The Libertines – No Future Without Pete
As his bandmate faces a possible jail sentence, Carl Barat has been talking about his band’s new album, his hopes for Pete Doherty’s return, his own experiences with drugs and The Libertines increasingly unsteady future.
After his court appearance earlier this week to face charges of possession of an offensive weapon, Doherty may end up serving prison time sentence, and while The new Libertines album is on the way, Barat has explained that the pressure around the band meant record very nearly didn’t get finished out at all.
"My stomach is in knots, I can't eat with the stress - today I've only had half a sandwich,” Barat explained to The Mirror, “I drink too much as well, but that's a result of everything that's going on. It really is a miracle that our new album got finished. A lot of it is down to Mick Jones [producer and ex-Clash guitarist]. By the end of the recording we were just sticking songs together, not really communicating.
"We couldn't continue like that so there was no choice,” Barat continued, speaking about his decision to temporarily fire Doherty from the band, “Pete had to go, the alternative would have been like driving through a car crash. I've had advice from so many different people, too much advice really.
"Finally I decided to follow my instincts. I've been on stage without him feeling like I'm a tyrant, that I'm the one being cruel or that I'm in the wrong for not taking him back."
Doherty’s ongoing battle with addiction to heroin has been widely documented, but Barat now too has come forward and explained his experimentation with the drug.
"Of course I've tried crack," he continued, "Otherwise I wouldn't be able to talk about it. It's like inhaling a burning bin bag then having a 15-minute panic attack. I didn't really see the point. I mean, who wants to live like that? It's obscene really. I still like to party but I don't have a habit. I don't like being out of control.
Despite his bandmate’s increasingly troubled life, Barat went on to reinstated his statement that Doherty could return to The Libertines line up, as soon as he’s clean, but added that the group may not continue if he doesn’t.
"You've got to have hope, without that we'd be stuffed, wouldn't we?” he confessed. “It feels weird doing all this without him and I don't want to continue this way indefinitely. I can't see us doing anymore writing or recording without him, I think I'd rather end it.
"If Pete stops taking drugs he can come back and the band can go on."
The Libertines new self titled album is out on August 30.
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