Brian Molko

Infobox musical artist
Name = Brian Molko

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Img_capt = Brian Molko, lead vocalist and guitarist of Placebo in concert at Collegno (Italy)
Landscape = yes
Background = solo_singer
Birth_name = Brian Molko
Born = Brussels, birth date and age|1972|12|10
Genre = Indie rock
Alternative rock
Instrument = vocals, Guitar, Bass, Harmonica, keyboards
Girlfriend:| Helena Berg
Child:| Cody Molko
Years_active = 1994–present
Label = EMI, Virgin Records (current), Hut Records, Caroline Records
Associated_acts = Placebo
URL = [http://www.placeboworld.co.uk/ www.placeboworld.co.uk/]

Brian Molko (born December 10, 1972, in Belgium) is a songwriter, lead vocalist and guitarist of the band Placebo.

Early life

Born to an American international banker father of French-Italian heritage [cite web
title = Brian Molko
url=http://www.tv.com/brian-molko/person/109075/biography.html
publisher=CNET Networks Entertainment
accessdate = 2008-02-16 ] and a Scottish mother, Molko's family moved frequently during his childhood including spells in Scotland, Liberia, Lebanon and Luxembourg. Molko has referred to a period spent in his mother's home town of Dundee, Scotland as "where I grew up". [cite web
title = NME interview with Placebo
url=http://www.placeboworld.co.uk/archive/missiveattack.htm
publisher=NME/PlaceboWorld
accessdate = 2006-07-17 ] He describes his childhood as a period when he felt very lonely and alienated; his first performing experiences were through acting in a school drama theater.

While Molko was brought up in a strict household that disapproved of artistic expression (his father wanted him to become a banker) he rebelled by affecting an androgynous image, wearing nail polish, lipstick and eyeliner, and listening to punk. In his late teens, he came out as bisexual.Molko initially attended the European School of Luxembourg but had to leave due to excessive bullying; [cite web
title = FHM interview with Brian Molko
url=http://www.placeboworld.co.uk/archive/fhm.htm
publisher=FHM/PlaceboWorld
accessdate = 2008-01-30 ] he later attended the American International School of Luxembourg [cite web
title = Role Reversal
url=http://www.placeboworld.co.uk/archive/role.htm
publisher=Sessions/PlaceboWorld
accessdate = 2008-01-30 ] and went on to study drama at Goldsmiths College in London. [cite web
title = The Boy Can't Help It
url=http://www.placeboworld.co.uk/archive/guitaris.htm
publisher=Guitarist/PlaceboWorld
accessdate = 2008-01-30 ]

Career

Molko and Stefan Olsdal had both attended AISL (though they were never friends); when Molko moved to London, he ran into Olsdal at South Kensington tube station and invited him to one of his gigs in a club, which he played with Steve Hewitt. Olsdal was impressed with Molko's voice and together with drummer Robert Schultzberg (a friend of Olsdal's from Sweden) they formed Ashtray Heart, later changing the band's name to Placebo and replacing Schultzberg with Hewitt, who had played on Placebo's demo tracks.

Molko's musical influences include Queens of the Stone Age, Depeche Mode, David Bowie, The Smiths, Iggy Pop, Dead Kennedys, Serge Gainsbourg, Syd Barrett, Bad Religion, Sonic Youth, PJ Harvey, Jane's Addiction, Nick Drake, Joy Division, The Cure and The Pixies. More recent musical tastes include electro-clash artist Peaches, Mogwai, The Cribs and many others.

Molko taught himself to play guitar; at the age of 16 he got a Telecaster replica as a present from his parents. Soon after, he bought a real Telecaster. He plays other instruments such as bass, harmonica, keyboard, saxophone, drums and turntables. Fluent in French due to his upbringing in Luxembourg, Molko has written and sung a few of Placebo's songs in French as well as English. He has also occasionally worked as a disc jockey at clubs.

Along with Hewitt and Olsdal, he had a small role in the 1998 film "Velvet Goldmine", for which Placebo performed the T. Rex song "20th Century Boy". He played Malcolm, a singer of the fictional glam rock band, "The Flaming Creatures", who resembled the early Alice Cooper band.

Personal life

In 2005, Molko's long-term partner, Helena Berg, gave birth to his first child, Cody. He said he named the child after his long-time friend who died in a car accident. He currently lives in east London, but frequently travels to Paris.

In the same year he was voted as 39th of the 50 sexiest rock stars by Kerrang! magazine readers.

