The Libertines

Vocalists and guitarists Carl Barât and Pete Doherty lead the Libertines, whose boldly tuneful approach refreshes longstanding British rock conventions even as it joins that lineage. Their songs link influences from acts such as the Kinks, the Jam, the Smiths, and the Clash—the latter represented by frequent collaborator Mick Jones—while their lyrics stem from the jagged verse shaped by the stormy alliance between Barât and Doherty. That combustible rapport powered the sharp 2002 debut Up the Bracket, which refreshed British indie in a manner parallel to how the Strokes' Is This It energized rock on the opposite side of the Atlantic and amplified the turbulence documented on 2004's The Libertines. The band's early extremes of ascent and collapse proved fleeting, yet their return after a prolonged absence—marked first by packed tours, then by the contemplative 2015 album Anthems for Doomed Youth and the kindred 2024 set All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade—signaled that Doherty and Barât had identified a steadier path to upholding their history.

The group's origins reach to 1997, when drama student Barât at Brunel University encountered Doherty, an English literature student at Queen Mary, University of London and the younger brother of Barât's roommate. Together with neighbor Steve Bedlow they started a band first called the Strand before adopting the Libertines name. Early lineups included future Razorlight member Johnny Borrell, and the group performed initial shows at spots such as Filthy Macnasty's Whiskey Cafe, where Doherty served as bartender.

The Libertines refined their unpolished yet melodic sound through demo sessions, and by early 2000 entertainment lawyer Banny Pootschi took on management duties. Initial difficulty securing a label deal gave way to renewed persistence after the Strokes achieved success. The band compiled its strongest material on the Legs XI demo collection, which featured cellist Vicky Chapman and Doherty's vocals styled after Frank Sinatra. A showcase for Rough Trade resulted in a December 2001 signing to the label.

After the Rough Trade agreement, Barât and Doherty relocated to a North London flat on Camden Road they named the Albion Rooms. The Libertines—now including drummer Gary Powell and bassist John Hassall—staged impromptu performances there alongside support dates with the Strokes and the Vines. Rough Trade released the debut single "What a Waster/I Get Along" in June 2002. Produced by Bernard Butler, it reached number 37 on the U.K. Singles chart and intensified media attention: NME named the band the best new act in Britain, while BBC Radio 1 awarded "I Get Along" Single of the Week. The group spent that August tracking its first album with the Clash's Mick Jones at RAK Studios. Issued that October, Up the Bracket preserved the group's boisterous appeal and climbed to number 35 on the U.K. Albums chart; the title track, released as the follow-up single, entered the top 30 of the U.K. Singles chart. At the NME Awards that year the Libertines received the Best New Band prize.

Up the Bracket arrived in the U.S. in March 2003 and reached number 13 on the Heatseekers Albums chart. The band's American tour, highlighted by a Coachella Festival slot, introduced their intense live shows to new audiences, although Doherty's escalating substance issues created mounting pressure. Unreleased recordings from a May New York session surfaced online, and in June Doherty missed a scheduled European tour. The remaining members proceeded without him while Doherty assembled Babyshambles.

The next month, with the other Libertines performing in Japan, Doherty was arrested for entering Barât's apartment—vacated by Doherty in late 2002—and removing a harmonica, laptop computer, and antique guitar. Around the time the Butler-produced single "Don't Look Back into the Sun" hit number 11 on the U.K. Singles chart in August—their strongest showing yet—Doherty entered a guilty plea and admitted heroin and crack cocaine dependencies. A deluxe edition of Up the Bracket appeared in September, coinciding with a six-month jail sentence that was later reduced to two months on appeal; with credit for good behavior he was freed in early October. The full lineup reunited for the Rough Trade 25th Anniversary show later that month. In November Doherty staged two performances in his own apartment blending Libertines and Babyshambles material. The year closed with sold-out London Forum dates, and although "Don't Look Back into the Sun" remained their sole release, the band earned the NME Award for Best Band.

