Placebo frontman Brian Molko has revealed that his past days of debauchery with Marilyn Manson saw them ‘very badly behaved’, and that he could ‘drink him under the table’.

Molko and the ‘God Of Fuck’ became friends in the ’90s when they both enjoyed a rapid rise to fame. While being ‘clean and happy’ these days and practising meditation, Molko’s past was a little more rowdy.

“I remember reading ‘The Long Road Out Of Hell’ [Marilyn Manson’s autobiography], and thinking ‘this book makes you feel like you want to go out and do very rock n’ roll things’, but that wasn’t a particular inspiration for my lifestyle,” Molko told Kerrang. “Marilyn Manson and I started out hanging out at that time, and we were very badly behaved anyway.”


He continued: “I never saw him engaged in any depraved behaviour. Nothing I would consider depraved. And the thing about Manson is that he’s fiercely intelligent and a fantastic provocateur. I think that’s why we got on so well. And I have to say this – and he won’t like it – but I could always drink him under the table.”

As the band gear up to conclude their 20th anniversary ‘greatest hits’ tour, Molko also told us about the impact of losing ‘friend and mentor’ David Bowie, as well as progress on their ‘career-suicide’ new album, why they ‘may never play ‘Nancy Boy’ or ‘Pure Morning‘ ever again, and how more needs to be done to break the stigma around discussing depression and mental health.

After releasing new album ‘Heaven Upside Down‘, Manson is currently recovering from an ‘excruciating’ accident in which a stage prop fell on him. He’ll be back to tour the UK in December.

Marilyn Manson tour dates

Manson is touring the UK and Europe this winter, culminating in a show at London’s Wembley Arena. Full dates are below. Tickets are available here.

NOVEMBER 2017

Tuesday 14 – Annexet STOCKHOLM, Sweden

Wednesday 15 – HAL 14 ELSINGNORE, Denmark

Thursday 16 – Sporthalle HAMBURG, Germany

Saturday 18 – Zenith MUNICH, Germany

Sunday 19 – Tip Sport Arena PRAGUE, Czech Republic

Monday 20 – Gasometer VIENNA, Austria

Wednesday 22 – Pala Alpitour TURIN, Italy

Thursday 23 – Samsung Hall ZURICH, Switzerland

Saturday 25 – Velodrom – UFO BERLIN, Germany

Wednesday 29 – Mitsubishi Electric Hall DUSSELDORF, Germany


DECEMBER 2017

Saturday 2 – Forest National BRUSSELS, Belgium

Monday 4 – O2 Academy MANCHESTER, UK

Tuesday 5 – O2 Academy GLASGOW, UK

Wednesday 6 – Civic Theatre WOLVERHAMPTON, UK

Friday 8 – Newport Centre NEWPORT, UK

Saturday 9 – SSE Wembley Arena LONDON, UK