Brian Molko: “I'm not going to suffer so that you think my music is good.
You started twenty years ago. How do you live today - in the era of the digital revolution, digital music and digital money?
Brian. I try not to think about music from a commercial point of view, but when it comes to today's technologies, they need to be treated in a Darwinian way. Either you adapt or you die out. I think it’s much harder for young bands to make money today. Making music - expensive pleasure, not to mention videos and tours. The music business does not fall out of the traditional capitalist system, where the law of supply and demand operates and the consumer with his choice is at the forefront of everything. Placebo is lucky because we have a lot of long-recorded music that we can distribute on the Internet for virtually nothing, and live off of concerts. But if the consumer king does not want to pay for records new group, musicians have to look for other jobs. It's sad, but it happens all the time. And yet, since we agree with the fact that all responsibility lies with the consumer, then let him not complain about the fact that tickets are becoming more expensive: the listener himself is responsible for such an economy. Personally, I continue to buy records out of principle, I consider it necessary to support the artist, new music. After all, many people have supported us all these years. For me it's a matter of karma.
You unexpectedly made a documentary film Placebo: Alt.Russia. What is he talking about?
Stephen. The film is about two things: modern Russian alternative culture and the rock band’s impressions of its first trip to perform concerts in Siberia. When a tour of Siberia came up for us, we decided that this was a wonderful opportunity to document our adventures in unexplored lands. We never denied ourselves the pleasure of playing in the distant and unusual place. We played everywhere: from the temples of Angkor Wat to the snow-covered Alps! We also wanted to find out what other artists Street musicians, filmmakers, sculptors, photographers and independent directors think about their art in today's Russia. Our British media present Russia exclusively in the political aspect, but we are also interested in other aspects of life. You have your own world! Down with politics, we just want to see and hear everything first hand. The film is about such people and about the Placebo group. However, the tape also contains very personal moments, especially since I conduct many of the interviews myself. We were lucky enough to have a sold-out premiere at the Beat Film festival in Moscow (May 30 - Ed.), and now the film is playing at festivals all over the world.
Question for you, Brian.
You once stated that you were heavily influenced by The Cure, who in turn were heavily inspired by literature. What books inspire you?
Brian. I grew up listening to The Cure, and could not even think that one day I would stand on the same stage with them. They, along with The Smiths, provided the soundtrack to every rainy day of my youth. The process of composing words and music is irresistibly captivating when there is something to rely on. I've borrowed book titles for my songs twice: Lady of the Flowers and Sleeping with Ghosts. But I try not to do that anymore. Playing with words is an important part of the job, and there's a lot of reading involved. A writer needs to read a lot, a musician needs to listen to a lot of music, and I have to do both.
HIT PARADE Placebo*
6th place:
Special K
5th place:
Running Up That Hill
4th place:
Song to Say Goodbye
How did it all begin twenty years ago?
Stephen. Time is a funny thing. Mostly it all seems like a dream now. When you're nineteen and have no responsibility, you think you're superman and you're going to live forever. We loved to play and nothing else mattered. We had some goals, we dreamed of performing on stages. And we moved on, trying to be true to our music. Our goals and ambitions grew with us.
Brian. And I was simply ready to do anything, just not to work hard in the office. I knew I could sing and I could play the guitar. I was unemployed for two and a half years, and when I had a contract to record an album in my pocket at twenty-two, other options were no longer considered. It was fate. Yes, we were completely different then...
Brian. The main difference is that I was an arrogant bastard. No, really, I was so self-confident! In England they say about such people: “The sun shines from his ass.” I was the greatest! Imagine, you are unemployed, you don’t have a penny - and then a cloud of money falls on you, everyone’s attention, everyone wants to sleep with you, they treat you to booze and drugs! And you're twenty-two... You're just exploding! You're turning into some kind of flaming rock 'n' roll machine! Today I am much less confident in myself than then, I have gained intelligence and experience. There's nothing rock 'n' roll about killing yourself.
Come on, this is rock and roll!
Brian. Ah, well then kill yourself! Kill yourself right now, before my eyes! Forward! Come on, I'll get the knife and you can cut your throat! Then I’ll call the reception and say: someone committed suicide here, it’s so rock and roll!
But the entire mythology of rock and roll is built on the beauty of self-destruction!
