Umtriebig ist er, der gute Carl. Ein Soloalbum, seine “Memoiren” über die Libertines-Zeit, einige Soundtrackarbeiten und dazu noch erste Schritte als Schauspieler haben die letzten Monate des vernünftigen Libertine geprägt. Ach, und so eine kleine Reunion vor 50.000 Menschen, die war auch noch vor einigen Monaten…
Am Tag nach seinem Solo-Auftritt in Hamburg treffen wir Carl Barât zu einem Gespräch in Berlin. Auch wenn das Interview um 15.00 Uhr nachmittags angesetzt war, kein Grund für einen echten Libertine nicht verschlafen und hangover zu sein…
Berlin, 3 p.m.
Carl Barât: Excuse me, I woke up quite recently…
You played in Hamburg yesterday…. How was your gig last night?
Carl Barât: It was good, by the end it was amazing. Hamburg got a quite relaxed crowd and it was a Monday night but by the end of the gig we got them going. It was quite a challenge, Monday is a difficult time.
And in that dressing room in the bunker (in der Konzertlocation Uebel & Gefaehrlich, Anm.) there was a sign above the door that reads “Hallo Munich!”, so you walk out, greeting Munich in Hamburg… but I didn’t do it. *laughs*
You’ve worked as an actor, wrote a book, played in two bands and just released your first solo album – what did you enjoy the most?
Carl Barât: Probably the new record.
And is there anything you won’t do again?
Carl Barât: What was it again?
Eh, you worked as an actor, wrote a book, played in two bands and just released your first solo album…
Carl Barât: Oh, eh, yeah! I wouldn’t mind doing a little more acting, but I don’t try to be a real actor.
I saw you acting in that movie about Joe Meek called Telstar. It was your first real role in a movie, wasn’t it? How did you like it?
Carl Barât: It was pretty fucking scary, really weird. I spend ages to work on the character (Carl played the 50ies rockstar Gene Vincent) and in my head it was like “It’s massive! It’s a Joe Meek biopic in which I star!” and then I came to the set and they just said “go on, say your lines and get off”. I did my lines once, very nervously, and it was just “Cut! Move on!” – maybe next time it’s gonna be better…
You wrote some songs for the soundtrack of the new Russel Brand movie (“Get Him To The Greek” / “Männertrip”). How did that happen?
Carl Barât: We were at Russels house one day, we were checking on Russels progress, on his world domination… His house gets bigger and bigger and bigger each time I visit. He got a house at Hampstead *quietly: which is a pretty nice area of London!* and he got a hairstylist, and a masseuse and a hot tub with a TV in it… he’s a lucky man! And he asked me if I wanna write a couple of songs for his new movie. Jarvis Cocker wrote some as well.
Many songs on your solo album are co-written. Do you prefer working with others and do enjoy more being in a band? so why did you set out to do a solo album in the first place?
Carl Barât: I do like working with other people. If you say to me “do your stuff”, then I’m gonna do it later on, but if I got a person opposite of me, then I’m doing it now.
How did you get involved with Neil Hannon of Divine Comedy?
Carl Barât: He’s just a friend of a friend. I’ve never met him, but he said we should try something. So when I was in Dublin, I met up with him. It was really nice and we got on very well. I stayed two days at his house: one day writing, one day recording.
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You wrote & recorded “The Fall” in two days? It’s my favourite song on the new record.
Carl Barât: Yeah, two days for writing and recording a demo. It’s one of my favourite ones as well.
When you write with other people, is there one of them writing the lyrics and the other one writing the music?
Carl Barât: I wrote about 95% of the lyrics on the record, the music was more of a collaboration.
You wrote your biography…
Carl Barât: Memoir.
Ok, you wrote your memoirs…
Carl Barât: Just one memoir! I’m gonna write more memoirs when I’m gonna get older *laughs*
I thought it was different to other rock star biographies, it was more honest and humble…
Carl Barât: Did you read it?
Yes, of course. It was neither like that “showing off thing” other rock stars tend to do in their biography nor was it like “oh look at me, I’m a fallen angel”… it was a really enjoyable read.
Carl Barât: Thank you, it’s the same with the new record. I wrote them for myself, without any audience in mind. It may sound pretty selfish but on the second Dirty Pretty Things record I wrote what I thought people wanted – of course afterwards everyone said “we don’t want it” *laughs* – but I wrote the book and the new record just for myself. It’s like a catharsis, a way to move on. And because I wrote it for myself… I just don’t have to show off to myself.
It read more like someone who is writing on his own in the middle of the night – “diary” would be a wrong term to describe it, but it doesn’t read like it was in your mind that it’s gonna get published in a way.
Carl Barât: That’s cool. And it really is honest.
…and because it’s pretty honest in some parts, did you sent it to people who actually are in the book like Gary (Powell, Drummer of Dirty Pretty Things and The Libertines) or Peter (Doherty, singer of The Libertines)?
Carl Barât: Ehm, *talks quietly* no……
I think I am pretty fair in the book. Of course I was paranoid that people are gonna be upset but then I read it again and again and I was confident that I am telling my story and not selling other peoples stories. Gary isn’t mentioned very much but he comes across as nice as he actually is. I made sure that I pointed out that Gary didn’t take any drugs and that sort of thing. I did let the boys of Dirty Pretty Things read it and they were like “oh, well, we’re gonna have to phone our mums…” but they were very gracious.
Did Peter talk to you about the book since it was released?
Carl Barât: I don’t think Peter is bothered by the book. I don’t think he even read it.
Do you fancy writing another book? Fiction, maybe?
Carl Barât: I think I’m gonna write again, but I’m not gonna rush it. They say “everyone got one novel in them…”
You did the book, the solo album, the gigs with Libertines in the summer… what are you up to next?
Carl Barât: Oh, I’m gonna have a baby in december, right after this tour is finished. So I’m gonna take some responsibility and then I’ll come back and play the album again. Then I don’t know, but probably a new record.
Do you think you’re gonna write on your own?
Carl Barât: Well, I’ll start on my own. “So long, my lover” was the first song I wrote for this record, but I still don’t have any confidence at all so I put it away. At the end of the sessions I said to the producer “I got this song as well” and he said “we have to put that on the record! You should’ve written more of these kind of songs”… so I’m gonna try next time.
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You still got confidence issues? You are now in the music business for about 10 years and you were playing on a stage with the Libertines for years before…
Carl Barât: YES! Weird thing! But I generally got a lot confidence problems.
I’m gonna have to ask you, being a Libertines-fan since the What A Waster days, how was it for you personally to play these pretty big gigs? I went to the reunion gigs at the Forum in London and at the Leeds Festival.
Carl Barât: It was great. I thought we came full circle, Libertines got cut short before we could play these kind of gigs. I’m glad they went well. The potential of the band was always … weiter lesen
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