'Libertines Interview'
(Tuesday August 03, 2004)
It's 3pm on a Tuesday afternoon in London and most people are at work. Not Carl Barat. Rock'n'roll is still asleep. LAUNCH woke up half of The Libertines' revered songwriting partnership to find out what's happening in one of the UK's biggest bands and if there is any future for the group without their drug-ravaged, damaged genius and Barat's partner-in-crime, Peter Doherty…
LAUNCH: The album was originally going to be produced by Bernard Butler. What happened?
CARL BARAT: "We didn't use any of the stuff we did with Bernard. We did a couple of things with Bernard but it wasn't happening. He didn't get on with Peter. "
You didn't have similar problems with Mick Jones (who produced the record)?
"No, Mick gets on well with everyone. Bernard and Peter are both a bit highly strung."
What sort of vibe do you get from Mick?
"A lot of a vibe, basically. That's all you get from him, he's one of the boys, a natural. He fits in and has a lot of love for what we do and he really understands. He's like Albert from "Only Fools And Horses" with his stories…"
When did you start on the record?
"I can't remember man. We did ten days altogether in June I guess. We have no conception of time or punctuality."
Was it hard work?
"It was murder. I can't believe it got made to be honest with you."
Where there day to day problems?
"It took two months to get ten live days done. It was all over the place, Two days here and three days there. Every time we went in wondering if everyone was going to turn up."
Was much of the record written before you went into the studio?
"Not really. Nothing was decided. It was all pretty hodgepodge. We had a few ideas. A couple of the tracks were already written."
How significant was Peter's involvement in the songwriting?
"As significant as on the first album…"
What is "The Man Who Would Be King" about?
"Have you seen the film of the same name - Sean Connery and Michael Caine are in it? It's about friendship, you know. It's set in the colonial Empire. You should see it, man."
What is it that Katie did?
"You don't even want to know…"
Is the Katie suggested in the press the right subject?
"She wishes…"
How far back do you and Peter go?
"Quite a while. Seven years, it's a lifetime, an eternity."
Songs like "Can't Stand Me Now" and "What Became Of The Likely Lads" seem to be about you and Peter. Do you write tracks like that together?
"Sometimes. It's a good excuse, a way of getting things out. It's a collective thing."
How do you feel about the record now?
"I've not had a chance to listen to it. I'm sure it's like a snapshot, to use the American term for photograph."
Was it a relief to get it done?
"In a way, it was a f*cking hard time…"
At the Rhythm Factory show earlier this year, Pete seemed far more interested in playing the older material. Did that sum-up the problems you had with the album?
"Quite possibly. It was quite difficult to move the band on. We felt it was important to do that, and we had a lot of trouble with that…"
There's been talk of in-band fighting. Was that the whole band?
"Just me and Pete really, but everyone else was involved."
How are things with Pete now?
"Well, I've said my piece and I'm waiting for an answer, really."
Are there any plans for Peter to do interviews for the album?
"Yeah, I think so."
Will you be doing any new band pictures?
"Probably not with Peter at the moment, no."
When was the last time you spoke to him?
"Before he went to Bangkok."
It must have been a real blow for the band to have him go to rehab and then for it to fail?
"Yeah, it was a real nasty f*cker. It was gutting…"
What was the regime like at the monastery in Thailand?
"Well, contrary to the tabloid's f*cking ridiculous claims, apparently you get treated like a prince. The only thing they request of you is that you do this weird vomiting thing, which you do every day, which apparently makes you feel really good. That's just a small part of the process as far as I'm concerned. All the stuff about being whipped is absolute bollocks.
"I know a guy who was out there – Tim Arnold, Dot Cotton's son – he's the one who sorted it all out. He told me all about it and said it was nothing like what it said in the papers. A lot of the locals go off to Bangock to try the local smack apparently."
Did The Libertines finance his rehab?
"Unfortunately yeah."
Would you consider doing that again?
"If I had any fragment of hope that he would last."
How long did he last?
"About three days…"
He seems to relish the attention?
"He loves it."
How do you feel about Pete becoming tabloid fodder?
"It makes me sad. I'm gonna keep my trap shut. I'm not gonna give the tabloids a voice about it. "
So it's his move next?
"It's pretty simple, what I've said…"
Does he hang out with a 'bad crowd'?
"In my opinion, yeah, but I don't really wanna talk about it."
He's doing a solo tour with Dot Allison next week…
"Apparently."
What's it like playing without him in The Libertines?
"Emotionally, it's quite difficult. We've got this geezer keeping Pete's seat warm. He understands what he's doing and he plays good and he understands the songs. But emotionally, it's a f*cker. But we have to get on with it and sonically try to pull it off."
How have the gigs been going without him so far?
"Well I don't like doing it, but I don’t have a choice. I've gotta do it. It's important to me. I think we play good. We can get on with what we're doing, but I don't see us writing or recording another album as The Libertines if Pete doesn't sort his sh*t out."
So that will be it for The Libertines?
"Yeah, right now that seems the case."
Do you think Pete has the will to sort himself out?
"I hope so. I've got endless faith. Hope springs eternal…"
You must have been proud of the exhibition of Roger Sargent's photos in London at the weekend?
"Yeah, the boy's got a little bit of talent don't he? There's a lot of memories in there. It all seems like it happened in the blink of an eye. It's nice to keep all this stuff like that. People have changed a lot in those two years."
Now it seems to be turning into a tragedy?
"Yeah, that seems possible. But it's all in Peter's hands. He might say to say it's about drugs is a cop-out, but for me not to say it's not about drugs is a f*cking huge cop-out. It's just a matter of sorting it out. It's not about his ridiculous denial or going on nine-date tours with f*cking Dot Cotton or whoever he's doing it with and getting on with it."
How do you feel about the growth in DIY gigs that The Libertines pioneered? Have there been any bands that you've been impressed with?
"Not really. There's been quite a few I've seen that I don't like. You know, calling them "guerrilla" gigs is ridiculous. What's guerrilla about playing a gig in a pub? Musicians like playing as far as I know and if you can get an audience last minute, and they feel like it's special, then great. But I'm not really into this guerrilla hijacking thing. It's all a load of bollocks. We just want everyone to get up and involved. It's not about us and them."
by Ben Gilbert
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