⭐𝔹𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟 𝕄𝕠𝕝𝕜𝕠 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨, 𝕃𝕖𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟚𝟘𝟙𝟝⭐

🔸"𝐼𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 '90𝑠, 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑛𝑒𝑐𝑡𝑒𝑑, 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑗𝑢𝑚𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑚𝑜𝑠ℎ𝑖𝑛𝑔, 𝑐𝑟𝑜𝑤𝑑-𝑠𝑢𝑟𝑓𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑗𝑢𝑠𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑎𝑏𝑠𝑜𝑟𝑏𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑖𝑠 ℎ𝑜𝑤 𝐼 𝑒𝑥𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑑 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑐𝑒𝑟𝑡𝑠 𝑎𝑠 𝑎 𝑡𝑒𝑒𝑛𝑎𝑔𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑔 𝑎𝑑𝑢𝑙𝑡.
𝑇ℎ𝑒𝑦 𝑤𝑒𝑟𝑒 𝑚𝑒𝑠𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑐, 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑠𝑐𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑎𝑙 𝑚𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑛𝑡𝑠 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑚𝑒. 𝐼 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑡𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑤ℎ𝑦 𝑝𝑒𝑜𝑝𝑙𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑢𝑙𝑑𝑛'𝑡 𝑤𝑎𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑗𝑜𝑖𝑛 𝑚𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑎𝑡."🔸

𝙱𝚛𝚒𝚊𝚗 𝙼𝚘𝚕𝚔𝚘, 𝙻𝚎𝚒𝚌𝚎𝚜𝚝𝚎𝚛 𝟸0𝟷𝟻
**************************************

Photo credit:  Tony Gaskin

Dear soulmates,
Placebo's new tour has just started. This year we will finally be able to meet again at concerts and enjoy live performances of our favorite band.
I have for you today an excerpt from Brian's interview, which he gave before the gig in Leicester during the UK part of the Loud Like Love tour in 2015, as well as a beautiful review from this show.
🔸But at the end of this post, I have one ethical question for you, and I would like you to give us your views on this burning topic that the interview is about.


⭐𝔹𝕣𝕚𝕒𝕟 𝕄𝕠𝕝𝕜𝕠 𝕀𝕟𝕥𝕖𝕣𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨, 𝕃𝕖𝕚𝕔𝕖𝕤𝕥𝕖𝕣 𝟚𝟘𝟙𝟝⭐
💬 Brian Molko has a morning of interviews lined up, back-to-back, writes Gemma Peplow. "My favourite part of the job," he says, dryly.
Brian isn't so much prickly as honest. Which is good. You wouldn't want tried-and-tested PR spiel from the frontman of Placebo, would you? Just for good measure, when we ask how the rest of his day might get better:
🔸 "That's my business, not yours."

Photo credit:  Tony Gaskin

Moving on, then. Placebo, one of the alternative rock bands of the '90s, whose bitter, cynical lyrics soundtracked the lives of thousands, are touring the UK. After shifting millions of albums and playing bigger venues across the world, this one is kind of back to basics.
🔸 "We haven't done a regional UK tour in a long time so it feels like we're very much going back to our roots," says Brian.
"We're playing smaller venues, with a more intimate kind of energy with the audience. We do try to make an emotional connection with the audience. It's not just about playing songs.
We want to create a collective euphoria, a synergy. We need that connection, otherwise it becomes mechanical and soulless for us.
In a smaller venue, that energy comes quicker; the connection is a little easier to make – as long as not too many people are busy looking at their phones instead of the gig."


While Placebo's music has stood the test of time – the band are 20 years and six albums down the line from their self-titled debut – Brian is not convinced by this change in gig crowds.
🔸 "I think it's a shame because what they're documenting is inferior," he says. "They're missing the moment completely.
Placebo play very loud – the microphone on your smart device cannot handle the volume at which we play. The sound, will be terribly distorted, because people moving around are going to be shaky. You're going to miss out on what you pay good money to see. I just don't get it.
Every now and then some idiot shows up with an iPad and just blocks the view for about five or six people behind them.
It's completely inconsiderate, in my opinion. It's just my point of view, really, I don't want to come across like a grumpy old man. But I want to achieve connection and I can't connect with people who aren't looking at me. It's not an ego thing. It just seems pointless. What value does that have? I think life is short, the moment is fleeting, the gig is happening."

Photo credit:  Tony Gaskin

Be warned. If you pull out filming equipment when Placebo come to Leicester later this month, Brian may well pull you up on it.
🔸"I do, sometimes. Sometimes it's not so bad, but if I find it frustrating I will, particularly if the entire front row when you walk out is looking at a phone from the moment the first song begins. On a good day, it's distracting; on a bad day, I actually find it quite insulting.
If I get frustrated, it's difficult. I deal with it, just as I would if a fight breaks out in the audience. I have a unique vantage point and it is incredibly disturbing to see the hatred in these people's eyes sometimes. It affects me emotionally."


It's very different to the days when the band formed.
🔸 "In the '90s, people were connected, they were jumping, moshing, crowd-surfing. They were in the moment and just there and absorbing the show and this is how I experienced concerts as a teenager and young adult.
They were mesmeric, transcendental moments for me. I don't understand why people wouldn't want to join me in that."
Having said all that, Brian says he enjoys it more now than he did way back when the band was at the height of its success, "because now I perform without the aid of any controlled substances or intoxicants.
We're choosing to do this tour for the fans and for ourselves. For the experience. To have fun. We want to enjoy ourselves." /***/
(𝐿𝑒𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑔. 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ 2015)
🔸⭐🔸

Photo credit:  Tony Gaskin

⭐ℂ𝕆ℕℂ𝔼ℝ𝕋 ℝ𝔼𝕍𝕀𝔼𝕎⭐
𝘙𝘦𝘷𝘪𝘦𝘸 𝘣𝘺 𝘊𝘢𝘵𝘩 𝘎𝘢𝘴𝘬𝘪𝘯, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘔𝘪𝘥𝘭𝘢𝘯𝘥𝘴 𝘙𝘰𝘤𝘬𝘴 𝘮𝘢𝘨., 𝘓𝘦𝘪𝘤𝘦𝘴𝘵𝘦𝘳 2015
📌/***/ ... and as the lights dimmed we are teased with a remix version of ‘Pure Morning’, a track very rarely played live, a victim of the “Big Hit Syndrome”, played to death at the time. Molko and Olsdal stride onto stage, full of confidence. Gone are the androgynous looks, Molko looking more like Johnny Depp these days, plain black shirts and jeans are the order of the day in contrast to the superb light show. Olsdal still shows some of that camp swagger, at times provocatively gyrating with his guitar, whilst at other times his tall lanky frame looms over you like a mantis.


The band has always been full of contradictions, from their looks to the varied music. Molko may have shrugged off the more feminine look, but his voice is still angelic. One of the most accomplished vocalists out there, it’s both distinctive and powerful, able to move you with tracks like ‘Too Many Friends’ and frighten you with the full on ‘Meds’.

Photo credit:  Tony Gaskin

Tonight they open up with ‘B3’, ‘For What It’s Worth’ and ‘Loud Like Love’ before the first big moment of ‘Every You, Every Me’, and this is the way the gig goes, each little segment slowly building, then down again until the ultimate climax of ‘Meds’, ‘Song To Say Goodbye’, ‘Special K’ and ‘Bitter End’ and with the crowd left wanting more. The obligatory walk off then back on moment with a four song encore which included that Kate Bush song. This fan though still yearns for a full live rendition of ‘Pure Morning’ and another notable absentee ‘Nancy Boy’.


