The Libertines

The Libertines joined the pop fray of 2002, competing with the likes of The Strokes, Hives, Vines, and Doves with their debut single, "What a Waster." The Bernard Butler-produced track entered the U.K.'s Top 40 in June, leaving NME to crown The Libertines as the best new band in Britain. The double-A-side song "I Get Along" earned Single of the Week on BBC Radio 1. The London-based band, who inked a deal with Rough Trade in December 2001, features Carl Barat (guitar/vocals), Pete Doherty (guitar/vocals), John Hassall (bass), and Gary Powell (drums). Up The Bracket was released stateside in March 2003 while the single Time For Heroes gained momentum on the U.K. charts.



The group's Coachella Festival appearance later that spring, meanwhile, introduced their kinetic live act to the States. In June 2003, the band's playfully volatile chemistry began to go awry when Doherty didn't show up for a tour of Europe. The rest of The Libertines went ahead with the dates while Doherty formed another group that he initially also called The Libertines before changing the name to Babyshambles.

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