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Threepenny Memoir

The Lives of a Libertine

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Threepenny Memoir

By: Carl Barat
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About this listen

The extraordinary life and times of Carl Barat, Libertine.
READ BY CARL BARAT!

READ BY CARL BARAT. From his childhood in suburban Basingstoke, through times of literally being down and out in London and Paris, to success as one of the co-founders of one of Britain's most revered bands, Carl Barat has gone through the glass darkly as bands fell apart around him, friendships faltered and egos and hedonism threatened to pull his life apart.

Untitled Autobiography tells his extraordinary story, in themed chapters. Love tells of early, unrequited ardour, first heartache and the enduring feelings he has for his best friend, Pete Doherty. Work details time spent on the night shift in factory jobs; his first taste of the bright lights and big city as an usher in theatreland; of the moment when rock and roll really did become just another chore. London looks at the city that shaped him and helped nurture him as a song writer even as he slept on its streets; Icons his fascination with Sir Alec Guinness, his adoration of David Niven, the affinity he felt for the War Poets; Drugs – well, you can probably guess.

Each chapter is chronologically linked by pages from Barat's journal, each recalling a pivotal moment from his life. The Libertines first NME cover in June 2002; their last ever show in Paris just before Christmas in 2004. Walking out on stage with Pete once more at the Hackney Empire in April 2007; touring broken-hearted and solo along America's West Coast in early 2009. His first night onstage at the Riverside Hammersmith, in Sam Shephard's Fool For Love in January 2010. His thoughts on the upcoming Libertines reunion in August 2010.

Untitled Autobiography is a revealing and intimate self-portrait, a story of love and fighting and the creativity that came of that, and a fascinating account of the London of the last decade, with The Libertines its beating heart.

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great to hear carl talking, and his tales of the libertines are legendary, long live the libertines and let the albion sail on for years to come!

LOVED IT

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Carl's almost disinterested narration, made a subject I would be very interested in, pretty boring.

Hard work

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Always being more on the Doherty side of the Libertines partnership, I took the recent publication of Doherty’s autobiography A Likely Lad as the trigger to also pick up Carl Barat’s own earlier book Threepenny Memoir: The Lives of a Libertine (2010) to compare and contrast. The same tale told from two different angles and in widely different styles. Kind of like an English A-level homework assignment but with more comical mishaps involving drugs and hospitals.

Barat instantly wins points for reading his himself. Always a welcome feature, however I was slightly concerned going into it that his plummy voice might get grating. It doesn’t, and adds that necessary personal touch as he reveals many personal insights. Although shorter than Doherty’s, it is far the better written of the two with some quite descriptive and, yes, at times moving images painted. The excitement of being in London. Being part of that machine the city has become. The history to stand within.

I must confess, I have had run ins with both characters over the years. Living in the same postcode for much of the late-nineties and early noughties and sharing gig bills with one or the other or both, but I don’t ‘know them’ know them. It was lovely to hear of places and indeed people that I do know, some of whom are now long gone, and were brought to life again. The excitement of that era in London, the pitfalls of securing gigs and record labels. The pitfalls of the people. Lovers. Dealers. The mischief and comradery that only a band experiences, no matter how small.

Doherty’s book is far longer and is read by actor Ben Elliot. I think he does a great job and quickly morphs into Doherty. It is believable you are listening to Doherty telling you his story. The ghost writing by Simon Spence, however careful, is occasionally obvious and slightly tabloid, but it suits the stories within. It is also nice to hear Doherty, so often pained as a callous chancer, being humble and warm about those around him. His book is, at times, hilarious too, which probably captures the vibe of his music far better than any fawning reviews focusing on his troubles and artistry. Being in a band, especially in the post-Strokes noughties London, is absurd and surreal and if you can’t look at yourself or act with tongue firmly in cheek, you don’t deserve the straw hat, rosary beads and leather jacket uniform you represent.

Another confession, I’ve never been too sold on anything beyond the first Libertines album. Sure, I know most of the other stuff, solo and otherwise, but they’re not my go-to London bangers. Nonetheless, hearing how some of these later tracks were written and recorded is fascinating and in some cases made me go and listen back to them again for the first time in a decade. And after all, that’s what you need from this type of book. Rockumentary, if you will.

It’s about 20 years since most of the events within these books happened but hearing about them at the time, albeit from afar, only feels like it was sometime a few weeks ago. Those halcyon nights running wild as kids. Pub. Gig. Disco. New lover. Repeat. Now we’re all older and enjoy sitting at home with an audiobook, these are the perfect pair to bring it all back. Both get a four but for different reasons. Barat for being better written and self-narrated, but Doherty for being more expansive and funny. The truth is, both compliment each other, like the men in question, and both should be bought together. That would be a five.

A Book of Albion

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Enjoyed this memoir although at just 4 hours it left me wanting to hear more. Shorter and slightly less eloquent than Peter’ s A Likely Lad, it is however written and narrated in a genuine style by the author. I noted some reviewers comments about Carl’s delivery and while I can see the perception of disinterest in narrating, I reached the conclusion that this is his natural way of speaking and managed to get into the flow of it. Some honest descriptions of drug and alcohol use and all the usual rock and roll antics but written in a self reflective way that helps you understand how this lifestyle comes about. You can see that some of the journey is painful to talk about and also that Carl’s insecurities are real making him all the more human. Written a while ago, I’d love to hear about the next chapter as Carl journeys into fatherhood, stable relationships and of course the return of The Libertines! Enjoyed.

Honest and genuine if a little short

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Beautiful, witty, heartbreaking at times - I was a big fan of Carl's in my youth and this re-stoked my passion for his music as well as filling me with nostalgia. Really recommend this.

Insightful

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