pretty little thing

If you aren't aquainted with the name placebo then the previous picture would  mean nothing to you. That is of course, unless the aesthetic pleasure of a genuinely pretty face doesn't do  things for you. And what a pretty face it is. For  those aquainted with the name placebo, then no introduction is necessary. His name is.. BRIAN MOLKO.
His ?! Yes, his. Under  the lashings of Maybelline mascara, and She lipstick* there lies a male of the human species. A male who looks damn fine with makeup, so I understand his predilection for a little maquillage..and his tendency to team a tiny T with a designer skirt. After all if you can look this good as an adrogyne, then why the hell not..
So who, or for that matter what, are placebo ?
Frequently Asked Questions on Placebo is the first place I went to when attempting to uncover those annoying little tidbits of information, that as a fan you just need to know. You know of the information I refer to here. Their birthdates, heights etc. The sort of information that really sheds so much essential light on their music.
Well there you've got it. placebo are a ______ band (neither British, American, or Swedish), and as they defy categorisation geographically, they similiarly defy the what-kind-of-band-are-they categorisation. I was perplexed when my brother asked that very question on the day before I was to watch placebo perform in Sydney at the Metro.
A glam-rock band, with punk, pop overtones. Perhaps. I'm not a music critic, nor do I aspire to be one. All I know of the band is that they do a damn fine job on stage, and that their two recordings are on constant rotation in my bedroom. Their debut self-titled Placebo from 1996, and their second album Without You I'm Nothing released earlier this year.

"ego cocks in frocks"
was how Brian Molko described the band before playing on stage somewhere in the depths of America.
I'm not a fan of the now necessary hidden track on albums, because in my opinion if the track is considered good enough to even be on the album then one should simply include it on the back cover.
As I was saying, hidden tracks..the hidden track on Without You I'm Nothing is nothing short of brilliant. A few minutes worth of extended guitar gunning, white noise, thrash et al, and then the interesting computer generated voice that says something along the lines of... From a Triple J interview with Richard Kingsmill the band explained what the digitised voice was saying which even shocked me. They sampled death threats that Brian had received whilst in London, which was to be their "middle finger", and "F.U" in response.
So what is it of Brian that provokes me to spend valuable time creating extra bandwith on the internet. It is first of all, that adroygne quality. Secondly he is morally licentious and sexually ambiguous which explains the line "I'm unclean, I'm a libertine", and I'm nineteen and curious so go figure. Thirdly, he is a brilliant lyricist, perhaps not in that 'Thom Yorke' way, but on that personal level, when "Sweet Prince" is on repeat and you've got the headphones on - it gets to you. That song was also a highlight in the Sydney concert - anyone who can turn the smoking of a single cigarette into an artform deserves recognition. I suddenly thought of Marlene Deitreich..on a tangent.
And perhaps that is it. I am not keen on the star idolisation trip, but this little page(s) proves that I'm ready and willing to be some slavering fan (i abhor the word 'groupie', although come to think of it..). I read a great line somewhere, this is not Placebo related, but this is my fucking website and I'm entitled to digress. The line went something along the lines of "there is no valuation, without having a part of you that is deprived, missing, unvalued"..I've forgotten, my memory's shot, but I think it's an interesting insight into fan mentality.

Fan mentality. I have yet to create a proper page for the man that is - Jeff Buckley - although I have attempted before. Now Jeff Buckley possesses a special position in my life simply because he made me realise what music can really mean to an individual. That far far far away from the trashy excesses of Top Forty crap, and cringeworthy "dance" music where it seems to be required by law in the international music world that a bimbette/himbette of a 'singer' (I use that word with great trepidation) dressed in  attire composing of lots of lycra - again tangent - FAME - and then Ricky Martin - who increduously lip syncs to some verse that is usually made up of sounds (dum-dum-dum-de) to some fucking beat gets played on rotation on radio stations, or you have to face up to their video over breakfast. Oh the horror, the horror. These 'musos' (again use of word with reticence) don't have the decency to even demonstrate any awareness of the fact that they are  crap. I mean that is just objectionable. They can't even take the piss out of themselves. *sigh* shocking.
So there you go, my little shrine to one Brian Molko. Perhaps if time allows, I'll add more to this page in terms of real information. You know, like their heights and stuff..
To help you around here the following links go to :

Frequently Asked Questions  leads you to one of the best sites on Placebo, The Brick Shithouse, with its expansive and detailed FAQ. TBS also has extensive information on discography, tourdates, news, hundreds of great pictures, audio/visual Placebo etc. This is a site that every other Placebo site aspires to be, not that the other sites don't have their good points.
Sydney at the Metro
will hopefully be an account of the show I saw this year. From what I remember anyway.
somewhere in the depths of America is a great tour-diary piece pinched from the stalwart of music magazines Q. Thanks Q.
If I had a scanner I would scan the pics, but I'm one deprived individual. The pictures are anyway in that resourceful site, TBS. Go to pictures then to back-stage, or behind the scenes, and I believe its there.
something along the lines of reveals what is actually said in that track Evil Dildo. I place it on another page, simply for the annoyance factor. "another fucking link"..etc.

* Maybelline mascara and She lipstick. These are precisely what he uses. So now you know what to use when wanting that Brian Molko look.

I really really would like some form of feedback on my site. Please convince me that I'm not the only one clocking up hits on my meter, affirm my belief that this really isn't  a waste of of time. Please.
arahman@ozemail.com.au
 
 

 
 
 

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