Biography
Placebo was formed in London in 1995. The band members are Brian Molko (born December 10, 1972), Stefan Olsdal (born March 31, 1974), and Steve Hewitt (born March 22, 1971). Brian and Stefan attended the same school in Luxembourg during their youth but did not socialize much. Years later, two years after Brian moved to London, they unexpectedly met outside a South Kensington subway station. Brian, who played guitar and sang, invited Stefan to watch him and his band perform live, and to Brian's surprise, Stefan accepted. Together, they formed a band called Ashtray Heart, with Stefan playing bass. Stefan later introduced Brian to drummer and fellow Swede Robert Schultzberg, leading to the formation of Placebo. After only five gigs, record companies began to take notice.
In January 1996, Placebo signed with Hut Records and released their self-titled debut album later that year. Produced by Brad Wood, the album featured the single "Nancy Boy," which reached number 4 on the UK charts. Throughout 1996 and 1997, they toured extensively, including select dates with U2 on their Popmart tour, and performed at David Bowie's 50th birthday party in New York City. Due to internal conflicts, Robert left the band in 1996 and was replaced by Brian's friend Steven Hewitt, who had played on Placebo's original demos but was previously unable to join due to other commitments. Their second album, "Without You I'm Nothing," was released in November 1998. It was successful in the UK and included singles such as "Pure Morning," nominated for best video of the year, "You Don't Care About Us," "Every You, Every Me," featured in the film Cruel Intentions (1999), and the title track "Without You I'm Nothing." The third album, "Black Market Music," came out in October 2000, sold over one million copies, and included singles like "Taste In Men," "Slave to the Wage" (whose music video references the film Gattaca, 1997), "Special K," and "Black-Eyed," with a video containing footage from the German movie Engel & Joe (2001).
Work on their fourth full-length album, "Sleeping With Ghosts," began in June and July 2002 with producer Jim Abbiss. Recording finished in winter, and the single "The Bitter End" was released on March 10. After a few warm-up gigs, the album was released on March 24 in the UK and April 1 in the USA. Placebo started their UK tour in April 2003 and spent the summer touring globally, releasing the single "This Picture" on June 16.
On March 13, 2006, Placebo released their fifth studio album, "Meds," in the UK. The album reached number 1 in France, number 4 in Australia, and number 7 in the UK. It featured singles such as "Song to Say Goodbye," "Because I Want You," "Infra-Red," and "Meds." In 2007, Steve Hewitt was dismissed from the band due to communication issues with Brian and Stefan, as well as differing goals and expectations for the future. In 2008, he was replaced by American drummer Steve Forrest.
The next album, "Battle for the Sun," recorded with Steve Forrest, was released on June 8, 2009, and included singles like "For What Is Worth," "The Never-Ending Why," "Ashtray Heart," and "Bright Lights." That same year, Placebo won the "Best Alternative" band award at the MTV Europe Music Awards. In October 2012, they released an EP titled "B3," containing five tracks. In September 2013, their seventh studio album, "Loud Like Love," was released, featuring singles such as "Too Many Friends," "Loud Like Love," and "A Million Little Pieces."
On February 2, 2015, the band announced that Steve Forrest was no longer a member.
