Last summer he was temporarily ejected from the line-up after he failed to show for a European tour
Posted in General on 29. Sep, 2010
Last summer he was temporarily ejected from the line-up after he failed to show for a European tour. While The Libertines are sufficiently “cult” to sell out mid-sized venues like London’s Brixton Academy three times over (as on their spring tour) they are at best a commercially marginal outfit.The reason for the insecurity guards, however, is less to do with fending off legions of over-eager fans than it is to do with protecting The Libertines from themselves. While the rest of the band were away, Doherty burgled best friend Barat’s flat He duly served two months at Her Majesty’s pleasure. The location was secret lest the erratic Doherty take it upon himself to turn up; the heavies at T In The Park were said to be reinforcing this protective cordon around the band.Barat must have had a sense of d? vu: a year ago The Libertines were forced to play a round of festivals without the troubled Doherty.”I know, I know,” sighed Barat, 25, as he and his beefy posse walked to The Libertines’ Portakabin dressing-room “Doesn’t make it any easier though Pete’s into festivals, but he’s not very well at the moment. Barat, Hassall and Powell had spent the week prior to T In The Park rehearsing with a stand-in guitarist somewhere near Box in Wiltshire. Doherty, who is 24, is currently barred from the band pending his overcoming an addiction to heroin and crack cocaine. He, creative partner Pete Doherty, bass player John Hassall and drummer Gary Powell have sold a respectable if unremarkable 150,000 copies of their 2002 debut album, Up The Bracket.
This was Carl Barat, co-songwriter and co-frontman with The Libertines. They’re the ones with the outsized security detail worthy of a Western ambassador in Iraq. Necks constantly swivelling, hands repeatedly touching their hidden ear-pieces, these watchful goons telegraph the message: “Make way and back off – proper rock star in the area.”
At last month’s T In The Park festival in Scotland, it was a bit unusual, therefore, to spy a member of a minor-league British indie-guitar band strolling around the guest area flanked by two bomber-jacket-wearing hulks. Backstage at music festivals, it’s always easy to spot the big-selling American acts.
Opening night stars Sonny Boy Williamson and The Yardbirds1966: David Bowie, right, holds auditions at the venue for his band1967: Jimi Hendrix hits the scene1976: Sex Pistols perform their first public London date1980: Duran Duran play1988: The club moves to Charing Cross Road1996: The Marquee Club closes.2002: It reopens in Islington2004: The club is due to relocate to Leicester Square. “Ultimately the bands must believe in it as well.”BACK CATALOGUE1958: The Marquee Club, founded by Harold Pendleton, opens as a jazz club on Oxford Street1962: The Rolling Stones play1964: The club moves to Wardour Street. Mr North has been on British music scene since 1998 when he took over the Water Rats theatre in King’s Cross and London’s smallest venue, the Betsey Trotwood in Farringdon.But can Messrs Lowry and North succeed where Mr Stewart and his A-list pals failed? “We just have to make sure we get everything right,” Mr Lowry says. Mr Lowry hopes the venue will become a showcase for new talent as well as a warm-up venue for major stadium acts. He plans innovations for the 900-capacity venue.Foremost is the creation of what is being billed as the world’s largest Jimi Hendrix exhibit. Hendrix’s performances at the club are legendary and from September fans will be able to view more than $15m (£8m) of previously unseen footage from his concerts at Woodstock and the Isle of Wight, and browse 500 items of memorabilia.Mr Lowry has signed up Allan North of Plum Promotions to book the bands for his new venue. But the club means something to everybody.” In 1988, the club moved from Wardour Street to Charing Cross Road, but never really regained its atmosphere.