Sargo/DPT exhibition

From Dirty Pretty Things official site:

Dirty Pretty Things will play an acoustic set this Tuesday, 4th September, to launch an exhibition of photos of the band taken by legendary photographer, Roger Sargent. This will be the band's final live appearance in the UK prior to their departure to record album #2 in LA.
The exhibition, 'Come Closer: Dirty Pretty Things as seen by Roger Sargent', will be held at The Boogaloo in Highgate, London from 4th September for one month. Prints will be available to purchase in signed limited quantities of 5 per print.

Unreleased Beatles cover surfaces

I think many of us still remember the drunken and fucked-up version of the Beatles' "8 Days a Week" played by Carl and Anthony Rossomando at the infamous post-gig Castlewhite Sessions in Cork in February 2006 (yeah, the "sexual affairs" gig, that's it!).

Now it seems an official version of the song, credited to the Libertines, does exist.

And you can download it here. (thanks to Niali from the libertines.org.uk forum).

Recorded in 2003 during the 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun' sessions with Bernard Butler producing, the song features Carl Barat on vocals, but Pete Doherty does not feature.

The cover was leaked online by a music industry figure who works in licensing/publishing (well, surely not McFee).

Looking back into the sun - Today in Libertines history

30 August 2004: it was Monday and, as it usually happens in UK, a bunch of new records were released. One of them was "The Libertines", the second (and last, at least for the moment) album of the band.

"It's almost like they've come into themselves, and the living that they've done since last time has all gone into this. You know what I mean? And the subtext of the record is really great as well. It reaches you, it reaches you in the right place. It touches you. It's touching. It's beautiful really."(Mick Jones, producer)

"All songs are written by the Libertines and that's all anyone need know. They are all born out all the Libertines did and what they'll do next" (Carl Barat, Libertines guitar player).

"I love Pete, Carl and John equally and as far as I’m concerned we’re all the sum of our parts.” (Gary Powell, Libertines drummer).

"Such is the overwhelming solipsism of the album, so heavy the weight of autobiography hanging over it, that listening is a curiously mutable experience". (Maddy Costa, The Guardian)

"Pete went into renab three times during the recording of the second album but within that and within the madness he knew what he was doing" (James Endeacott, Rough Trade executive).

"We wouldn't have stuck together and recorded that album if it hadn't been for Mick [Jones]" (Pete Doherty, Libertines guitar player).

"A masterpiece of life-changing rock'n'roll" (Anthony Thornton, Libertines biographer and NME writer)

"Somebody had a number for someone to come down and literally in the middle of the recording like every minute Carl would stop and go, Have you got that number? I could really do with some coke, man! And then Pete came up to the mic and said, Would someone get my fucking guitarist some cocaine?!?" (Roger Sargent, photographer and author of the album cover photo).

"It was a pretty good experience for everybody" (Geoff Travis, Rough Trade boss).

"I don't think I was particularly excessive during that album. Occasionally I'd come in and just sleep" (Pete Doherty).

"The Libertines was a darker, more introspective beast than its predecessor, containing an all-pervading sense of paranoia that even jauntier numbers like Don't Be Shy couldn't alleviate". (Pete Welsh, author of "Kids in the riot" and friend).

"There's always been that sense of collapse with us, although this album was a struggle to do. We knew when we were doing it that there were situations around the actual work that were making things difficult" (Carl Barat).

"Slightly less tuneful than its predecessor, The Libertines makes Doherty's dramas seem less a roadblock than a crucial ingredient; no band in recent history has better captured the vertiginous experience of falling apart and loving it" (Christian Hoard, Rolling Stone)

"I didn't even notice just how close to the bone this album was until we started doing interviews" (Gary Powell).

"It really is a miracle that our new album got finished" (Carl Barat).

Yeti tonight at Proud

Today we've had already Peter, Carl and Gary, so whassup with John?

This:

Yeti
29 ago 2007, 20.00 The Gin House, Stables Market, Chalk Farm Road, Camden, London, LONDON, London and South East NW1 8AHCosto : 6
This will be the only UK show before the band leaves for Japan. Support from Beestings and Daddy Long Legs. Tickets are available now here.

