.gif)
Placebo (band)
Encyclopedia
Placebo are a British rock
band from London
, England
, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko
and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal
. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg
, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt
after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and was replaced by Steve Forrest in 2008. To date, they have released six studio albums, six EPs, and twenty-nine singles and have sold over ten million records worldwide.
Since their formation, the band have attracted popularity and notoriety in equal measures for their subversive musical content and androgynous
image. Their style has progressed since their first album, which featured raw guitar riffs and a fairly minimalistic line-up, with following albums featuring a more diverse and polished sound, including experimentation with synthesizers and other less traditional forms of sound production.
, 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. The two formed Ashtray Heart, a lo-fi duo, playing mostly on toy instruments. They wrote four songs, but decided to try out as a serious band and started to scout for a drummer.
Originally, the two were unable to decide on a drummer. Molko had some experience playing with Steve Hewitt
, making him the ideal choice. However, Hewitt had prior commitments to the London band Breed, and only had time to play on occasional demos with Molko and Olsdal. This led Robert Schultzberg
to assume the position of drummer when the band signed its contract with Caroline Records. Schultzberg had known Olsdal from boarding school in Sigtuna, Sweden as well as from an earlier Swedish band, Elevating Addiction, which they had both been members of.
The name "Placebo", Olsdal remarked in an MTV interview, was chosen because of its Latin origins; “placebo” literally translates from Latin as “I will please". Frequently in interviews, Molko has stated that the name is a satirical reflection of the 1990s cliche of naming one's band after a drug, though Olsdal claims this was not the original motivation for naming the band "Placebo". When asked about naming a band, Molko said:
was released 16 July 1996 and was a major success, peaking at five on the UK Albums Chart
s at the height of the Britpop
era. The album featured ten tracks (eleven including the hidden bonus track "Hong Kong Farewell"), their most popular being "Nancy Boy
". In 1998, Q Magazine readers voted Placebo the 87th greatest album of all time. The band remastered and reissued the album on 18 September 2006 for its tenth anniversary.
Tension with Schultzberg began to rise. The band initially let him go in September 1995, but he was rehired to record the first seven inch single "Bruise Pristine
". After an argument in August 1996, right before doing their first TV show, Molko decided that it would be best for the band if Schultzberg left. But Schultzberg suggested playing together until they finished the promotion of their first album, Placebo, and the band accepted.
Eventually, Schultzberg did indeed leave the band in September 1996, on a United States tour. Before going on stage for their first show in New York state, Olsdal informed Schultzberg that he wasn't going on the tour in Germany that was following the US one. At the manager’s request, Schultzberg did two more shows with the band in Paris after the US tour, the last of which was a performance on “Nulle Part Aillleurs”. Molko has said that he was "tired of being the focus of Robert’s rages against the world." While Schultzberg was with the band, several early works were recorded, including their first 7" single "Bruise Pristine", the "Come Home
" EP, the single version of "Nancy Boy" (with B-sides "Slackerbitch", "Miss Moneypenny", and the Smiths
cover "Bigmouth Strikes Again") and their eponymous debut album. On the track "I Know", Schultzberg played didgeridoo
as well as drums. His departure left many fans disappointed, because the band switched to a softer sound in the following albums. In the same year, however, they were able to convince Hewitt to return to Placebo as their full-time drummer. Molko remembers: “Even at the beginning, Robert and I couldn’t be in the same room with each other without wanting to be violent."
In early 1996, Placebo opened several concerts for David Bowie
in Italy, France, and Switzerland as part of his Outside Tour
after he had only heard one of their demos. Bowie also invited the trio to play at his 50th birthday at New York's Madison Square Garden
in 1997. The party also included luminaries such as Billy Corgan
of The Smashing Pumpkins
, Robert Smith
of The Cure
, and Lou Reed
.
The band's glam
connections continued. In 1998, Placebo recorded a cover of T. Rex's "20th Century Boy
" for the Velvet Goldmine
soundtrack. The band also had minor roles in the film. Bowie made a special appearance on-stage with Placebo during a tour stop in New York. A version of the song "Without You I'm Nothing
", which originally appeared on the album with the same name, featured a duet containing both Molko and Bowie. Placebo played "20th Century Boy" live with David Bowie at the BRIT Awards
show in 1999.
, and issued their album Without You I'm Nothing
in November. It was another large seller in the UK and initially appeared to be the group's breakthrough in the US market, where MTV embraced the album's lead single "Pure Morning
", but subsequent singles and videos failed to match the success of its predecessor.
The first two singles from Without You I'm Nothing, "You Don't Care About Us
" and "Pure Morning", were the peak of their British success, both charting in the top ten. Since Without You I'm Nothing, the band have received less positive coverage from the British music press who, on occasion, have mocked the perceived pretension of frontman Molko. However, the band has retained a huge popular and critical following in continental Europe. By way of their English-accented fluent French front-man, France has become their first target market in Europe, which has led to them gaining a huge popularity there, even in excess of their British fan base.
The band's third album, Black Market Music, released in October 2000, further experimented with genres outside of their tense rock sound. A re-sequenced version released in the United States featured a slightly different track listing, adding the aforementioned Bowie version of "Without You I'm Nothing" and the band's cover of Depeche Mode
's "I Feel You
". The recording spawned additional UK hits such as "Taste in Men
" and "Slave to the Wage
".
Placebo encountered resistance from the British music industry upon release of the single "Special K
" due to its reference of a ketamine
high as a simile
for love. The song was released in Australia as a single before eventually being made available in the UK as an EP featuring the B-sides and remixes that would have filled out a conventional two-disc single release. At the time the band claimed this was due to dissatisfaction with the two-disc single format, a claim somewhat undermined by their subsequent single releases all being made available in two-CD formats accompanied by a 7" vinyl.
Their style altered little from Placebo to Black Market Music, based around fairly straightforward guitar playing, often influenced by the style of 1970s British and American rock, and Molko's high-pitched vocals. The first single for the album, "Taste in Men", was one of their most popular, with a trancy synthesiser in the background and wailing distorted guitars. Black Market Music did not receive the same level of long term recognition and media hype as Without You I'm Nothing did, but its peak sales outperformed those of its predecessor in both the UK and France.
. The album went to number 11 in the UK and sold 1.4 million copies worldwide. Australian tour dates with Elbow
and UK shows with Har Mar Superstar
followed in 2004. Sleeping with Ghosts was more adventurous than Black Market Music, because it experimented with dance tunes, electronic music and a less rocky—more polished—guitar sound, though it kept the traditional sound for several songs, including the first single "The Bitter End
".
In spring of 2004, the band released their first live concert DVD, Soulmates Never Die (Live in Paris 2003)
. The footage was recorded in October 2003, during a concert performed in Paris, France. The DVD also includes a 25-minute documentary.
