There is more than one artist with this name:

1) Placebo are an alternative rock band consisting of Brian Molko (vocals, guitar), Stefan Olsdal (bass) and Steve Hewitt (drums). On Oct. 1st, 2007 it was announced that Hewitt left the band citing “personal and musical differences”.

The band was founded when former Luxembourg schoolmates Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal - who never actually spoke to each other - met by accident at South Kensington tube station in 1994. Molko invited Olsdal to one of his gigs and Olsdal was impressed by Molko’s vocals so they agreed on forming a band. While briefly known as Ashtray Heart, the band quickly settled on the name Placebo, after the drug that has no active ingredient but works because the patient believes it does. Placebo also means “I shall please” in Latin. The band could not decide on a drummer at first with Steve Hewitt (drums) and Robert Schultzberg alternating on the spot. While Hewitt was the ... read more »