Subcultural engagement for the 21st Century...
Barbelith is a new kind of community (find out more)...
You can login or register.

Underground > Radio & Music >

The Libertines, And Their New Material.

12:24 / 08.08.04

I'm very much looking forward to the new Libertines album - though they're not exactly pushing the sonic envelope or anything like that, they do seem to be doing the same old thing ( guitars, drums, voice, ) in a stylish, interesting and fairly happening way. Which should always be applauded, IMHO, etc.

But... As someone who never really liked Nirvana all that much until KC shot himself, but after that was a fan, I do wonder at the moment if I'm being a bit of a ghoul.

The Libertines' troubles are all over the tabloids these days, but I'm not sure if I'd like them as much if that wasn't the case.

So, thoughts on this in general - Doors fans, would it still be the same if Jim hadn't OD-ed in that bath, for example ?

lonely as a cloud...

09:53 / 09.08.04

To be honest, I've heard very little about the Libertines apart from the drugs/burglary/in-fighting, etc. The indie music press seems to be hyping them on the basis of their possible implosion, which disappointed me, 'cos I naively expected better from the likes of the NME. Still, given that they were produced by Mick Jones of The Clash, I decided to check 'em out...I kinda liked 'em.
Anyway, on the broader topic, yeah, I doubt the Doors would be half as popular now if it wasn't for the "Lizard Messiah Who Died For Us" schtick. Nirvana are kinda a different kettle of fish, though. I blame KC for Courtney's subsequent below-par musical output (Celebrity Skin was ok, but would've been infinitely better if it had been Kurt and not Billy Corgan helping out). There's 15-year old "nu-metal" kids wearing Nirvana t-shirts, who may or may not be wearing them if Cobain was still alive - yeah, I'm wandering O/T here - depending on Nirvana's rumoured "new direction" involving Michael Stipe. Um, yeah, anyway. I guess Nirvana and The Doors are really the two main candidates in the famous-dead-guy category...
Further straining the topic - bands more popular for their habits than their music. Like early Manic Street Preachers, Sex Pistols, Motley Crew...someone else pick this up, and run with it!

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

12:20 / 11.08.04

Rumor has it Chas and Dave's bins keep being raided, and now a new Libs album?

Hmmmmm.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

I don't like them. I think they're shit. I think they're utterly worthless. There's no merit to their music at all. As shitty little attention sponges they're hogging the spotlight when maybe some other bands might like a go.

12:54 / 11.08.04

I don't mind their music so much, it's a lot further from the abyss than the likes of C**dpl*y, et al . And it's not so much the fact that they're horribly derivative that bothers me, as much as their UNBEARABLE FUCKING SMUGNESS.

Our Lady Has Left the Building

14:10 / 11.08.04

cloudstrife The indie music press seems to be hyping them on the basis of their possible implosion, which disappointed me, 'cos I naively expected better from the likes of the NME.

Yeah, all of us were that naive once...

18:25 / 11.08.04

I guess Nirvana and The Doors are really the two main candidates in the famous-dead-guy category...

and elvis.
and hendrix.
and lennon.

20:34 / 11.08.04

I'm not sure that Elvis, Hendrix and Lennon are quite the same - their post mortem popularity doesn't seem to revolve around the manner of their deaths in quite the same manner. I'm not saying this right.

People today can listen to those three without being reminded of their deaths?

How's this - Morrisson and Cobain have a messianic aura about their fame. Which isn't present in the same way, I think, in Elvis, Hendrix, or Lennon.

I mean, it doesn't just take being dead. There's something else at play in the self-destruction - suicide thing.

22:30 / 11.08.04

Their UNBEARABLE FUCKING SMUGNESS

Well possibly, possibly.

I don't see it myself, but could you, perchance, be a tad
more specific ? Hmm ?

They're going through things you couldn't possibly know about, GL, being an ordinary person, and not a special one, but do please expand if you have any insights, yes ?

lonely as a cloud...

07:54 / 12.08.04

How's this - Morrisson and Cobain have a messianic aura about their fame.
Eh, yeah, that's kinda what I meant. Elvis could fit into that category, I guess, though he had something of the messianic aura before he died anyway.
And, Our Lady...I like to think that, once, the indie press used to hype bands because their music was new, exciting and/or different...*sighs*

08:01 / 12.08.04

Are you asking me to specifically define how they are unbearably smug? What an odd question... their media image and the way that they project themselves in their videos, etc.. just irritates me in a non-specific way. Like that bloke down the pub who you think is a twat but for no real reason you can quite put your finger on. Just an instinctive thing. They annoy me. And I don't personally find their music interesting enough to redeem those qualities. Some of their songs are OK, but they seem to be thriving on being lauded as the new "saviours of british guitar music" in a really unpleasant way, which wouldn't be so bad if they were doing something a bit more inspiring than smack, burglarly and predictable tunes.

08:09 / 12.08.04

Oh, and what's with all this "hmmm? yes?" wankery. If you must patronise me, please try not to sound like Malcolm McDowell's slightly camp school master in a Clockwork Orange while you're doing it.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

11:46 / 12.08.04

I was hmmmmmming to myself in a Jimmy Hill chin stroking way. Please take no offence.

I love you.

Haus of Mystery

11:48 / 12.08.04

hhmmmmmmmm.

yes?

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

11:56 / 12.08.04

Oh right, you were talking to the other guy. Too much hmmmmmmmming in this thread.

Yeah, they're smug fuckers alright.

12:41 / 12.08.04

Too much hmmmmmmmming in this thread.

Yes. And that's another reason why I don't like the Libertines. They're the cause of far too much hmmmmmming for my liking.

13:57 / 12.08.04

What's all this " hmm,yes " wankery

Well I was attempting to answer your point in a smug stylee really. Sorry if that didn't come across too well.

07:38 / 13.08.04

Again, GL, no offence meant.

However.

Radiator, dear heart,

What if The Libertines don't like you either ? What if they think you're shit as well ? What then ? What if The Libertines think you're utterly worthless, that there's no merit to your opinions at all, that as a " shitty little attention sponge " you're hogging the spotlight when maybe some other ( Oh I don't know, random lunatic ? Clot ? ) might like a go ?

I'm guessing you might find that somewhat tiring, in the end.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

17:21 / 13.08.04

If the Libs and their fanbase think I'm shit then I must be doing something right.

18:23 / 13.08.04

I'm not sure, R, if the fact that anyone thinks you're shit is necessarily something to be embraced. But I'm sure The Libertines don't think you are, and nor do I, really.

On a related note, I saw Chas and Dave in concert the other week by a mistake, and I still haven't exactly recovered. They were everything you'd maybe expect, but somehow more so. They played Rabbit, Rabbit, ( It looks like this is a song about their significant others, and not as it turns out Watership Down - rabbit, ears, that sort of thing, ) and just thinking about it now, nearly two weeks later, is enough to make anyone reach for the shotgun.

I'm Rick Jones, bitch

22:47 / 13.08.04

Didn't chas and dave play Holiday in the Sun? You know, that big punk fest.