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Brian Molko

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Brian Molko
Brian Molko

Brian Molko performing at the European Parliament in Brussels in 2010.
Background information
Born

10 December 1972
Brussels, Belgium

Origin

Luxembourg

Genres

Alternative rock

Occupations

Musician, singer, songwriter, actor

Instruments

Vocals, guitar, bass guitar, keyboards, piano, harmonica, saxophone, drums

Yearsactive

1994–present

Labels

EMI, Virgin, Hut, Caroline, PIAS (current)

Associated acts Placebo
Website

www.placeboworld.co.uk/

[1]

Notable instruments
Fender Jaguar
Gibson SG
Fender Telecaster Thinline
Gretsch Duo Jet
Fender Cyclone

Brian Molko (born 10 December 1972 in Brussels, Belgium) is a songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the band
Placebo. He is known inparticular for his nasal, high-pitched vocals, androgynous appearance, and unique, Sonic
Youth-influenced guitar style and tuning.

Brian Molko

Early life
He was born to an American father of French-Italian heritage[2] and a Scottish mother. Molko's family moved
frequently during his childhood including to Scotland, Liberia, Lebanon, and Luxembourg.[3] Brian Molko has
referred to aperiod spent in his mother's home town of Dundee, Scotland, as "where I grew up".[4]
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 music. Molko initially attended the European School of Luxembourg buthad to leave due to
excessive bullying;[5] he later attended the American International School of Luxembourg (AISL)[6] and went on to
study drama at Goldsmiths College in London.[7]

Career
Molko and Stefan Olsdal had both attended AISL (though they were never friends);[8] when Molko moved to
London, he ran into Olsdal at South Kensington tube station and invited him to one of his gigs in aclub, which he
played with Steve Hewitt.[8]
Along with Hewitt and Olsdal, he had a role in the 1998 film Velvet Goldmine,[9] for which Placebo performed the T.
Rex song "20th Century Boy". He played Malcolms, a singer of the fictional glam rock band, The Flaming
Creatures, who resembled the early Alice Cooper band.

Drugs
Molko has been open about his use of recreational drugs; in a 1997interview with New York Doll, he admitted at one
point that heroin was "probably the only drug on this planet I haven't tried".[10] However, he later admitted to
experimenting with heroin as well.[11] The band holds that the drug references within their music reflect the nature of
current times, and the removal of such references would deteriorate the meaningfulness of their work.[12][13][14] Ina
2010 interview Molko said that the band had stopped using drugs. [15]

Personal life
In October 2005, Molko's then-partner Helena Berg gave birth to his first child, Cody. As of June 2009, (as stated in
an interview) he and Helena are no longer together. Molko is openly bisexual.[16]

Collaborations
He has performed, as a guest vocalist and with other artists on Placebo's records, ontracks by:
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The Cure – "If Only Tonight We Could Sleep"
Justin Warfield – "Spite & Malice"
Losers – "Summertime Rolls"
Asia Argento – "Je T'aime, Moi Non Plus"
Alison Mosshart from The Kills – "Meds"
Michael Stipe of R.E.M. – "Broken Promise"
Faultline & Françoise Hardy – "Requiem for a Jerk"
Timo Maas – "Pictures", "Like Siamese", "First Day", "College 84"Kristeen Young – "No Other God"
Dream City Film Club – "Some", "Billy Chic"
Jane Birkin – "Smile"

• AC Acoustics – "Crush"
• Alpinestars – "Carbon Kid"

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Brian Molko
• Trash Palace – "The Metric System"
• Hotel Persona – "Modern Kids"
• Indochine – "Pink Water 3"
He also wrote the English lyrics to "Pink Water 3", a song by Indochine from the album Alice & June, released in...