The founding members of the Libertines, Peter Doherty and Carl Barât, met when Barât was studying drama at Brunel University in Uxbridge, and sharing a flat in Richmond with Amy-Jo Doherty, Peter's elder sister. Barât and Doherty forged a bond over their shared passion for song-writing, and when Barât abandoned his course two years in, and Doherty left his English literature course at Queen Mary, University of London, and they moved into a flat together on Camden Road in North London, which they named "The Albion rooms". They formed a band with their neighbour Steve Bedlow, and named themselves The Strand, later discarded for The Libertines, after the Marquis de Sade's 'Lusts Of The Libertines. They later met John Hassall and Johnny Borrell, who played bass with the band for a short period, and many of their early gigs took place in their shared flat. In March 2000 the Libertines met Banny Pootschi, a lawyer for Warner Chappell Music Publishing, who recognized their potential and she took on an active role in managing them, taking over from Roger Morton's unsuccessful six month in the job. They recorded 'Legs XI', a set of their best eight tracks at the time, but by December 2000 they had still not been signed, and this caused Dufour, Hassall and Pootschi to part company with the band. The subsequent success of the Strokes, a band with a similar style, caused Pootschi to reconsider her position, and she determined to get the band signed to Rough Trade Records within six months. Gary Powell was recruited to play drums, as Paul Dufour was deemed by Pootschi to be 'too old'. On 1 October 2001, Barât and Doherty played a showcase for James Endeacott from Rough Trade without Borrell, who failed to attend this important rehearsal. When they contacted him they found that he was on tour "living the high life", and so after Rough Trade offered them a record feal, they were in need of a bassist, so Hassall rejoined the band at their request.
Doherty and Barât were still the focus of the group, and they rented a flat together at 112a Teesdale Street in Bethnal Green, for which they resurrected the name "The Albion Rooms". Now with a firm line-up, they began to play more gigs alongside the Strokes and the Vines in quick succession, and this generated some positive reaction in the music press. Their first single was a double A-side of 'What A Waster'/'I Get Along', produced by former Suede guitarist Bernard Butler, and it was released on 3 June 2002 to highly positive reception, although it received little airplay due to its liberal use of profanities. Their first album was recorded and produced by ex-Clash guitarist Mick Jones, and their second single and title track from the album, 'Up The Bracket', was released on 30 September 2002, and charted at No. 29. This was followed by the release of the album on 21 October, reaching number 35 in the UK albums chart, and the group won Best New Band at the NME Awards for that year. During the recording of 'Up The Bracket' and in the subsequent touring, Doherty's use of both crack coacine and heroin had increased greatly, and his relationship with the rest of the band deteriorated, with some of this tension being visible in their performances. The band went to the US to promote themselves and work on new material, and while in New York City around May 2003, they recorded the 'Babyshambles Sessions', where they recorded versions of current and future Libertines and Babyshambles releases such as 'Last Post On The Bugle', 'Albion', and 'In Love With A Feeling'. However, Barât became increasingly exasperated with the people with whom Doherty was associating, and the drugs they brought, and so he quit the sessions in disgust and Doherty finished recording alone, giving the recordings to a fan called Helen Hsu who put them out for free on the Internet, allegedly on Doherty's instructions. Back in the UK, tensions continued to grow as Doherty organised and played guerrilla gigs which Barât did not attend, but they did release a new single, with 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun' seeing the return of Bernard Butler as producer.
The lyrical quality of the song was praised, and the single held as a prime example of Doherty and Barât's songwriting talents, but Doherty did not work well with Butler, and was rarely present during the recording process. As Barât's birthday approached, Doherty organised a special celebration gig in an attempt to smooth the tensions between them, but Barât was already attending a party organised by some of his friends, and the hosts convinced him not to leave. Doherty was therefore left to play the gig himself, and feeling betrayed, he refused to take the train to Germany the next day for the Libertines' European tour. The band were forced to play without Doherty, and as a result Barât refused to let Doherty back into the band unless he cleaned himself up. Doherty continued to play with separate musical project Babyshambles, whilst the Libertines completed tour commitments in Japan without him, and while feeling distraught and angry, Doherty burgled Barât's flat and was subsequently arrested and was sentenced to six months in Wandsworth prison, later reduced on appeal to two months. Amidst the internal turmoil, 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun' was released on 18 August 2003, and charted at No. 11, the highest position they had managed at that point. When Doherty was released from prison, Barât was waiting for him at the prison gates, and after an emotional reunion they played a gig the same day at the Tap'n'Tin pub, in Chatham, Kent, which was later named NME's Gig of the Year. In 2004 Banny Pootschi resigned and was replaced as manager by Creation Records founder Alan McGee, under whose watchful gaze they continued to play gigs and commenced recording their second album with Bernard Butler, but the relationship between Doherty and Butler was as unsuccessful as before and these attempts were soon abandoned.
Mick Jones returned as producer for the second attempt to record the follow-up album, but Doherty had returned to his drug habit, and so relationships were strained, and security hired for the protection of Doherty and Barât had to be used to keep them from fighting. When the album was finished, Doherty left the mixing and dubbing to the others, and would not return to the studio with the Libertines for another ten years. On 14 May 2004, he was admitted to The Priory in an attempt to overcome his addictions, and when he left The Priory he informed Barât that he was going to Wat Tham Krabok in Thailand to get clean, and after a short set that night he left the band. Meanwhile, the Libertines were still releasing fresh material, and new single 'Can't Stand Me Now' detailed the breakdown of the ailing frontmen's once seemingly cast iron friendship, while illustrating the love-hate relationship between them. It was released on 9 August 2004 and charted at No. 2, while their eponymous second album came out in late August, and topped the albums chart. Their final single 'What Became Of The Likely Lads' reached No. 9 in the UK charts, and they played what would be their final show for over five years in Paris on 17 December 2004, still without Doherty. Barât then chose to dissolve the Libertines, as he was no longer willing to tour and record under the name without Doherty. Barât and Doherty remained out of contact for several months after the Libertines ended, due to Doherty's spiralling drug abuse, and any subsequent talks of a reunion remained tepid as Doherty and Barât concentrated on their respective bands Babyshambles and Dirty Pretty Things. In March 2010 it was announced that the Libertines were to reform to play at the Reading and Leeds Festivals, but for this post I've called a halt at their break-up in 2004, and collected all the non-album singles and b-sides released in that short two year period by this troubled, but much-loved, group.
Track listing
01 Skag & Bone Man (b-side of 'Up The Bracket' 2002)
02 The Delaney (b-side of 'Up The Bracket' 2002)
03 Plan A (b-side of 'Up The Bracket' 2002)
04 What A Waster (single 2002)
05 May Day (b-side of 'What A Waster')
06 Don't Look Back Into The Sun (single 2003)
07 Skint And Minted (demo) (b-side of 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun')
08 General Smuts (demo) (b-side of 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun')
09 Mr Finnegan (demo) (b-side of 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun')
10 The 7 Deadly Sins (demo) (b-side of 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun')
11 Bangkok (demo) (b-side of 'Time For Heroes' 2002)
12 Sally Brown (demo) (b-side of 'Time For Heroes' 2002)
13 (I've Got) Sweets (b-side of 'Can't Stand Me Now' 2004)
14 Dilly Boys (b-side of 'Can't Stand Me Now' 2004)
15 Cyclops (b-side of 'Can't Stand Me Now' 2004)
16 Never Never (b-side of 'Can't Stand Me Now' 2004)
17 All At Sea (b-side of 'Can't Stand Me Now' 2004)
