Dirty Pretty Things biography
Dirty Pretty Things were an English band fronted by Carl Barât, a member of The Libertines. The formation of the band was announced in September 2005, after a dispute between Barât and Pete Doherty led to the breakup of The Libertines in 2004. Barât had worked with Vertigo Records and had previously revealed that his new project was with the label. Didz Hammond announced he was leaving the Cooper Temple Clause to join the band alongside Libertines drummer Gary Powell and guitarist Anthony Rossomando, who had filled in for Doherty following his departure from The Libertines. They played their first shows in October 2005 in Italy and Paris, France. They announced their split on 1 October 2008 and played their final shows during November.
After adopting the name to Dirty Pretty Things, problems arose - a four-piece band from Salisbury had been playing as "Dirty Pretty Things" since early January 2005, claiming to have already trademarked the name in the UK' the two groups came to an agreement over the name, and the other band was renamed Mitchell Devastation. An Australian band had been playing under "Dirty Pretty Things" since 2003, although it also opted to change it. The name was shared by Barât's club nights in venues throughout London; they assumed the name "Bright Young Things" to avoid confusion.
History
Formation and Waterloo to Anywhere: 2005-2006
Dirty Pretty Things began recording their first album in Los Angeles, California with high-profile producer Dave Sardy, and in Glasgow, Scotland with producer Tony Doogan. "You Fucking Love It", a track from the band's debut album, was made available on a free CD with the 1 April 2006 issue of NME entitled "NME and MTV2 present Best Newbands Showcase 2006".
The band's debut album, Waterloo to Anywhere, was released on 8 May 2006, reaching number three on the music charts and receiving critical approval. The first single (and first official band release) from the album, "Bang Bang, You're Dead", was released on 24 April 2006 and reached number five in the singles chart in its first week of sales. The second single, "Deadwood", was released on 10 July 2006 and reached number 20 in the singles chart. The album's third single, "Wondering", was released on 25 September 2006 and reached number 34.
The band toured extensively in the UK during the first half of 2006. They played their first American show at the SXSW festival in Texas. During the summer of 2006, the group played at several UK festivals, including the Gonville & Caius College May Ball 2006, Isle of Wight Festival, Wireless Festival, T in the Park, Kendal Calling and the Irish festival Oxegen. The band played with the Red Hot Chili Peppers at their concerts in Ipswich and Coventry in July 2006. The band were supported on their debut tour of the UK by Dublin band Humanzi.
On 13 May 2006 Barât and Hammond appeared on the football show Soccer AM. The pair appeared to be high or drunk following a night out after a gig in Wolverhampton, causing fellow guest Noel Gallagher to compare Barat's slightly incoherent rambling to that of his brother, Liam.
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