Brian. This is not true at all! Of those who started in the sixties and seventies, who is still playing? These are those who didn’t die, didn’t overdose, and didn’t crash their car while drunk.
Many of those guys are amazingly still alive. Let's say Keith Richards.
Brian. Okay, but Keith Richards can't play guitar anymore. I saw the Stones live. Yes, he survived, but other musicians play the guitars! Keith is unable to play even while sitting, he is always two measures behind the group. I don't want to slide into his state.
Stephen. I'll speak for myself. What fascinates me most about music is craftsmanship, but also style, integrity and longevity. One of my favorite bands - Depeche Mode. They're still together and I wouldn't want them to die rock 'n' roll!
Brian. If you wish all this on rock stars, if you want to experience death, destruction and suffering vicariously through them, you don’t have a drop of sympathy! Compassion is the most important thing in our world. This is the art of happiness, what the Dalai Lama taught us when he said: “Compassion and generosity make you happy.” And your words are disgusting.
Perhaps I didn't express my thoughts clearly enough. If you're talking about the brand of rock 'n' roll that's 100 percent healthy, happy, eats right, and goes to the gym three times a week, then I, as a listener, have no sympathy for that. Empathy requires some drama.
Stephen. But you don't have to die for drama!
Not necessarily, but I am sure that true art comes from strong feelings, out of suffering.
Brian. Do you like watching people suffer? Well then you are a sadist!
It's nice to hear this from your lips. And yet, to create, you need, at a minimum, a broken heart.
Brian. Art comes from discipline!
What about inspiration?
Brian. You work hard and with discipline at least five days a week, and then you end up with something you can be proud of. Then it becomes art, not when people stick needles in their arms or when they blow their brains out with a gun in Seattle. Without discipline and diligence, nothing will come of it. Why do you think Pete Doherty hasn't made good music for a long time?
Stephen. People are lousy at learning from other people's mistakes. But we are not such idiots as to hang out at twenty-seven and end up in Club 27.
If there is not a minute of pain, suffering and self-destruction in your life, then what should you sing about?
Brian. There are no people who do not have moments of self-destruction.
Stephen. It's just your opinion. It doesn’t seem to me at all that an artist is obliged to maintain a lifestyle that matches his image. Yes, David Bowie, may he rest in peace, killed himself. He killed himself right on stage, but not himself, but his hero - Ziggy Stardust. He was smart. He knew that many people wanted rock and roll to end in death.
There is an interesting difference between how an artist sees himself and how his fans want to see him.
Brian. This should not bother the artist. It's not the fans who create the art. I once posted a photo from the studio on Instagram with the caption “We are writing new album", and someone wrote in the comments: "I hope you are depressed, then great songs will come out." Fuck you! Do you want me to suffer just so that the music seems good to you? It's like saying: I'm ready to put sleeping pills in your drink to make you pass out, and then I'll fuck you in the ass and infect you with AIDS. And when you're deep in shit, great music will flow out of you! So this is nonsense, your mother!
Stephen. And how depressing it is to be in a group that is creatively stuck in an immutable state! We recorded seven records. Doesn't anyone understand that life is evolution? We are developing both as artists and as people.
HIT PARADE PLACEBO*
3rd place:
Brian Molko (born December 10, 1972, Brussels, Belgium) is the vocalist and guitarist of the band Placebo.
Brian Molko was born to an American international banker and a Scottish mother. As a child, Brian moved frequently from country to country due to his father's work. The family lived in Scotland, Liberia, Lebanon and Luxembourg, where he was sent to a prestigious school.
My father wanted me to become a businessman like him when I grew up. My mother wanted me to go to heaven like her when I grew up.
Molko Brian
Stefan Olsdal, the future bassist of Placebo, also studied there. At school, Brian was not liked because he was not like everyone else, when everyone played sports, always had fun, he preferred to study and engage in a theater club. He had a good sense of people and “had a habit of driving everyone to the brink of insanity.”
IN early age he understood what the breath of death was. He was bullied by his classmates and one day they held his legs on the edge of a high wall to scare him, just like in the movies. Brian still remembers his prom with horror.
He had his own, unusual point of view, but his unconventional thinking frightened his deeply religious mother. She constantly took him to church, hoping that “he would return to the right path.”
