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A whole month on the road, playing the toilets of the country every night, whilst living out the back of a battered late-80s Ford transit is certainly going to justify the ethic of a hard working band, and at the same time silence the critics that love to kick up a storm about 'bands not playing enough live gigs'. The Libertines have just arrived from the six-hour slog that is the Birmingham pit-of-hell M6 gateway to the North, having previously sweated the night away in a packed 100 club. So, quite fittingly, two of them are to be found stretched out, in trademark lacerated leather and denim, on a GP's examining couch that has inexplicably found its way into the backroom of the venue, prior to the sound check.
"Right, where's Pete?" The wildly staring eyes of guitarist/vocalist Carl Barat sweep over the room as he gets up and moves over to the door to find his frontman, simultaneously remembering that he's actually 'busy with some girl at the moment'. As we then embark on a jaunt to find the others, he mumbles something about 'needing to have a game' and if I'm 'up for a challenge'.
After an odd ten-minute stint on the all-encompassing race game Daytona, which ended up a controversial two games to one to I won't say who, we are back on the NHS sofa. Having given up on the search for frontman Pete and drummer Gary, but with bass-player strumming away in the corner of the room.
"JOHN, can you do that some where else please?" A polite 'fuck-off' from Carl.
Gigwise: So what do think of Liverpool and its current crop of local musical talent?"Yeah, only heard The Coral and The Zutons, like their stuff, pretty different to our own. The Zutons la, yeah, just like saying that. The ZOOtons la."
Gigwise: Why do you think Mick Jones decided to produce you?
"You know, people have said he's actually been very different ever since he decided to work with us, he's been re-invigorated, found a new joie de vivre. He said he felt like getting his hands dirty again."
Gigwise: How's the love between you & Pete these days? You've had some well-documented fights.
"They print whole stories about all this bullshit, you know it's all pretty boring. We don't fight any more than anybody else does, I suppose. They just use it to keep the punters reading."
Gigwise: Tell us about the Lust Of The Libertines. Are you boys the new slags of the circuit?
"The lust of The Libertines is really quite tame. There's a lust for people to hear us, perhaps a lust for fame. Pete's got an insatiable lust, I tell you, he's off right now, he never gets to the third interview, cos he's always trying to get off with the first interviewer. You should have got in their first." Err, no thanks.
Gigwise: Most of the bands you've been compared with have had overt socio-political stances, such as The Jam, The Clash. How do you play this game - with ambiguity or do you define what you want to say?"Yeah, I mean I care about what I input into the songs. Everyone wants to write songs and have a good time, and that's how I express how I feel. If every time I write a song, I've got to include some sort of message, I don't think people would like it. You can only like what you see can't you. If people want to keep comparing us to fucking good bands and prophets, then, fair do's, let 'em, can't argue with that really. It's up to us to comment on things if we want, or not.
Gigwise: How's the old drummer? How did it come about that Gary should replace him?
"He packed up and went off to New Orleans and Canada. There was a lot of confusion at the time between the Arcadian Dream, and reality. We were trying to find our own particular path, opting out of Industry gigs and in favour of the Filthy McNasty's, and having a right old knees up. We only met Gary seven months ago, through a friend."
Gigwise: You're supporting The Vines on the 30th, who's going to wreck the place more?
"I don't know, depends if Craig Nicholls gets his burger or not. They're all really sweet guys, gentle, but sometimes just little things can make 'em skew off on one."
Gigwise: How's life on the road?"Not bad, intermediate really. We get sick of these fucking Travelodges; you just get that Alan Partridge feeling after a while. I like the old Mrs Miggins' style bed and breakfasts, just cos you're in a band doesn't mean you should expect the hotel treatment, just a bit of character will do."
Despite Carl's fondness for the traditional chintzy, doily, old-world approach when bedded down between venues, tucked up safe in the care of Mrs Miggins, thankfully, we can say, none of this shows through when The Libertines perform live. Ripping into a set made for this place to be burnt to the ground, they stamp, they shout, they start 'the right old knees up' that we've been promised.
Debut single 'What A Waster' gets a roar of approval, and the intensity of the mosh causes the floor to literally bounce you into the air. Bassist John keeps Entwistle ice-cool as Carl and his Roadie start to strip, the sweat showers down from the ceiling three-feet away from your head, and Pete takes time out midway through a number to suck the face of a girl in the front. The tunes are tight, raucous and recognisable and the band plays with razor sharp conviction of immediacy. The room explodes to the shout-along of 'Boys In The Band', while the rigid intensity of 'I Get Along' is all too much, this place is going to fall apart. Power, pop, excitement, exhilaration.
Only dead fish go with the flow. When you create your own flow, dead fish become swept aside. The Libertines create their own flow. Anyone fooled by the obtuse suggestions that they are merely Strokes pretenders and bandwagon hitchers might as well drown themselves in their own soup of sycophancy, because this is a band that will show you how to have a raucous, punk-spiced, yet remarkably fresh party.
Photos by Shelly Turner
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