Niki N. Phaser

Steve Hewitt’s new band, Love Amongst Ruin, has definitely hatched, proving to be more than an ex-drummer’s intimate project. Their debut album is finished and coming out this fall (September 13th to be more precise), preceded by the first single So Sad (Fade), which already received the video treatment. Info about pre-ordering the album can be found at the band’s official site.

The same location offers you the numerous dates of Love Amongst Ruin’s first European tour, which will have them pleasing fresh fans from Italy, Germany, Austria, Poland, Switzerland, France, Belgium and Netherlands. The baptism of live fire has already occurred at EuroSonic this winter, plus a string of sold-out UK shows, culminating with an imminent slot at this year’s Sonisphere. They have plenty of rocking stuff to keep the crowds moving, no doubt about it, (continue reading…)

            Placebo’s Brian Molko announced in an interview with the Chilean radio station Sonar FM that all the profits from their imminent show in Santiago, on April 8, will go to the relief funds for the victims of the recent earthquake. It is a very good idea, because it avoids the chaos of a free show, but still, it will be the Chilean people who will benefit from the gig, both money-wise and show-wise. “All of the money that will be generated from the Placebo concert will be going back to the Chilean people. It’s the only right thing to do”, promised the frontman.

           It is also a more personal way for Placebo to say thank you to a public that has always supported them, Chile being one of the countries that considerably enhanced their popularity in South America. The gig also marks the beginning of their South American tour for promoting last year’s Battle for the Sun, which will have them visit Brazil, Argentina, Colombia and Peru.

Brian Molko’s Promise HERE

Being the sweetest lady ever, Fiona Brice, Placebo’s strings arranger for their last two albums and side member for their Battle for the Sun tour, was nice enough to give us an interview regarding her journey with les enfants terribles of alternative rock. A special thank you goes out to her for doing this.

Niki Phaser: Battle for the Sun is the second Placebo album, that you’ve worked on, after Meds. How did you first meet the band and got to collaborate with them?

Fiona Brice: I have known the band socially for many years because we have several friends in common in London, and we used to meet at gigs before Placebo became hugely successful and their tours took them away for long periods. Brian remembers seeing me playing violin with Michael J Sheehy about 10 years ago at the 12-bar club in London. At the time I was playing and writing with various bands, including Dream City Film Club.  Coincidentally I was also in the band Tram for a while, and Bill Lloyd was in this band before me!   Small world… But our musical paths didn’t officially merge until the band decided to use strings on the Meds album.  They asked me to write with them, and we found musical material and a sound that could add something to the songs without overpowering them.  It worked well and after this I collaborated with Stefan on the strings for the Hotel Persona album.

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