Molko and Olsdal have always strived for a perfect complete package, it’s not just about them up there, they surround themselves with consummate and multi talented musicians who swap instruments. The light show is an integral part of the experience and the guitar changes after nearly every song aren’t about tuning up or endorsements, they are about having the perfect tone and sound for that particular song. And speaking of the sound, it was the best I’ve heard at a large rock gig for a long time.


Placebo are true artists in every sense of the word, and in the wonderful surroundings and splendour of De Montfort Hall, tonight has been a memorable experience. Long may they continue to give us quality over quantity, we wouldn’t want it any other way.
🔸⭐🔸

Photo credit:  Tony Gaskin

𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨 "𝐄𝐱𝐢𝐭 𝐖𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐬" 𝐋𝐞𝐢𝐜𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟓
🔸🎶 https://bit.ly/3vRv48z


⭐Do you like the review, dear friends? And what do you say to Brian's words?
Yes, now here is my announced question:
Do you think it's right to record a concert on a mobile phone when we all know the band doesn't want it? And is it right to limit the view of the fans behind you with your mobile?

⭐This is also a very difficult topic for us in the team. Why?
Because we like to share great videos made by fans in our posts.
But at the same time, we know that we are supporting something that is uncomfortable for both Brian and Stefan.
Personally, I am very sensitive to this issue. Maybe I'll take a few souvenir photos from the concert. But I don't want to make videos.
I want to take the atmosphere of this unique moment in my heart, just like I did from U2 or Pink Floyd concerts many many years ago...

𝐵𝑢𝑡 𝑏𝑒𝑙𝑖𝑒𝑣𝑒 𝑚𝑒, 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑗𝑢𝑑𝑔𝑒 𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑤ℎ𝑜 𝑑𝑜𝑒𝑠𝑛'𝑡 𝑘𝑒𝑒𝑝 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑖𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑝𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑡. 𝐸𝑎𝑐ℎ 𝑜𝑓 𝑢𝑠 ℎ𝑎𝑠 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑑𝑜𝑚 𝑜𝑓 𝑐ℎ𝑜𝑖𝑐𝑒.

Post by Marti

🔹𝐀𝐋𝐏𝐇𝐀: 𝐏𝐇𝐎𝐓𝐎𝐆𝐑𝐀𝐏𝐇𝐈𝐂 𝐄𝐗𝐇𝐈𝐁𝐈𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍🔹

🔸𝐻𝑒𝑙𝑙𝑜 𝑓𝑟𝑖𝑒𝑛𝑑𝑠,
𝑡𝑜𝑑𝑎𝑦 𝑤𝑒 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑟𝑒𝑚𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 𝑎 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑗𝑒𝑐𝑡 𝑤ℎ𝑜𝑠𝑒 𝑠𝑦𝑚𝑏𝑜𝑙 𝑖𝑠 𝑎 𝑏𝑟𝑒𝑎𝑡ℎ𝑡𝑎𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜 𝑜𝑓 𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛'𝑠 "𝑠𝑙𝑒𝑒𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔" 𝑓𝑎𝑐𝑒 𝑢𝑛𝑑𝑒𝑟 𝑎 𝑙𝑎𝑦𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑖𝑐𝑒.🔸

Photo credit: Helena Berg, edit by Marti

'𝐖𝐞 𝐦𝐮𝐬𝐭 𝐠𝐞𝐭 𝐦𝐞𝐧 𝐭𝐨 𝐭𝐚𝐥𝐤': 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐠𝐫𝐚𝐩𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐚𝐝𝐝𝐫𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐢𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐧𝐠 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐧𝐠 𝐦𝐞𝐧.


“Suicide is the biggest killer of men between 20 and 45,” says (rapper) Professor Green with a tremble in his voice. “Someone could be hurting inside, but if they don’t tell you about it you might never know. We must get men to talk.”
(𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛, 𝑁𝑜𝑣. 2015)


In November 2015, an exhibition of five famous London photographers was held in London on the occasion of International Men's Day.
⭐𝐇𝐄𝐋𝐄𝐍𝐀 𝐁𝐄𝐑𝐆 and ⭐𝐒𝐂𝐀𝐑𝐋𝐄𝐓 𝐏𝐀𝐆𝐄 are the names that are best known to us.
And what is it all about?
It's a long story.


If we remember correctly, two charity Placebo concerts took place in the English university town of Leeds. The first was in 2013 and all proceeds went to the Mercy Center in Bangkok and also in support of the Samye Ling Buddhist Temple in Scotland. In March 2015, the band donated all proceeds from the concert to ⭐𝐂.𝐀.𝐋.𝐌. - "𝐂𝐚𝐦𝐩𝐚𝐢𝐠𝐧 𝐀𝐠𝐚𝐢𝐧𝐬𝐭 𝐋𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐌𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲".

Placebo in Leeds 2015. Photo credit: Stan 

🔹💬 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐌:
“CALM is a charity that’s close to my heart because depression is a condition which I suffer from myself,” Molko told NME.
“There are various forms of help out there.
It’s a disease like any other. Depression and addiction are both recognised by the World Health Organisation as diseases. If someone had MS or cancer, you would listen to them. There’s still a stigma attached to depression, and a lot of men in particular feel that it’s a sign of weakness to talk about it. What we’re trying to do with CALM is remove that stigma in society.”
(𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑘𝑜, 𝑁𝑀𝐸 𝑂𝑐𝑡. 2017)

Exhibition poster

🔹💬 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐧 𝐨𝐧 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐌:
He highlights the Campaign Against Living Miserably (CALM), which ‘is leading a movement against male suicide, the single biggest killer of men under 45 in the UK’.
“I’ve been to very, very dark places,” he states, “and I know people who have committed suicide. It’s horrible, and I just want people to know there are other options.” .../***/
“So as a first step, if there’s no one else you can turn to, these charities are there. It’s incredible just to talk to someone who will listen and can empathise. It can do you the world of good if you’re in a dark place.” .../***/
Loneliness, he says, like addiction, does not discriminate.
“It happens to the whole spectrum of people.”
(𝑆𝑡𝑒𝑓𝑎𝑛 𝑂𝑙𝑠𝑑𝑎𝑙, 𝐹𝑦𝑛𝑒 𝑇𝑖𝑚𝑒𝑠, 2018)

Placebo in Leeds 2015. Photo credit: Stan 

However, this second concert was even more special thanks to the after-party DJ show, which Brian and Stefan attended to the delight of their fans.
Read an excerpt from an article in which the ambassador of the charity C.A.L.M. the English actor 𝙅𝙖𝙢𝙞𝙚 𝘾𝙖𝙢𝙥𝙗𝙚𝙡𝙡 𝘽𝙤𝙬𝙚𝙧 explains the whole situation:


🔹💬 „It came about after a CALM event I’d organised in Leeds in March. Placebo kindly agreed to dedicate the Leeds show of their tour to help raise awareness of CALM, and I put together a secret after-show party in collaboration with the uni.
Both Brian and Stef from the band DJ’d, and have been amazingly supportive. I was so grateful for them getting behind the charity and their continued efforts.
Helena [Berg, acclaimed photographer responsible for much of rock band Placebo’s artwork during their 20 year career] had heard all about the event and CALM via Brian, and asked to be put in touch with me to discuss her ideas; she talked about getting a load of photographers together to do something for the charity, as the cause really resonated with her."


