la trascrizione dei vari discorsi (grazie a rosa di pfww)
Professor Alan Downie:
Chair,
I present to you Mr. Brian Molko for admission to the honorary Fellowship of Goldsmith’s college, guitarist, singer sometimes DJ, since graduating from Goldsmiths’ in 1993 he has been a member of the rock band Placebo. Which having released six albums, undertaken six world tours with sales of twelve million albums worldwide, has been called one of the most influential , original and uncompromising successes ever to grace rock music. Brian’s songs have been described in the Times as tales of pleasure, pain and deviant sex.
Over the years he has collaborated with countless artists, too many to mention, but these include Jane Birkin, David Bowie, Robert Smith and the Cure and Micheal Stipe of REM.
Born in Brussels, to an American Jewish businessman father and a Scottish catholic mother. Brian spent periods in Lebanon and Liberia as an infant before his family finally settled in Luxembourg, a country he does not like and which has compared today with David Lynch’s Twin Peaks. After completing his education at the American International school in Luxembourg, therefore he came to Goldsmith’s to read drama and theatre arts, matriculating when he was only seventeen years old. This meant , of course he was the youngest person on the programme and he is remembered by members of the drama department as a quiet student despite his penchant for wearing kohl eyeliner. Needless to say was by no means the first man to wear make up at Goldsmiths’ although he make a bit of an impression with his nude performance in ‘Scar Tissue’ his ... autobiographical final .. year performance piece.
Brian has explained that for him graduating was a liberating experience because he felt that it meant he had fulfilled his parents’ expectations. Living on income support in Drakefell road, trying to find the money to make short films and performing in small Deptford pubs was a different matter, however things changed after a chance meeting with another former student the American International school of Luxembourg, Stefan Olsdal, at South Kensington underground station.
Brian suggested that Stefan watch him play an acoustic set in Deptford. After the gig Stef apparently came up to Brian and said ‘I really like what you’re doing. Let’s make some music together and see what happens’ . Once they’d recruited a drummer, I believe it was in a Burger King in Lewisham High Street if I got that correctly, a classic rock trio was formed, with Brian on guitar and vocals and Stefan playing bass.
And you only have to listen to the driving guitar, bass and drums together with Brian’s distinctive high vocals on their 1995 debut single ‘Bruise Pristine’, which entered the charts on its rerelease in 1997, or the song for which, for obvious reasons their perhaps best known ‘Nancy Boy’ which reached number five, to appreciate that Placebo’s sound ....... has its roots in Punk rock, all be it with an artistic twist. Even their choice of name involve wordplay, because Placebo is not only Latin for ‘I shall please’ but a placebo is, of course, a drug of no pharmaceutical value.
Quickly attracting the attention of important people in the music industry, Placebo were fortunate enough to become the support act for David Bowie’s Outside world tour in early 1996 and their growing reputation was cemented by the band’s solo shows in the UK. Placebo’s eponymous first album released on the 16th of July 1996 went as high as number five in the album charts. The band played the Reading and Leeds festivals in the same year embarking on European and American tours in November. On the ninth of January in 1997 they played at Bowie’s fiftieth birthday bash at Madison Square Garden in New York. Later that night ‘Nancy Boy’ was released as a single, reaching number four in February and after an appearance of Top Of The Pops, for the first album reaching to number five on the album charts on the back of it.
In the circumstances the chorus to ‘Nancy Boy’ perhaps .. to say at all.. ‘and it all break down at the role reversal, got the muse in my head, she’s universal , spinning me (a)round, she’s coming over me’. The Top Of The Pops appearance gave Placebo huge exposure. Some people phoned in to complain, while others wanted to know whether the singer was a boy or a girl. Possibly because Brian was wearing a dress while performing ‘Bruise Pristine’
Placebo’s subsequent albums: Without You I’m Nothing , 1998 and Black Market Music, 2000 also did well in Britain, the latter also going triple platinum in France, Sleeping With Ghosts, 2003, was released with a bonus disc the after name Covers, ....... covers versions of songs by various artists including Kate Bush’s ‘Running Up That Hill’ and The Smiths’ ‘Big Mouth Strikes Again’ which had also been the ‘Nancy Boy’B-side. Despite being leaked on the internet before its official release Meds in 2006 was number one in seven different countries. Battle For The Sun 2009 has been seen as a turning point in Placebo’s career but the band never looked ... sold out arena on the ninth of December 2009. Having just released an EP entitled B3, they are currently working on their seventh album.
Throughout his career, Brian has been terrifyingly open about sex, drugs and rock and roll. Honest about his own sexuality and outspoken about homophobia. For me he has averred fame has no cultural value except if you use it to save the world like Bono or Angelina Jolie, getting a good table at a restaurant doesn’t make you a better person. He was however quite touched he says, by the global campaign conducted by his fans on twitter when he celebrated his fortieth birthday last week.
I hope he’s equally touched to come back to Goldsmith’s , welcome home Brian.
Chair, I present to you Mister Brian Molko for admission to the honoury Fellowship of Goldsmith’s college.
Brian Molko:
I’m very nervous, so please bear with me particularly if my mind goes blank. I am very pleased to be here. I like to thank the chair and the warden and all the staff of Goldsmiths’ college for inviting me here today to receive this illustrious honour .
I must admit I do feel a little bit awkward, this is the first time I have come back in about twenty years so in the prospect of standing here in front of you all is quite a daunting one. And particularly since I have never really considered myself much of a musician, a decent songwriter perhaps who associates with talented musicians and who has managed to steal some of the credit. So to stand in front of you all graduating students, congratulations, is a humbling experience for me so I like to thank you for that. You know, I write simple repetitive songs which scratch at the surface of this magnificent and magical art form which is music. So, you know, I am very humbled to be here. So, yes, I like to congratulate you all for having determination and the courage of your convictions and the singular vision that is necessary to come as far as you have already and I wish you all the best.
Well that.. thank you very much.
