Placebo & The Death of "Nancy Boy" | New British Canon
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- čas přidán 10. 07. 2024
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Between 1993 and 1997, music in Britain was dominated by the reign of Britpop. Copying the Small Faces and Kinks was back in vogue, everyone had a vested interest in championing either Blur or Oasis and the charts were infested with acts with names like Shed 7, Sleeper and Menswear. Emerging amongst this flag-waving rabble were the grungy, glam-splattered post punks known as Placebo. Fronted by the all-too sexual Brian Molko, they singularly led a charge against the backward-facing Britpop movement with rock music that thrilled, shocked and flirted in equal measure with songs like "Bruise Pristine," "Teenage Angst", "36 Degrees," "Pure Morning," "Every You Every Me" & "The Bitter End." But the most iconic and sleaziest of their 90s singles, "Nancy Boy," challenged gender roles and left a trail of bodily fluids in its wake. This is New British Canon and This is the Story of “Nancy Boy.”
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#Placebo #Alternative #MusicDocumentary
Soundtrack:
Luar - Clouds ( / luarbeats )
Jesse Gallagher - Satay Yuga
B-Side - Pen Unubis
Luar - Anchor ( / luarbeats )
0:00 Introduction
1:19 An Aside
1:56 The Origins of Placebo
4:53 The Birth of "Nancy Boy"
10:11 Living "Nancy Boy"
14:48 The Death of "Nancy Boy"
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Can you do a video on the meaning of the song "Age of Consent" by New Order? I've have heard a million different ideas about it before none of them really seem to fit.
Well at least they hated Oasis too.
Was the single version of 'Nancy Boy' remixed? I bought the album when it came out and the guitar solo seemed flatter than when I heard it on the radio
Something about Type O Negative, please. Or Alce in Chains 🙏
This band isn’t talked about enough it’s insane
@@MrTableforfive what're the problems?
@@kostajovanovic3711 honestly, I don't remember. I withdraw my comment.
It's because they had too much focus on their look in the press so they were seen as a novelty band when they're much better.
They're very, very well regarded by *the right people.* They're really not super commercial, and they're not all that accessible as far as post punk goes. In my experience, their fanbase is more, I don't want to say "intellectual" but it's more Patti Smith, Joy Division, Bowie, Siouxsie, Depeche Mode, even Bjork than mall store post punk emo, like My Chemical Romance. Placebo is post punk for music snobs.
They're just not a great band. A good band, who released some really good and exciting records at their peak, but Molko just never developed the lyrical and compositional chops to become an all-timer or anything. Which may sound like hate, but it isn't, he's extremely talented, but not everyone has the spark or the songs to become world-dominating, and Placebo have always lacked that elusive *truly great* song.
"They're not my best work, but they're better than anything Noel Gallagher's ever written" 💀
I am a fan both bands, but I have to admit I appreciated Molko's extended vocabulary.
I love him. Remember him once saying that he was probably a French prostitute in his past life because he understands French naturally. That's the type of confidence I seek.
Placebo is one of those bands that doesn’t speak to everyone, but to those that they do, they speak loud...like love.
That's a great song, nice reference :)
i see what you did there
I've always wanted to got to a placebo concert with a fake ticket to see if the effects were the same as an actual ticket
It has to be on a double-blind date, or it doesn't count.
womp womp
Underrated comment
😂
didn’t know it was their biggest hit. i’d assume it was 'without you i'm nothing', 'bitter end' or 'every you, every me'.
"Every you, every me" is their biggest hit in the US. "Nancy Boy" is their biggest hit in UK. "Bitter End" is their biggest hit in Europe.
Never even heard of it and I'm a big fan
@@Armakk it was their breakthrough song.
Interesting......here in the US the ONLY song anyone knows by them is Pure Morning.
Which is an excellent song. Sometimes it's even my favorite of theirs.
@@avedic I thought everyone in the US knows "Every you, ever me" because of Cruel Intentions.
I find Brian's guitar tone in the early stuff to be absolutely insane. It's like he cranked the gain on his amp up to 11 and then ran it through five distortion pedals yet the sound came out as beautiful and brutal at the same time. To this day he has some of my favorite riffs and tones of all time. Also the rhythm section fuckin jams hard.
