=) hmm, weLLs i couLdnt decidE whaT piC to uSe¡ *gooFy smileZ* so's i just went witH tHe onE oF tHe Black Market Music sHots .. veRy nicE .. hEhEhE =þ

anywayZ .. so's while I can't really class myself as an obsessed "die-hard" Placebo fan here's .. i DO keep an ear out .. uHHH .. opened .. hmmm .. pEElEd¿ hEhhE for anytHin' NEW¡ I actually kinda soRta came onto the Placebo scene a **littl'** late¡ *L* .. sure "Pure Morning" was getting a lot of radio play at the time .. but I gotta says wasn't really fully exposed to Placebo until I saw them in '99¡ hEhhEh .. though not when they were out to promote their "WYIN" album .. they were actually supporting silverchair on silverchair's "Neon Ballroom" tour¡ *L* =þ and y’know .. once we were able to hear 'em properly .. they rocKed¡ and im soo glad they didn't walk off stage during their performance because some knob [yes .. I say knob .. which is perty light and not so harsh at alls =þ] threw 50c at Brian¡ how's rude is RUDE¿ .. yeh weLLs apparentLy he got his by others in the mosh pit for doin' so's .. but then again with doin' something like that .. he had it comin'¡ *L* .. but yeh .. that was my first Placebo experience and luRRved it¡ wHoo hOO¡ .. juZ waiting for 'em to come around again.

PLACEBO .. Latin for "i will please" .. there's no reaL hidden meaning behind the name .. 'cept that tHe tRio just wanted a name they could imagine tHe crowd screaming¡ *L* With distinctive vocals and unique in their own way, this is no ordinary band .. Placebo today is .. Brian Molko [an American] .. Stefan Olsdal [a Swede] .. and Steve Hewitt [an Englishman] .. the guys have stated on many occasions that they are "50% gay" .. Molko being bisexual .. Olsdal being homosexual and Hewitt being hetrosexual .. I can just imagine the media picking at them like vultures in their beginnings [I got onto their scene late remembers¡] .. but hey, with alls that aside .. these guys have got a GREAT sound .. and whats more¿ .. they be here to stay¡ =)
.. the beginnings of Placebo .. so's here's what I could figure, and hey man .. go easy on me if its not alls on the spot here's =þ .. so's ima apologizing up front nows for any misinformation given .. but y'gotta have some sort of a band bio heres¡ *goofy smiLeZ*

With no apparent common background between the three apart from their interest in music, Placebo began to take shape in '94 when fate brought Molko and Olsdal together outside South Kensington Tube station in London. Molko had approached Olsdal out of recognition [the two had attended the same school in Luxemburg, but didn't speak as they were in different social circles] while he and a friend were on their way to an art exhibition. After learning that Molko had a weekend gig in a pub called "Round The Bend", Olsdal decided to sit in on it and check it out. Having heard Brian's performance and luRvin' what he heard, Olsdal approached Molko to see if he needed a bass player. The two then went on and formed a band, initially calling themselves Ashtray Heart [after a Captain Beefheart song]. The two started writing songs and when time permitted, Hewitt [having met Molko through a mutual friend] would join them and played the drums for them on their demos. With Hewitt's conflicting commitments with Breed, Molko and Olsdal were forced to start looking for a person to permanently take up place as the drummer. Robert Schultzberg at the time had followed Olsdal to London to study music, and having worked with Schultzberg previously, Olsdal called upon Schultzberg to be in on the line up .. and with the three .. came the beginnings of Placebo.

In January '95 the boys from Placebo had their very first gig lined up at the Rock Garden, London. The band went on to play shows and started to distribute their demos with the help of friends. Whilst playing shows, Placebo started to get numerous record offers but declined and instead, concentrated on building their confidence through more gigs instead. Their first debut recording was "Bruise Pristine" which was released through the indie label, "Fierce Panda". Still on the road playing various shows by the end of '95, Placebo had their first small taste of success with the release of the single, "Come Home" through "Deceptive Records". The single having gone to number 3 on the indie charts.

Placebo finally came to sign a deal with Hut Recordings in January ’96, where Molko and Olsdal, through Hut Recording established their own label "Elevator Music" for the purpose of "keeping an eye" on the business side of things. It was also around about this time their demos had gotten into the hands of David Bowie. Clearly impressed by them, Bowie invited the guys to support him on tour.

The time had come for the band to record their first album. Self-titled, this was recorded in Dublin and released in the summer of '96. Fully booked tours followed which saw the guys re-trace their steps from their previous tour. By this time with everything on the move, complications arose between Schultzberg and Molko. The friendship between the two had started to deteriorate further, and Schultzberg started to have a lack of interest in the bands possiblities. Placebo meanwhile returned to support David Bowie on his European tour after Bowie's support band Morrissey pulled out, and had their first national TV appearance on the "White Room", with tours of America to follow. However '96 also saw the departure of Schultzberg after their American tour and Hewitt was called onto the scene .. the original chemistry of the band was re-united, and with it came a shift in the bands dynamics. Hewitt spent a couple of weeks learning the LP and had a day and a half rehearsal before going on tour to promote their self-titled album. The touring saw them throughout the UK, Europe [in which they supported U2 in a few Popmart shows], and America. Whilst in America Placebo was again invited by David Bowie as special guests to play at his 50^th birthday bash at New York’s Madison Square Garden. Here the guys were performing alongside their heroes, Bowie himself, The Cure, Lou Reed and Sonic Youth [these people having been their musical inspirations]. Meanwhile back at home with the release of their single "Nancy Boy" saw it enter the charts as number 4. It was about this time that Placebo started to really get noticed. With their success totally unexpected, the band was taken by surprise as their fame escalated. In fact, guys were so unprepared for this that Molko and Olsdal still had their phone numbers listed .. and it didn't take long for calls and errr .. threats to come rollin' in¡
Having returned from tour and back in London, the guys started to get to work, demoing material for their second album. "Without You I'm Nothing", their second album was released late '98 .. and once again .. the boys were back on tour again¡ .. and I think everyone knows how it went perty much from theres =)

Hey with music aside .. the guys also had a screen debut upon an invitation from Michael Stipe, who was the executive producer, in a Todd Hayne's glam rock film "Velvet Goldmine". This saw Molko and Hewitt as members in a fictitious band The Flaming Creatures playing alongside Eddie Izzard and Ewan McGregor, while Olsdal was in an unnamed band alongside Donna from Elastica. They covered T-Rex's "20th Century Boy" in the movie.