According to the band "The set will be a mix of old and new. New tracks include Don't Say Done If..., Song For Mary Jane, Can't Pretend, Don't Go Back To The One You Love plus more".

Dirty Pretty Things at Pentonville Prison1

Something more to be delivered

Babyshambles have revealed the b-sides for their forthcoming single, ‘Delivery' (above is the new alleged cover- EEEEEK!!!) which is out on September 17th. The first single to be taken off the band's new album, ‘Shotter's Nation,’ will be available on two special CD editions as well as 7” vinyl. The first CD will be backed with a special version of ‘I Wish’ – which originally appeared on last year’s, ‘The Blinding’ EP – with guitarist Mick Whitnall on vocals and new track, ‘Stone Me.’

The second CD will feature new song, ‘A Day Out In New Brighton,’ while the 7” vinyl will be backed with another new song, ‘Torn'.

Shotter's Nation will be released (in UK) on October 1st.

A few stories in the press

Great emphasis in the press today on the DPT's last night gig at Pentonville Prison. Of all the articles I've read I chose this (from Times online) as the best.

For setlist maniacs, here's the stuff:

Chinese Dogs, Gentry Cove, Wondering, Doctors And Dealers, Deadwood, Come Closer, Blood Thirsty Bastards, You Fucking Love It, Plastic Hearts, The Enemy, Gin And Milk, Bang Bang You're Dead.

We know we ain't gonna see these boys around for quite a long time don't we? So good luck guys and come back with something stunning.

Another bunch of articles today focussed on Peter's alleged "no-show" at Get Loaded in the Park. Honestly I didn't think for one second he was going to turn up at all, so I took my time to reach Clapham Common and I wasn't let down by his absence, but I think this latest episode was mainly due to a communication breakdown more than anything else, because Peter's appearance was still in the rumormill when the Festival started. The breaking (?) news is that the man is back to rehab. So, good luck to him too.

Get Loaded with DPT!

Amazing show yesterday at Get Loaded in the Park. With a temperature oscillating between 25 and 30 degrees (°C) and an unexpected attack from some naughty wasps who seemed to be strangely attracted by blue eyed boys in red tops, the mighty Carlos and his mates played an hour of solid rock'n'roll, running through Waterloo to Anywhere (bar BURMA and If You Love A Woman) and showing off the usual four new songs (which the fans seem to have learned by heart already).

Setlist (not too sure about the order):

Chinese dogs, Gentry cove, Best face in the place, Wondering, Doctors and dealers, Come closer, You fucking love it, Suit Punk military, Deadwood, Bloodthirsty bastards (featuring the wasp), Plastic hearts, The last of the small town playboys, Gin and milk, The enemy, Bang Bang you're dead (with Carl on the trumpet. Well, nearly).

Personally I think "Best face in the place" is the best new song. Carl doesn't play guitar in it, but plays his whole body, with a passion and intensity that reminds me of things like "Vertigo", and the more recent "Gin and milk". "Come closer" is beautiful but not so intense.

The show also included an attempted stage diving by Anthony (he just fell in the photographers pit) and lots of homoerotic imagery.


Photo by ponyrock on flickr.

DPT In Ibiza and somebody seems to be a tad nervous

Thanks to Adeibiza who posted a review (with photos) of last night's gig to the DPT's official site (here). More info from the NME.

Setlist:

Chinese Dogs, Gentry Cove, Wondering, Best Face, Doctors And Dealers, Suits Punks Military, Deadwood, Come Closer, Blood Thirty Bastards, You Fucking Love It, Plastic Hearts, The Enemy, Gin & Milk, Last Of The Small Town Playboys, Bang Bang You're Dead.

While there's a very faint rumor Pete might be dropping at Get Loaded next Sunday, the man himself was caught in a furious internet fight with some posters to his forum "French Dog Writtles" only a few hours ago (not going into details).

Breck Road Lovers is flying to London in a few hours. Catching Get Loaded and other stuff. We hope we will able to log on from some internet cafe for some brief update. See ya.

He's the boy in the black blue jeans

Carl Barat as Gene Vincent on the set of the movie Telstar, currently being filmed in London and based on the life of legendary producer Joe Meek. Major stars in the movie are American actor Kevin Spacey and British Sixties icon Rita Tushingham (A taste of honey, The knack).