In autumn of 2004, Placebo's singles collection, Once More with Feeling: Singles 1996–2004 was released (on both CD and as a DVD featuring the band's videos). The nineteen song compilation included their biggest UK hits and two new tracks, "I Do" and the single "Twenty Years".
That same year, they played a one-night-only gig at Wembley Arena
in which Robert Smith of The Cure made a guest appearance on two tracks, "Without You I'm Nothing" and a cover of The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry
". This performance was to be their last UK gig until 2006. After the Wembley gig, Placebo went on a short Once More With Feeling tour in South America. On 2 July 2005, the group performed "Twenty Years" and "The Bitter End" at the Live 8
concert, at the Palais de Versailles
in France (see Live 8 concert, Paris
). Their 2006 tour of the UK sold out in one weekend.
There was a bit of controversy while the band was on their promotional South American Tour. As revealed on the Once More With Feeling DVD extras, whilst on tour in South America, Placebo and Limp Bizkit
played on the same evening. Trouble occurred when Placebo's manager would not let Fred Durst
on stage as he did not recognise him and thought he was simply a fan trying to get an autograph. After eventually getting on stage, Durst began the chant "Placebo sucks". Later, Placebo's roadie Adam Okrasinski was charged with aggravated battery when he allegedly punched a member of Durst's entourage in an altercation that took place after the show between members of both band's camps. Charges were later dropped in lieu of community service.
In September 2005, the band finished the recording phase of Meds
which was released 13 March (delayed in the US until 4 April). The first single on the new album to be released in the UK was "Because I Want You". "Song to Say Goodbye" was the first international single (released simultaneously with "Because I Want You"). The album was remastered from October to January. Two songs, recorded on the album, feature duets with American singers: "Meds" with Alison Mosshart
of The Kills
and "Broken Promise" with Michael Stipe
of R.E.M.
. Frenchman Dimitri Tikovoi (Goldfrapp, the Cranes) who mixed select songs on Once More with Feeling, produced Placebo's fifth effort. The band has stated that the album is an attempt to capture the feel of a first album, though the album has not forgotten many of the techniques used in their previous ones.
Meds was leaked to the internet on 17 January 2006. The official release date of Meds was 13 March 2006, making the leak almost two months early. It was projected by the band's record label to potentially cause a very dangerous loss of profit upon the album's release. Nevertheless in most countries the album debuted relatively well, at number 4 in Australia and number 7 in the UK. The second single from Meds was "Infra-Red
". It was released on 19 June 2006 in the UK.
In 2006, Placebo switched labels in the US to Astralwerks
and re-released several revisions of their earlier works. In October their debut album Placebo was digitally remastered and re-released with the sub-title "10th Anniversary Collectors Edition"; the box set also included a DVD containing music videos, concerts, and TV performances. Three additional songs: "UNEEDMEMORETHANINEEDU", "Lazarus", and "Running Up that Hill" were added to the US version of Meds (and the song "In the Cold Light of Morning" was taken off of the album).
Placebo joined Linkin Park
and various other acts for 2007's Projekt: Revolution tour. The tour is an annual event and, in 2007, Linkin Park decided to make the tour green by donating $1 of every ticket to American Forests
through their charity Music for Relief
.
In 2007, after the Projekt: Revolution tour had been scheduled, Virgin released the Extended Play '07
EP as a simple introduction for new fans to the band's past decade of music. The compilation featured eight songs, namely: "Nancy Boy", "Every You Every Me", "Taste in Men", "The Bitter End", "Meds", "Pure Morning", "Infra-Red", and the cover Kate Bush
's "Running Up that Hill
".
On 1 October 2007, Steven Hewitt left Placebo. Brian Molko commented "Being in a band is very much like being in a marriage, and in couples—in this case a triple—people can grow apart over the years. To say that you don't love your partner anymore is inaccurate, considering all that you've been through and achieved together. There simply comes a point when you realise that you want different things from your relationship and that you can no longer live under the same roof, so to speak." In mid-2008, the band acquired new drummer Steve Forrest. Hewitt went on to form his own band, Love Amongst Ruin
, switching to guitar and singing lead vocals.
Molko gave two performances in 2008. The first was in late October, when he performed on the Serge Gainsbourg
tribute show that was recorded and posted on the Internet; this was the only video of any Placebo member since Projekt Revolution ended in 2007. The second was with the rest of the band, when they gave one live performance in 2008, as part of an MTV Europe Foundation
event, a campaign against human trafficking held in Angkor Wat
in December 2008.
Placebo left EMI in 2008, but the label released the complete Placebo recordings on 8 June 2009, including all the studio albums, DVDs, and B-sides. including all the studio albums, DVDs, and B-sides. It holds ten discs.
, is the first to feature new drummer Steve Forrest. It was released on 8 June 2009, through the PIAS Entertainment Group
. The album was recorded in Toronto, Canada, with producer David Bottrill
.
The album's title track "Battle for the Sun
" debuted on Zane Lowe
's BBC Radio 1
show on 17 March 2009. Subsequently, it became available for free download on the band's official website. On the same day, they played a secret concert in London, performing some of the material from the album, including the tracks "Ashtray Heart", "Julien", "Kitty Litter", "Speak in Tongues", and "Devil in the Details". In their review for the gig, Rock Sound
wrote that the new album is a heavier-sounding record compared to its predecessor Meds, and recalls the atmosphere of Without You I’m Nothing. There are also string arrangements present on the new tracks.
The first single, "For What It's Worth
", made its radio debut on 20 April 2009. It became available for download on iTunes and eMusic
from 12:00am GMT on 21 April 2009, and the video for the single premiered on Myspace
at the same time. It was physically released on 1 June 2009.
In May 2009, Placebo went on to perform three concerts in the United Kingdom, at relatively intimate venues in Sheffield
, Bournemouth
, and London, before departing to the 2009 summer festival
season in Europe and Asia. Unveiling the new album with a full track-by-track rundown, Molko told the Scottish News of the World's A-Listed magazine: "It feels like a new beginning...we're reinvigorated, refreshed and ready to take on the world."
On 13 May 2009, the band's official website, "Placeboworld", was launched in a revamped version with more interactive features and an online shop. From 29 to 31 May 2009, Placebo streamed the new album on their official website. Fans signed up for the official mailing list received a unique code for logging in to 5 listenings of the album in its entirety.
In July 2009, "Every You Every Me" was voted number 83 in Triple J
Hottest 100 of All Time countdown, voted by the Australian public.
On 5 November 2009, Placebo won the MTV Europe Music Awards
for Best Alternative.
In December 2009, Placebo released iTunes Live: London Festival '09, a live album recorded at the iTunes Festival
at The Roundhouse
, Camden
, on 14 July 2009. The album contains 19 live songs and a digital booklet
. It is only currently available through the iTunes Store
.
