By Mikibabes
In 1996 Placebo landed on the planet of Rock �n� Roll. The line up was Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal and Robert Schultsberg. Here was a band that arrived as Britpop was shimmering out therefore stuck out and received media attention instantly. Here was a band with dark lyrics, upbeat happy melodies and androgyny. Placebo were one of those bands that were definitely going to turn heads, and over the past 10 years that�s exactly what they�ve done.
Whether you love them or loathe them it is undeniable that Placebo certainly have a unique image. Through the years we�ve seen this band change their style and look so often that it�s often hard to keep up with them. They are now approaching their 10th year in music and are celebrating this milestone by the release of �Once More With Feeling� a singles collection which looks over the history of Placebo�s career.
Seen as though Placebo Features is a new section of Second Sight what better way to open then with a look at how Placebo�s image has changed over the years.
1996
The first year of Placebo�s career and a very different image to that of today. At this point Placebo didn�t really have a set image. The band members were usually wearing everyday clothes. The only thing that made them different was the fact that the singer Brian Molko wore make-up.
1997
With the release of �Nancy Boy� Placebo had changed slightly. With new drummer Steve Hewitt who immediately made the band look better and more professional onstage and complete offstage. Steve had an image of his own, he would wear shirts and tops with unique designs and some were shiny with sequins.
Brian Molko was wearing more make-up and short dresses regularly. When he wasn�t wearing dresses Brian was often spotted wearing t-shirts with slogans on such as �Stunt girl� �Teenage wife� �Pissboy� to name but a few.
Brian was wearing more make-up and had a bob haircut. He was often mistaken for a girl which is something the media made a fuss about.
Bassist Stefan also caused hysteria by wearing small belly tops during live performances, the fans loved this image and people in the crowds were often sporting their own versions of the image
1998
In early 1998 Placebo�s image hadn�t changed much from the look in 97. Brian was wearing dresses more often especially a John Richman black & white one which he was pictured in many times, this was the dress he wore in the promo video to �Every You, Every Me� filmed at London�s Brixton Academy 98.
With the release of album 2 �Without You I�m Nothing� Placebo had a more mature sound. The first single Pure Morning proved how different Placebo sounded. After the video was aired Placebo were often referred to as a Goth band as they were mostly wearing black.
1999
In �99� Placebo�s image had changed once more. They were still wearing black & make-up but they returned with different haircuts. Brian had a much shorter hairdo, Stefan had shaved his head and Steve�s hair was getting longer. In February 99 Placebo played at the Brit awards with legend David Bowie, they then went on to record a duet with Bowie.
2000
A new millennium, a new album, a new image. Placebo returned in late 2000 with �Black Market Music� an album that was their rockiest yet. The first video was for the song �Taste In Men� the video showed how much Placebo had changed. The whole look was different. Brian had once again changed haircuts and wasn�t wearing as much make-up as the previous years. Steve Hewitt was wearing a pinstripe suit and had longer hair. This was Steve�s new trademark, pinstripe suits were what he was mostly wearing at this time.
2001
In 2001 Placebo we�re constantly touring the world. The image was the same as the previous year except that Brian had much shorter hair. During this year we saw quite a few new outfits being introduced to the live shows. Steve was still wearing a lot of pinstripe. Stefan was always changing and at each gig the fans were wondering what Stef would look like. Brian began wearing white a lot, and a spaceage suit from the �Special K� video.
2002
We didn�t see much of Placebo in 2002 as they were taking a break then recording an album.
2003
Placebo returned in March 2003 with a brand new album �Sleeping With Ghosts� and once again a whole new image. All three band members were almost always wearing black. Brian was regularly wearing a pair of jeans that most people refer to as �the bitter end jeans� which he wore for most of the promotion of the new album. He also had a new haircut, it was short and spiky and less make-up. It was once again a whole new Placebo and proved to everyone that they could still make great music and continue to look better then previous years.
2004
This year we have seen Placebo develop and mature more. Having spent most of the year touring it was only in October 2004 we saw the band have another complete image. They reclaimed their place in the charts with the single �20 years� and we see Brian Molko sport a mullet hairstyle.
Looking back over the last 10 years of Placebo we can definitely see that the band have changed a lot both musically and physically. They have now begun a long break before recording their next album. They will return in 2006 and who knows what they will sound or look like. One thing is certain though. They will always be Placebo.