This is a site dedicated to the Libertines and their offspring. News, interviews, reviews, articles, pictures, videos and exclusives right here from the troubled world of the Babyshambles and Dirty Pretty Things (and, why not, Yeti).

1/09/2008

Lisbon, 8 January 2008



Rave review from Portuguese site "BLITZ". Translation:
Those who still think that the Pete Doherty phenomenon is an English-only thing must be fooling themselves. At the Parades de Coura Festival last summer some indications had been noticed already and this night in Lisbon arrived the confirmation: the legions of fans of the Babyshambles (or of their charismatic vocalist) are well alive between us. The pilgrimage in the direction of the Lux – a little appropriate venue for a concert of this nature, but finding a substitute for the Coliseu of the Recreios was not easy - was substantial: the room was full of a hormone-charged and restless crowd. The public, mainly young and feminine (whose screaming choirs nearly reminded us of the old Beatles shows), revealed so enthusiastic during the concert that the organizers almost threatened to cancel the gig unless the spirits did not calm down.
After getting on the stage with a shy "Hello Lisbon" , the band gave way to a highly energetic night. Differently from the little convincing concert at the Parades de Coura, Pete Doherty revealed sufficiently focused and high spirited (especially at the end of the concert). "Delivery", first single of the recent Shotter's Nation, was one of the highlights of the night and the first one to receive choir honors, which joined the pleasant company of the muscular guitars. The felt hat decorating the head of Doherty was thrown to the crowd, that in waves seemed to want to invade the stage. "Beg, Steal or Borrow" followed, taken from The Blinding EP but quickly the band came back to Shotter's Nation to offer a naked "Baddie's Boogie" with a beautiful exchange between guitars. The ice seemed not broken yet for Pete, who became absorbed in thought while trying to keep the composure between dances of stumbles. Shortly after heating the environment with the ballad for lighters "UnBiloTitled", the band left the stage for an interval "without reasons for concerns" but that could have cost a cancellation, as guaranteed by the organization. This was followed by more choirs and demanding shouts: "Peter, Peter, Peter", then duly substituted by "Babyshambles, Babyshambles, Babyshambles".
The calmer spirits received the foursome again for the second part in crescendo. The show entered the final sequence: "Albion" had of course the greatest choir, "I Wish" was infective with its ska rhythm, and "Fuck Forever" (last song) was pure collective orgasm that pushed Doherty straight into the multitude of open arms. It could be thought that the hormonal had calmed down at the end of the concert, but this was not to happen. After recuperating the microphone that had been lost in the crowd the roadies went on distributing everything they could find on the stage, sweated towels and water bottles. Next stop (between explanations of how to steal chewing gums in a supermarket): the door, where the hunting for autographs started.

Plus beautiful photos from the same site.

Setlist (thanks to Bingle): Carry On Up The Morning, Delivery, Beg Steal and Borrow, Baddie’s Boogie, UnStookieTitled, Side Of The Road, UnBiloTitled, The Blinding, Pretty Sue, You Talk, Sedative, Albion, Pipedown, Back From The Dead, Killamangiro, I Wish, What Katie Did, Fuck Forever.

1/08/2008

Pre-tour shenanigans

From NME.com:
Pete Doherty called Gold radio station especially to request The Beatles song 'I'll Be Back'. It was only when the DJ enquired about the listener’s week that Doherty replied "I'm off on the road with my band on Tuesday – we're off round Europe. The band’s called Babyshambles."
On DPT's front, French carlites will be happy to see this:
Vendredi 22 févier : « An acoustic evening with Dirty Pretty Things » + guests à Paris. Pour son rendez-vous inaugural de 2008, l’ICA ouvre le bal avec une affiche française portée par le dandy iconoclaste Sébastien Tellier, lequel revient à Londres après deux ans d’absence son quatrième album, “Sexuality”, produit par une moitié des Daft Punk en la personne de Guy-Manuel de Homen-Christo. Poète et musicien parisien aux multiples facettes dadaïstes évoquant l’univers d’artistes uniques tels que Robert Wyatt, Christophe ou Serge Gainsbourg, Sébastien Tellier jouit d’une place à part dans le paysage musical français. Il partagera l’affiche avec les jeunes Parisiens indie-rockers produits par Justice et prometteurs de Poney Poney. A Paris, le lendemain, une affiche « unplugged » : l’ex-leader des Libertines Carl Barat convie ses Dirty Pretty Things pour un live acoustique inédit, une première en exclusivité pour Stage of the Art + guest surprises…
In a few words, the ex-leader of Libertines Carl Barat (spectacular) will play with his DPT an acoustic gig in Paris at the Palais de Tokio on Feb 22 (thanks to Anjali for keeping her eyes open all the time).