Following the summer festival season (and a cancellation of the American tour), Placebo went on a series of arena-sized concerts across Europe, in October – December 2009. That leg of the tour culminated in a concert in London's O2 Arena
which was Placebo's largest gig ever in the United Kingdom. In February – April 2010, they toured Southeast Asia, Australia, and South America.
The final leg of the tour saw Placebo play Israel and Lebanon, before returning to Europe for a series of festivals and featured concerts. All Placebo concerts have not been hugely successful, though; in Thessaloniki, Greece, in September 2010 the band performed a mere 50 minutes show, sparking boos from a crowd of thousands. The last shows of the tour took place in London's Brixton Academy on 27–28 September 2010, coinciding with the release of the last album's Redux Edition.
In August 2011, Placebo went on a mini-tour of two shows in Berlin
and Stuttgart
.
The band's second live DVD, We Come In Pieces
, recorded at Brixton Academy, has been released on 31 October 2011.
Molko and Olsdal both stated on various occasions that they are working on material for the next studio album.
. The multi-national band were influenced by the likes of David Bowie
, Sex Pistols
, Sonic Youth
, Pixies, Depeche Mode
, The Cure
, and Nirvana.
Rock music
Rock music is a genre of popular music that developed during and after the 1960s, particularly in the United Kingdom and the United States. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rock and roll, itself heavily influenced by rhythm and blues and country music...
band from London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko
Brian Molko
Brian Molko is a songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the band Placebo. He is known in particular for his high-pitched vocals, androgynous appearance, and unique, Sonic Youth-influenced guitar style and tuning.-Early life:Born to an American father of French-Italian heritage and a Scottish...
and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal
Stefan Olsdal
Stefan Olsdal is the bassist/guitarist of the alternative rock band Placebo and is part of the electronic dance/DJ and remix act Hotel Persona.-Biography:...
. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg
Robert Schultzberg
Robert Schultzberg was the original drummer for alternative rock band Placebo. Schultzberg had known Stefan Olsdal from a band in school in Sweden they were both in in 1993 and joined Placebo when the band formed in September 1994, helping them to record their first studio demo in April 1995,...
, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt
Steve Hewitt
Steven James Hewitt is the singer and guitarist in Love Amongst Ruin, having previously been the drummer for Placebo between mid-1996 and October 2007.-Personal life:...
after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and was replaced by Steve Forrest in 2008. To date, they have released six studio albums, six EPs, and twenty-nine singles and have sold over ten million records worldwide.
Since their formation, the band have attracted popularity and notoriety in equal measures for their subversive musical content and androgynous
Androgyny
Androgyny is a term derived from the Greek words ανήρ, stem ανδρ- and γυνή , referring to the combination of masculine and feminine characteristics...
image. Their style has progressed since their first album, which featured raw guitar riffs and a fairly minimalistic line-up, with following albums featuring a more diverse and polished sound, including experimentation with synthesizers and other less traditional forms of sound production.
Formation (1994–1996)
Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal had both attended the American International School of LuxembourgInternational School of Luxembourg
The International School of Luxembourg, ISL , is a privately owned non-profit school in Luxembourg City, in southern Luxembourg. The school has over forty nationalities amongst over 950 students...
, 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
South Kensington tube station
South Kensington is a London Underground station in Kensington, west London. It is served by the District, Circle and Piccadilly lines. On the District and Circle lines, the station is between Gloucester Road and Sloane Square, and on the Piccadilly Line, it is between Gloucester Road and...
. 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. The two formed Ashtray Heart, a lo-fi duo, playing mostly on toy instruments. They wrote four songs, but decided to try out as a serious band and started to scout for a drummer.
Originally, the two were unable to decide on a drummer. Molko had some experience playing with Steve Hewitt
Steve Hewitt
Steven James Hewitt is the singer and guitarist in Love Amongst Ruin, having previously been the drummer for Placebo between mid-1996 and October 2007.-Personal life:...
, making him the ideal choice. However, Hewitt had prior commitments to the London band Breed, and only had time to play on occasional demos with Molko and Olsdal. This led Robert Schultzberg
Robert Schultzberg
Robert Schultzberg was the original drummer for alternative rock band Placebo. Schultzberg had known Stefan Olsdal from a band in school in Sweden they were both in in 1993 and joined Placebo when the band formed in September 1994, helping them to record their first studio demo in April 1995,...
to assume the position of drummer when the band signed its contract with Caroline Records. Schultzberg had known Olsdal from boarding school in Sigtuna, Sweden as well as from an earlier Swedish band, Elevating Addiction, which they had both been members of.
The name "Placebo", Olsdal remarked in an MTV interview, was chosen because of its Latin origins; “placebo” literally translates from Latin as “I will please". Frequently in interviews, Molko has stated that the name is a satirical reflection of the 1990s cliche of naming one's band after a drug, though Olsdal claims this was not the original motivation for naming the band "Placebo". 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.
Debut album, lineup change and glam connection (1996–1998)
Placebo's self titled debut albumPlacebo (album)
Placebo is the self-titled debut studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, released on the Hut Records label on 16 July 1996.-Reception:In 1998, Q magazine readers voted it the 87th greatest album of all time...
was released 16 July 1996 and was a major success, peaking at five on the UK Albums Chart
UK Albums Chart
The UK Albums Chart is a list of albums ranked by physical and digital sales in the United Kingdom. It is compiled every week by The Official Charts Company and broadcast on a Sunday on BBC Radio 1 , and published in Music Week magazine and on the OCC website .To qualify for the UK albums chart...
s at the height of the Britpop
Britpop
Britpop is a subgenre of alternative rock that originated in the United Kingdom. Britpop emerged from the British independent music scene of the early 1990s and was characterised by bands influenced by British guitar pop music of the 1960s and 1970s...
era. The album featured ten tracks (eleven including the hidden bonus track "Hong Kong Farewell"), their most popular being "Nancy Boy
Nancy Boy
"Nancy Boy" is a song by British alternative rock band Placebo, released as the third single from their self-titled debut album. It was released on January 20, 1997 and became their breakthrough single, reaching #4 in the UK charts and making them known to mainstream audiences. As with their first...
". In 1998, Q Magazine readers voted Placebo the 87th greatest album of all time. The band remastered and reissued the album on 18 September 2006 for its tenth anniversary.
Tension with Schultzberg began to rise. The band initially let him go in September 1995, but he was rehired to record the first seven inch single "Bruise Pristine
Bruise Pristine
"Bruise Pristine" was the first single by alternative rock band Placebo, taken from their self-titled debut album.It was used as a part of the soundtrack to the 1997 PlayStation game Gran Turismo.-Song information:...
". After an argument in August 1996, right before doing their first TV show, Molko decided that it would be best for the band if Schultzberg left. But Schultzberg suggested playing together until they finished the promotion of their first album, Placebo, and the band accepted.
