๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฉ๐ข๐๐ง๐จ ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐ญ๐ฌ.
"The band started off as just the two of us recording on a four-track, switching instruments, using toy pianos, toy guitars, but most of those songs ended up as B-sides."
Screenshot from the video |
"Brian created most of our songs to start with, sitting at home, writing and singing. Now sound checks and rehearsals are where our creating is mostly done. Sometimes you can sit at home, get an idea and bring it to the band, but mostly it's a complete band effort. "One Big Evil Dildo", the band's live encore track, came out of a sound check in East Germany. That was the first time we had ever played that together, and we performed it, recorded it and kept it that way."
๐๐๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐๐๐ฏ๐ข๐
๐๐ญ'๐ฌ ๐ง๐จ ๐ฐ๐จ๐ง๐๐๐ซ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐ญ๐๐๐๐ง ๐๐จ๐ฆ๐ฉ๐๐ซ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ก๐ ๐ ๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐จ๐ง ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ ๐ - ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐๐๐ฅ๐ฒ - ๐ญ๐จ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ซ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ก ๐จ๐ ๐๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐จ๐ง ๐.
"We did a couple of dates with David bowie last year, and his 50th annervesary bash in Madison Square Garden in January; they were amazing gigs." Meantime, 2 + years of continuous touring with Ash, Bush, and fellow Swedes Whale, will soon draw to a close to allow some studio time for the band.
"We're going to be touring until the end of August and then we're trying to get a break from it. I'm just going to concentrate on the studio.
Without the music, it's nothing."
๐๐จ๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ข๐ญ๐ก ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐๐ฒ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐ข๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ง๐, ๐๐ญ๐๐๐๐ง'๐ฌ ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ข๐ง๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐๐ก ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ค๐๐ฌ ๐๐จ๐ซ ๐ฌ๐จ๐ฆ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ฅ๐-๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐๐ฅ๐๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ ๐ช๐ฎ๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ.
"My favourite song is `I.Q'," he comments. "I just think it's the most dynamic and beautiful - musically and melodically. It has a toy piano in there - and it's my best playing as well. The thing with a three-piece is it forces you to get into your instrument a lot more. It's a very triangular thing, and Brian's guitar playing and my bass playing tend to work hand in hand. I'm not a big fan of the big, fat E-string. I find that it can be a bit boring. There's much more you can do with the bass; there are some really nice tonal qualities to it. I'm approaching bass now to take it somewhere new; I'm playing it more like a guitar in someways."
/.../
๐๐จ- ๐จ๐ง๐ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐๐๐ ๐๐ฌ ๐๐ฅ๐๐๐๐๐จ ๐ข๐ง๐ฏ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐จ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ง๐ค๐ฌ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ฆ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ ๐๐ญ๐ญ๐๐ง๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง.
"Brian's been on every front cover in this country. I think it's great. I'm surprised at the way things have been going. I thought we were going to be a band for bands. The success of "Nancy Boy" was really unexpected."
๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐จ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ข๐ ๐ก๐ญ ๐ข๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ง๐ฅ๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ซ๐๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐จ๐ซ๐ ๐ฉ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐จ๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ง๐ ๐๐จ๐ง๐ญ๐ซ๐จ๐ฏ๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐๐ญ๐ฌ ๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ซ๐ซ๐จ๐ฎ๐ง๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ง๐. ๐๐ฌ๐ง'๐ญ ๐ญ๐ก๐๐ญ ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐ก๐๐ซ ๐๐ง ๐๐ฆ๐๐๐ซ๐ซ๐๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ฆ๐๐ง๐ญ ๐ญ๐จ ๐ ๐ฌ๐๐ซ๐ข๐จ๐ฎ๐ฌ ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ฌ๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ง?
"Ideally, I always want Placebo to be more about the music, but you can't help what people want to hear and want to know. Brian looks a certain way and if we're portraying stuff in more than one way then thats fine." just under one year after their first gig, Placebo secured a deal with Hut records, followed shortly by the birth of their own record label Elevator Music.
"Our own record label allows us, basically, to get the ultimate deal. For us it is best to have our own label, as we plan to release different side products in the future. What you see is only part of Placebo. Long term, I'd like to see longevity, because this is what we live and breathe: what we get up in the morning for. We want to write that perfect song."
(๐ฑ๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐'๐ฟ๐ฝ)
Is there such a song on the new album?
Anyway, today we can end with pure Placebo energy, which is real hardcore.
I'm talking about the song ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐จ from WYIN album and its live performance from the ´ร.
Remember last year's "Lost Tapes" gift from the band? Amazing gig, don't you think?
Interesting fact - the song Evil Dildo was played live 38 times.
First played November 4, 1996 at Le 400, Bordeaux, France, most recently played July 13, 1999 at Rockwave Festival.
๐ธ๐ฌ "๐โ๐๐ก'๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ ๐ ๐๐ก, ๐๐ก'๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐," ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฆ๐ . "๐ผ๐ก'๐ ๐๐๐๐ง๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐๐ก๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก. ๐โ๐ ๐ฃ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐๐โ๐๐๐. ๐ผ๐ก'๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐กโ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐. ๐ผ ๐กโ๐๐ข๐โ๐ก ๐๐ก ๐ค๐๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐ข๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ก๐ ?@*-๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐ก๐ ๐๐ข๐ก ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐."
(๐ฑ๐๐๐๐ ๐ผ๐๐๐๐, ๐ฟ๐๐๐๐๐๐ - ๐ฝ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐, ๐น๐๐๐ ๐ธ000)
๐ The story behind the song is that Brian forgot to take his name out of the phonebook after the first Placebo album was realeased and there was a message on his answer machine with a sort of Steven Hawking voice.
It's a quiet creepy song.
Screenshot from the video |
๐ผ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐*๐๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข ๐ข๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐ข๐ก๐ก ๐๐๐ ๐ผ ๐ค๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ก ๐ฆ๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐
๐ด๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐ข๐๐ ๐๐ก ๐๐ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ข๐กโ ๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐ค ๐๐ก ๐ข๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐๐ฆ ๐๐๐ก๐ก๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ "
๐ถ ๐๐ฏ๐ข๐ฅ ๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐จ ๐จ๐๐๐ข๐๐ข๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฎ๐๐ข๐จ:
https://bit.ly/38dOmdX
It's interesting, however, that the similar lyrics as from Brian's answering machine are used in a song by Irish musician ๐๐ฉ๐ก๐๐ฑ ๐๐ฐ๐ข๐ง - ๐ ๐ฎ๐ง๐ง๐ฒ ๐๐ข๐ญ๐ญ๐ฅ๐ ๐๐๐ง from the Come To Daddy, which was released in 1997.
๐ธ๐ฌ You can read everything about this unexplained secret here:
https://bit.ly/3Okdmon
Definitely worth it.
Anyway, Brian handled the threats on his answering machine brilliantly. Using this nightmare in this song with such a crazy title is a great idea.
Dear friends, enjoy the evening with this memory.
Post by Marti