This year, T in the Park is bigger than ever. This means more massive names, but also more unsung heroes scattered around Balado’s bumpy terrain. Over the next eight pages, we flag up some of the potential headliners of tomorrow and those nutters you’ll regret not seeing later when they disappear without trace. We kick off with Dirty Pretty Things. Rising from the ashes of the Libertines, the band is constantly veering between greatness and chaos, as Camilla Pia finds out.
arl Bar‘at is a man people tend to get misty eyed oyer. The ex—l.ibertine‘s courage. gentlemanly silence and stoicism while his closest lriend and tnttsical \‘ision lell apart in a spiralling mess ol tabloid lren/y'. crime and addiction have gained him respect among lellow musicians and lans alike. While his old companion
Pete Doherty still hits the headlines daily lor
erratic drug-related incidents and general debauchery. Barat has locused lirme on the music. and that‘s what he is keen to talk about when I catch tip with him alter a recent gig in (iermany. (‘ontrary to the pillar ol strength image. probably best captured by his deliant glare on the cover ol' the Libertines sell-titled second el'l'ort. Barat seems a little awkward under intett'ogation. He is polite and charmingly itrquisitiye. but his answers trip oil the tongue at speed. olten masked by the odd under—the-breath mtrrnble and a slight stammer which renders them unintelligible. .-\nd he is easily distracted. stopping mid-response to make sly digs at bandmates milling around.
On top ol this. it has been an uphill struggle trying to get hold ol the mart: I finally succeed alter weeks ol lob oils. unforeseen mishaps. no- shows and timing bungles. which combined to lorm the impression ol a chaotic and Very
14 THE LIST 22 Jun—6 Jul 2006
guarded outlit. Alter a lew rtrinutes in his company. it becomes clear that Dirty Pretty
Things is indeed something ol a sanctuary lor
Barat at present. ‘The Libertines was really taken out ol my hands.‘ he explains. ‘and I lelt like I
just had to carry on where l lelt oil. It was neyer
under question that I would get back into music alter the band ended; I knew all along. Since we got together last September we haven‘t stopped. but I think that has been good lor me. Basically. it leels great to be llying the llag again. The boys are brilliant.~ he continues. ‘they share the burden and it was important lor me to make Dirty Pretty Things a band in its own right. I wanted to sever things with the past and do something dillerent.‘ Dirty Pretty Things is certainly more ol a group ellort than Barat‘s old Pete'n‘('arl-centred outlit eyer was. ()nstage. l)id/ Hammond (bass). Anthony Rossomando (guitar) and Gary Powell (drums) take turns in the limelight. making their mark on each track. sharing mics and playlully interacting with the crowd throughout. the indiyidual personalities coming yisibly to the lore and taking the locus away lrom Barat. It's the same when they‘re not perlorming: there's a closeness between the bandmates as they lark around backstage. telling tales of on tour
shenanigans. making endless tittips and limshmg This
each Hillel's. sentences. leelitig til camaraderie is cottpled with a strong sense that. alter all he has been through in recent months. Barat needs to be protected and lo .‘oncenli'.’ite on making music with people he trusts again. "lo be honest I leel more sorry lot” ('arl being slaggetl lor his silence than lor Pete being demonised by
the press.‘ e\plains boisterous New \‘otket
‘I JUST REALLY WANT TO BE ASKED ABOUT THE MUSIC I'M MAKING NOW - CONSTANT QUESTIONS ABOUT MY PAST ARE A DRAG'
Rossomando in a rare moment ol' seriousness. lowering his yoice slightly. 'Pele actually went out and sought that notoriety l'or a while and tnade a bit lor himsell. and I led like with this band we are yindicating a bit ol ('arl‘s dignilied approach to that now. I mean. I was there. watching all this destruction ol a dream and