Eventually, Schultzberg did indeed leave the band in September 1996, on a United States tour. Before going on stage for their first show in New York state, Olsdal informed Schultzberg that he wasn't going on the tour in Germany that was following the US one. At the manager’s request, Schultzberg did two more shows with the band in Paris after the US tour, the last of which was a performance on “Nulle Part Aillleurs”. Molko has said that he was "tired of being the focus of Robert’s rages against the world." While Schultzberg was with the band, several early works were recorded, including their first 7" single "Bruise Pristine", the "Come Home
Come Home (Placebo song)
"Come Home" was the second single by alternative rock band Placebo. This is a different version of the lead track from the eponymous debut album. It reached #103 in the UK Singles Chart, and it was available on CD and 7" record. "Oxygen Thief" appears on no other releases.-Single information:It...
" EP, the single version of "Nancy Boy" (with B-sides "Slackerbitch", "Miss Moneypenny", and the Smiths
The Smiths
The Smiths were an English alternative rock band, formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the song writing partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce...
cover "Bigmouth Strikes Again") and their eponymous debut album. On the track "I Know", Schultzberg played didgeridoo
Didgeridoo
The didgeridoo is a wind instrument developed by Indigenous Australians of northern Australia around 1,500 years ago and still in widespread usage today both in Australia and around the world. It is sometimes described as a natural wooden trumpet or "drone pipe"...
as well as drums. His departure left many fans disappointed, because the band switched to a softer sound in the following albums. In the same year, however, they were able to convince Hewitt to return to Placebo as their full-time drummer. Molko remembers: “Even at the beginning, Robert and I couldn’t be in the same room with each other without wanting to be violent."
In early 1996, Placebo opened several concerts for David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
in Italy, France, and Switzerland as part of his Outside Tour
Outside Tour
The Outside Tour, with David Bowie and Nine Inch Nails co-headlining, opened on 14 September 1995 at Meadows Music Theatre - Hartford, CT with Prick as support band. On selected dates Reeves Gabrels performed songs from his album, The Sacred Squall of Now in addition to performing with Nine Inch...
after he had only heard one of their demos. Bowie also invited the trio to play at his 50th birthday at New York's Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden
Madison Square Garden, often abbreviated as MSG and known colloquially as The Garden, is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the New York City borough of Manhattan and located at 8th Avenue, between 31st and 33rd Streets, situated on top of Pennsylvania Station.Opened on February 11, 1968, it is the...
in 1997. The party also included luminaries such as Billy Corgan
Billy Corgan
William Patrick "Billy" Corgan, Jr. is an American singer, songwriter, guitarist and occasional poet best known as the frontman and sole permanent member of The Smashing Pumpkins. Formed by Corgan and guitarist James Iha in Chicago, Illinois in 1987, the band quickly gained steam with the...
of The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins
The Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan frontman and James Iha , the band has included Jimmy Chamberlin , D'arcy Wretzky , and currently includes Jeff Schroeder Mike Byrne , and Nicole Fiorentino The Smashing...
, Robert Smith
Robert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
of The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, and Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
.
The band's glam
Glam rock
Glam rock is a style of rock and pop music that developed in the UK in the early 1970s, which was performed by singers and musicians who wore outrageous clothes, makeup and hairstyles, particularly platform-soled boots and glitter...
connections continued. In 1998, Placebo recorded a cover of T. Rex's "20th Century Boy
20th Century Boy
"20th Century Boy" is a song by T. Rex, written by Marc Bolan. It was released as a single in 1973 and reached #3 in the UK Singles Chart. The song did not feature on an original studio album but was included as a bonus track on a reissue of 1973 album Tanx.It later returned to the UK Top 20 in...
" for the Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine
Velvet Goldmine is a 1998 British/American drama film directed and co-written by Todd Haynes. The film tells the story of a pop star based mainly on David Bowie's 'Ziggy Stardust' character and is set in Britain during the days of glam rock in the early 1970s.Sandy Powell received another Academy...
soundtrack. The band also had minor roles in the film. Bowie made a special appearance on-stage with Placebo during a tour stop in New York. A version of the song "Without You I'm Nothing
Without You I'm Nothing (Placebo song)
"Without You I'm Nothing" is a single by British alternative rock band Placebo. The title track of their second album, the single version featured additional vocals by David Bowie...
", which originally appeared on the album with the same name, featured a duet containing both Molko and Bowie. Placebo played "20th Century Boy" live with David Bowie at the BRIT Awards
Brit Awards
The Brit Awards are the British Phonographic Industry's annual pop music awards. The name was originally a shortened form of "British", "Britain" or "Britannia", but subsequently became a backronym for British Record Industry Trust...
show in 1999.
Without You I'm Nothing and Black Market Music (1998–2002)
In 1998, Placebo switched to the major label Virgin RecordsVirgin Records
Virgin Records is a British record label founded by English entrepreneur Richard Branson, Simon Draper, and Nik Powell in 1972. The company grew to be a worldwide music phenomenon, with platinum performers such as Roy Orbison, Devo, Genesis, Keith Richards, Janet Jackson, Culture Club, Lenny...
, and issued their album Without You I'm Nothing
Without You I'm Nothing (Placebo album)
Without You I'm Nothing is the second studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, released in 1998 via Hut Records. The song "Pure Morning" was the first Placebo single to have moderate success in the United States.- Production :...
in November. It was another large seller in the UK and initially appeared to be the group's breakthrough in the US market, where MTV embraced the album's lead single "Pure Morning
Pure Morning
"Pure Morning" is a single by British alternative rock band Placebo, taken from their second album Without You I'm Nothing.The song was initially recorded as a B-side, but the band liked it so much that they decided to put it on the album; it is usually considered to be their second most played...
", but subsequent singles and videos failed to match the success of its predecessor.
The first two singles from Without You I'm Nothing, "You Don't Care About Us
You Don't Care About Us
"You Don't Care About Us" is a single by British alternative rock band Placebo, taken from their second album, Without You I'm Nothing. It reached #5 in the UK Singles Chart. The video portrays the band being thrown one by one into a tank full of sharks while a group of children stand by and watch...
" and "Pure Morning", were the peak of their British success, both charting in the top ten. Since Without You I'm Nothing, the band have received less positive coverage from the British music press who, on occasion, have mocked the perceived pretension of frontman Molko. However, the band has retained a huge popular and critical following in continental Europe. By way of their English-accented fluent French front-man, France has become their first target market in Europe, which has led to them gaining a huge popularity there, even in excess of their British fan base.
The band's third album, Black Market Music, released in October 2000, further experimented with genres outside of their tense rock sound. A re-sequenced version released in the United States featured a slightly different track listing, adding the aforementioned Bowie version of "Without You I'm Nothing" and the band's cover of Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
's "I Feel You
I Feel You
"I Feel You" is Depeche Mode's twenty-seventh UK single, released on February 15, 1993, and the first single for the then upcoming album Songs of Faith and Devotion. The song peaked at #8 on the UK Singles Chart and also made #1 and #3 on the US Modern Rock Tracks and Hot Dance Music/Club Play...