Fender Jaguar into an op-amp Big Muff into a Boss DS3 into a cranked Vox AC 30. Don't know the settings for the pedals though.
Never knew "Nancy Boy" was Placebo's "Creep" or "Misery Business", a song that isn't really looked back on fondly by the band and hardly ever play it live despite being one of their biggest hits.
it was meh
It was one of the first songs I heard. Although Teenage Angst is my fav of that era.
@@astroboirap first placebo song i heard was Infrared on an Astrelwerks compilation
Was every you every me not one of their best songs? It’s known really well in the skateboarding scene. Flip/mark Appleyard. I knows there’s some that know what I mean
Misery Business is primarily shunned upon due to the ‘whore’ line
When it comes down to it, Placebo will always be one of my favorite bands. Their lyrics of sexuality, youth, gender and bold statements about drug use while deriving influence from Depeche Mode and Bowie will always hit hard. They're absolutely timeless.
This video means a lot to me. As a young teen coming to terms with my sexuality, Brain Molko and Nancy Boy helped move the process along. A very personal video to me. Thank you for this!
Good video. I did the loop programming and some sound engineering on Pure Morning, Every Me Every You & 20 Years for my mentor Phil Vinal who produced them. He also produced the Nancy Boy single. I remember Brian writing the lyrics to Pure Morning whilst sitting on the sofa at Livingston studios whilst we tracked the drums to the loops I programmed with them. We had a week in Livingston to come up with a few B sides to support the singles which were planned for Without You Im Nothing. We came up with Pure Morning so the label delayed the release of the album (produced by Steve Osbourne) so they could add it to it and put it out as the first single. It’s an awesome tune.
I enjoy how he keeps talking shit about Oasis haha, I agree with him a lot
Foll
Fool
Oasis wrote great stuff and utter shit
The older you get, the more cringe do the lyrics of Oasis become. Britpop wasn't a great era, especially how easily bands like Placebo outshined them completely with way better and more interesting music, speaking as someone who never hated Britpop
its overrated to hate on Oasis, sure everything after Be Here Now made them fall out of relevancy but i think what they did with those first two albums is magical
i hope this allows new people to discover placebo! i don't see many people talk about them
Yes, I hope that too. May your beautiful music delight many new ears and have more Soulmates to share your music with.
Can confirm! Turns out my gf really likes them , yet I'd never heard of them! I am so stoked to know now!
@@estefania_95 never die
@@baghabit7696 ma maan!
the first time I see someone using these two words as an essence to sum up “everything placebo” - besides myself loool. i tend to glue those together to form one eternal entity of “neverdie”.
never witnessed anyone showing signs that I’m understood or replying back to any of comments with those words - even among placebo fans. “how strange is that” is what I asked myself this whole time.
so yeah, neverdie, my friend. 4FAQ’s sake
I cannot believe one of my favorite music essayists is doing one of my favorite all time bands: SO EXCITED TO WATCH THIS!!
its a nice entree to Placebo. But needs to continue with more depth on all the albums.
@@Nechromosones I'd love a deeper dive, too!
Same here :D
Oh my God his speaking voice is exactly like his singing voice.
You should hear his laugh!
'To go into grunge territory with a dress was so shocking to people'. I guess they'd never seen... grunge?
Literally Kurt Cobain every other day 89 to 94.
Maybe not so much in the uk
@@thefaulkness it would depend if you were an Indie Kid or in the Alterative scene, or not. In my experience most people in those scenes weren't that phased.
Yeah, um, that whole in bloom thing. Idk
I think it's also important to consider the uniqueness of his situation though. Yes, grunge did challenge the gender binary and people like Kurt Cobain wore dresses. But they weren't doing full glam--let alone full-on passing for a woman--which was where a large part of the public hostility towards Placebo came from. Also a lot of the men in grunge who did wear dresses were not queer, and benefitted from straight privilege. Plus, by that point grunge had entered the point where it started devolving into a monstrous, bloated, hypermasculine alternative scene (post-Nirvana) that had veered so far away from where it started.