If the only representative of alternative sexuality in pop music is Boy George, then there is still a lot of work to be done in this direction... Good old Georgie is not happy with me. He maintains a strong connection with his ass and he tries to dissuade everyone from this... And for this I love him even more.
Molko Brian
By the age of seventeen, he had finally decided on his choice of profession - he firmly decided to become an actor, contrary to the wishes of his parents, who predicted a career as a banker. Immediately after leaving school, Brian went to London and managed to enroll at Goldsmiths Theater College.
He spent the next five years learning the wisdom of acting and picking up bad habits, so common for the inhabitants of the poor London neighborhoods where he lived.
The acting environment left an additional imprint on Brian's already androgynous appearance - he could no longer imagine himself without cosmetics and women's clothing.
I was a very frustrated, lonely and antisocial teenager. I felt alienated and bored.
Molko Brian
Music remained Brian's most important hobby until he discovered his extraordinary talent as a composer and an amazing singing voice.
He became more and more proficient at the guitar and gradually began to join the London alternative music scene. At this stage, fate brought him together again with Stefan, who also decided to devote himself to music, and soon after this meeting the group Placebo was born.
Brian Molko quickly gained the title of one of the most extravagant stars of the English rock scene and nicknames such as "Ladyboy" and "Sex God", and also gained a crowd of fans and spawned a lot of imitators.
I was walking around Ladbroke Grove with a girl when two guys came up to us and asked: “Are you looking for dicks?” This wouldn't have happened if I was more like a guy. It gives me an understanding of how terrible, childish and aggressive people can be. It gives me something of an anti-role model.
Molko Brian
For a couple of years, basking in his newfound fame, he lived under the motto “sex, drugs, rock and roll.” Journalists avidly speculated on his confessions of bisexuality and addiction to cocaine.
Film roles
* 1998 - Velvet Goldmine/ Velvet Goldmine (as Malcolm from the Flaming Creatures)
* 1999 - Cruel Intentions (song Every You Every Me)
* 2001 - / Sue’s Last Ride (executive producer)
* 2002 - Neighbor / “The Crockworld”
* 2005 - The Chumscrubber (song Pure Morning)
Brian Molko - photo
Brian Molko - quotes
My father wanted me to become a businessman like him when I grew up. My mother wanted me to go to heaven like her when I grew up. 
On December 10, 1972, a boy was born in the Belgian city of Brussels - future musician Brian Molko. His father, an American of Italian-French origin and a banker, dreamed of becoming a financier for his sons, but only the eldest followed his example, creating his own company in New York. Brian's mother, who came from a family of Scottish Jews, was a deeply religious Catholic and, thanks to her beliefs, abandoned the dream of becoming a dancer beyond the threshold of her youth. When Brianz was five years old, his parents divorced, and Brian went with his mother to Luxembourg, a country that he himself calls mercantile and conservative.
The boy, who inherited his father’s ambitions and his mother’s artistry, had a very difficult time - in private closed school AISL (“American International School of Luxembourg”) he was considered an outsider among his peers. Although classmates later described Brian as friendly and cheerful, he himself recalls school years what a terrible time. The usual boyish interests were completely alien to him. An outward extrovert, he grew up reserved and was interested exclusively in music and theater, and not in sports, like most of his peers. At the age of eleven, Brian had the opportunity to play his first small role - in a production of Shakespeare's play. Then he was already interested in makeup, skillfully applied makeup and loved to try on women's clothes. His mother introduced him to church and forced him to participate in religious seminars, but such upbringing clashed with Brian’s rebellious nature and collapsed when hormones began to play in the teenager’s blood. The mother, who had already seen her son as a priest, was severely disappointed, and for many years her relationship with Brian left much to be desired.
Brian learned the physical joys of love early - at the age of fourteen. His first woman was a Frenchwoman, Carole, two years older than Brian. Judging by Molko’s theatrical inclinations, it is easy to assume that this relationship was extremely romantic. And at sixteen, Brian mastered the guitar - and all his life he was faithful to her, as to the most beloved and desired woman. In his youth, he devoted almost all of himself to the guitar, although this did not prevent him from studying very well. True, such diligence ended with school.