◾ 𝑊ℎ𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑛𝑎𝑚𝑒 𝐴𝐿𝑃𝐻𝐴?
...A culture where the expectation of the stereotypical ALPHA male is relentlessly reinforced...
„The predominant model of the alpha male; strong, stoic and unfeeling, still persists in popular culture and reinforces a concept of masculinity that is pervasive and insidious – one that doesn’t allow for anxiety, vulnerability or dialogue.“
„In 2014, 4,623 men took their own lives in Britain. That works out to more than 12 deaths a day, and accounts for 76% of the total suicides in the UK in 2014. In fact, suicide is the biggest killer for men under 45 in the UK.“◾
(𝐶𝐴𝐿𝑀𝑍𝑂𝑁𝐸 2015)

Placebo in Leeds 2015. Photo credit: Stan 

𝑃ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑔𝑟𝑎𝑝ℎ𝑒𝑟 𝐻𝑒𝑙𝑒𝑛𝑎 𝐵𝑒𝑟𝑔 𝑓𝑒𝑙𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑢𝑠𝑛𝑒𝑠𝑠 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑝𝑎𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑢𝑙 𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑏𝑙𝑒𝑚.. 𝑆ℎ𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑐𝑖𝑑𝑒𝑑 𝑡𝑜 𝑠𝑢𝑝𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝐴𝐿𝑀 𝑐ℎ𝑎𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑦 𝑎𝑠 𝑤𝑒𝑙𝑙.


🔹💬 To photographer and Alpha curator Helena Berg, finding out the disturbingly high rate of male suicides was a call to action.
“I was so shocked and wanted to help,” she says. “I contacted four fellow photographers and we set out to interpret different parts of the male emotional experience. We called the project Alpha to reflect the cultural pressures put upon men to live up to the stereotypical “alpha male” model ... and we concentrated on emotions that would lead a person not to speak, like anxiety, depression and loneliness."
Berg herself concentrated on feelings of isolation, by photographing men under ice and water.
“Not as a reference to drowning,” she swiftly clarifies, “but to illustrate immobilisation and the feeling of ‘being frozen’, which many depressed people experience. I used Perspex on top of the subject [Placebo’s Brian Molko] for the illusion of ice and to create photos that are haunting and tranquil at the same time.
Alpha was timed to open on International Men’s Day, says Berg, “to highlight this gender disparity issue, where three times as many men are taking their lives as women."
(𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛, 𝑁𝑜𝑣. 2015)

Placebo in Leeds 2015. Photo credit: Stan 

𝐴𝑛𝑑 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒'𝑠 𝑚𝑜𝑟𝑒 𝑖𝑛𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝑜𝑛 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑐ℎ𝑖𝑙𝑙𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑝ℎ𝑜𝑡𝑜𝑠 𝑓𝑟𝑜𝑚 𝑆𝑐𝑎𝑟𝑙𝑒𝑡 𝑃𝑎𝑔𝑒, 𝑤ℎ𝑖𝑐ℎ 𝑖𝑛𝑣𝑖𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑟𝑡𝑖𝑠𝑡𝑠 𝑚𝑎𝑟𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑏𝑦 𝑡ℎ𝑒𝑖𝑟 𝑝𝑒𝑟𝑠𝑜𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑡𝑟𝑎𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑠: 𝐺𝑎𝑟𝑦 𝑁𝑢𝑚𝑎𝑛, 𝐹𝑟𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑇𝑢𝑟𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑃𝑟𝑜𝑓𝑒𝑠𝑠𝑜𝑟 𝐺𝑟𝑒𝑒𝑛:
🔹💬 Music photographer Scarlet Page, daughter of Led Zeppelin’s Jimmy Page, has taken arresting portraits of Gary Numan, Frank Turner and Professor Green which have a strikingly blurry effect.
“No image manipulation has gone into any of the photos,” Page explains. “I used a special lens which gives a very shallow depth of field and keeps the eyes sharp,” she says.
“I went to Gary Numan’s soundcheck at the Forum and we took some shots outside in-between chatting. All three men have been touched by depression in some way ... I wanted them to be quite expressionless, so no conclusions were made when looking at them. I think there is a softness and vulnerability to them.”
(𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐺𝑢𝑎𝑟𝑑𝑖𝑎𝑛, 𝑁𝑜𝑣. 2015)

🔹📸 𝐘𝐨𝐮 𝐜𝐚𝐧 𝐬𝐞𝐞 𝐡𝐞𝐫 𝐩𝐡𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐬 𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞:
https://bit.ly/3FVLyCY
🔹🔹🔹

𝑫𝒆𝒂𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒎𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒔, 𝑰 𝒘𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝒆𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒆𝒑𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒑𝒉𝒐𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒇 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒐 𝒊𝒏 𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒄𝒆:
𝑰𝒕'𝒔 𝒔𝒊𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆: 𝒊𝒇 𝒘𝒆 𝒑𝒂𝒚 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒕𝒐 𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒍𝒐𝒗𝒆𝒅 𝒐𝒏𝒆𝒔, 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏 𝒔𝒂𝒗𝒆 𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒊𝒓 𝒍𝒊𝒗𝒆𝒔.

Post by Marti

⭐𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐘: 𝐌𝐓𝐕 𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝⭐

Today we celebrate the ⭐𝐀𝐍𝐍𝐈𝐕𝐄𝐑𝐒𝐀𝐑𝐘⭐ of the breathtaking 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨'𝐬 𝐌𝐓𝐕 𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 which was released six years ago on November 27, 2015 on CD, DVD, Blu-Ray, double vinyl, digital download and a limited edition super deluxe box set.

Photo credit: Unknown (3), Screenshots from the concert / edit by Rita

📍On November 26, 1989, 𝐌𝐓𝐕 premiered the "𝑼𝒏𝒑𝒍𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒅" format with 13 episodes featuring 𝑺𝒒𝒖𝒆𝒆𝒛𝒆, 𝑺𝒚𝒅 𝑺𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒘, 𝑬𝒍𝒍𝒊𝒐𝒕 𝑬𝒂𝒔𝒕𝒐𝒏, 𝑨𝒆𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒉, 𝑺𝒊𝒏𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑶'𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒐𝒓, 𝑬𝒍𝒕𝒐𝒏 𝑱𝒐𝒉𝒏 among others. Over the years, this concept has gained so much popularity that more than 120 artists have performed to date.

On the way to the celebration of their 20 years of career, 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐 was invited to be part of this 𝐌𝐓𝐕's famous series, being August 19, 2015, the big day of the recording of this concert at 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑳𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏 𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒅𝒊𝒐𝒔 in 𝑾𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒍𝒐𝒐, 𝑪𝒆𝒏𝒕𝒓𝒂𝒍 𝑳𝒐𝒏𝒅𝒐𝒏. The fans who attended this special night were chosen at random after receiving more than 10,000 requests via the band's official website.


✨💫 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨'𝐬 𝐌𝐓𝐕 𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 𝐌𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐎𝐟 💫✨

🎤𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒐: "We wanted to do something extraordinary, something that would challenge us. The process has been interesting, because we were creating something while we were performing it. That was something we had never done before. The simultaneity of the performance and the creation process was completely new for us. It wasn't going to be enough to just sit at the piano and strip the songs down to their bare bones."