Great band. 'Without You I'm Nothing' will always be one of my favourite albums.
amazing album but very dark and depression engaging
Mine and my dad's band. He would play the music when I was very young and he would ask who it was, I would scream "Brian!" Or "Brians on!" And the song would almost always be slave to the wage.
We've seen them together live several times and maybe I'm being biased but I love them and david bowie together.
Thankyou for influencing my music taste, without you I'm nothing Dad ❤
The most important band of my life finally given some recognition
My teenage angst was fulfilled by Placebo 20 years ago, and they are still hitting that rebellious spot now I'm someone's mother.
Thank you! A video about my favourite band growing up. They were so ahead of their time concerning gender issues/being genderfluid or trans, LGTBQ+ topics, kinky sex and their melancholy lyrics. They mean so much to me. I had a huge crush on young Brian Molko as a teen. I love his vibes/energy so much. They also have a lot of songs dealing with addiction. Their newer songs are very spiritual. I can relate to their songs. Discovered them when I was 13. Now I am turning 33. Molko has such a soft and healing voice. They helped me through hard times :)
We're the same age and I could have written that comment. Thanks for putting it so well !
„Pure morning“ is my totem animal. I don‘t know what it is that touches me so in this song, but whenever it cones on on the radio, I get _seriously_ watery-eyed, as if it where a Pavlovian reflex.
...Music is a weird thing.
Oh, the feels! I knew Placebo when I was myself in the midst of my teenage angst, struggling with the realization that I might be bisexual, hormones starting to get crazy while being awkward and lonely.
I listened their just released single "The Bitter End" on the radio, I couldn't get if the singer was a guy or a girl, but I just fell in love with the song and the band, and I kind of had an epiphany "Oh, it's ok to be who I am" It kind of saved me from myself and my confusion during my high school years.
Although I don't listen to them anymore, specially after Steve left the band, Placebo is one of my most beloved memories of my youth. Also, Brian Molko is the only famous crush I've ever had lol. I've never been so much of a fan of something as I was from Placebo.
molko is the only celeb crush i’ve had too! he had some bisexual magic charisma going on.
It's scary how much this video just lists my music tastes of the past forty years from Joy Division and Depeche Mode speaking to me as that person who grew up in Liverpool and hates the Beatles and Merseybeat, despised Oasis and most of Britpop and entered the 2000s listening to Placebo and Marilyn Manson.
Same here and I lived in a completely different part of Europe, in Hungary
German here, but I never hated the Beatles. Rubber Soul is for me their best work, it's a good album. Liked Oasis more some years ago though, now the music is just cringe, britpop aged like milk
"definitely not my best work, but they're better than anythingNoel Gallagher's ever written"
YES
I remember seeing Placebo in a small garage band venue in London sometime in the early-to-mid-90's and immediately liking their sound. This was before they were to establish themselves. I'm just glad I saw and heard them up-close before they made it big.
My friend met Brian Malko she sung happy birthday to him apparently he was really lovely
The way you narrate your videos, the sincerity and genuine interest in the music/topics you cover is one of the reasons I enjoy watching them. Thanks for making one on Placebo
They made glam cool again in the late 90s while sounding alternative
I remember first seeing them in a festival show on t.v, they preformed Come Home.I had to run out (the good old days) and buy the cd..... it was that good I was hooked!!!
Thank you for making a video about Placebo. They are a severely underrated band, not only the first 2 albums are worth recognition. I'm personally grateful to Brian for helping me to cope with my mental health at the time. Many people found consolation in his music and some things are still wildly relatable to me
They really don’t get enough recognition. Only a few a handful of people I have talked to know of this band. Their song sleeping with ghosts will always be my favorite.
I even consider the Jimi Hendrix Experience a British band. And I've never been to the UK.
Yes, we count them. :p
PLACEBO have always been way underrated. Especially in the states.
So happy about this video. I wish Placebo gets the attention they deserve. I love their debut it's one of my fav records of all time. I think Placebo's older stuff are way better then later work
Looking forward to a manic preachers episode
Maybe a discussion of The Holy BIble?
Me too. They're still up there as one of my favourite bands of all time!
Everything about this band is UNDERRATED. And this is coming from an American. Long live Placebo.