At seventeen, Brian went to London to become an actor. He entered the Goldsmiths Theater College, the drama department, where he received good grades only in practical exercises. Music has always been the main thing for him. By that time, Brian had discovered his talent as a composer, and people who heard him sing called his voice young musician"exotic". In addition to music and acting, Brian successfully explored the life of London's alternative bohemians. He spent all five years of college living in poor London areas, where he enjoyed sex, rock and roll and drugs. He turned out to be particularly partial to Asian women, and he had a love for the East itself since childhood.
The history of the creation of the Placebo group is very reminiscent of the history of the famous Rolling Stones - almost immediately after graduating from college, Brian Molko met at a metro station with his classmate from the Luxembourg school Stefan Olsdal, who had a guitar hanging on his shoulder. A conversation about music in the London underground turned out to be fateful - for both guys and for British rock. Brian invited Stefan to his Saturday concert, and Stefan, inspired by his music, suggested that they write together. The first name of their group was "Ashtray Heart", but quickly enough it changed to "Placebo". The band's drummer was Stephen Hewitt, an old friend of Brian's, and the songs the guys recorded were later included in their first album. However, Hewitt, who was then under contract with the Breed group, could not devote enough time to Molko and Olsdal, and he was replaced by Robert Schulzberg, with whom Stefan had once played.
Placebo's first concert took place in January 1995 at Covent Garden, followed by several appearances in minor venues. In addition to concerts, the group sent out their songs to record companies, and on October 30 of the same year, the single “Bruise Pristine” was released on the Fierce Panda label - the second side of this vinyl record was given to the group "Soup". Placebo spent the rest of the year touring English cities with the bands Whale and Bush, and in January 1996 their single "Come Home" reached number three on the indie charts. That same winter, the group signed a contract with the Hut recordings company and found a truly successful acquaintance - with David Bowie. Bowie, who took “Placebo” to warm up his concert, appreciated their work, and in 1997, at a celebration in honor of David’s fiftieth birthday, the group played as close friends of the hero of the day.
The producer of the debut album “Placebo” was Brad Wood. This album, recorded in Dublin and named after the band, was released in the early summer of 1996 and instantly gained popularity, and the band was invited to the USA. On these tours it finally became clear that, despite musical success, Brian Molko and Robert Schultzberg can't stand each other. Returning to England, Robert left the group, but a replacement was quickly found - Steve Hewitt rejoined Brian and Stefan. It didn't take him long to learn the drum parts, and Placebo continued to tour. At a concert in Germany, the group performed several songs intended for the next album, but later the musicians abandoned this practice - after all, the very next day the songs appeared on the Internet. Without You I'm Nothing, Placebo's second album, produced by Steve Osborne, was released in the fall of 1998. The single from this album, “Pure Morning,” rose to fourth place on the charts and turned into a real hit. A video was shot based on the song “Pure Morning”, where policemen, parents and frightened citizens call out to Brian, standing on the roof of a high-rise building. He still jumps from the roof, but instead of crashing, he goes down the wall.
The genre in which Placebo played was threatened by electronic music, but, as we know, rock and roll is alive and will live forever. However, a considerable part of the popularity was brought to the group “Placebo” by its image. Brian, who had long hair and always wore make-up, was liked by both boys and girls. Sadly looking at his own nails with black varnish, he spoke in an interview about his difficult childhood and did not hesitate to talk about his sexual exploits and drug use. The public, of course, was shocked - both by his appearance and by his confession of bisexuality. However, Brian always hid his personal life, and very carefully - perhaps, by the way, so as not to harm the carefully cherished image of a bisexual. In fact, he was not particularly promiscuous. For example, his relationship with Lisa Walker, a model and wonderful actress, lasted about two years, and it was not Brian who caused their breakup. On the contrary, parting with Lisa severely shocked the musician, and his experiences resulted in tragic texts the band's second album. There was also gossip about Brian's affair with Caroline Finch, the vocalist of the group "Linoleum". Her voice can be heard on some of the Placebo recordings, but was it, so to speak, " love affair at work"or a really serious hobby is unknown. It is worth mentioning the rock singer Benedict Vian - if only because the fame of her relationship with Brian Molko literally eclipsed the glory of Vian's own group - Melatonine.
