Barat bares all

Exclusive insight into the new record, The Chavs and working with Mark Ronson

15 July 2008 - Carl Barat has recovered from his recent attack of pancreatitis, and Dirty Pretty Things are set to play a number of dates in August and October in support of the new album Romance at Short Notice.

Carl explained the title:

"It's from a story from an old Edwardian writer called Saki, and it’s the name of one of the short stories. I just kind of figured with the way we've been going through life at the minute, it's kind of a hearts on the sleeve kind of thing."

He went on to say he is planning to work with producer Mark Ronson, but was unsure as to whether it will actually happen:

"I wanna do a track with him for this film about northern soul music... I can't get hold of him. Maybe he is ignoring me, I don’t know."

"The Chavs are not going to be too silly anymore" - Carl Barat

The Dirty Pretty Things frontman has also been busy on a project with Jon McClure of Reverend and The Makers, which he told us is a labour of love for both of them:

"I'm just making a little dub record. To see how it goes, and if it's no good then well just leave it. It's just something I want to do and something he wants to do, so…"

On the supergroup he formed with Tim Burgess from The Charlatans and Klaxons' Jamie Reynolds, The Chavs, Carl says their sound is evolving:

"It's gonna be our darker stuff that we haven't been able to do with our bands. I think, I mean the inspiration starting points were the later PiL records. The idea is everyone brings something to the table really and we just see how it goes. It might change completely, but The Chavs are not going to be too silly anymore."

Carl also responded to recent reports that quoted him as saying there was "unfinished business" with the the Libertines and says he still hasn't closed the doors on a future with the band:

"I'm open to doing something in the future. Well, we are going to have unfinished business... until we finish it. There's nothing on the horizon as we speak."

UK Dates

August

23 - Reading Festival
24 - Leeds Festival

October

04 - ABC, Glasgow
05 - Old Picture House, Edinburgh
07 - Academy 2, Manchester
08 - Metropolitan University, Leeds
09 - Wulfrun Hall, Wolverhampton
11 - Keele University, Newcastle
12 - The Junction, Cambridge
13 - UEA, Norwich
14 - Roundhouse, London
16 - Carling Academy, Oxford
18 - Guildhall, Southampton



Ruth Barnes