At the end of the show when I saw them live in Auckland:
Brian: "We've got .. one more song ..."
Woman in audience: "Nancy Boy! NAAANCY BOOOOY!""
Brian: "... and it's not fucking Nancy Boy"
Spoiler - It wasn't fucking Nancy Boy.
Been a huge Placebo fan since the early days and you can definitely hear how much they matured as a band with each album release. Sleeping With Ghosts is probably my favourite album of theirs
Well, you know what they say: "A friend in need is a friend with weed." No wait...
A friend with weed is better...
A friend with weed is definitely better XD
I always had a soft side for Britpop but also found their whole 1st album to be quite appealing as a kid. Especially realizing my sexuality and just overall finding the lyrics in songs like Teenage Angst to be relatable. I may be getting older now, but I still enjoy it. I live in a world where genres, styles, and such kind of just blend together like the days.
I've seen Placebo many times. Lucky enough to see them play Nancy Biy & Pure Morning a lot of times.
One of the best live bands around!!
lmfao that oasis diss was funny as hell
For me, as someone who grew up in the 90s, the Blur VS Oasis question was always answered with Pulp. And I think that was at least in part because I'm an American, and was exposed to Common People long before Placebo. I found them through a Canadian music channel that I frequented as MTV began playing progressively less music. In either case, both bands have a prominent place in my own musical pantheon. Thanks for another great video.
Funnily enough I read a 90’s interview in which molko said he loved pulp so you’re in good company haha. Two of my fave bands also :)
right on brother
As an American I always thought Pure Morning was their biggest hit. Epic song and video imo
...aaand the plans for Friday night are now sorted: will be re-listening the Placebo discography! :D
Good plans
Can't forget Richey Edwards and the Manics when it comes to cross dressing androgyny in 90's rock either 😎 Great video dude!
Surprised not to hear any mention of Every you every me, felt like it was one of their bigger songs
One of my favourite bands of all time. The first time I heard their debut, I was blown away. Very few albums I have heard have made me want to listen to the whole thing again, right away. We sat and listened to it all night without pause. I was in love.
Then, when we saw them live it was another revelation. Just excellent.
And their songwriting just kept improving with each record. I never understood why they weren't bigger globally. These guys were _big_ rock stars in the UK and many places in Europe.
Maybe Molks and Stef were a bit "too much" for the American mainstream. I don't know.
But we love them. Unconditionally.
placebo has been my favorite band since middle school, and i've always felt they were insanely underrated compared to other british bands. thank you for talking about placebo and nancy boy, it was a great video~
yes! thanks so much for this! I asked for a Placebo video previously and here we are. like them or not, they were a band with a story and background so rich and interesting, not only in the musical field... i totally think they were an essential band of that era, as one of the most provocative to have ever appeared. songs like Slackerbitch would be so banned nowadays, despite all the "revolution" we have seen that it is quite ironic.
now here's me waiting for a Garbage video. =)
First single I ever bought!!! Still remember the name of the artwork photographer - Saul Fletcher. The b-sides were also brilliant.
I used to play their music with my highschool band... Oh the 90s
Thank you so much for this. Placebo were a huge part of my life, and I don't think I'd have made it through my own teenage angst bullshit without them. Sadly, the LGBTQAI+ community seems to be forgetting the rock gods of the past who paved the way for them.
They always did. It is the curse of a hedonistic community to chase after fashion and forget about substance until becoming outdated oneself. Which is the point where this suddenly shifts. It never has been different though.
Placebo are so good. Also, the first hit I heard of theirs was Pure Morning. I remember it being on Big Shiny Tunes and Much Music in Canada in the 90s/2000s.
I always think Placebo had a shoegaze influence as well as Grunge, post punk and Glam rock, Also placebo fit in more with britrock
11:08 What a great photograph!!! So many fantastic musicians in one normal photograph, incredible.
Strange that the band have practically disowned their earlier work. Ironically, it holds up better than their later output. Too debauched and clever for their own good. Silly boys. They were bloody good. And that's what they'll be remembered for. I do wonder if they have anything of real worth left in the tank? Hope so.
