More about: The Libertines

The year has been one of many a comeback, but none quite as glroious as that of The Libertines. Anthems For Doomed Youth was the sound of a band still in love with music, and each other. On stage, that romance remains intact - albeit without the shambles they were once renowned for. 

To get a more personal portrait of Albion's comeback kings of 2015, who better to talk to than Roger Sargent - the man who has shot and filmed the band through thick and thin, from the chaos of their early years to the champagne days of the present. You may recognise many of his iconic shots, as well as the film There Are No Innocent Bystanders, the footage seen on stage at Hyde Park and at live shows, the artwork for Anthems For Doomed Youth and their latest music video for the bittersweet 'You're My Waterloo'. 

As Pete, Carl, Gary and John gear up for the victory lap of 2016 with some of the biggest shows of their career, we caught up with Roger to discuss the chemistry of one of the most essential bands of our time.  

How did you meet the band for the first time?

"I met the band shortly after seeing their first gig as the current line-up. They were about to sign to Rough Trade and it was a pretty memorable gig! I said to Tony (Linkin, the band's PR) that I HAD to work with them after that."

A lot of the short film/photography/documentary work you've done with them focuses on the relationship between Pete and Carl - how would you define the dynamic between the pair?

"Their relationship now is in pretty good shape. They inspire each other I think....both creatively and and competitively. They want to impress and outdo each other often."

Have you always been keen to capture that dynamic so intimately?

"They're pretty open people in general. Almost to the point of being show offs!"

How has that chemistry changed, especially during this recent reunion?

"To be honest, this time round feels very much the 'old' days. The fun has come back and the guarded nervousness has pretty much disappeared."

Do you believe that tensions must remain in the band for The Libs to succeed and have that same romance?

"Not at all. The opposite really. What made them great in the first place was the closeness and intensity of their relationship and how that inspired them to write and play. The 'tension', although great for some observers, only succeeds in driving the band apart. The best Libertines is a happy Libertines."

You're a close friend of the band - would that ever affect how you portray them through your photography/film?

"Not really, I'm mindful of not wanting to misrepresent people or do anything that might be hurtful or damaging. But there is a lot to explore within those parameters. Ultimately they hide little so it's a case of trying to make something worthy of that honesty."

There seems to be a sense of all band members wanting to better everything they've done before and not treat this as a nostalgia trip - have you seen that yourself?

"Absolutely, it feels like this is the beginning a long 'trip' now. And they have evolved as people and as a band. They're all eager to progress and make better and better music."

How has their return in 2015 differed from their past reunion in 2010?

"Well, 2010 was pretty tense really. It felt a little bit forced and difficult. But it had to happen or the band wouldn't be around now. It was a weird icebreaker."

You designed the new album cover in five days. What was the inspiration behind it and how did it come together so soon?

"We tried to get as many shoots as possible in Thailand we wanted to try and do something with an echo of the first LP...but nothing has really come together...It was literally the last day and I had just shot the NME cover and the boys had all 'clocked off', the sun was setting behind the jetty we'd been shooting on earlier and it could have been horribly cheesy but it felt right."

"After we got back to the UK I spent two days doing about 40 mock ups with various photos. And then it was just a case of getting a decision from everyone. That was the hardest bit!"

Dates are below for The Libertines' 2016 arena tour. For tickets and more information, visit here.

21 January - GLASGOW, SSE Hydro Arena
23 January - MANCHESTER, Arena
25 January - NOTTINHAM, Capital FM Arena
26 January - CARDIFF, Motorpoint Arena
27 January - BIRMINHAM, Barclaycard Arena
29 January - BOURNEMOUTH,  BIC
30 January - LONDON, The O2

More about: The Libertines