Placebo’s Brian Molko has revealed the one simple but penetrating question that David Bowie put to all his musician friends and every creative artist that he worked with.
The subject came up during an interview that Placebo’s frontman conducted with John Kennedy from Radio X, during which Molko answered questions submitted by listeners.
A listener called Sarah asked the 53-year-old musician ‘What artistic risks are you glad you took in your career and are there any you wish you had taken?’
“For us, it was all about taking risks at the beginning, and it continues to be,” Molko replies. “It reminds me of what David Bowie said to me, and he said this to everyone that either he was working with or that he had a friendship with. He would always ask you a question: ‘Are you comfortable with what you’re doing?’ And the answer would normally be, Yeah, actually, I am. And then he’d say, ‘Well, you’re doing it wrong. You need to step out of your comfort zone.”
“I think we’re a band that thrived on taking risks,” Molko adds. “Even walking out on stage in a dress in 1994 was a bit of a risk. I think all good art is about is about taking risks.”
Later in the interview, a listener called Marina in Brazil asks Molko, ‘If you could choose anyone to play yourself in a Placebo biopic, who would that be and who would you pick to direct it?’
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“One of my favourite filmmakers is Jim Jarmusch,” Molko responds. “I have one of his films tattooed on my skin – Only Love Is Left Alive, my favourite film. I think Yungblud would do a good job of playing me, but I think he might struggle with my accent! The answer to that question used to be Audrey Hepburn!”
You can watch the interview in full below:
Brian Molko of Placebo answers your questions | Do I Wanna Know? – YouTube
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Later this year, Placebo will celebrate the 30th anniversary of their self-titled debut album with an extensive UK and European arena tour.
The band will perform songs from their first two albums, Placebo and 1998’s Without You I’m Nothing, some of which have not been included in the band’s live sets for over 20 years.
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Placebo 30th Anniversary Tour
Sep 28: Oporto Super Bock Arena, Portugal
Sep 29: Lisbon Sagres Campo Pequeno, Portugal
Oct 01: Madrid Movistar Arena (The Ring), Spain
Oct 03: Barcelona St. Jordi Club, Spain
Oct 05: Toulouse Zenith, France
Oct 07: Nantes Zenith, France
Oct 09: Esch-sur-Alzette Rockhal, Luxembourg
Oct 12: Leipzig Quarterback Immobilien Arena, Germany
Oct 15: Vilnius Twinsbet Arena, Lithuania
Oct 16: Riga Xiaomi Arēna, Latvia
Oct 18: Helsinki Veikkaus Arena, Finland
Oct 20: Stockholm Annexet, Sweden
Oct 22: Oslo Spektrum, Norway
Oct 24: Copenhagen KB Hall, Denmark
Oct 26: Hamburg Barclays Arena, Germany
Oct 27: Amsterdam Ziggo Dome, Holland
Oct 29: Frankfurt Festhalle, Germany
Nov 01: Antwerp Afas Dome, Belgium
Nov 02: Cologne Lanxess Arena, Germany
Nov 04: Zurich Hallenstadion, Switzerland
Nov 06: Milan Unipol Forum, Italy
Nov 09: Munich Olympiahalle, Germany
Nov 10: Vienna Stadthalle, Austria
Nov 13: Budapest Budapest Arena, Hungary
Nov 15: Prague Fortuna Sports Hall, Czech Republic
Nov 16: Berlin Uber Arena, Germany
Nov 18: Lodz Atlas Arena, Poland
Nov 21: Stuttgart Hans-Martin-Schleyer-Halle, Germany
Nov 23: Lyon LDLC Arena, France
Nov 25: Paris Accor Arena, France
Nov 28: Nottingham NIC Arena, UK
Nov 30: Glasgow OVO Hydro, UK
Dec 02: Dublin 3 Arena, Ireland
Dec 04: Manchester Co-op Live Arena, UK
Dec 05: London OVO Wembley Arena, UK
Dec 07: Cardiff Utilita Arena, UK
Tickets for the tour are available here.