1/07/2008

Babyshambles hit Europe

On the eve of the Babyshambles European Tour, let's see how Europe is going to treat them.
Lisbon's newspaper Correio De Manha has published an introductory piece on the band which I had the pleasure (and fun) to translate (if Portuguese friends notice some errors please let me know):
Babyshambles, led by rebel Pete Doherty, are opening a series of 2008 shows tomorrow. The show, previously booked at the Lisbon Colosseum, has been moved to the Lux club, starting at 10.30 pm.
The British musician is promoting his latest work named Shotter's Nation, which is seen by many people as one of the best albums of 2007. The Lisbon show follows the band's appearance of 6 months ago at the Festival Heineken Paredes de Coura, when Babyshambles got on the stage without their guitar player, who had lost his passport.
Babyshambles are a project founded by Doherty after he left the Libertines and released their first record, an EP with the same title, in 2004. A proper album, Down in Albion, was released the following year, produced by ex-Clash Mick Jones, and has since imposed the band as one of the most powerful forces of British rock.
Other than with his songs, Doherty has also been often in the spotlight following his relationship with top model Kate Moss and frequent arrests related to drug use. Last August, during Paredes de Coura, the musician himself admitted, in an exclusive interview with CM, that he had trouble letting one day go without drugs.
Gossip aside, Doherty and Babyshambles are expected to put up an intense opening show. Tickets are on sale at 20 euros at the Colosseum or at the Lux.
Back to Blighty, the only piece of news about Peter that's not too laughable to be reported is that "Rebel Pete Doherty" has been working out six days a week with a personal trainer in order to get in shape for the shows.
And now let's recap the tour dates:
8.1. Lisbon - 10.1. Madrid - 11.1. Barcelona - 13.1. Lille - 14.1. Paris - 15.1. Lyon - 19.1. Luxembourg - 22.1. Cologne - 23.1. Berlin - 26.1. Graz - 27.1. Vienna - 28.1. Zurich - 1.2. Rome - 2.2. Bologna - 3.2. Milan - 4.2. Paris - 10.2. Manchester - 11.2. London - 13.2. Glasgow - 14.2. Glasgow - 16.2. Munich - 17.2. Basel - 18.2. Amsterdam - 19.2. Eindhoven - 20.2. Brussels

More about Dirty Pretty Things

While Babyshambles are warming up for their upcoming European tour (starting tomorrow in Lisbon), Carl and his guys have finally put a halt to the long period of silence caused by the recording of their second album.
British monthly Uncut has included the record in the list of the albums which are going to be released this year (although no release date has been communicated yet), and asked the mighty Carlos some info about the mysterious object, and here's his reply (thanks to Karen for the transcription):
"I was conscious of not making the same album for the fourth time. There’s the same intent, but with a lot of different instruments. Waterloo To Anywhere was written on the run, but this is more planned out. Lyrically, I’ve gathered all my inspirations together, read a lot of books and watched a lot of films. “Buzzards And Crows” is on there, which is one of Anthony’s. There are a few more offerings from the other boys on this album. There’s also “Punks, Suits, Military” and “Best Face In The Place”. There’s quite a bit of social commentary in it. It’s about drinking and going out. “Punks, Suits, Military” is about fashion and the world of Top Shop. For the producer, we’re using a guy called Nik Leman. He’s an ex- Green Beret who’s turned into music. He keeps us in line and is an old friend of Alan McGee’s. We didn’t want to go with a name producer for this one. Now I’ve found my writing space, I want to get out and start playing again".
For the moment though it seems Carl has just dj-ing duties waiting for him. He and Didz Hammond are thought to be spinning records at a gig of North London band Running Riots, on Jan 18. The gig will happen at the BRIXTON JAMM, 261 Brixton Road, Brixton, London. Cost : £8 (more info here).

1/05/2008

Most anticipated things of 2008

Canadian site "The Ampersand" (nothing to do with Drusillo) includes DPT's second album among the most anticipated things of 2008. Pity the conclusion is rather disheartening.
"T.B.A. by Dirty Pretty Things. Former Libertines frontman and Pete Doherty's straight-man Carl Barat and his band Dirty Pretty Things are expected to release a follow-up to the band's 2006 debut, Waterloo to Anywhere. While Barat's tunes can't hope to match the three-chord brilliance of his Libertines days, they're a healthy alternative to Doherty's messy smack-rock. Please note: There's really no confirmation -- only NME speculation -- that this album will be coming out in '08. Then again, Rolling Stone had been promising a new Radiohead LP every year, from 2005-2007. --Rebecca Tucker"

1/02/2008

Some little news



  • The pic above, showing Drew McConnell and Edward Larrikin at the launch of Larrikin's new project The Pan I Am, is featured in the new NME, an all guitar special issue (out today).
  • The new NME has also some photos of Peter's famous vomit night at the Rhythm Factory.
  • Yeti's debut album, "The Legend of Yeti Gonzales", is out on March 08.
  • The DPT's official forum has just jad a makeover.

1/01/2008

HAPPY 2008


HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM
THE BRECK ROAD LOVERS