". The recording spawned additional UK hits such as "Taste in Men
Taste in Men
"Taste in Men" is a single by alternative rock band Placebo. Taken from their third album, it reached number 16 in the UK singles chart.-Music video:...
" and "Slave to the Wage
Slave to the Wage
"Slave to the Wage" is a single by alternative rock band Placebo. Taken from their third album, it reached number 19 in the UK Singles Chart. The song, inspired by the drudgery of having a "9 to 5" job in the modern world, is about not working oneself into an early grave. Bob Dylan's "Maggie's...
".
Placebo encountered resistance from the British music industry upon release of the single "Special K
Special K (song)
"Special K" is an EP by alternative rock band Placebo, taken from their third album, Black Market Music. The song has many drug references: the "special K" in the title refers to the drug ketamine.-Track listing:#"Special K" - 3:51...
" due to its reference of a ketamine
Ketamine
Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar. Pharmacologically, ketamine is classified as an NMDA receptor antagonist...
high as a simile
Simile
A simile is a figure of speech that directly compares two different things, usually by employing the words "like", "as". Even though both similes and metaphors are forms of comparison, similes indirectly compare the two ideas and allow them to remain distinct in spite of their similarities, whereas...
for love. The song was released in Australia as a single before eventually being made available in the UK as an EP featuring the B-sides and remixes that would have filled out a conventional two-disc single release. At the time the band claimed this was due to dissatisfaction with the two-disc single format, a claim somewhat undermined by their subsequent single releases all being made available in two-CD formats accompanied by a 7" vinyl.
Their style altered little from Placebo to Black Market Music, based around fairly straightforward guitar playing, often influenced by the style of 1970s British and American rock, and Molko's high-pitched vocals. The first single for the album, "Taste in Men", was one of their most popular, with a trancy synthesiser in the background and wailing distorted guitars. Black Market Music did not receive the same level of long term recognition and media hype as Without You I'm Nothing did, but its peak sales outperformed those of its predecessor in both the UK and France.
Sleeping With Ghosts and Once More with Feeling: Singles 1996–2004 (2003-2005)
In spring 2003, Placebo released their fourth album, Sleeping with GhostsSleeping with Ghosts
Sleeping with Ghosts is the fourth studio album by English alternative rock band Placebo, released in 2003 through Astralwerks and Hut Records...
. The album went to number 11 in the UK and sold 1.4 million copies worldwide. Australian tour dates with Elbow
Elbow (band)
Elbow are an English rock band. They have played together since 1990 and recorded five studio albums, the most recent of which is Build a Rocket Boys!, released in March 2011...
and UK shows with Har Mar Superstar
Har Mar Superstar
Sean Matthew Tillmann , better known by his stage names of Har Mar Superstar and Sean Na Na, is an American singer.-Life and career:...
followed in 2004. Sleeping with Ghosts was more adventurous than Black Market Music, because it experimented with dance tunes, electronic music and a less rocky—more polished—guitar sound, though it kept the traditional sound for several songs, including the first single "The Bitter End
The Bitter End (song)
"The Bitter End" is a single by British alternative rock band Placebo from their fourth studio album, Sleeping with Ghosts, released in 2003.The song is based around the novel Nineteen Eighty-Four by George Orwell...
".
In spring of 2004, the band released their first live concert DVD, Soulmates Never Die (Live in Paris 2003)
Soulmates Never Die (Live in Paris 2003)
Soulmates Never Die is the first live DVD release by the band Placebo that was released mainstream and was made available worldwide. The DVD was released in Great Britain on March 15, 2004 and in the United States and Canada on June 29, 2004...
. The footage was recorded in October 2003, during a concert performed in Paris, France. The DVD also includes a 25-minute documentary.
In autumn of 2004, Placebo's singles collection, Once More with Feeling: Singles 1996–2004 was released (on both CD and as a DVD featuring the band's videos). The nineteen song compilation included their biggest UK hits and two new tracks, "I Do" and the single "Twenty Years".
That same year, they played a one-night-only gig at Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena
Wembley Arena is an indoor arena, at Wembley, in the London Borough of Brent. The building is opposite Wembley Stadium.-History:...
in which Robert Smith of The Cure made a guest appearance on two tracks, "Without You I'm Nothing" and a cover of The Cure's "Boys Don't Cry
Boys Don't Cry (song)
"Boys Don't Cry" was the second single to be released by The Cure, released in June 1979. It was released in the UK as a stand-alone single, and was included as the title track on Boys Don't Cry, the American equivalent to Three Imaginary Boys....
". This performance was to be their last UK gig until 2006. After the Wembley gig, Placebo went on a short Once More With Feeling tour in South America. On 2 July 2005, the group performed "Twenty Years" and "The Bitter End" at the Live 8
Live 8
Live 8 was a string of benefit concerts that took place on 2 July 2005, in the G8 states and in South Africa. They were timed to precede the G8 Conference and summit held at the Gleneagles Hotel in Auchterarder, Scotland from 6–8 July 2005; they also coincided with the 20th anniversary of Live Aid...
concert, at the Palais de Versailles
Palace of Versailles
The Palace of Versailles , or simply Versailles, is a royal château in Versailles in the Île-de-France region of France. In French it is the Château de Versailles....
in France (see Live 8 concert, Paris
Live 8 concert, Paris
On 2 July 2005, a Live 8 concert was held at the Palais de Versailles, Paris, France.The event is also referred to as "Live 8 Paris" or "Live 8 France"...
). Their 2006 tour of the UK sold out in one weekend.
There was a bit of controversy while the band was on their promotional South American Tour. As revealed on the Once More With Feeling DVD extras, whilst on tour in South America, Placebo and Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit
Limp Bizkit is an American rock band from Jacksonville, Florida. Formed in 1995, the group's lineup consists of Fred Durst , Wes Borland , Sam Rivers , John Otto and DJ Lethal . The band achieved mainstream success with their second studio album Significant Other, released in 1999...
played on the same evening. Trouble occurred when Placebo's manager would not let Fred Durst
Fred Durst
William Frederick "Fred" Durst is an American musician, director, producer and actor, well known as the frontman of the band Limp Bizkit.-Early life:...
on stage as he did not recognise him and thought he was simply a fan trying to get an autograph. After eventually getting on stage, Durst began the chant "Placebo sucks". Later, Placebo's roadie Adam Okrasinski was charged with aggravated battery when he allegedly punched a member of Durst's entourage in an altercation that took place after the show between members of both band's camps. Charges were later dropped in lieu of community service.
