Description: Due to their penchant for androgynous attire/makeup and raw, punky guitar riffs, Placebo have been described by some as a glam version of Nirvana. The multinational band was formed by singer/guitarist Brian Molko (part Scottish and American descent, but raised in England) and Swedish bassist Stefan Olsdal. Both members had previously attended the same school in Luxembourg, but they didn't cross paths properly until 1994 in London, England. Briefly called Ashtray Heart and influenced by the likes of Sonic Youth, Pixies, The Smashing Pumpkins, and the aforementioned Nirvana, they began filling the vacant drum spot with percussion Due to their penchant for androgynous attire/makeup and raw, punky guitar riffs, Placebo have been described by some as a glam version of Nirvana. The multinational band was formed by singer/guitarist Brian Molko (part Scottish and American descent, but raised in England) and Swedish bassist Stefan Olsdal.
Both members had previously attended the same school in Luxembourg, but they didn't cross paths properly until 1994 in London, England. Briefly called Ashtray Heart and influenced by the likes of Sonic Youth, Pixies, The Smashing Pumpkins, and the aforementioned Nirvana, they began filling the vacant drum spot with percussionists like Robert Schultzberg and Steve Hewitt (the latter being the group's only member of English origin). Although Moloko and Olsdal preferred Hewitt as their main man (it was this lineup that recorded several early demos), Hewitt opted to return to his other band at the time, Breed. With Schultzberg back on board instead, Placebo signed a recording contract with Caroline Records and released a self-titled debut in 1996. The album was a surprise hit in the U.K., where singles like "Nancy Boy" and "Teenage Angst" became Top 40 hits. Meanwhile, the bandmates themselves became the toast of the British music weeklies and supported their debut by opening for such outfits as the reunited Sex Pistols, U2, and Weezer.

Despite the group's early success, Schultzberg wasn't seeing eye to eye with the other bandmembers, who by this point were able to convince Hewitt to rejoin the lineup, prompting Schultzberg's exit from the band in September 1996. One of Hewitt's first performances with Placebo upon returning proved to be a big one, as David Bowie -- a fan of the band, not to mention an influence on its sound -- personally invited the trio to play his 50th birthday bash at New York's Madison Square Garden in 1997. The following year, Placebo switched over to the major-label division of Caroline, Virgin Records, and issued Without You I'm Nothing in November. The album was another large seller in England and initially appeared to be the group's breakthrough in the U.S., where MTV embraced the album's leadoff single, "Pure Morning." Subsequent singles failed to match the success of that first song, but Without You I'm Nothing remained popular in England, where it eventually went platinum. Around the same time, Placebo recorded a cover of T. Rex's "20th Century Boy" for Velvet Goldmine, a movie in which the trio also appeared.

The relationship between Placebo and David Bowie continued to blossom. David Bowie made a special on-stage appearance with the band during a tour stop in New York, and both parties united for a re-recording of the title track from Without You I'm Nothing, which was issued as a single in 1999. Placebo's third release, Black Market Music, added hip-hop and disco elements to the band's tense rock sound. The album was released in Europe in 2000, followed several months later by a re-sequenced American version whose track list featured several additions, including the aforementioned David Bowie version of "Without You I'm Nothing" and the band's cover of Depeche Mode's "I Feel You." The recording spawned additional U.K. hits such as "Taste in Men" and "Slave to the Wage."

In spring 2003, Placebo showcased a harder edge with the release of their fourth album, Sleeping With Ghosts. The album cracked the Top Ten in the U.K. and sold 1.4 million copies worldwide. Australian tour dates with Elbow and U.K. shows with Har Mar Superstar followed in 2004. Placebo's singles collection, Once More With Feeling - Singles 1996-2004, was released before the year's end. The 19-song compilation included their biggest U.K. hits and the new track "Twenty Years." Frenchman Dimitri Tikovoi (Goldfrapp, Cranes), who had mixed select songs on Once More With Feeling, also signed on to produce Placebo's fifth effort, 2006's Meds. One year later, after landing a spot on the Projekt Revolution tour alongside Linkin Park and My Chemical Romance, Virgin released the Extended Play '07 EP as a simple introduction for new fans to the band's past decade of music.

Steven Hewitt departed Placebo in the fall of 2007, and the band left its longtime home of Emi/Virgin one year later. With new drummer Steve Forrest now on board, the band recorded Battle for the Sun and released it during the summer of 2009. A box set of the band's work for Emi, The Hut Recordings (Bonus Disc: B-Sides), was released the same day, and an extensive tour kept the guys busy for another year. For fans who couldn't make the shows, Placebo also issued a live mini-album, Live At La Cigale, whose songs were taken from a 2006 performance in Paris. ... (more)

Tags: Rock (4), Alternative (4), Seen Live (3), British (2), Alternative Rock (2), Drugs (1), 90s (1), English (1), England (1), 1990s (1), Tripping (1)

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1. Placebo: Pure Morning (1998)

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6.5

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2. Episode dated 13 March 2006 (2006)

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1. Episode dated 13 March 2006 (2006)

0 want to see

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2. Placebo: Pure Morning (1998)

Rating:

6.5

2 Watched

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Music: Best Bands of the 21st Century (33 person items)

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Placebo - Pure Morning (live at Nulle Part Ailleurs)

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Favorite Music Artists Part II (25 person items)

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Bands I've Seen Live | SchwarzerAbt (237 person items)

"Seen live: 1 Time Festival Shows: 05.06.2009: Rock am Ring 2009"

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Queen of Horror's Ultimate Playlist (205 music items)

" "Post Blue""Every You Every Me" "Pure Morning""Running Up That Hill""

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Queen of Horror added this to a list 7 years, 6 months ago

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Favorite Songs-1998 (16 music items)

""Every Me Every You""

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"Pure Morning"

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Music...American Rock/Pop Grunge Punk Artist (253 music items)

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Bands that I have seen live (38 person items)

"October 20, 2016 at Hartwall Areena, Helsinki, Finland Setlist: 1. Pure Morning 2. Loud Like Love 3. Jesus' Son 4. Soulmates 5. Special Needs 6. Lazarus 7. Too Many Friends 8. Twenty Years 9. I Know 10. Devil in the Details 11. Space Monkey 12. Exit Wounds 13. Protect Me from What I Want 14. Without You I'm Nothing 15. 36 Degrees 16. Lady of the Flowers 17. For What It's Worth 18. Slave to the Wage 19. Special K 20. Song to Say Goodbye 21. The Bitter End Encore: 22. Teenage Angst 23. Nancy Boy "

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aLittleTyger posted a video 9 years, 9 months ago

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Placebo live Gurtenfestival 2004 - English Summer Rain - HD

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PLACEBO - Special Needs

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PLACEBO - Every You Every Me