KOKO Asia News
The Libertines to Reform?
Date: 19 March 2009
By Johnny Mayo
Pete Doherty has breathed new life into the long, long story of when (if ever) the Libertines will get back together. Speaking to Zane Lowe on BBC Radio 1 recently, Doherty admitted that “he would love” to get the ensemble back together should he ever smooth over the problems he has with fellow Libertine and former Dirty Pretty Things singer Carl Barat.
The Libertines saga is a drawn out and complex chronicle of drugs and deceit, only really known by Barat and Doherty themselves. The press have given their fare share of rumours and conjecture, ranging from Doherty’s spiraling heroin and crack cocaine addiction to even the suggestion that the two were romantically linked in the early days of forming the band - several forum postings on the Libertines website by Doherty declaring his love for Barat seem to indicate that this was a possibility, albeit he was probably somewhat chemically imbalanced at the time.
The relationship between the two had turned sour long before the well publicised burglary of Barat’s flat by Doherty back in 2003, for which he served six months at her Majesty’s pleasure. Disenchanted by Doherty’s drug fuelled antics, Barat started to distance himself from stories that were starting to make the band more famous for late night revelry rather than scintillating songs they were making (in fact, ‘Dont Look Back Into The Sun’ was released only days after Doherty pleaded guilty in court). The break in is seen as one of the major reasons for the break up, where as in truth, the turmoil started months beforehand with Doherty arranging ‘guerrilla gigs’ without Barat and Barat taking exception to the junk fuelled circles Doherty was finding himself in the centre of.
Doherty did try to smooth things over before they got out of hand by arranging a special birthday gig for Barat. When Barat did not attend, Doherty felt betrayed and subsequently decided not to join the rest of the band in Germany to start their European tour. It was during this time that Doherty kickstarted the Babyshambles project, going as far to play with his new outfit while the Libertines were completing commitments in Japan using a stand in for Doherty.
Fast forward to the present day and Doherty has gone on record to say that the way for any reunion is well and truly in Barat’s court.
“He still thinks I’m surrounded by this dark energy so it won’t happen until I can prove I’m worth the risk,” shared Doherty in the recent BBC interview with Lowe.
With Dirty Pretty Things now dead in the water after splitting late last year (although Barat said at the time it was not to pursue any Libertines work) and Doherty having just released his debut solo album titled ‘Grace/Wastelands’, the stage is set for the possible return of the outfit that was hailed as the driving force behind the garage rock revival of the early nineties.
“I would love to play with them again, simple as that really,“ stated Doherty in the BBC interview. “I’d love to play ‘Death On The Stairs’ or ‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun’ live and I’d love to play with Carl’’
The eyes of the music world are now fixed on Barat for his response and waiting with baited breath for the next installment in the lingering story of the sometimes tragic, but always brilliant Libertines.