Meds and lineup change (2006–2009)
Meds
Meds is the fifth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, released in 2006 on Virgin Records. It was released in most countries on 13 March 2006, although it was released three days earlier in Australia and New Zealand...
which was released 13 March (delayed in the US until 4 April). The first single on the new album to be released in the UK was "Because I Want You". "Song to Say Goodbye" was the first international single (released simultaneously with "Because I Want You"). The album was remastered from October to January. Two songs, recorded on the album, feature duets with American singers: "Meds" with Alison Mosshart
Alison Mosshart
Alison Nicole Mosshart is an American singer, songwriter and occasional model best known as the lead vocalist for the indie rock band The Kills and blues rock band The Dead Weather. She started her musical career in 1995 with the Florida punk rock band Discount which disbanded in 2000...
of The Kills
The Kills
The Kills is a rock band formed by American singer Alison Mosshart and British guitarist Jamie Hince . Their first three albums, Keep On Your Mean Side, No Wow, and Midnight Boom, have garnered much critical praise...
and "Broken Promise" with Michael Stipe
Michael Stipe
John Michael Stipe is an American singer and lyricist. He was the lead vocalist of the alternative rock band R.E.M.Stipe is noted and occasionally parodied for the "mumbling" style of his early career as well as his social and political activism. He was in charge of R.E.M.'s visual image; often...
of R.E.M.
R.E.M.
R.E.M. was an American rock band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1980 by singer Michael Stipe, guitarist Peter Buck, bassist Mike Mills and drummer Bill Berry. One of the first popular alternative rock bands, R.E.M. gained early attention due to Buck's ringing, arpeggiated guitar style and Stipe's...
. Frenchman Dimitri Tikovoi (Goldfrapp, the Cranes) who mixed select songs on Once More with Feeling, produced Placebo's fifth effort. The band has stated that the album is an attempt to capture the feel of a first album, though the album has not forgotten many of the techniques used in their previous ones.
Meds was leaked to the internet on 17 January 2006. The official release date of Meds was 13 March 2006, making the leak almost two months early. It was projected by the band's record label to potentially cause a very dangerous loss of profit upon the album's release. Nevertheless in most countries the album debuted relatively well, at number 4 in Australia and number 7 in the UK. The second single from Meds was "Infra-Red
Infra-red (song)
"Infra-Red" is the third single from Placebo's fifth studio album, Meds, and was released on 19 June 2006. The song peaked #42 in the UK, #35 on the U.S...
". It was released on 19 June 2006 in the UK.
In 2006, Placebo switched labels in the US to Astralwerks
Astralwerks
Astralwerks is a New York-based record label that releases primarily electronic music. It is owned by Virgin Records/EMI and distributed by Caroline Distribution in the United States....
and re-released several revisions of their earlier works. In October their debut album Placebo was digitally remastered and re-released with the sub-title "10th Anniversary Collectors Edition"; the box set also included a DVD containing music videos, concerts, and TV performances. Three additional songs: "UNEEDMEMORETHANINEEDU", "Lazarus", and "Running Up that Hill" were added to the US version of Meds (and the song "In the Cold Light of Morning" was taken off of the album).
Placebo joined Linkin Park
Linkin Park
Linkin Park is an American rock band from Agoura Hills, California. Formed in 1996, the band rose to international fame with their debut album, Hybrid Theory, which was certified Diamond by the RIAA in 2005 and multi-platinum in several other countries...
and various other acts for 2007's Projekt: Revolution tour. The tour is an annual event and, in 2007, Linkin Park decided to make the tour green by donating $1 of every ticket to American Forests
American Forests
American Forests is a 501 non-profit conservation organization dedicated to protecting and restoring healthy forest ecosystems. Their stated mission is to "grow a healthier world with trees". The organization was established in 1875 as the American Forestry Association by physician and...
through their charity Music for Relief
Music for Relief
Music For Relief is a charity founded by the band Linkin Park. The goal is to provide relief to victims of natural disasters and to bring awareness to global warming.-About:...
.
In 2007, after the Projekt: Revolution tour had been scheduled, Virgin released the Extended Play '07
Extended Play '07
-Personnel:* Brian Molko – Vocals, Guitar* Stefan Olsdal – Guitar, Bass, Backing vocals* Steve Hewitt – Drums, Percussion, Backing vocals...
EP as a simple introduction for new fans to the band's past decade of music. The compilation featured eight songs, namely: "Nancy Boy", "Every You Every Me", "Taste in Men", "The Bitter End", "Meds", "Pure Morning", "Infra-Red", and the cover Kate Bush
Kate Bush
Kate Bush is an English singer-songwriter, musician and record producer. Her eclectic musical style and idiosyncratic vocal style have made her one of the United Kingdom's most successful solo female performers of the past 30 years.In 1978, at the age of 19, Bush topped the UK Singles Chart...
's "Running Up that Hill
Running Up That Hill
12" Maxi single -Charts:-Placebo version:Alternative rock band Placebo covered "Running Up that Hill", releasing it originally on the bonus disc of their 2003 album Sleeping with Ghosts, then featuring it on Covers and the US version of Meds in 2007. Placebo's take on the song is more downbeat than...
".
On 1 October 2007, Steven Hewitt left Placebo. Brian Molko commented "Being in a band is very much like being in a marriage, and in couples—in this case a triple—people can grow apart over the years. To say that you don't love your partner anymore is inaccurate, considering all that you've been through and achieved together. There simply comes a point when you realise that you want different things from your relationship and that you can no longer live under the same roof, so to speak." In mid-2008, the band acquired new drummer Steve Forrest. Hewitt went on to form his own band, Love Amongst Ruin
Love Amongst Ruin
Love Amongst Ruin are a London rock band, led by ex-Placebo drummer Steve Hewitt.-Beginnings and formation:Upon his dismissal from Placebo after the conclusion of their Meds tour in September 2007, Steve Hewitt had a vision "to create a new band, a new album and a new sound"...
, switching to guitar and singing lead vocals.
Molko gave two performances in 2008. The first was in late October, when he performed on the Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg
Serge Gainsbourg, born Lucien Ginsburg was a French singer-songwriter, actor and director. Gainsbourg's extremely varied musical style and individuality make him difficult to categorize...
tribute show that was recorded and posted on the Internet; this was the only video of any Placebo member since Projekt Revolution ended in 2007. The second was with the rest of the band, when they gave one live performance in 2008, as part of an MTV Europe Foundation
MTV Europe Foundation
The MTV Europe Foundation was established in 2003 by MTV Networks Europe to expand its commitment to social issues and human rights. As a result, MTV Networks Europe launched the MTV Europe Foundation, a legally independent, but closely related, corporate charity. The MTV Europe Foundation is...
event, a campaign against human trafficking held in Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat
Angkor Wat is a temple complex at Angkor, Cambodia, built for the king Suryavarman II in the early 12th century as his state temple and capital city. As the best-preserved temple at the site, it is the only one to have remained a significant religious centre since its foundation – first Hindu,...
in December 2008.