The Libertines opened 2004 by composing and recording new songs in France with Butler. Pootschi stepped down as manager and was succeeded by Creation Records founder Alan McGee. Their first U.K. appearances that year—a three-night Brixton Academy residency—turned disorderly when Doherty destroyed his guitar and exited during the final show. As recording continued with Jones completing the second album, Doherty and Barât contributed to April 2004's "For Lovers," a Wolfman single that reached number seven on the U.K. Singles chart and became the most successful Libertines-related release to that point. Babyshambles issued its limited-edition self-titled debut single the same month. Later in April, Peter Perrett of the Only Ones joined the Libertines onstage for "Don't Look Back into the Sun" and the Only Ones' "Another Girl, Another Planet." Doherty's persistent difficulties soon forced cancellations at the Love Music Hate Racism concert as well as Glastonbury, the Isle of Wight, and Morrissey's Meltdown festivals. In June London police arrested Doherty on a traffic violation and discovered a switchblade in his possession. The remaining members fulfilled July commitments onward, stating Doherty could return once his addictions were managed.

Guitarist/vocalist Anthony Rossomando was added for upcoming shows, including a T in the Park Festival appearance. Doherty scheduled solo and Wolfman dates yet missed several performances. In early August 2004 the self-referential lead single "Can't Stand Me Now" debuted at number two on the U.K. charts. Weeks later Doherty pleaded guilty to possession of an offensive weapon. Released in late August, The Libertines presented an expansive, ambitious expansion of the band's sound. It topped the U.K. Albums chart and yielded another top-ten hit, "What Became of the Likely Lads." The album also appeared in France, Germany, and the U.S., where it reached number 111 on the Billboard 200. The Libertines—without Doherty—toured the U.K. and U.S. in support, while Doherty concentrated on Babyshambles, adding guitarist Patrick Walden, bassist Drew McConnell, and drummer Gemma Clarke to the lineup. When the Libertines' tour concluded in December the group disbanded.

Members soon launched separate ventures. Babyshambles released its debut album Down in Albion in October 2005. After signing with Parlophone Records they issued the Blinding EP in December 2006. Following the 2007 release of Babyshambles' sophomore album Shotter's Nation the band entered hiatus. Barât formed Dirty Pretty Things, whose name referenced a club night he had started; the group included Powell, Rossomando, and the Cooper Temple Clause's bassist Didz Hammond. After two albums—2006's Waterloo to Anywhere and 2008's Romance at Short Notice—Dirty Pretty Things dissolved.

In 2009 Doherty rejoined Barât and Powell for a Libertines reunion show at the London Rhythm Factory. Members thereafter balanced individual work with group activity: Doherty recorded his solo debut Grace/Wastelands in 2009 with producer Stephen Street and Blur guitarist Graham Coxon, while Barât issued his self-titled solo album in 2010. That year the Libertines reconvened for Leeds and Reading festival appearances, later captured in the 2011 feature-length film The Libertines: There Are No Innocent Bystanders, which premiered at the East End Film Festival. Babyshambles resurfaced in 2013 with its third album Sequel to the Prequel, again produced by Street. After sold-out 2014 performances at London's Hyde Park and Alexandra Palace the band commenced work on its third album. Tracked at Thailand's Karma Sound Studios with Jake Gosling, September 2015's Anthems for Doomed Youth presented a more seasoned and refined version of the Libertines' style. It reached number three in the U.K., charted across Europe, and topped the Heatseekers Albums chart in the U.S.

Although the Libertines maintained a steady touring schedule, members continued outside projects. Barât's band the Jackals released Let It Reign in 2015; Doherty's second solo album Hamburg Demonstrations appeared the next year. Barât appeared in the 2017 film The Mummy, the same year Labour Party leader and Prime Minister candidate Jeremy Corbyn spoke at a Libertines concert. Doherty's group Peter Doherty and the Puta Madres, drawn from his touring musicians, issued its self-titled debut album in 2019. Late that year the Libertines undertook European dates and a U.K. holiday tour. In 2021 Doherty collaborated with French composer, arranger, and singer/songwriter Frédéric Lo on the single "The Fantasy Life of Poetry & Crime," which expanded into the 2022 full-length album of the same name. That year Barât mounted a solo tour and organized a Dirty Pretty Things reunion performance.

The Libertines played Glastonbury Festival in 2022 and marked the 20th anniversary of Up the Bracket with a deluxe edition containing live and early recordings. Late that year Doherty and Barât initiated sessions for the next album in a Jamaican studio, then reconvened with Powell and Hassall in February 2023 for further work under producer Dimitri Tikovoï. Released in April 2024, All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade extended the poised approach to the Libertines' energetic anthems and ballads introduced on Anthems for Doomed Youth.