But a rock star simply must not be too normal, and Brian fully lived up to this status thanks to some aspects of his biography. Having hated the hypocrisy of the environment in which he grew up almost since childhood, the musician has always been fascinated by the scandalous aspects of rock. Molko's family was shocked by his performance, but Brian didn't care at all. His childhood admiration for glam rock and David Bowie gave the world a very successful stage image, which is still valued in our time. The external uncertainty of gender, discussions about the meaning of life and Stanislavsky’s methods, studied by Brian in college, played into the hands of the wild success of Placebo. Teenagers perceived this group as the embodiment of a teenage dream: people like them, shocking and vulnerable outsiders, became famous overnight and got the opportunity to tell the whole world about their problems.
In 1998, Placebo starred in the film Velvet Goldmine (directed by Todd Haynes). The film was dedicated to glam rock, and the musicians had cameo roles, but, nevertheless, they were able not only to sing, but also to talk “about the eternal.” But two years later, Brian, to the great grief of his fans, cut off his curls, and the group recorded an extremely dark album, hard and heavy, “Black Market Music”. Not only the music changed, but also the lyrics - in addition to personal experiences, the songs touched social problems and self-determination. The album was produced by Placebo themselves. In support of the album, the group went on tour, even visiting Russia in June 2001. Bass player Bill Lloyd joined Placebo for the tour.
After these tours, the group disappeared for three whole years - the fourth album, entitled “Sleeping With Ghosts”, was released only in March 2003 and caused a double reaction. It was clear that the musicians had grown from a professional point of view, and all their experiments were successful. As for the lyrics, oddly enough, the album contained neither black romance, nor ambiguity, nor nervous philosophy. The impenetrable melancholy gave way to hope for the future, nostalgia and calls not to betray oneself. Thus, high quality The music did not help the fans of “Placebo” - the album only vaguely reminded of the work of former shockers.
For Brian Molko, the Placebo group became not only the only job in his life, but also the basis of his life, the realization of himself and his own ambitions. Appearing to fans in the image of Lady Boy, arousing admiration among some and rejection among others, this musician went through a rather banal path from a youthful passion for rock to the heights of fame - including treatment for drug addiction. The press enthusiastically recorded his confessions of bisexuality and revelations about cocaine, and after a few years they became very disappointed with his fading extravagance. However, Brian did not become a brutal macho, even as he grew up. Even Molko’s clearly serious relationship with photographer Helena Berg, who worked on the covers for the singles from the fourth album “Placebo”, did not hinder the former image.
Helena appeared in the musician’s life during a very difficult period in 2002 and remained by his side for a long time. Brian, who always called himself a confirmed bachelor, had no intention of officially getting married, and even the birth of his son Cody in October 2005 did not change his decision. However, the son, although unplanned, occupied a huge place in the musician’s heart. In 2009, Brian and Helena announced that they had separated, but there was no scandal between them over custody of Cody, and the couple maintains quite friendly relations. It’s interesting that Brian Molko calls guitars his best women and even gives them proper names. There is another woman who has been with the musician since his birth - the one he said he could have been born with, living inside Brian and sometimes peeking out quite clearly from him.
Brian once said that from a rock star to a mentally ill person is literally two steps away. Perhaps so, but otherwise the stars would not be stars... The incredible voice and undeniable talent of Brian Molko still attract many fans to him, because this musician remains not only a star English rock, but also, without a doubt, one of the most mysterious and talented characters in the history of music.
Which became famous in the late 1990s. The androgyny of the vocalist attracted the attention of fans of extraordinary manifestations and protest, and those who follow the latest British music were fascinated by the melody and lyrics of the compositions. The 2000s were a real moment of glory for Brian Molko. The duet with Timo Maas brought the singer success with the Russian audience. Their joint creation “First day” is still popular.
Childhood and youth
Brian Molko was born on December 10, 1972 in Brussels. The boy's father is an American banker of Italian-French origin. The family had the opportunity to travel and live in different countries Europe and the world. For some time, Brian observed the course of life in Lebanon, Liberia, Scotland and other countries, until the family settled in Brussels.
His father dreamed that Brian and his brother could follow in their parent’s footsteps and also become financiers. The eldest son, Stuart, embodied his father's idea and became the owner of his own company. Brian's soul was more inclined to creativity. Perhaps this was influenced by her mother, who, due to her Catholic beliefs in her youth, was forced to give up her dream of becoming a dancer.
