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| Photo: David Streit, Farbensportlich.de |
Interview published in Rolling Stone magazine on the 26th of June, 2015.
Author Veronika Komarova.
The original interview you'll find here (In Russian):
Translated into English by Xenia Gerasimova.
Layout Susie Bosco
Placebo Anyway
Placebo Anyway
Stefan Olsdal, Placebo: "People have the right to say that they are depressed."
«We're going to Gorky Park again, - joyfully responds a keyboardist, guitarist and bassist of Placebo band Stefan Olsdal from London. - Last year we performed there too, but it seems to me, in another place (On the 5th of July in 2014 Placebo played concert on the specially constructed stage for the festival 'Svoy Subbotnik' , this time Placebo played on the stage of Green Theatre, that is situated in the area of Gorky Park too - Placebo Anyway remark). Then I faced perhaps the most horrible technical problems throughout the career...»
RS: Now you are touring with the new drummer Matt Lunn. Was it difficult to get used to each other?
Stefan: The thing is that he is not a stranger to us. We've been familiar with him for over a decade. His band «Colour Of Fire» did the warm-up during our tour in 2004, so he is acquainted with our basic repertoire quite well.
RS: Anyway, it's not an easy task to join new people, isn't it?
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Stefan: (Laughs) yeah. But Brian and me are ordinary people. I suppose, we're easy-going to work with. When Steve told us that he is going to leave the band we didn't say a word. And it's okay. We treated his decision with respect and didn't force him to stay with us. You can never make people do what they don't want to do. Moreover, we don't like putting pressure on people.
RS: Placebo is celebrating the 20th anniversary this year, and you are with Placebo from the very beginning. Why do you still in this band?
Stefan: Because Placebo is my life. And I also have music projects apart from Placebo too, I like doing several things simultaneously and being busy basically. At the same time collaboration with other musicians always encourages me to create something new with Placebo. It expands my creative boundaries.
RS: Once you said that you have difficult relationship with old Placebo songs. Now as a part of the celebration of the anniversary you are re-releasing your older albums on vinyl. It means you've had an occasion to listen to them again...
Stefan: Yes, and it has turned out that they sound absolutely fantastic on vinyl. So much time has passed and nowadays I'm able to judge those songs objectively.
Stefan: (Laughs) yeah. But Brian and me are ordinary people. I suppose, we're easy-going to work with. When Steve told us that he is going to leave the band we didn't say a word. And it's okay. We treated his decision with respect and didn't force him to stay with us. You can never make people do what they don't want to do. Moreover, we don't like putting pressure on people.
RS: Placebo is celebrating the 20th anniversary this year, and you are with Placebo from the very beginning. Why do you still in this band?
Stefan: Because Placebo is my life. And I also have music projects apart from Placebo too, I like doing several things simultaneously and being busy basically. At the same time collaboration with other musicians always encourages me to create something new with Placebo. It expands my creative boundaries.
RS: Once you said that you have difficult relationship with old Placebo songs. Now as a part of the celebration of the anniversary you are re-releasing your older albums on vinyl. It means you've had an occasion to listen to them again...
Stefan: Yes, and it has turned out that they sound absolutely fantastic on vinyl. So much time has passed and nowadays I'm able to judge those songs objectively.
RS: And lyrics? Is it still up-to-date?
Stefan: I think yes, because every generation lives its life by following the same script. During some period of time we become more vulnerable. So we’re looking for love, understanding, acceptance and warmth. Placebo has always uncurbed those feelings and poetised them. We are singing about being alive. This kind of songs is never outdated.
RS: Now you are 41. Have you ever suffered from the midlife crisis?
Stefan: Yes. For a long time I’d been a victim of a rock-n-roll lifestyle. I’d been destroying myself physically, and then at the particular moment I earnestly began to think of the way of life I had been leading. My life needed a radical change. Now I feel as active, optimistic and fruitful as never before. I almost don't celebrate my Birthdays, so when you mentioned my age I took a thought for a second. But «midlife» is a relative term. Could be I will die at 50, could be at 100. Who knows.
RS: You started playing music 20 years ago. If you could change anything in your career, what was that you would change?
Stefan: If I had such an opportunity to refer to myself in the past, I would say: “Man, it's normal to be the way you are. Don't worry so much of what others think and say”.
RS: Have you ever had problems with self-identification?
Stefan: Yes, but it was a long time ago. Frankly, as a young man I had many problems, especially being a teenager. It's Including problems with the sexual identification. I was a very shy introvert, but with Placebo our lives suddenly became public. It was quite difficult to find myself in that chaos. That's why if I could refer to young myself I would say: “Don't be ashamed of yourself”.
RS: You did a coming-out in 96. How do you think is it more difficult for a young generation to do this nowadays?
