Brian Molko branded Italian premier 'fascist' and 'racist' during concert near Turin.

The prosecutor's office in Turin has opened an investigation after Brian Molko, the frontman of British band Placebo, insulted Italy's right-wing premier Giorgia Meloni during a concert on 11 July.

Speaking in Italian, Molko called Meloni a "fascist" and a "racist", along with a number of insults, to applause from the crowd of around 5,000 concertgoers in Nichelino near Turin.

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

Prosecutors have reportedly opened an investigation into "contempt of the institutions" following a report filed by carabinieri on duty at the Placebo concert which was part of the Stupinigi Sonic Park festival.

During the same concert Molko defined the alternative rock band - which he formed with guitarist Stefan Olsdal in London in 1994 - as "not English, but European".