🎤𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒂𝒏 𝑶𝒍𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒍 adds: "With acoustic versions it can be easy to become very self-indulgent and just play all the slow tracks. So it was challenging to do a setlist that flowed well. Once we found out that we were going to play this show we were on a mission to make our contribution to the 'MTV Unplugged' story equally exciting for us and the audience."

🎤𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒐: "The biggest challenge was to recreate these songs in a new and appealing way. Because at the end of the day, we, too, wanted to be surprised. We spent months preparing this. We were constantly working on those songs and tweaking them, because this was completely unknown territory for us – totally outside of our comfort zone.

'MTV Unplugged' gave us the opportunity to explore the acoustic and more experimental side of our music, and to play a few songs we had not performed like this before."

▪️𝑢𝐷𝑖𝑠𝑐𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑟𝑀𝑢𝑠𝑖𝑐, 𝑁𝑜𝑣𝑒𝑚𝑏𝑒𝑟 25𝑡𝒉, 2015.

Photo credit: Screenshot

⭐ 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨 - 𝐌𝐓𝐕 𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 (𝐁𝐞𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐝 𝐓𝐡𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐞𝐧𝐞𝐬) ✨
https://bit.ly/3kXsx9Z


After performing several acoustic sets in their career, "𝐌𝐓𝐕 𝑼𝒏𝒑𝒍𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒅" stands out because 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐 managed to reinvent once again their songs making elegant and delicate versions of them, where 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒂𝒏 𝑶𝒍𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒍 shows off his talent as a multi-instrumentalist playing the bass, guitar, piano, qanun, shruti box and doing backing vocals, while 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒐 along with his beloved guitar from 1956 called "𝑴𝒚 𝑩𝒂𝒃𝒚" and with his unmistakable voice performs each song in an endearing way. He even dusted off his harmonica after several years of not playing it.

They were also accompanied by a dozen guest musicians and featured two great female voices; Danish singer 𝑴𝒂𝒋𝒌𝒆 𝑽𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝑹𝒐𝒎𝒎𝒆 𝒂.𝒌.𝒂 𝑩𝒓𝒐𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝑻𝒘𝒊𝒏 who sang with 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 "𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝒀𝒐𝒖 𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 𝑴𝒆" and then singer/songwriter 𝑱𝒐𝒂𝒏 𝑾𝒂𝒔𝒔𝒆𝒓 a.k.a 𝑱𝒐𝒂𝒏 𝑨𝒔 𝑷𝒐𝒍𝒊𝒄𝒆 𝑾𝒐𝒎𝒂𝒏 came on stage to sing with him "𝑷𝒓𝒐𝒕𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝑴𝒆 𝑭𝒓𝒐𝒎 𝑾𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝑰 𝑾𝒂𝒏𝒕".

It is worth mentioning that among the 17 songs they played that night there were songs that they had not played for several years and there were even a couple of songs that they had never played live before, like "𝑯𝒐𝒍𝒅 𝑶𝒏 𝑻𝒐 𝑴𝒆" and "𝑩𝒐𝒔𝒄𝒐", particularly the latter is a song that the band has a special fondness for. They had been waiting to have the proper instrumentation to play it live and this was the perfect occasion to do so. So perhaps "𝑩𝒐𝒔𝒄𝒐" is the highlight - or one of the many highlights - of this concert.

The setting of the stage deserves a special mention. The band was surrounded by thin transparent curtains where the lights were projecting different animations throughout the show, creating an ethereal atmosphere just like floating in outer space or being in a beautiful dream with the most amazing music in the background. Giving a magical and complete experience to the audience.

⭐ 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨 - 𝐌𝐓𝐕 𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 (𝑨𝒍𝒃𝒖𝒎) ✨
💿 https://spoti.fi/3Dff2cP 🎶

Photo credit: Screenshot

In October 2016, the online magazine 𝐍𝐨𝐢𝐬𝐞𝐲 asked 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒐 to rank 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐 albums according to his personal preference. 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 placed "𝐌𝐓𝐕 𝑼𝒏𝒑𝒍𝒖𝒈𝒈𝒆𝒅" at the top of his list, here are his reasons:

💫 𝑺𝒐 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒊𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒚𝒐𝒖𝒓 𝒇𝒂𝒗𝒐𝒓𝒊𝒕𝒆?
🎤 For me, this is one of the most important moments in our career. It's one of the things we've done that I am most proud of. It was an amazing experience for me because it was something we'd never done before. We were rehearsing but we were also rewriting material, which finally gave us a chance to add a string section for a whole project. I've wanted to do that for a long time. It was terrifying at the time of the performance, because it was so fucking intimate. We put a tremendous amount of work into reworking the songs to fit the MTV Unplugged guidelines. I put it at number one because I am actually over the moon about this record. These songs from our past could be reinterpreted and stripped down to fit another medium, and to me that's an indicator of a good song.

💫 𝑫𝒐 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒌 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒄𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒈𝒆𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒚𝒐𝒖 𝒇𝒆𝒍𝒕 𝒂𝒃𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒐𝒍𝒅𝒆𝒓 𝒔𝒐𝒏𝒈𝒔?
🎤 Well, we're constantly doing that. We're constantly covering our own material and breathing new life into it so we can play it live. Because we need an emotional connection to the song in order to play it live, otherwise it feels like a mechanical act and untruth. We don't want any of that in our performances. Sometimes you have to completely tear a song apart and give it a whole new life. Doing Unplugged and doing it well is quite a feat, I think. I am particularly proud of "Meds," which is completely rebuilt with the strings. Same goes for "Without You I'm Nothing."

▪️𝐵𝑟𝑖𝑎𝑛 𝑀𝑜𝑙𝑘𝑜, 𝑉𝑖𝑐𝑒, 𝑂𝑐𝑡𝑜𝑏𝑒𝑟 13𝑡𝒉, 2016.

Photo credit: Screenshot

⭐ 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨 - 𝐌𝐓𝐕 𝐔𝐧𝐩𝐥𝐮𝐠𝐠𝐞𝐝 (𝑭𝒖𝒍𝒍 𝑪𝒐𝒏𝒄𝒆𝒓𝒕) ✨
🎥 https://bit.ly/3qAx31t 🎶

Post by Rita

⭐️💓𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐁𝐎 𝐂𝐇𝐀𝐑𝐈𝐓𝐘 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐌: 𝐋𝐄𝐄𝐃𝐒 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟓💓⭐️

Today, we’re going to be talking about another beautiful Placebo’s initiative: a fundraising event for 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐌, 𝑪𝒂𝒎𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒈𝒏 𝑨𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏𝒔𝒕 𝑳𝒊𝒗𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝑴𝒊𝒔𝒆𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒍𝒚, an organisation that provides help with mental health problems in an effort to prevent suicide🙏

Photo credit: Stuart Semple (print), Joe Kenway / edit by Olga

✨On March 9th, 2015, Placebo hosted an 𝒆𝒙𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒔𝒊𝒗𝒆 𝒔𝒆𝒄𝒓𝒆𝒕 𝒂𝒇𝒕𝒆𝒓-𝒑𝒂𝒓𝒕𝒚 𝒄𝒍𝒖𝒃 𝒏𝒊𝒈𝒉𝒕 that took place right after the Leeds O2 Academy show from their UK leg of the Loud Like Love tour. Approaching 20-years anniversary celebration, Placebo were extremely keen to use their concert as an opportunity to help draw attention to the charity’s efforts in the UK.
✨The event featured exclusive intimate 𝐃𝐉 𝐬𝐞𝐭𝐬 𝐟𝐫𝐨𝐦 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐧, and also some performances of local artists.
All proceeds from the tickets went, obviously, straight to 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐌.