Placebo left EMI in 2008, but the label released the complete Placebo recordings on 8 June 2009, including all the studio albums, DVDs, and B-sides. including all the studio albums, DVDs, and B-sides. It holds ten discs.
Battle for the Sun (2009–2011)
In January 2009, Placebo confirmed that they had finished working on the follow-up to 2006's Meds and planned to release it in June 2009. The full track list was announced on the band's website in March 2009. The album, Battle for the SunBattle for the Sun
Battle for the Sun is the sixth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, released in 2009 on Solitary Man Records, Vagrant Records, Universal Records, and PIAS Recordings.-Production and recording:...
, is the first to feature new drummer Steve Forrest. It was released on 8 June 2009, through the PIAS Entertainment Group
PIAS Entertainment Group
PIAS is an international licensing, distribution, sales and marketing company for premium music, film and comedy.Headquartered in Brussels, Belgium, the group also has significant operations in the UK, France, Netherlands, Spain, Germany, and Ireland....
. The album was recorded in Toronto, Canada, with producer David Bottrill
David Bottrill
David Bottrill is a Canadian record producer. He has won three Grammys. Currently, he owns Rattlebox Studios in Toronto, Ontario with producer Brian Moncarz...
.
The album's title track "Battle for the Sun
Battle for the Sun (song)
"Battle for the Sun" is a song from the album Battle for the Sun by the alternative rock band Placebo. It features an electric violin in the background, and Molko repeating several words in the lyrics multiple times...
" debuted on Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe
Zane Lowe also known as 'Zipper', is a radio DJ and television presenter. He was born in New Zealand and grew up in Auckland, where he was a presenter on the local music station Max TV, before moving to England...
's BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
show on 17 March 2009. Subsequently, it became available for free download on the band's official website. On the same day, they played a secret concert in London, performing some of the material from the album, including the tracks "Ashtray Heart", "Julien", "Kitty Litter", "Speak in Tongues", and "Devil in the Details". In their review for the gig, Rock Sound
Rock Sound
Rock Sound is a British magazine which champions rock music. The magazine aims at being more "underground" and less commercial, whilst also giving coverage to more well known acts.-History:...
wrote that the new album is a heavier-sounding record compared to its predecessor Meds, and recalls the atmosphere of Without You I’m Nothing. There are also string arrangements present on the new tracks.
The first single, "For What It's Worth
For What It's Worth (Placebo song)
"For What It's Worth" is the first official single from Placebo's sixth studio album, Battle for the Sun.-Release:It was released on April 20, 2009, in a similar fashion to "Battle for the Sun", i.e...
", made its radio debut on 20 April 2009. It became available for download on iTunes and eMusic
EMusic
eMusic is an online music and audiobook store that operates by subscription. It is headquartered in New York City with an office in London and owned by Dimensional Associates. As of September 2008 eMusic has over 400,000 subscribers....
from 12:00am GMT on 21 April 2009, and the video for the single premiered on Myspace
Myspace
Myspace is a social networking service owned by Specific Media LLC and pop star Justin Timberlake. Myspace launched in August 2003 and is headquartered in Beverly Hills, California. In August 2011, Myspace had 33.1 million unique U.S. visitors....
at the same time. It was physically released on 1 June 2009.
In May 2009, Placebo went on to perform three concerts in the United Kingdom, at relatively intimate venues in Sheffield
Sheffield
Sheffield is a city and metropolitan borough of South Yorkshire, England. Its name derives from the River Sheaf, which runs through the city. Historically a part of the West Riding of Yorkshire, and with some of its southern suburbs annexed from Derbyshire, the city has grown from its largely...
, Bournemouth
Bournemouth
Bournemouth is a large coastal resort town in the ceremonial county of Dorset, England. According to the 2001 Census the town has a population of 163,444, making it the largest settlement in Dorset. It is also the largest settlement between Southampton and Plymouth...
, and London, before departing to the 2009 summer festival
Rock festival
A rock festival, or a rock fest, is a large-scale rock music concert, featuring multiple acts.The first rock festivals were put on in the late 1960s and were important socio-cultural milestones. In the 1980s a minor resurgence of festivals occurred with charity as the goal.Today, they are often...
season in Europe and Asia. Unveiling the new album with a full track-by-track rundown, Molko told the Scottish News of the World's A-Listed magazine: "It feels like a new beginning...we're reinvigorated, refreshed and ready to take on the world."
On 13 May 2009, the band's official website, "Placeboworld", was launched in a revamped version with more interactive features and an online shop. From 29 to 31 May 2009, Placebo streamed the new album on their official website. Fans signed up for the official mailing list received a unique code for logging in to 5 listenings of the album in its entirety.
In July 2009, "Every You Every Me" was voted number 83 in Triple J
Triple J
triple j is a nationally networked Australian radio station intended to appeal to listeners between the ages of 18 and 30. The government-funded station is a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation...
Hottest 100 of All Time countdown, voted by the Australian public.
On 5 November 2009, Placebo won the MTV Europe Music Awards
MTV Europe Music Awards
The MTV Europe Music Awards were established in 1994 by MTV Networks Europe to celebrate the most popular music videos in Europe. Originally beginning as an alternative to the American MTV Video Music Awards, the MTV Europe Music Awards is today a popular celebration of what MTV viewers consider...
for Best Alternative.
In December 2009, Placebo released iTunes Live: London Festival '09, a live album recorded at the iTunes Festival
ITunes Festival
The iTunes Festival is an annual music festival and concert series which is held in London at The Roundhouse art centre and sponsored by Apple Inc. It was first held in 2007...
at The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse
The Roundhouse is a Grade II* listed former railway engine shed in Chalk Farm, London, England, which has been converted into a performing arts and concert venue. It was originally built in 1847 as a roundhouse , a circular building containing a railway turntable, but was only used for railway...
, Camden
London Borough of Camden
In 1801, the civil parishes that form the modern borough were already developed and had a total population of 96,795. This continued to rise swiftly throughout the 19th century, as the district became built up; reaching 270,197 in the middle of the century...
, on 14 July 2009. The album contains 19 live songs and a digital booklet
Digital booklet
Digital booklets are the digital equivalent of liner notes that often accompany digital music purchases. They are most commonly distributed in Portable Document Format. One well-known distributor of digital booklets with digital purchases is the iTunes Store; the first instance of this on the...
. It is only currently available through the iTunes Store
ITunes Store
The iTunes Store is a software-based online digital media store operated by Apple. Opening as the iTunes Music Store on April 28, 2003, with over 200,000 items to purchase, it is, as of April 2008, the number-one music vendor in the United States...
.
