Carl Barât Talks Controversy, Writers Block and The Libertines Ahead of May 8 Gig

Apparently, Carl Barât didn't get his fill of rock and roll feuds with Pete Doherty during The Libertines’ heyday. Notorious as the British garage rockers were in the early-00s – highlights include Barât kicking Doherty out of the band because of his drug addiction, and Doherty breaking into his flat in retaliation – Barât focused on a dust-up with other bandmates during a recent interview.

When asked about his tumultuous past Barât laughed and recalled a show with The Dirty Pretty Things, the band he formed in 2005 after The Libertines split. “We stayed up drinking for two nights before a show, and halfway through our first song, we realized the rhythm section was playing a different song than the rest of us! Then we had a big fight over who was right.”

While Barât and his cohorts aren’t nearly as dysfunctional these days, they aren’t all grown up just yet. In fact, the forty-year-old guitarist is as mischievous and irreverent as you might hope in conversation, while also being refreshingly candid as we discussed The Libertines, his performance woes, and his triumph over writer's block ahead of his May 8 show at Beijing’s Tango Live.

It’s only been a year since you made your Beijing debut at Tango. Why come back so soon?
Because we were really so spoiled last time and wanted to return. I got a great offer to tour Japan and didn't want to come all this way without seeing China again.

How did Beijingers spoil you exactly?
We loved the culture, for one thing. But more importantly the audiences we met throughout our last tour of China were so generous and beautiful. But we won’t milk that, don’t worry – we’ll have new songs to play, we’ll change up the setlist, and we have other cities in China to go to this time.

You have new songs to play? What are they like?
I mean we’ll have different songs from what we played last time. Please don’t tell people I’ll be debuting new music in Beijing, because what I’ve been working on lately isn’t ready for the road yet! But I have a long and extensive career of songs that I didn't get to dip into last time, so there’ll be plenty of surprises for everyone.

Will you dip into The Libertine’s back catalog? Or focus on newer solo stuff?
Wait, did you say bad catalog?

No no, sorry, back catalog. As in older songs.
Is that a Canadian accent you have? Is this “back catalog” term common there? Anyway yes, we will play some older songs for sure, but also play music throughout my career.   

Are you good at onstage banter? Or is your wit only reserved for interviews?
[Laughs] So much of it depends on the audience. If I’m practically nose to nose with the crowd, and their energy is good and if I feel confident, then I’ll go for it and start bantering between songs.

I would've assumed a musician as famous as you rarely loses confidence onstage.
No, I always struggle with stage fright. Thankfully it usually doesn't last past the first song anymore. It just has to do with personal anxiety, and not wanting to fuck the show up.

Probably one especially anxiety-inducing show was in 2009, when The Libertines reunited for the first time since your and Pete’s falling out, to pay tribute to your friend and promoter Johnny Sedassy.
That was a pretty electrifying gig, yes.  

What was it like to get back together after your row with Pete?
Well, nobody knew if the band still worked, because we’d been apart for a few years. It’s like having a classic car in the garage and not being sure what state it’s in. Thankfully we opened the proverbial garage doors and she was pristine and purring. And the audience received us so warmly, so it was all just magical.

As you've been on better terms since then, can we expect more music from you and Pete?
I’m hoping we will do an album soon. I have a studio built in an old bar in London and want to get to work there soon. The problem with being in The Libertines is you can’t make concrete plans, because you never know what to expect

Carl Barât will perform at Tango Live on May 8 at 8.30pm. Tickets are RMB 320 advance, RMB 380 at the door. For more information, click here.

READ: "Even Blues Standards Were Once Personal Stories" Says Harmonica Master Sugar Blue

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Photos: NME, Metro, Exclaim!