✨Additionally, contemporary British artist 𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝑺𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆 designed a limited set of artwork posters in which he remixes iconic images from Placebo’s album art over the years. The original print, 𝒔𝒊𝒈𝒏𝒆𝒅 𝒃𝒚 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒐, 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒂𝒏 𝑶𝒍𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒍, 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑺𝒕𝒖𝒂𝒓𝒕 𝑺𝒆𝒎𝒑𝒍𝒆, was auctioned in aid of 𝐂𝐀𝐋𝐌.

Below, you can read the whole story behind this special event told by its organizer, Joe Kenway.

Photo credit: Stan

⭐️𝐏𝐋𝐀𝐂𝐄𝐁𝐎/𝐎𝐅𝐅𝐈𝐂𝐄𝐑𝐒 𝐀𝐅𝐓𝐄𝐑 𝐏𝐀𝐑𝐓𝐘 𝐅𝐔𝐍𝐃𝐑𝐀𝐈𝐒𝐄𝐑⭐️
“Back in October I met Tony Ereira, a trustee for the Charity CALM and one of the founding member of Leeds Record Label Hatch Records. The conversation remained largely on the subject of music and after a while talk moved towards Tony’s idea of combining his musical interests with his work with CALM.
He explained that the charity was all about reaching out to men who might be going through a tough time, with a particular focus on combating the causes and consequences of mental illness in men, where suicide rates are disproportionately high. He saw real potential in utilising the openness that people find in music as a form of expression as a way of getting across the ethos of the charity.
To me, this came across as a real worthwhile cause and a really exciting project to get involved with. On this basis I met Tony again, along with Jamie and Matt, CALM Ambassadors and members of local Yorkshire band OFFICERS.

We spent some time discussing what kind of events could work and who we could approach to get involved. It was Jamie and Matt who proposed 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒄𝒆𝒃𝒐 as a potential collaborator, seeing as they knew the band (just a casual friendship, of course) and thought it would be the kind of charity which they would definitely be keen to represent.
We seized the opportunity to use this as a real high-profile first event to launch Tony’s idea. Jamie mentioned that they were conveniently playing the O2 Academy on the 9th of March and we all agreed that an afterparty for the show would be ideal.

We spoke to a few venues about the possibility of holding the event and Leeds University Union jumped straight on board. They really appreciated the charity focused motive at the forefront of the event and we were very glad to have them on board.
Once the venue was lined up, we looked for another act or two for the night. Tony spoke to Leeds locals Hookworms (another casual acquaintance). […] We were thrilled when they agreed to do a set as it meant us having a representative from the city itself; it felt like the perfect match. Before we knew it, the night was upon us.

The crowd was beginning to flood in from the O2 gig when Hookworms frontman MJ took to the stage. He traversed us through the influences behind the record during his hour long set. […]
Following MJ was an appearance from 𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 𝑴𝒐𝒍𝒌𝒐 himself. For the crowd this was a rare chance for a second glimpse of the Placebo frontman, all in one night. Their excitement at being able to do so in such a personal and intimate setting was palpable as he walked on stage.

𝑩𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏 kept the crowd mesmerized with a set of electronica that traversed the light and ethereal as well as the darker heavier tones. There was an orchestrated restraint to the set that kept the tension high whilst never letting the build-up fully spill over, inducing a state of transfixion on the audience. It was a joy to hear the multitude of the singer’s influences and how this had impacted the sound of Placebo over the last 20 years, an anniversary being marked by their current worldwide tour, and a historical look back over all their material having recently made their entire back catalogue available to stream online.

𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒇𝒂𝒏 𝑶𝒍𝒔𝒅𝒂𝒍, second Placebo member of the night, gave us another insight here. His electronica took on a much more beat focused sound. There were still the swatches of sharp harmonic movement that we heard from Brian, but this time with the kind of rhythmic background that you might well expect from one half of the band’s rhythm section.

It almost felt as though this was the release to which Brian Molko’s set had been building up to. Showing that the pair were still very much working in tandem and that in 20 years their musical output had only grown more synchronised (rather than drifting apart as so many musical contingents find). It rounded off the night in classic fashion with a large portion of the crowd baying for more even at the end of Stefan’s set.
The night was a real success. The ethos of the charity matched with the approach the musicians take and had the profound effect we had hoped for …”
(𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐶𝐴𝐿𝑀 𝑍𝑜𝑛𝑒, 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ 26𝑡ℎ, 2015)

Post by Olga

𝗣𝗟𝗔𝗖𝗘𝗕𝗢 𝗔𝗧 𝗢𝟮 𝗔𝗣𝗢𝗟𝗟𝗢 𝗜𝗡 𝗠𝗔𝗡𝗖𝗛𝗘𝗦𝗧𝗘𝗥 𝟮𝟬𝟭𝟱

“𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨 𝐟𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐲𝐨𝐮𝐫 𝐬𝐨𝐮𝐥 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐰𝐡𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐨𝐩𝐩𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐭𝐞 𝐨𝐟 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐬 𝐢𝐬”

Dear soulmates,
Today I have a wonderful live version of 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃 for you, which was played at 𝐎𝟐 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨 𝐢𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐧 𝐌𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐡 𝟏𝟑𝐭𝐡, 𝟐𝟎𝟏𝟓. The excerpt of the review will help you feel the atmosphere of the show - or bring your memories back if you’ve been lucky enough to enjoy one of the concerts of Loud Like Love tour.

Placebo live in Manchester 2015. Photo credit: Shirlaine Forrest 

𝐑𝐞𝐯𝐢𝐞𝐰: 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐞𝐛𝐨 𝐚𝐭 𝐎𝟐 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐥𝐨, 𝐌𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐡𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐞𝐫
The lights dimmed, the crowd huddled together and started to sway to the familiar beat playing ever so quietly. And then from completely out of sight Brian Molko’s ethereal voice broke through the darkness with the opening of Pure Morning.


Some of their followers have been there from the very beginning, some are just discovering Placebo now […]
And looking around at the crowd last night it was obvious a fair share of every type of fan was there to show support and have their minds blown.
The head bangers banged – their heads not each other – the ageing not-so-gracefully rockers rocked and the teenyboppers bopped as they churned out hit after hit peppered with some of the new bits.


A set-list that included oldies but goodies like Song to Say Goodbye, Infra-Red, Special K, Meds and The Bitter End and newer soon-to-be-classics such as Exit Wounds, Scene of the Crime and Rob the Bank was never going to disappoint!
Every one unique, every one breathtaking in its own way, and yet every one harmonised in their melancholy – an angst of a youth not yet forgotten or perhaps still being endured – and the songs were alright too.


Non-gender specific royalty of androgyny, frontman Brian, delivered every song with total perfection. Not a single note was off-key and not a single beat was missed.
In almost every track each musician was given their time in the spotlight to show how well-deserved their place in one of the most successful British rock bands is with impeccable solos. They haven’t come this far or achieved so much for no reason.


The power behind his iconic high-pitched, angelic vocals is astounding when backed with instruments let alone when laid bare, vulnerable and gorgeous in front of you.
Those moments alone made the night one the audience would carry with them forever.

