The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Something in Dundee’s water?
Twenty years after releasing their breakthrough single, Nancy Boy, Placebo return to Dundee’s Caird Hall on Sunday hoping for a ‘pseudo-religious experience’ in a city that has ‘infiltrated’ their lives
As one half of 1990s-formed alternative rock band Placebo, guitarist-bassist Stefan Olsdal is “working his way through coffees” and still catching up on sleep following the band’s recent tour of Australia when The Courier calls him in London.
But it’s the band’s relationship with Dundee that the 43-year-old Sweden-born musician is reflecting on ahead of Sunday night’s gig at the Caird Hall.
The City of Discovery is the band’s second stop on their 11-date 20th anniversary UK tour.
And it’s always been a special place for androgynous lead singer Brian Molko, whose mum is from Dundee and who was once quoted as saying it is “where I grew up”.
“Brian doesn’t really talk too much about his childhood, to be honest,” says Stefan.“But it’s just funny how Dundee seems to infiltrate our lives.
“Our manager is from Dundee, one of our crew is from Dundee, a band that we signed a publishing deal for – The Mirror Trap – is from Dundee. I don’t know what it is. There must be something in the water in Dundee!”
Stefan has fond memories of Placebo playing the Caird Hall in 2003. He’s also visited Dundee for a wedding and while he hasn’t been back recently, hopes to find the time during this trip to explore the city’s ongoing physical and cultural renaissance.
“I keep hearing about this regeneration, how the city is coming up culturally, artistically, architecturally – I’m curious to see what all the fuss is about!” he laughs.
Formed in 1994, Placebo gained
exposure in 1997, after releasing Nancy Boy – a song that Molko described as “obscene”.
The band sparked controversy at the beginning of their career because Molko wore dresses and make-up in public and talked openly about sex, sexuality and drug use.
Now back to being a two-piece, as various drummers have come and gone, the band are celebrating their 20th anniversary in the public eye and reflecting on the release of seven studio albums, all of which have reached the top 20 in the UK, and the sale of around 11 million records worldwide.
“It feels like we’ve been around for 100 years, to be honest!” says Stefan, who admits he would be dead if he hadn’t given up drink and drugs, and is feeling the strain of a hectic schedule.
“It’s almost five years ago that we released our studio album and we’ve been touring ever since – we toured around for two years, then we did MTV Unplugged, and then we released this 20th anniversary album (A Place for us to Dream) last year and we’ve been touring for over a year now.
“I think I need a bit of a break soon!” he laughs.
“That said, it’s the 20th anniversary – we are still here – we still feel like we haven’t really started, in a way!”
Comparing the experience of performing live as being “like a pseudoreligious experience” when he connects with the energy of the audience, Stefan says the tour is all about celebrating the last 20 years and that means making the show “more of a crowd pleaser”.
“We are playing songs we said we’d never play ever again,” he adds. “We’ve just kind of gone in with the attitude that this is a birthday party so let’s all have a good time.”
Stefan says Placebo are “very lucky” to have their loyal fans. “Many fans now bring their own kids,” says openly gay Stefan, who has a son, and describes his life as comprising “parallel universes”. “When I’m home I’ve got my own family and then when I’m on the road it’s like connecting with another kind of family – a community, really,” he reflects.
It feels like we’ve been around for 100 years, to be honest!