Following the summer festival season (and a cancellation of the American tour), Placebo went on a series of arena-sized concerts across Europe, in October – December 2009. That leg of the tour culminated in a concert in London's O2 Arena
The O2 (London)
The O2, visually typeset in branding as The O2, is a large entertainment district on the Greenwich peninsula in South East London, England, including an indoor arena, a music club, a Cineworld cinema, an exhibition space, piazzas, bars and restaurants...
which was Placebo's largest gig ever in the United Kingdom. In February – April 2010, they toured Southeast Asia, Australia, and South America.
The final leg of the tour saw Placebo play Israel and Lebanon, before returning to Europe for a series of festivals and featured concerts. All Placebo concerts have not been hugely successful, though; in Thessaloniki, Greece, in September 2010 the band performed a mere 50 minutes show, sparking boos from a crowd of thousands. The last shows of the tour took place in London's Brixton Academy on 27–28 September 2010, coinciding with the release of the last album's Redux Edition.
In August 2011, Placebo went on a mini-tour of two shows in Berlin
Berlin
Berlin is the capital city of Germany and is one of the 16 states of Germany. With a population of 3.45 million people, Berlin is Germany's largest city. It is the second most populous city proper and the seventh most populous urban area in the European Union...
and Stuttgart
Stuttgart
Stuttgart is the capital of the state of Baden-Württemberg in southern Germany. The sixth-largest city in Germany, Stuttgart has a population of 600,038 while the metropolitan area has a population of 5.3 million ....
.
The band's second live DVD, We Come In Pieces
We Come in Pieces
We Come In Pieces is the second live DVD by the alternative rock band Placebo. It was announced on August 24, 2011 and released on October 31, 2011. It was recorded during a Placebo concert in Brixton Academy, London, on September 28, 2010, the final show of the Battle For The Sun tour...
, recorded at Brixton Academy, has been released on 31 October 2011.
Molko and Olsdal both stated on various occasions that they are working on material for the next studio album.
7th Studio Album (2011-Present )
Placebo announced via their Facebook page and official website, in November 2011, that they will be returning to the studio in 2012, to record their 7th album. On November 29th they also announced they would be headlining the Sundance Festival, in April 2012.Influences
Due to their penchant for androgynous attire/makeup and raw guitar riffs, Placebo have been described by some as a glam version of NirvanaNirvana (band)
Nirvana was an American rock band that was formed by singer/guitarist Kurt Cobain and bassist Krist Novoselic in Aberdeen, Washington in 1987...
. The multi-national band were influenced by the likes of David Bowie
David Bowie
David Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. A major figure for over four decades in the world of popular music, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
, Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols
The Sex Pistols were an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. They were responsible for initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and inspiring many later punk and alternative rock musicians...
, Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth
Sonic Youth is an American alternative rock band from New York City, formed in 1981. The current lineup consists of Thurston Moore , Kim Gordon , Lee Ranaldo , Steve Shelley , and Mark Ibold .In their early career, Sonic Youth was associated with the No Wave art and music scene in New York City...
, Pixies, Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode
Depeche Mode are an English electronic music band formed in 1980 in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andy Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
, The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
, and Nirvana.
Drugs
Molko has been open about his use of recreational drugs; in a 1997 interview with New York Doll, he admitted at one point that heroin was "probably the only drug on this planet I haven’t tried." However, he later admitted to experimenting with heroin as well. The band holds that the drug references within their music reflect the nature of current times, and the removal of such references would deteriorate the meaningfulness of their work.Current members
- Brian MolkoBrian MolkoBrian Molko is a songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the band Placebo. He is known in particular for his high-pitched vocals, androgynous appearance, and unique, Sonic Youth-influenced guitar style and tuning.-Early life:Born to an American father of French-Italian heritage and a Scottish...
– lead vocals, guitars, bass, keyboards (since 1994) - Stefan OlsdalStefan OlsdalStefan Olsdal is the bassist/guitarist of the alternative rock band Placebo and is part of the electronic dance/DJ and remix act Hotel Persona.-Biography:...
– bass, guitars, keyboards, backing vocals (since 1994) - Steve ForrestSteve Forrest (musician)Steven Forrest is a drummer with the band Placebo.Before joining Placebo, Forrest was drummer for the Ambient rock band Evaline...
– drums, percussion, backing vocals (since 2008)
Additional live members
- Bill Lloyd – bass, keyboards, synthesizers, piano (since 1998)
- Fiona BriceFiona BriceFiona Brice is a composer, orchestral arranger and violinist. She is known as sidewoman with the alternative rock band Placebo.Brice writes orchestral arrangements for various artists and has toured & recorded with several major pop artists, including Placebo, Kanye West, Sugababes, Boy George,...
– violin, keyboards, piano, theremin, percussion, backing vocals (since 2008) - Nick Gavrilovic – guitars, lap steel, keyboards, piano, percussion, backing vocals (since 2009)
Former members
- Steve HewittSteve HewittSteven James Hewitt is the singer and guitarist in Love Amongst Ruin, having previously been the drummer for Placebo between mid-1996 and October 2007.-Personal life:...
– drums, percussion (1994, 1996–2007) - Robert SchultzbergRobert SchultzbergRobert Schultzberg was the original drummer for alternative rock band Placebo. Schultzberg had known Stefan Olsdal from a band in school in Sweden they were both in in 1993 and joined Placebo when the band formed in September 1994, helping them to record their first studio demo in April 1995,...
– drums, percussion, didgeridoo (1994–1996) - Xavior Roide – keyboards, synthesizers, piano, backing vocals (2003–2005) (touring member)
- Alex LeeAlex LeeAlex Lee is an English musician. Lee is a multi-instrumentalist who has played guitar and keyboards for Goldfrapp, Strangelove, Suede, Placebo and The Blue Aeroplanes amongst others...
– guitars, keyboards, piano, backing vocals (2006–2007) (touring member)
Discography
- PlaceboPlacebo (album)Placebo is the self-titled debut studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, released on the Hut Records label on 16 July 1996.-Reception:In 1998, Q magazine readers voted it the 87th greatest album of all time...
(1996) - Without You I'm NothingWithout You I'm Nothing (Placebo album)Without You I'm Nothing is the second studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, released in 1998 via Hut Records. The song "Pure Morning" was the first Placebo single to have moderate success in the United States.- Production :...
(1998) - Black Market Music (2000)
- Sleeping with GhostsSleeping with GhostsSleeping with Ghosts is the fourth studio album by English alternative rock band Placebo, released in 2003 through Astralwerks and Hut Records...
(2003) - MedsMedsMeds is the fifth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, released in 2006 on Virgin Records. It was released in most countries on 13 March 2006, although it was released three days earlier in Australia and New Zealand...
(2006) - Battle for the SunBattle for the SunBattle for the Sun is the sixth studio album by British alternative rock band Placebo, released in 2009 on Solitary Man Records, Vagrant Records, Universal Records, and PIAS Recordings.-Production and recording:...
(2009)