Placebo live in Manchester 2015. Photo credit: Shirlaine Forrest 

Then when you throw in the musical aptitude of Placebo’s other integral members, the chemistry, the performance factor, the bone-shaking bass of the sound system, and an endlessly impressive light show…
Well, then you get a band who not only have fans coming back for more so many years on, but a band who even after two decades are still gaining new followers.
You get musicians who bring together people from every clique and circumstance with lyrics of hope and pain to which they can all relate – a band with a vocalist whose tone is the only crutch you’ll need to get you through the tragedy of your teens and the turmoil of adulthood.
You get a band who seemed to master their art so long ago and yet somehow deliver even more at every show – last night being no exception.
You get a five-piece instrumental extravaganza whose members walked back onto the Apollo stage, at the end of their set and an encore, applauding and thanking their AUDIENCE before holding hands and taking a bow.
They are a band who ‘are not gods but men’ yet fill your soul with whatever the opposite of loneliness is. Placebo, here’s to 20 more years.

Placebo live in Manchester 2015. Photo credit: Shirlaine Forrest 

And now, when we’re going to watch a performance, let me remind you what the guys have to say about 𝐁𝐄𝐆𝐈𝐍 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐄𝐍𝐃.
https://bit.ly/3eW1o3g 

𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧:
"…the second-to-last song, which is “Begin The End,” which is the point in a relationship when you realize that you’re still in it, but you’ve passed the tipping point, that you know it’s over even though it’s not physically over yet. "
(𝑉𝑎𝑛𝑦𝑎𝑙𝑎𝑛𝑑, 𝑂𝑐𝑡’13)

𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐟𝐚𝐧:
…I think the track Begin the End is a place where we haven’t really gone before rhythmically. There’s a groove that’s there to the very end, that’s quite hypnotic. So yeah, we’re exploring different avenues that we haven’t done before.
(𝐻𝑢𝑛𝑔𝑒𝑟 "𝑇ℎ𝑒 𝐼𝑛𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑒𝑤: 𝑃𝑙𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑏𝑜", 𝐴𝑢𝑔'13)

Post by Olga 

INTERVIEW WITH BRIAN MOLKO & LIVE PERFORMANCES 2015

⭐"...𝑩𝒖𝒕 𝑰 𝒘𝒂𝒏𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒂𝒄𝒉𝒊𝒆𝒗𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕𝒊𝒐𝒏 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑰 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒏𝒆𝒄𝒕 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉 𝒑𝒆𝒐𝒑𝒍𝒆 𝒘𝒉𝒐 𝒂𝒓𝒆𝒏'𝒕 𝒍𝒐𝒐𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒂𝒕 𝒎𝒆."⭐


Dear soulmates, today I want to invite you to an interview that 𝐁𝐫𝐢𝐚𝐧 𝐌𝐨𝐥𝐤𝐨 did before a concert in Leicester as part of their Loud Like Love Tour in the UK in March 2015.
Brian admits his reluctance to tolerate fans watching a live concert through the screens of their cell phones, and also devotes a few words to an earlier edition of "Selected," which we know is a book containing lyrics to Brian's songs.
⭐🔸🔸🔸⭐

Photo credit: Screenshots from LLL UK Tour 2015.  Photo edit: by Marti

📌 Brian Molko has a morning of interviews lined up, back-to-back, writes Gemma Peplow. "My favourite part of the job," he says, dryly.


⭐ Brian isn't so much prickly as honest. Which is good. You wouldn't want tried-and-tested PR spiel from the frontman of Placebo, would you? Just for good measure, when we ask how the rest of his day might get better:
"That's my business, not yours."
Moving on, then. Placebo, one of the alternative rock bands of the '90s, whose bitter, cynical lyrics soundtracked the lives of thousands, are touring the UK. After shifting millions of albums and playing bigger venues across the world, this one is kind of back to basics.


🔸 "We haven't done a regional UK tour in a long time so it feels like we're very much going back to our roots," says Brian.
"We're playing smaller venues, with a more intimate kind of energy with the audience. We do try to make an emotional connection with the audience. It's not just about playing songs.
We want to create a collective euphoria, a synergy. We need that connection, otherwise it becomes mechanical and soulless for us.
In a smaller venue, that energy comes quicker; the connection is a little easier to make – as long as not too many people are busy looking at their phones instead of the gig."


⭐ While Placebo's music has stood the test of time – the band are 20 years and six albums down the line from their self-titled debut – Brian is not convinced by this change in gig crowds.
"I think it's a shame because what they're documenting is inferior," he says. "They're missing the moment completely."
"Placebo play very loud – the microphone on your smart device cannot handle the volume at which we play. The sound, will be terribly distorted, because people moving around are going to be shaky. You're going to miss out on what you pay good money to see. I just don't get it.
Every now and then some idiot shows up with an iPad and just blocks the view for about five or six people behind them."

Photo vredit. Felix Kästle  

🔸 "It's completely inconsiderate, in my opinion. It's just my point of view, really, I don't want to come across like a grumpy old man. But I want to achieve connection and I can't connect with people who aren't looking at me. It's not an ego thing. It just seems pointless. What value does that have? I think life is short, the moment is fleeting, the gig is happening."


⭐ Be warned. If you pull out filming equipment when Placebo come to Leicester later this month, Brian may well pull you up on it.
"I do, sometimes. Sometimes it's not so bad, but if I find it frustrating I will, particularly if the entire front row when you walk out is looking at a phone from the moment the first song begins. On a good day, it's distracting; on a bad day, I actually find it quite insulting."


🔸 "If I get frustrated, it's difficult. I deal with it, just as I would if a fight breaks out in the audience. I have a unique vantage point and it is incredibly disturbing to see the hatred in these people's eyes sometimes. It affects me emotionally."
It's very different to the days when the band formed.

Photo credit: Thomas Niedermüller

⭐ "In the '90s, people were connected, they were jumping, moshing, crowd-surfing. They were in the moment and just there and absorbing the show and this is how I experienced concerts as a teenager and young adult.
They were mesmeric, transcendental moments for me. I don't understand why people wouldn't want to join me in that."
Having said all that, Brian says he enjoys it more now than he did way back when the band was at the height of its success, "because now I perform without the aid of any controlled substances or intoxicants."


🔸 "We're choosing to do this tour for the fans and for ourselves. For the experience. To have fun. We want to enjoy ourselves." /¤¤¤/


⭐ You get the impression Brian isn't one for looking back. And yet, last year he released a book containing his own selection of lyrics from throughout his career at the helm of the band.
"It was offered to me by a small publishing house and it was a long, drawn-out process for me because I have a very dysfunctional relationship with a lot of what I've written. Not many people get an opportunity to publish a book, though, so that was the attraction.
But I tell you, it was not an easy experience for me. It took about six months. I had to select what was going to be published and I was confronted with a lot of writing which I thought was either naive, amateuristic or just not very good."


🔸 It's better now, he says. "I wrote a lot of material under the influence and I think sometimes that worked out really well and sometimes it worked out really badly," he says. "I'm just very, very self-critical."


⭐ "We always set the bar higher, that's just something we do. Each new album is an almost allergic reaction to its predecessor."
(𝐿𝑒𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑒𝑟𝑐𝑢𝑟𝑦 𝑚𝑎𝑔. 𝑀𝑎𝑟𝑐ℎ 2015)📌
⭐🔸🔸🔸⭐


After reading such an interview, there are a lot of questions, don't you think?
💚 The first one is - to use these technologies at the concerts or not?
💚 Is it okay to shoot someone on the mobile phone who does not want it?
💚 And how do we explain to Brian our hypocrisy that we have an understanding for his feelings, but we really enjoy rare footage from concerts that have no official record?
How much poorer would we be if we didn't have YouTube full of videos from Placebo fans?

