Arguably one of the most influential and important indie bands of the early 2000s are The Libertines. The aftershocks of their 2002 debut album, Up The Bracket are still being felt, so much so that in 2010, the band reformed to play concerts at Reading and Leeds festivals to a new generation of music lovers. Leaving the band's troubled history and current up in the air status aside, it's hard to believe Up The Bracket was released 10 years ago. Today, British indie music could do with a pioneer to bring it out of the NME-based rut it has fallen into, but for now, let's forget that and cast our minds back to mid-2002...
Things have changed since then - Tony Blair was still Prime Minister, George Bush was the President, the Arctic Monkeys were still enduring secondary school and The Strokes were the only decent indie band out there. Guitar driven pop was, you could say, on a hiatus. Huge bands such as Muse, Foo Fighters and Coldplay dominated the music scene, but there wasn't much for someone who didn't want to listen to Dave Grohl's harsh vocals and fuzzy guitars, but wasn't quite pathetic enough to want to listen to Chris Martin whine into a microphone about his piano.
Then came The Libertines, a breath of fresh air into the British music scene. Of course, the NME practically adopted them, but not without good cause. Pete Doherty and Carl Barat's friendship (and later their very public falling out) and chaotic stage personas were as important as the music itself. Doherty's lyrics painted a strangely idealistic view of Great Britain, almost fondly revealing the cracks in society. 'Time For Heroes' mourns the loss of poetry and Englishness - "there are fewer more distressing sights than that of an English man in a baseball hat" - while 'Horrorshow' is a love poem to heroin, something that is close to the media's heart when depicting Pete Doherty.
However, the influence of the album cannot be denied. The band had dedicated fans and followers - and there was massive speculation that they would become the next Smiths. In some ways, they did. The lyrics on Up The Bracket almost rival Morrissey's offerings, and the band did not last as long as they were expected to, breaking up after only two albums. Looking at the British music scene just 2 or 3 years later, it was peppered with guitar based indie bands, offering their own take on the sound that the Libertines made so famous. Franz Ferdinand, The Futureheads, Kaiser Chiefs and Bloc Party suddenly found their sound had appeal and people wanted to listen to their music. Heck, even Graham Coxon was so inspired by The Libertines he actually covered 'Time For Heroes'!
Perhaps indie music nowadays is lacking its 'new sound' for the decade. The Smiths did it in the 80s, Blur in the 90s and The Libertines in the 2000s. British guitar music is crying out for a new figurehead and time is running out. Who will take up the mantle next...?