The dangers of taking yourself too seriously indeed
Big fan of the band here - I'd wager they got better and better with every album until Battle for the Sun, which was on a par with Meds before it... and then Loud Like Love wasn't as good as the ones that came before it.
But I'd personally rank the albums as such...
Meds [06]
Battle for the Sun [09]
Sleeping with Ghosts [03]
Black Market Music [00]
Without You I'm Nothing [98]
Loud Like Love [13]
Placebo [96]
Wasn't sold on the last few songs they put out in 2016, or the B3 EP a few years beforehand, so very cautious about their impending new album...
@@TheDidymusBrush After Meds I felt they lost momentum, which happens with bands after the kinda run they had, and I tapped-out when they released Loud. But when a band is/was as good as them one does hope they can still pull a beauty out of the hat and prove all the doubters wrong. I will be looking out now with renewed interest when they eventually drop the new album. Peace. Out.
I think they getting clean might also have contributed to that. as a person who likes Loud and BTFS to an extent, these albums see the band finding themselves in a comfortable position than in the previous albums, which I think it's justifiable reason to see why you and a few people jumped the ship since they don't have that edge and passion they have built their appeal in the first place.
Brian Molko and his Art capital A mean the world to me. I have been a fan since I was a child and I first saw them in velvet goldmine in 1999 as an American Pre teen. It changed my life. ❤ to this day they remain the greatest band I’ve ever heard. Transcendental ❤
Yes! I've always been a huge Placebo fan......so happy you got to tackling their contribution.
I love this series....and your whole channel.
I thought the drummer's face being blurred like that in Nancy Boy's MV was an aesthetic choice, interesting to learn it was caused because of contractual issues.
As a Radiohead fan I have always been fascinated by the story of ‘Creep’. I had heard a record exec had secretly recorded Radiohead messing around and Thom was playing around with The Hollies “the air I breathe” and the record company forced the band to record the song.
brian bullying oasis is everythign i need
I agree.
They're the outcast of rock music. One of the cult bands of the 90s and early 00s. Simply immortal.
placebo are great. I have nothing more to say.
If it’s new British canon, I’m watching
The thing I love about this channel, is that the ads are at the end of the videos lool
Finally got around to watching this and it was so, so good. I got to relive a lot of the things I felt as a person growing up in the Placebo paradigm. Those closing comments were spot on. Love the channel, great work my guy.
that is the best video ever made about placebo... Placebo is the band of my life... it transformed me in so many ways, and normally ppl dont understand the relevance of their work... because they lived the songs... anyway, amazing work.. Thank you ♡
I thought it was only we Australians who claimed artists that aren't ours. We've declared so many great New Zealand bands, musicians and actors as our own over the years (Neil & Tim Finn, Keith Urban, Russell Crowe, Sam Neill, Dragon, Max Merritt...) Until they do something bad, like when Russell Crowe threw a phone at someone, then he suddenly became "New Zealand born Russell Crowe".
I believe the Germans do something similar... "Austrian-born..."
Well - it is the band that is claimed. A band is more about the idea of the entity than its individual members. And the UK is what they all had in common when they met. It is a bit like Theseus ship: If you take a british band and change all the members with Germans, it will still stay a british band. It will sound like crap though.
Thank you for this video. One of my all time favorite bands.
I've been subscribed to the channel for over two years and I don't know how I miss this video!!! I got to know Placebo for Special Needs (I guess Brian's androginy took longer for the band to expand internationally), and when I started to listen to their albums I liked a set of songs which turned out to be their B-sides, off course I came to love their singles and since then I've been able to seen them in concert twice (not usual in Latinamerica). One of my favorite bands, ever!!! Thanx!!!
Next New British Canon: Tears for Fears' Everbody wants to rule the world!!! Please!!!
literally waited years for this, thanks
My eyes widened when I saw your community post about Placebo, and I was like, "OMG A VIDEO'S COMING, I CAN FEEL IT..." eeeeeee I'M SO EXCITED ♡ thank youuu
Hopefully it didn't disappoint! I saw your video on Brian Molko just as I was finishing up the edit, and thought your interpretation of Nancy Boy was probably way closer to the truth.