When Brian was 5 years old, his parents divorced, and the boy moved to Luxembourg with his mother. A couple of years later he was sent to study at a private school. It was not easy for the young man in a closed educational institution. His classmates did not accept him, considering him a person not in their circle, because the usual boyish interests did not captivate him. He loved the theater, was withdrawn, did not want to participate in sports games. At the age of 11, Molko made his stage debut in school play according to the play. The young man was interested in experiments: he deftly handled makeup and even tried on a woman’s dress.
The mother tried to set her son on the right path, taking him to church and signing him up for religious meetings. She wanted to raise a priest, but Brian's rebellious spirit rebelled against these plans, which greatly affected his relationship with his mother later. The guy saw himself as an actor. He moved to London, where he studied drama at Goldsmiths College.
Having isolated himself from his family, Molko was given the opportunity to openly express himself. This is how the androgynous image known to fans arose. The experiments of his youth were reflected in the artist’s subsequent work. Bright eyeliner, painted nails, and lipstick became attributes of his visual appearance on stage.
Music
In the musical field, Brian's main interest was rock and alternative. Heavy guitar melodies were inspiring sounds for him. A chance meeting in 1994 with Stefan Olsdal, former classmate from the Luxembourg school, became iconic for creative biography artist.
Musical tastes young people coincided. Having invited drummer Steve Hewitt to collaborate, the ambitious guys created a musical group called Placebo. According to rumors, other names were initially considered, including Ashtray Heart.
The very first demo helped me take an important step in my career: Hut Records offered to sign a contract. Hewitt decided to leave the team, so Robert Schulzberg took his place, and with the new lineup the group recorded their debut album. The first record, bearing the same name as the group, took 5th place in the British top chart, which was a great achievement for the newly formed group.
Brian Molko and Timo Maas perform the song "First day"Over time it became obvious that new member The team did not fit into it, and the musicians persuaded Hewitt to return to the team. In 1988, the 2nd album “Without You I"m Nothing” was recorded. The main goal Placebo during this period turned out to conquer the US music market. Fans of alternative rock music did not ignore the band's record. The degree of its demand was much higher in comparison with the debut disc.
Brian made acquaintance with the famous. Their duet with Molko gave the group worldwide fame. Placebo performed as an invited guest at Bowie's 1997 anniversary at Madison Square Garden. Several subsequent joint performances with the legend they wrote the name of the group into the history of music. The group was also immortalized in the film Velvet Goldmine.
In 1998, the team began collaborating with the music label Virgin Records. The musicians dedicated 1999 to creating their 3rd album. The album “Black Market Music” was released in the UK in 2000, and in 2001 it appeared on the American market. Brian Molko managed to create bright image for the group and renewed interest in 1970s glam rock thanks to its unconventional look and personality creative style team. The song "Every You Every Me" was featured on the soundtrack to the film Cruel Intentions.
Personal life
Brian Molko is an extraordinary creative person, so he personal life is in the area constant attention public. The young man met his first love at the age of 16. After a while, he, getting to know himself, tried to decide on his orientation, and now in an interview he openly declares that he is bisexual. The vocalist has a son, Cody. The boy was born in 2005; Helena Berg became his mother.
A musician is an inspiring person. The birth of a child prompted him to create new compositions. The lullabies performed by Molko were dedicated specifically to him. The birth of his first child changed the artist, who now felt a close connection with the boy, and the songs he created became real hits. Brian can see hidden meaning and find motivation for new compositions in any little detail, even in quotes from contemporaries, and this affects his ability to easily create new hit.
Creative life musicians often assume permissiveness and expansion of the usual framework. Prone to experimentation, Brian had an addiction to illegal drugs, which he openly stated to the media. IN certain period For the musician there were no prohibitions even on hard drugs. The title of the album “Meds” became provocative and sounded like a glorification of light drugs, visible even in the team’s videos.
In 2003, Brian stated that the use of psychotropic drugs was associated with psychological problems. Doctors diagnosed the musician with depression. In 2016, the artist told fans and journalists that he was able to overcome his addiction.
Brian's height is 168 cm, and his weight fluctuates depending on the intensity of the load.
Brian Molko now
The Placebo group actively performs with concerts in Europe and the USA. As part of a tour in 2016, the band visited Russia, then gave concerts in England and Ireland. Molko's songs, recorded as lullabies, turned out to be the most popular compositions at these events.
