Carl Barât

Carl Barât

Carl Barât is a British singer-songwriter, guitarist and frontman known for his work in the Libertines scene and in the band Dirty Pretty Things. He is from Basingstoke, England and grows up in nearby Whitchurch, with part of his childhood spent living with his mother on a commune in Somerset. He later studies for a drama degree at Brunel University in Uxbridge, where he meets Peter Doherty through Doherty’s sister Amy-Jo.

The Libertines

Barât co-fronts The Libertines with Peter Doherty as singer and songwriter, alongside bassist John Hassall and drummer Gary Powell. The band forms from Barât’s friendship with Doherty and develops a shared mythology around “The Albion”. Their debut album, Up the Bracket, releases in 2002 and brings them critical acclaim. The band becomes known for volatile live performances and for the unstable relationship between Barât and Doherty, who repeatedly fall out and reunite.

In 2003, Doherty is asked to leave the group after problems linked to drug use, but he later returns after a prison sentence and a temporary reconciliation. The band performs an impromptu reunion show at the Tap ’n’ Tin in Chatham, Kent, known as the “Freedom Gig”, on 8 October 2003. Their second album, The Libertines, follows in 2004. Later that year, Doherty is expelled again, and Barât ends the band in December 2004, saying he does not want to continue without him and citing a health problem.

Dirty Pretty Things and solo work

Barât forms Dirty Pretty Things in 2005 with former Libertines drummer Gary Powell, guitarist Anthony Rossomando and bassist Didz Hammond, formerly of The Cooper Temple Clause. The group plays its first shows in Italy and Paris in October 2005 and records its debut album in Los Angeles with producer Dave Sardy. Waterloo to Anywhere is released in 2006. Their debut single, “Bang Bang You’re Dead”, appears on the band’s website in demo form, is influenced by early Libertines material with punk and reggae elements, and reaches number 5 in the UK singles chart.

After The Libertines, Barât signs as a solo artist to Vertigo Records. His first recorded solo work is vocals on Client’s single “Pornography”. He also releases an album in the Under the Influence series in 2005, selecting tracks that have influenced him as an artist. In addition, he sets up the London club Dirty Pretty Things in 2004 and regularly works there as a DJ.

Later events and background

Barât undergoes surgery in 2005 to remove a tumour behind his ear and spends several weeks recovering. He and Doherty are seen together publicly again in 2005 and 2006, though their relationship remains unsettled. He has a sister, Lucie Barat, who is an actress and singer, and he has several half-siblings. His family background includes French, Polish and Russian ancestry, with other accounts also suggesting Spanish heritage. His mother, Chrissie, is involved in commune-dwelling counterculture and peace groups such as CND, while his father works in an armaments factory.

Barât and Doherty later continue to express a wish to work together again. Barât’s career centres on guitar-driven indie rock and punk-influenced music, both with The Libertines and with Dirty Pretty Things, as well as his solo recordings and collaborations.