Italy investigates Placebo’s Brian Molko for calling far-right Prime Minister “racist” and “fascist”

Placebo‘s frontman Brian Molko has been placed at the centre of an investigation after calling Italy’s prime minister “racist” and “fascist”.

The band’s frontman made the comments during the band’s set the Sonic Park festival in Stupinigi. During the show, Molko told the crowd in Italian: “Giorgia Meloni, piece of shit, fascist, racist.”

Prosecutors in Turin have opened an investigation against Molko following Placebo’s performance last week in front of 10,000 fans at the festival.

During the Stupinigi Sonic Park, the Placebo lead singer Brian Molko calls PM Giorgia Meloni ‘racist, fascist’, concluding ‘fuck you’.

July 11, 2023 pic.twitter.com/eqmJLcH4Qp

— Crazy Ass Moments in Italian Politics ???????? (@CrazyItalianPol) July 12, 2023

Meloni is the leader of the Brothers of Italy party which is Italy’s most rightwing government with neo-fascist roots since Benito Mussolini during the second world war. She won last year’s election while running on anti-immigration policies, as well as plans to limit LGBTQ rights.

Italy’s criminal code punishes with a fine ranging from €1,000 to €5,000 (£858 to £4,290) anyone who “publicly defames the republic”, which includes the government, parliament, the courts and the army.

Recently, at a Placebo show in Dublin’s 3Arena on June 26, Molko called out a large number of attendees who were using their phones to record the show rather than living in the moment.

The band had previously shared a request on social media for attendees to refrain from using phones during their gigs. Molko halted the performance during ‘Hugz’, the fourth song of their set, to remind fans of the no phone policy.

In other news, Placebo played their gender-bending breakthrough hit ‘Nancy Boy’ at this years Download fest.

It was the band’s first time in six years that they played the track live. They had previously shared that they were reluctant to play any of their old songs after their long ‘Best of’ tour they went on.