Photo credit: Info Music

And so that your thinking is not so easy, I share with you a few videos from the British part of this amazing tour.
But beware - the first video is angry Brian throwing himself at a fan with a video camera ... So we all know that he perceives it really emotionally.


🎶 Placebo Brazil 2005
https://bit.ly/3f60IZ3

🎶 Placebo "Exit Wounds" Leicester 2015
https://bit.ly/3vRv48z

🎶 Placebo "Rob The Bank" London 2015
https://bit.ly/33sFE9U

🎶 Placebo "Too Many Friends" Sheffield 2015
https://bit.ly/2RHcDV4

🎶 Placebo "B3" Birmingham 2015
https://bit.ly/3exMJfy

🎶 Placebo "MEDS" Manchester 2015
https://bit.ly/3y0NC8c

🎶 Placebo "I Know" Belfast 2015
https://bit.ly/3bhjz2m


Post by Marti

I think Placebo are a marmite band - Stacey Taylor about the Placebo UK/Irish tour & 20th Anniversary

Placebo tour 2015 & Placebo20 soulmate never dies interview

Interview by Susie Bosco, Diana E.T.Foghing, Mary Scott , Xenia Gerasimova and Zaryinta Molko – The Placebo Anyway Team  in colaboration with Stacey Taylor from  Aberdeen, Scotland  about the Placebo show in Aberdeen  (03/03/2015), all latetes news, the 20th anniversary and much more…
Layout: Susie Bosco 

Photo credits: by Stan bestmafia.com, Kevin Wells Life is better still @bigwhopperkevin / www.kevinwellsphoto.com

Our favourite band is on tour again. These days we are enjoying the biggest UK & Irish tour Placebo ever had.  Recently we could read what can the fans  expect from the gigs? The answer was: something more in touch with the band's roots. "We're playing in smaller venues than those we normally play in," says Brian, "to create a kind of intimate ambience. We recently played in small clubs around the United States, and while the tour wasn't financially successful, it boosted our confidence. It showed we could still pull off gigs like that!

Photo credits: Placebo World, connorwaiklezs, Liisavalo 

Placebo Anyway:  Hello Stacey!! . Lets start with our first question is.  How was the gig in Aberdeen? Did you get more in touch with the band’s roots in the smaller venues like Aberdeen’s Music Hall?

Stacey Taylor:  Hello!!!!  The gig was AMAZING!!!!!!!!  I have seen Placebo 3 times, and i think this was my most favourite time seeing them.  Seeing them in a smaller venue felt more intimate, and made you feel lucky to be so close to them.

Photos credits: aberdeengardening.co.uk & e-architect.co.uk

Placebo Anyway: Compared to the gigs in 2014 do you see any difference, for example the lighting?

Stacey Taylor:  I sadly didn’t see them in 2014, the last time I saw them was on their “Battle for the Sun” tour back in 2011.  Looking back at that gig and comparing the 2, this tour was much better visually.  The lighting seemed to be automated by the songs played, and the general layout and placement on stage worked better.

Photo credits: Stuttarter Zeitung 2011, 2014 - , Stacey Auld 2015

Pacebo Anyway: What about the boys energy?

Stacey Taylor:  As always, they gave it their all.  Brian comes across as being quite subdude and restrained but you can see that he is loving every minute of the performance by the way he performs each song from the first to the last.

Placebo Anyway:  Band's members are usually very restrain, non-talkative and laconic on the stage. We read some reviews about their concerts and people often are so unsatisfied with this "Placebo's bad behavior". What is your opinion?

Stacey Taylor: I would like to hear more from the band, but I can see where they are coming from – you pay to see a band play music, and not to have a Q&A session!! 

Placebo Anyway: About Molko little speeches before the songs. What’s your opinion?

Credits photo: Sinead Grainger - Indulge - Sound.com

Stacey Taylor: His speeches captivate the crowd and he is mesmerising to watch.  His voice is liquid gold and makes everything he says have a double meaning.  I love this as much as watching the band perform!!!!

Placebo Anyway: Regarding the new set list this time they added two classics Special Needs and I know, but One Of A Kind was eliminated from the set list . What are your thoughts about this?

Stacey Taylor:  I was delighted that they added some classic so the set list, and feel there was a very good mix of old and new tracks.  Some of the older songs I had never heard before, and the crowd was bouncing when they played “Special K”. 

Special K- not from Aberdeen but from the same tour! 

Placebo Anyway: Have you noticed a difference regarding the version of the songs they are playing?  (For example in Edinburgh STSG was a bit faster than it usually is)

Photo credits by Olly Stabler 

Stacey Taylor:  I like how they mix the song tempos up – especially when they performed “Meds”.  To me, it proves they are singing live and they are trying to improve the overall experience by changing the versions. 

Placebo Anyway:  Which live song is the best for you in a emontional way and why?

Special Needs- not from Aberdeen but from the same tour! 

Stacey Taylor:  I can't pick just one song!!!!  I think hearing “Special Needs” was emotional for me because it was one of the first songs of theres that I realised it wasn’t just words and there was an actual meaning behind it.  Also “Too Many Friends” was quite powerful because having the no photo policy at the gig it was re-emphasising the line “When all the people do all day
Is stare into a phone”

Photo credits: Ohrreckless - Aberdeen 

Placebo Anyway: What would be your dream setlist incorporating songs from every album?

Stacey Taylor:  Each time I have seen Placebo their set list changes.  I would LOVE to hear them sing “Nancy Boy”.  Dream setlist hmmmm probably a mix of songs from all albums.  Some upbeat, some more melodic. 

Placebo Anyway: When you get to the point where you realize that this particular gig is really kind of magic...Or every placebo concert is unforgettable and unique experience for you anyway?

Stacey Taylor:  As soon as Brian comes on stage!!!!  The atmosphere changes, like I said before he is mesmerising to watch and his gestures are so little but powerful.  He always makes me turn into a giggly little girl. 

Photography by Stan http://www.backseatmafia.com

Placebo Anyway:   What do you think about behavior of Brian Molko connected with using of camera's and smartphones during concerts?

Stacey Taylor:  I can see where he is coming from.  I don’t like watching a gig through the screen of someone else’s smart phone, so can imagine he doesn’t like performing to hundreds of smart phones.  I admit, I did take a few photos of him purely because he is amazingly stunning and I like to look at him. 

Placebo Anyway:   What do you think about official live pictures published on the Inet and illegal usage of them? Should they keep their taken pictures on PC only? Or it doesn't make sense if they are published or not allowed to be used...?

Stacey Taylor:  I havent seen any official live pictures from the Aberdeen gig, but have seen some on your page from other venues. I like looking through them, and re-living when I saw that particular light sequence at the aberdeen gig. 

Placebo Anyway:  A new tour, a new tour drummer. How was for you the moment you read on the social networks about Steve Forrest leaving Placebo?

Stacey Taylor:  I did feel slightly sad, because Steve hadn't been with Placebo for that long a time.  It seems to be a particularly difficult position in the band to keep full for long!! 

Photo credits: Planes / @Stefan Olsdal 

Placebo Anyway:  We wish Steve and his band Planes  good luck. There will go on tour soon too. Will you go to one of their shows?

Stacey Taylor:  Probably not.