In 2017, the group came with concerts to Mexico, and then again traveled to European cities on a tour. Brian Molko and Placebo performed at the Greek Rockwave festival. This was followed by 7 concerts in Australia. Brian gave 2 concerts at Rockwave, then performed with his colleagues at the Meltdown festival. 2018 turned out to be a busy year for musicians. Over the summer they visited Russia, Ukraine, Switzerland and Italy with performances.
Over time, Brian Molko changed his style, and his image became less provocative. Fans who created fan pages on Instagram and others in social networks, remember his hobbies, but meet with interest any changes occurring in the image of the idol, and publish his new photos.
Discography
- 1996 – “Placebo”
- 1998 – “Without You I"m Nothing”
- 2000 – “Black Market Music”
- 2003 – “Sleeping with Ghosts”
- 2006 – “Meds”
- 2009 – “Battle for the Sun”
- 2013 – “Loud Like Love”
It is difficult now to find a person who has never heard of British group Placebо. Over the twenty years of its existence, it has won hearts huge amount fans all over the world. And this is not surprising, because few can resist the daring but lyrical mixture of music and deep, sensual vocals. About Brian Molko, permanent leader Placebo, and we will talk now. Or more precisely, about his style.
Brian Molko Style: Devil In Details
1994–1998: Placebo's debut and striking androgynous appearance
Promotional photo period 1994-1996. In 1994, the group had just been formed by Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal. In one of his interviews, Molko said that since childhood he loved to wear women’s clothes, started later paint your nails, use cosmetics. This greatly influenced both the original image future star alternative scene, and for the future.
So, in 1996, at the time of the release of her debut album of the same name Placebo, we see Molko as an androgyne with eyeliner and a feminine bob. Even then, a basic trend emerged in the choice of the color of his clothes: Brian most often wears clothes in muted dark tones, only occasionally opting for white.
Promotional photo from 1997 Also in his wardrobe one could find jumpers and T-shirts of a complex cut, which, despite the black color, look advantageous thanks to the details and draperies.
One of brightest moments Placebo's career in the late 1990s included meeting Brian's idol David Bowie, recording their joint single Without You I'm Nothing, and filming the group in cameo roles in the film Velvet Goldmine (1998), in which Bowie and Brian Eno became the prototypes of the main characters. Placebo recorded the song 20 Century Boy for the film and appeared before the audience in an image close to a drag queen.
1999–2004: from dresses to business style
The period 1999-2001 does not add masculinity to Brian Molko’s style, but the bob is shortened, and the hair begins to be styled back with gel. Going on stage in a dress is still not a problem for a soloist. Outrageousness above all!
In the late 1990s, Placebo recorded a joint single, Without You I'm Nothing, with their idol David Bowie:
Promotional photo 2000-2001 In 2002, Molko changed his hairstyle again. The hair is becoming shorter, and artificial shaggy hair is now prevalent on the head. A calmer, sometimes even business style. The amount of cosmetics on the face is slightly reduced.
Since 2004, the lead singer of Placebo has again made changes to his image - the milky bob hairstyle gained instant popularity among fans. Teenagers and adults, boys and girls - everyone seemed to have gone crazy, everyone getting a haircut like their idol.
What was a “milk bean”? Very short bangs, long sideburns and a small ponytail at the back of the head. This was one of Brian’s most successful transformations, but soon in an interview he said: “It got to the point that I once looked at the crowd of spectators - and there were a thousand Molks standing there, guys and girls - and everyone had my hairstyle. And I thought: “Okay, Molko, it’s time to get a haircut...”
2005–2009: Brian Molko grows his hair and goes classic
In the spring of 2005, the group went on tour around South America, during which Brian shocked fans by appearing on stage with his head shaved. It was in this image that he appeared before the audience in the Meds video.
Gradually growing his hair, Molko returned to the bob again by 2008, and by 2009 he had already let it go down to his shoulders. But the femininity with which he began musical path, disappeared. The style of clothing was close to classic.
2010 - present day: Brian Molko's style remains unchanged
The length did not last long; in 2010, it was again replaced by a square, which went away only by 2016. Molko appeared on her head again short haircut, which was actively discussed by all Russian fans during an online interview organized by VKontakte in Moscow. During this period and today, Brian's clothing continues to be dominated by the classic style.
