The importance of being un-libertine

The NME interview with Carl Barat and Anthony Rossomando, in full:

"It Just Became un-Libertine"

Carl Barat has revealed that he split up DPT last Wednesday October 1 because the band has become “business like” and “un-Libertine”. He insisted the break up of the band, currently on their final tour, was not paving the way for a Libertines reunion. “We were going along the conveyor belt” Barat told NME. “It became business like, very un-Libertine. People weren’t even turning up to stuff. I had a moment of clarity during my illness (Barat recently had acute pancreatitis) - it didn’t feel right, I wasn’t happy”.

Barat explained that when he broke the news there were “mixed reactions” but the overall sense among the four piece was relief. Guitarist Anthony Rossomando revelead that he had already been planning to leave due to fraught album sessions in California and his view that Barat worked better alone. “I’d been planning on leaving for a long time” he said. “I was like ‘when is Carl going to decide what he wants to do’ . We’d had loads of 9am conversations off our faces. Carl was like, ‘You wouldn’t care if this ended tomorrow would you’. I was like ‘Nah’...."

When asked if he was pleased with DPT’s tepidly-received second album, Rossomando said “No. The recording was fucked. If I talk about it, it’ll get ugly. If it wasn’t for psychedelic desert drug trips I couldn’t have got through it”.

While Rossomando said he would pursue collaboration projects following the split, Barat said he had no plans, although he promised he would continue to write music. He quashed rumours of a Libertines reunion despite playing live with Pete Doherty in London last month. “I might come back (performing) in five minutes” he said, “but this is absolutely not paving the way for a Libertines reformation. “With this off our backs the tour is like the last days of Rome. I love the boys too much to keep this band going. It would have killed our relationships. Now I feel free”.

Top irony: the photo accompanying the article shows the band during their performance in prison of last year. Enjoy your freedom, Carl, and don't throw it away. Again.

It was with a bit of sadness that I noticed Dirty Pretty Things are playing tonight at Leeds Metropolitan University, and on the same night Kaiser Chiefs + Late of The Pier are playing Leeds Academy, and their gig is sold out. Something went definitely wrong along the way with Carl's second band, and I do think he took the right decision this time. I mean, this time. Ahem.

Anyway, DPT played Manchester last night and our friend Alicepooh was there and that's what she said: "[...] Hot, sweaty, the most intense crowd yet, but good natured, despite massive squeeze-push. For those doubting if the band is really on top form… well, what can I say. This was a fantastic gig by any standards. The band raced through the songs, but not as if they were trying to get it over, but with ferocity and, to my eyes, joy. Oh, and for those who care about such things, Carl shed his shirt at the break".