Placebo Anyway:  Do you see any difference between Steve Forrest and Matt Lunn (old Placebo friend and drummer of Colour of Fire)? How do you think do the band members feel convenient touring with him?

Photo credits: Steven Lynn Photography

Stacey Taylor:  Having seen both Steve and Matt I can’t see a difference in them – they both play like their lives depended on it!!  They seemed more “into” playing the drums than Steve Hewitt did when I saw him perform with Placebo. 

Placebo Anyway:  Would you like to see Matt Lunn (old Placebo friend and drummer of Colour of Fire)  as an official drummer? Or do you prefer the idea of Brian & Stefan being the only official members now of Placebo?

Stacey Taylor:  I will always see Brian and Stefan as the original line-up and the drummer position being the one which will change.  As long as the drummer can play the songs well and give as much in his – or her!! – performance as Brian and Stefan then I don’t care who is in that position.

Placebo Anyway: One thing that we have noticed about this tour is how sometimes people are going alone and ask in the fan pages for company. In fact, the official twitter account once twitted a request for a fan. This is certainly not common behavior in other fan bases . Why do you think this is?

Stacey Taylor:  I think Placebo are a marmite band, and to find a fellow soulmate is rare!!  I have received some stick for being a fan of Placebo in the past, but I don’t care.  I would easy go and see Placebo myself, but don’t think I could go and see any other band that I like alone.  Perhaps because the crowd is mixed in age and gender anyway, and because they are a band who have meaning in their lyrics and not just anything to make a hit the audience is more open minded. 

Placebo Anyway:  What do you think, does Placebo music sound better live or recorded?

Stacey Taylor:  I think they sound similar.  I like hearing them live but when listening to a recorded album and closing your eyes it sounds the same. 

Placebo Anyway:   How do you think can all Placebo concerts be special, as for you and them as well?

Stacey Taylor:  Hmmmm I don’t know how to explain this one.  They do the same thing each concert – play their songs to a crowd – but the concept seems different everytime.  It feels like seeing them for the first time and I get the same butterflies before their gig as I did the first time I heard them on TV. 

Placebo Anyway: Let’s talk about Placebo members and their proyects. Did you get Brian’s book “Selected”? What kind of version did you order and how do you feel with this book, what does it give to you?

Stacey Taylor:  Yes!!!!  Of course I got the book!!!!!  I had the personalised signed copy in my basket but the website crashed, so my fiance was trying all day at home to get it for me.  I got a signed copy and it is one of my most prized posessions now and everyone gets shown the book and his signature. 

Placebo Anyway: What do you think about the introduction of the Brian Molko book “Selected”?

Stacey Taylor:  It is very simple, and honest.  Wouldn’t expect anything more from him. 

Placebo Anyway: Did you find any surprises in the lyrics in this book?  Different words than you thought?

Stacey Taylor:  Not really, but it was lovely having all the lyrics in one place. 

Placebo Anyway: Were you expecting something different?

FanArt by Marie Molko - Mini Placebo 

Stacey Taylor:  I expected it to be a bit bigger, but it is small just like Brian J

Placebo Anyway: Let us speak about more projects.  Some days before the touring started Stefan presented on the famous Spanish radio Channel ‘Radio3’  a song in colaboration with Digital 21. We could listen to the song “war” at the ‘Siglo21’  programme and we would like to ask you, what do you think about this project and  also the other social activities of Mr. Olsdal. More information here.

Stacey Taylor:  I don’t really pay attention to the other projects by other band members.  Brian is my favourite member so if he were to embark on a different project I would probably be more inclined in his venture.  Sorry Stefan!!

Stefan Olsdal by Olly Stadler 

Placebo Anyway:  On the Placebo Facebook page we could see the last weeks a comment about “a new album”. If you could choose a theme for this new album, what would it be? A live album, an accoustic album, more like the old days or similiar to LLL or something completly new?

Stacey Taylor:  I like their older albums (Placebo / WYIM / BMM) but like the growth and exploration of their newer ones.  Some of my favourite Placebo songs have the happy/punky/pop/anthem feel to them so an album like that would be ideal for me. 

Placebo Anyway:  We are celebrating  Placebo's 20 years. The first special thing Placebo prepared for their fans was the posibilty to listen to all their albums remastered online .  We enjoyed them a lot with this amazing sound. Did you like this idea? What about the upcoming vinyls? Do you want to get them even if you don’t have a vinyl record player?

Stacey Taylor:  I am debating this, if they re-released their albums re-mastered I would definetly purchase these. 

Placebo Anyway: Imagine you could prepare a special Placebo20th party in a small venue, band included. Choose a place which do you think it would be perfect and what would you prepare for this party?

Stacey Taylor:  Probably the place they played their first gig – to show where they started.  Preparation for the party ………… Wow, probably have their album covers on the walls around the venue and some infamous images of the band in all stages and all line ups. 

Placebo Anyway: Now let us go online. Imagine you have to organize something really special for the band on a virtual way. What would you do, including every soulmate all over the world?

Stacey Taylor:  It would be good to have an album of classic Placebo songs, with soulmates singing different lines to the songs.  I don’t know how to convey how much they mean to all their soulmates!!

Placebo Anyway: It is a known fact that it's impossible not to be hooked on Brain Molko...What do you find so attractive in him and how do you consider him? As a close friend (a soulmate), you could relay on, or just a handsome man with a great vocal skills and beautiful songs? What traits of character do you appreciate in him most?

Stacey Taylor:  Wow he is STUNNING!!!!!  His mannerisms, his gestures, oh and his facial expresions….he has more sex appeal than any other lead singer of any band that I can think of.  He is very much so someone I would like to chat to if we were in a bar.  I cant get anough of him and his gorgeous face. 

Placebo Anyway: What would you ask Brian Molko from 1996?

Stacey Taylor:  What would you like to achieve with Placebo in 5yrs / 10yrs / 20yrs time? 

Placebo Anyway: What would you ask Brian Molko in 2015?

Stacey Taylor:  Can you perform at my wedding please? *flutters eyelashes* hahaha in all seriousness; you said you would like to achieve XYZ in 1996 when Placebo just started out, do you think you have achieved all you would like to and what else do you think as a band and solo artist you could do?

Placebo Anyway: What would influence your questions?

Stacey Taylor:  What mood he was in.  He is a notoriously guarded and private person so I wouldnt like him to feel I was intruding on his personal life. 

Placebo Anyway: Many bands from the 90's are turning 15 , 20 years what do you think makes Placebo so different?

Stacey Taylor:  They havent had an hiatus, the main line up hasn’t changed and they keep diversifying their sound to suit the current musical climate.  Oh and their fans are very loyal!!!!

Placebo Anyway: Coming to the end of the interview, please define the Aberdeen concert with 3 words.

Stacey Taylor: Loud.  Passionate. Brilliant. 

Placebo Anyway: Now imagen you could give Brian and Stef a Thank You gift for the wonderful last 20 years with the band. Which gift would you choose?

Stacey Taylor:  My eternal thanks for being such an amazing band, and my continuing loyalty.  Cant put a price on that J

Placebo Anyway: Thank you very much for the interview Stacey!

Stacey Taylor:  Thanks for letting me be included in this JJ

Photo by Kevin Wells Life is better still www.kevinwellsphoto.com

Interview by The Placebo Anyway Team & Stacey Taylor, Aberdeen, Scotland