Placebo

Placebo biography

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.

History

Formation (1994-1996)

Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal had both attended the American International School of Luxembourg, but didn't cross paths properly until 1994 in London, England. At the time, Olsdal was taking guitar lessons and was on his way home, when he met Molko at the South Kensington tube station. Molko, observing that Olsdal had a guitar strapped to his back, invited Olsdal to watch him perform at a local bar. On the strength of Molko's performance, Olsdal decided that they should start a band. 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's self titled debut album was released 16 July 1996 and was a major success, peaking at five on the UK Albums Charts 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.

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