Stefan: It of course depends on a country. If you mean England, then I may say that big progress has happened there since then. We have got the right to make a choice at what age to start a sexual relationship, with whom to have a relationship, to give a birth yourself or make adoption. There's more freedom on TV and in a pop-culture. Even politicians have become more open-minded, many of them have done coming-outs recently. Their number has increased really. But I'm sure in other countries situation is not so joyful.
Stefan: I think yes, because every generation lives its life by following the same script. During some period of time we become more vulnerable. So we’re looking for love, understanding, acceptance and warmth. Placebo has always uncurbed those feelings and poetised them. We are singing about being alive. This kind of songs is never outdated.
RS: Now you are 41. Have you ever suffered from the midlife crisis?
Stefan: Yes. For a long time I’d been a victim of a rock-n-roll lifestyle. I’d been destroying myself physically, and then at the particular moment I earnestly began to think of the way of life I had been leading. My life needed a radical change. Now I feel as active, optimistic and fruitful as never before. I almost don't celebrate my Birthdays, so when you mentioned my age I took a thought for a second. But «midlife» is a relative term. Could be I will die at 50, could be at 100. Who knows.
RS: You started playing music 20 years ago. If you could change anything in your career, what was that you would change?
Stefan: If I had such an opportunity to refer to myself in the past, I would say: “Man, it's normal to be the way you are. Don't worry so much of what others think and say”.
RS: Have you ever had problems with self-identification?
Stefan: Yes, but it was a long time ago. Frankly, as a young man I had many problems, especially being a teenager. It's Including problems with the sexual identification. I was a very shy introvert, but with Placebo our lives suddenly became public. It was quite difficult to find myself in that chaos. That's why if I could refer to young myself I would say: “Don't be ashamed of yourself”.
RS: You did a coming-out in 96. How do you think is it more difficult for a young generation to do this nowadays?
Stefan: It of course depends on a country. If you mean England, then I may say that big progress has happened there since then. We have got the right to make a choice at what age to start a sexual relationship, with whom to have a relationship, to give a birth yourself or make adoption. There's more freedom on TV and in a pop-culture. Even politicians have become more open-minded, many of them have done coming-outs recently. Their number has increased really. But I'm sure in other countries situation is not so joyful.
RS: Including Russia.
Stefan: It's none of someone's business who you do love, isn't it? This is absurd when people attempt to take control of the feelings and emotions you have. This is your private life and no one has the right to interfere with it.
RS: You are talking as an LGBT activist.
Stefan: I just believe in equality. I think people have the right to be the way nature created them. People have the right to love someone they chose. It should be one of the first and important people's rights. If my words turn me into a politic activist, then it's okay. I don't mind.
RS: You started the band in 1994. That year Curt Cobain, a man of uneasy fate, died.
Stefan: Such stories teach us to pay more attention towards a human being's state of mind. In England suicide is the leading cause of death for male. In present teenagers have lots of problems with inner peace too. You can notice a person with a broken arm, but you can hardly notice a depressed one.
Stefan: It's none of someone's business who you do love, isn't it? This is absurd when people attempt to take control of the feelings and emotions you have. This is your private life and no one has the right to interfere with it.
RS: You are talking as an LGBT activist.
Stefan: I just believe in equality. I think people have the right to be the way nature created them. People have the right to love someone they chose. It should be one of the first and important people's rights. If my words turn me into a politic activist, then it's okay. I don't mind.
RS: You started the band in 1994. That year Curt Cobain, a man of uneasy fate, died.
Stefan: Such stories teach us to pay more attention towards a human being's state of mind. In England suicide is the leading cause of death for male. In present teenagers have lots of problems with inner peace too. You can notice a person with a broken arm, but you can hardly notice a depressed one.
I think that public health services should show more interest to mental health of people. We need to speak about this in public. People should be given the right to say “I'm sad. I'm depressed”.
There's nothing in it to be embarrassed about. And I'm actively trying to fight for giving this right to people. We ask our government to spend more money on keeping people informed in this sphere. Life is not easy and the search of yourself can take years and much energy. I experienced this at first hand. Music saved me. I found a band where I could liberate myself and accept myself. I found people I could talk to. That's why we aspire to communicate with our fans more and help them. We would like to do it more often, but it's not always in our powers.
RS: How would you like to be remembered?
Stefan: This question almost doesn't concern me these days. Only vain and egoistic people are gaping for being remembered. “Look how many friends I have got on Facebook!” This is nasty.
Stefan: This question almost doesn't concern me these days. Only vain and egoistic people are gaping for being remembered. “Look how many friends I have got on Facebook!” This is nasty.
People should come to realise that they are not unique on the earth at last. At the end we all will be dead, and then it won't be important how and why we did live on this planet.
Translated into English by Xenia Gerasimova.
Layout Susie Bosco
Placebo Anyway
