Phew, and you thought we might go all week without any Libertines news.
Speculation is growing regarding the future of the band as Carl Barat is seemingly considering going solo or forming a new band, perhaps with his Libertine band mates. All that talk is with the proviso that Barat would still like to work with Pete Doherty if he is ever "well" enough - though any reunion doesn't seem to be on the cards just at the moment. Barat told NME: "My heart, of course, is with The Libertines. In its original line-up... To be honest, I've not been that close to what's going on.
The pictures [of Pete] sadden me. I don't feel he's well at the moment. I don't know if [The Libertines will] ever be quite the same but I don't see why they'd be any less valid or why we'd have any less purpose or conviction or relevance if we did get back together. Of course I'd love to. But I'm not going to rest on my laurels waiting for Pete to decide if he's going to stop taking drugs... I've got things that I need to get out my system in song right now and I've got some other work to do."
On that front, Barat continued: "I'm gonna have to do something different for a bit. I've got a lot of songs written, I don't know if that means getting a splendid top-hole band together or just going off and recording [them]. So I'm going to go and do that for a bit."
On the immediate future the band's manager, Alan McGee, said: "There are no limitations to Carl's song-writing talent or musical adaptability. The most probable way forward under the current conditions of the Libertines will be to do many co write projects and various guest appearances. I have never known Carl more confident musically than he is at the moment. A great Carl Barat solo album or as yet unnamed band featuring current members of the Libertines awaits sometime in late 2005."