Collaborations

He has performed as a guest vocalist on tracks by:
*Timo Maas – "Pictures", "Like Siamese", "First Day";
*Asia Argento – "Je t'aime, moi non plus";
*Kristeen Young – "No Other God";
*Dream City Film Club – "Some";
*Jane Birkin – "Smile";
*ac acoustics – "Crush";
*Alpinestars – "Carbon Kid";
*Trash Palace – "The Metric System";
*Hotel Persona - "Modern Kids"

He also wrote the English lyrics to "Pink Water 3", a song by Indochine from the album "Alice Et June", released in 2005. Molko is friends with David Bowie, with whom he sang Placebo's Without You I'm Nothing [cite web
title = Placebo with David Bowie Chat Transcript - 29/3/99
url=http://www.bowiewonderworld.com/chats/dbplacebo0399.htm
publisher=BowieWonderworld.com/SonicNet/Yahoo!
accessdate = 2006-10-14 ] and the cover 20th Century Boy live.

Equipment

Molko uses a variety of guitars. In the "Sleeping With Ghosts" era, he used Gibson SGs (The Bitter End, Every You Every Me, "Plasticine", Black-Eyed, Without You I'm Nothing, Special K, "Bulletproof Cupid", "Soulmates", Special Needs, This Picture), Fender Jaguars ("Allergic", Pure Morning, Nancy Boy, "Bionic", "Centrefolds", Where is My Mind?), a Fender Thinline Telecaster (Taste in Men) and a Fender Bass VI (Slave To The Wage). For amplification he used a Fender Twin Reverb.

Through the "Meds" Tour, he used Gretsch Duo Jets (Infra-Red, Because I Want You, Song to Say Goodbye, "One of a Kind", The Bitter End, Running Up That Hill, Special K), Gibson SGs (Special Needs, Every You Every Me, Black-Eyed), a Fender Jaguar ("Drag", Nancy Boy), a Fender Thinline Telecaster (Twenty Years) and a Gibson Chet Atkins SST (Meds). Once again his amplifier was a Fender Twin Reverb.

During a 2003 interview with Graham Norton, Molko revealed he collects guitars, and gives them all names - amongst them are his favourite, 'Bitch', and a pink guitar (which he claims is gay) called 'Bertie'.

Filmography

*(1998) "Velvet Goldmine" as Malcolm of the Flaming Creatures
*(2001) "Sue's Last Ride" (Executive Producer)A poster of him also appears in the 2006 film "Un Jour d'été" (A Summer Day), in which the main character is possibly bisexual.

Appearances

*"Never Mind the Buzzcocks"
**Episode #2.06 (1997)
**Episode #8.01 (2001)
**Episode #9.06 (2001)
*Glastonbury Festival (1998)
*BRIT Awards (1999)
*"Late Night with Conan O'Brien"
**Episode dated March 27, 1999
*"rage"
**Placebo Guest Programme "rage" (1999)
*"Paskvil"
**Episode #5.11 (2001)
*The Kerrang! Awards (2002)
*"Rive droite - rive gauche"
**Episode dated March 21, 2003
*"V Graham Norton"
**Episode #4.21 (2003)
*"Tout le monde en parle"
**Episode dated May 3, 2003
**Episode dated February 14, 2004
*"Double je"
**Episode dated June 26, 2003
*""
*"Le grand journal de Canal+"
**Episode dated September 13, 2004
**Episode dated October 13, 2004
*"Placebo: Androgyny" (2005)
*Live 8 (2005)
*"4Music" (2006)
*Rock am Ring (2006)
*Rock im Park (2006)
*Isle of Wight Festival (2006)
*Greenfield Festival (2006)
*"The Friday Night Project" (2006)
*"Soccer A.M." (2006)
*Nova Rock Festival (June 15, 2006)
*Roskilde Festival (July 2, 2006)
*Open'er Festival (July 6, 2006)
*T in the Park (July 8, 2006)
*Oxegen (July 9, 2006)
*Vieilles Charrues Festival (July 21, 2006)
*Festival Internacional de Benicàssim (July 23, 2006)
*Rock-A-Field (July 25, 2006)
*Leeds Festival (August 25, 2006)
*Rock'n Coke (September 3, 2006)

References

External links

* [http://www.placeboworld.co.uk/ Official site]
* [http://www.guitarfxdepot.com/rigs/brian-molko-placebo-guitar-rig/ Brian Molko's (Placebo) guitar rig]