Placebo
Placebo are an alternative rock band formed in London in 1994, currently consisting of Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal and Steve Forrest. To date, they have released six studio albums, six EPs and twenty-seven singles. The band have gained a considerable amount of international recognition. They have sold over one million albums in the UK and over ten million worldwide.
Thus far, Placebo are best known for hit songs such as "Nancy Boy", "Pure Morning", "You Don't Care About Us", "Every You Every Me", "The Bitter End", "Twenty Years", "Black-Eyed", "Because I Want You", "Infra-Red", "Meds" and a cover of the Kate Bush song "Running Up That Hill".
Placebo's style has varied greatly. Their first album featured a raw sound and a fairly minimalistic instrumental lineup, but proceeding albums have had a slower, more melancholy, tone and they started experimenting with synthesisers and other, less traditional, modes of sound production (particularly after Black Market Music).
The band have gained some measure of notoriety for the sexualities of its members (Olsdal is homosexual and Molko is bisexual) as well as for their excessive lifestyles and Molko's androgynous image, which are often referred to in their songs (see Lyrics). In recent years, however, the band have become less sexually charged.
Placebo were formed by singer/guitarist Brian Molko and bassist Stefan Olsdal. Earlier, both had attended the American International School of Luxembourg, but didn't cross paths properly until 1994 in London, England. At the time, Olsdal was taking guitar lessons and was on his way home, when he met Molko at the South Kensington tube station. Molko, observing that Olsdal had a guitar strapped to his back, invited Olsdal to watch him perform at a local bar. On the strength of Molko's performance, Olsdal decided that they should start a band.
Originally the two were unable to decide on a drummer. Molko had some experience playing with Steve Hewitt, making Hewitt the ideal choice for drummer (the two were introduced by Hewitt's ex-girlfriend in 1991 outside of Burger King). Because Hewitt had prior commitments to the London band Breed, he only had time to play on occasional demos with Molko and Olsdal, however. This led to Robert Schultzberg assuming the position of drummer when the band signed its contract with Caroline Records. Schultzberg had known Olsdal from school in Luxembourg as well as from an earlier Swedish band which they had both been a part of.
While briefly known as "Ashtray Heart", from a Captain Beefheart lyric, the band quickly settled on the name "Placebo". In an MTV interview, Olsdal remarked that the name "Placebo" was chosen because of its Latin origins; “placebo” literally translates from Latin to English as “I will please". Frequently in interviews, Molko has stated that the name is loosely a satirical reflection of the 1990s cliche of naming one's band after a drug. When asked about naming a band, Molko said:
It’s a complex question to answer, really. As musicians you try to find a name for your band that represents you and you never really do, because, basically, names for bands lose their meaning after a while. They become a series of sounds that you associate with people in music. The most important thing for a name is that you can imagine forty-thousand people screaming it in unison.
Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_band
Songs
Bitter End
English Summer Rain
Nancy Boy
Special K
Thus far, Placebo are best known for hit songs such as "Nancy Boy", "Pure Morning", "You Don't Care About Us", "Every You Every Me", "The Bitter End", "Twenty Years", "Black-Eyed", "Because I Want You", "Infra-Red", "Meds" and a cover of the Kate Bush song "Running Up That Hill".
Placebo's style has varied greatly. Their first album featured a raw sound and a fairly minimalistic instrumental lineup, but proceeding albums have had a slower, more melancholy, tone and they started experimenting with synthesisers and other, less traditional, modes of sound production (particularly after Black Market Music).
The band have gained some measure of notoriety for the sexualities of its members (Olsdal is homosexual and Molko is bisexual) as well as for their excessive lifestyles and Molko's androgynous image, which are often referred to in their songs (see Lyrics). In recent years, however, the band have become less sexually charged.
Placebo were formed by singer/guitarist Brian Molko and bassist Stefan Olsdal. Earlier, both had attended the American International School of Luxembourg, but didn't cross paths properly until 1994 in London, England. At the time, Olsdal was taking guitar lessons and was on his way home, when he met Molko at the South Kensington tube station. Molko, observing that Olsdal had a guitar strapped to his back, invited Olsdal to watch him perform at a local bar. On the strength of Molko's performance, Olsdal decided that they should start a band.
Originally the two were unable to decide on a drummer. Molko had some experience playing with Steve Hewitt, making Hewitt the ideal choice for drummer (the two were introduced by Hewitt's ex-girlfriend in 1991 outside of Burger King). Because Hewitt had prior commitments to the London band Breed, he only had time to play on occasional demos with Molko and Olsdal, however. This led to Robert Schultzberg assuming the position of drummer when the band signed its contract with Caroline Records. Schultzberg had known Olsdal from school in Luxembourg as well as from an earlier Swedish band which they had both been a part of.
While briefly known as "Ashtray Heart", from a Captain Beefheart lyric, the band quickly settled on the name "Placebo". In an MTV interview, Olsdal remarked that the name "Placebo" was chosen because of its Latin origins; “placebo” literally translates from Latin to English as “I will please". Frequently in interviews, Molko has stated that the name is loosely a satirical reflection of the 1990s cliche of naming one's band after a drug. When asked about naming a band, Molko said:
It’s a complex question to answer, really. As musicians you try to find a name for your band that represents you and you never really do, because, basically, names for bands lose their meaning after a while. They become a series of sounds that you associate with people in music. The most important thing for a name is that you can imagine forty-thousand people screaming it in unison.
Information from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Placebo_band
Songs
Bitter End
English Summer Rain
Nancy Boy
Special K