@@TrashTheory yes, the video was exceptional as per usual :) And this channel was a huge inspiration when I was just starting out, so you have no idea how much it means to hear that you have seen my videos!
@@AGrrrlsTwoSoundCents Thanks! I've watched a few of them so far, I really don't see how you can get them out weekly. No doubt I'll be stepping on your toes again soon, quite a few of your video subjects I've been eyeing for the near future.
My second favourite British band behind Manic Street Preachers. Great video!
I always thought placebo and feeder were separate to the whole blur oasis thing and even stereophonics supergrass
more like ash or muse
@@Warnerchild Checks out. Placebo led me directly to Ash, and Ash led me directly to Muse.
I loved "Sleeping with Ghosts". Great album and great covers.
As a young child when these songs were released I was incredibly drawn to them and I couldn't say why. Watching this vid, I'm starting to think that it may have been linked to my sexual orientation.
But they're also fucken great songs! That transcends orientation. Don't wanna take that away from Placebo!
I was also incredibly drawn to them.
Same.. 😄
Never heard of Placebo, I like the story and they sound like my cup of tea. I'll check them out later.
Great vid btw, I learn a lot from your stuff.
Theyre great. No other band like them♥️
This video’s awesome! I definitely see bands like The Killers and MCR as a sort of continuation of the presentation Placebo were giving. So cool
The effort you put into these videos is amazing. Fantastic content as always.
This is great!, Can you do a really really in-depth one in the future?, like an hour at least, placebo is long overdue a full documentary
First concert i've ever been to back in 2001and still probably the best. We were standing right in front of Brian and my friend and i argued for weeks which one of us he definitely smiled at. 🤣🤣🤣
“Pure Morning” & “Every You Every Me” we’re so, so important to me as a musician growing up.
Man i just love your content, keep up the amazing work.
placebo's been a favorite of mine nearly 20 years now. great to see this wonderful bit, thank you.
Well done video. One of my Top Ten Bands!
I have never liked a video before seen it and I just did.
Placebo was the band of my coming out and help me get more confortable in my skin . Brian indeed, was my role model.
Thank you .
so excited for this! imo placebo had like 6 great albums in a row
I knew Placebo in 2000 and they "are" still in my life. I'm eager for a new album, single, EP, whatever ! ^^ Thanks for this video :)
Placebo are fuckin legends. Unfortunately everything after Meds (when most of the band members quit) wasn’t great, and even Meds is hit or miss. But their sound is so unique, they should be put next to many other huge bands of the 90s, but unfortunately often get overlooked.
It was only Steve that left. (There were live members)
But completely agreed. Everything after Meds in my eyes (and heart) is an atrocity.
Placebo is still secretly my favourite band.
When I was 14 (about 2004) I went to my first ever gig - Placebo. Changed my life!! I heard Brian was ‘bisexual’ and this gave me language for the first time to describe myself ❤️❤️
This channel is great. I love his documentaries.
I still have much love for Placebo. Great video!
Placebo is so much chicer and smarter than any later bands that people compare to them. I'd say Placebo has far, far more in common with Patti Smith, Depeche Mode, Sonic Youth than anything emo like My Chemical Romance. Their sound is more interesting and sophisticated. The lyrics are more raw and more poetic. Their output is more varied. They feel all around more grownup and authentic. They're really miles away from anything remotely emo. Comparing My Chemical Romance to Placebo is like comparing Good Charlotte to The Sex Pistols.
A generation confused by Brian Molko's aesthetics both boys and girls no matter if you are lgbtq+ or not. It's a hard thing to do. And I'm glad that it happened. It saddens me tho that the entire band has to live such a phase to live rock n roll and lost their enthusiasm along the way. I can't remember how many nights i cried over Molko's eerie voice in "Song to Say Goodbye" and "Without You I'm Nothing" and then later danced my ass of to "This Picture." I'm glad that I saw them live in my city. It wasn't their best show but it didn't matter to me. I hope they come up with an amazing sound in their upcoming album.
Great video as always. I would love to see a video about Metronomy. Greetings from Mexico
Great work again... Thanks
Great video - love this band but didn’t know much of this - thanks for the effort
Nice to see so many Placebo fans here! ♡