The film is directed by Nick Moran and is set for release in 2008.

Photos by NME

So the special announcement...

... as expected, the "Babyshambles Special Announcement" on NME.com is this: the new single Delivery will be given for free in a 7-inch vinyl version which will be available with the NME issue of 11 September (one week prior to the official release). More info here.

And talking about free things, well, Peter seems to be one of them. HA HA to the cops. Go and find the real criminals, wankers.

From Ibiza to the Norfolk Broads (or maybe L.A.)

Dirty Pretty Things are playing tonight a gig in Ibiza as part of the series "Ibiza Rocks", sponsored by the NME and Radio Xfm. Apparently there's been a venue change and the gig is now taking place at Gala Nights, a licenced outdoor music venue (and former zoo) 10 minutes from San Antonio. The Twang are opening the show. Tickets are still available here at 39 euros (65 if you wanna hang at the afterparty). There will be free buses leaving Bar M from 7pm.

Tonight's gig is going to be one of the last shows the band will play before they shut themselves in a So Cal studio to start recording the follow up to Waterloo To Anywhere. According to the band's much loathed manager Alan McFee, sorry McGee, Barat & co will spend a very long time in Santa Monica working on new songs and recording with some advert-guy-turned-producer (???) named Nik Leman. McFee talks of 3 or 4 months but that's surely an exaggeration. Carlos promised to put some new demos on line on the band's official site but nothing has surfaced yet.

AHEM JUST ANOTHER ONE OF THOSE THINGS

According to the NME Pete Doherty was arrested again last night.

MORE FROM V

We had some heart stopping moments yesterday (well, nearly) when in the middle of an uneventful evening we learned that Babyshambles were four hours late on their route to Staffordshire and "stuck into a traffic jam" ("BREAKING NEWS!!!" shrieked the NME). With a series of shambolic twists and turns the organizers managed to find another slot for the band to play, moving them from the Channel Four Stage to the Virgin Mobile Union Tent and making them headiners at 10 pm. Somebody promptly spoke of a publicity stunt, somebody else of Peter's refusal to play again on the Ch4 stage after the awful review they got yesterday from Channel Four. A famous rag this morning claims that the guys were late because they stopped to help the victim of a car crash (not worth linking). Eventually the band reached their final destination and played their set (NME review).
Setlist time!
Delivery, Pipedown, Beg, Steal Or Borrow, Back From The Dead, The Blinding, Jeanie Jones, Sedative, Killamangiro, Baddies Boogie, Albion, I Wish, Fuck Forever.

Meanwhile, NME.COM said they will have a special and exclusive Babyshambles announcement on Tuesday (August 21), which is tomorrow (probably).

V FESTIVAL REPORTS

Babyshambles played a 45 min set last night at the first day of the Virgin Festival in Chelmsford.

Setlist: Delivery, Pipedown, Beg, Steal Or Borrow,Baddie's Boogie, The Blinding, Sedative, Killamangiro, Side Of The Road, What Katy Did, Crumb Begging, Fuck Forever.

The band received mixed reviews on the brit press today. The NME talks of an "explosive set", whereas some imbecile from Channel Four claims Peter is a man of average talent and wishes Girl Aloud were booked in his place. Quite ironic if you think Babyshambles played on the Channel Four Stage. Another mildly positive review comes from Uncut.

Anyway, let's wait for tonight's gig at Weston Park and meanwhile you can have a look at Mik, Peter and Adam (and later Drew, who apparently was already on the stage) chatting with Virgin Radio's host Sarah (video here).

PENTONVILLE PART 2

Dirty Pretty Things will play an exclusive gig at the famous Pentonville Prison on 27 August. The gig is sponsored by Wasted Youth, with the purpose to raise awareness of suicide. The mighty Carl Barat will perform a three-song acoustic set next to the cells and then will join the band to perform with The Enemy in the jail's chapel.

DELIVERY VIDEO

The video for the new Babyshambles single, Delivery, was premiered on TV last Friday and now can be seen at the NME site. Filmed on 6th August, it's basically Peter strolling down the road in a black suit singing to the camera with flashes of the band in a car and scenes from a caravan featuring two kittens. All in black and white.