Barat's illness benefit
Bassist Didz says Dirty Pretty Things have thrived on Carl's alcohol ban
08 August 2008 - The Dirty Pretty Things have benefited from Carl Barat's recent attack of acute pancreatitis, according to his bandmate Didz.
The former Libertine was rushed to hospital earlier this summer with constant pain, and was then put on a very restricted diet and told to stay off the booze.
Didz Hammond popped in to 6 Music for an appearance on the Roundtable on Thursday night (Aug 7), and told us Carl is well on the road to recovery.
But Didz told 6 Music the alcohol ban has forced the whole band to get their act together:
"It has been good for the band really, because we've all kinda slowed down a bit. We were slowing down anyway, I think we took the wheels off the wagon on the last touring cycle and then had to calm down on the road quite a lot.
"But that ended up suiting us quite well, and earlier in the year we did the best tour we've ever done I think."
And he says their new found sobriety affects the way they play:
"Its slightly less shambolic, we're not falling over each other like we were, but at the same time we're not Steely Dan or anything like that.
"We've still got that rough edge. We're really solid now; it's a really tough sound"
Luckily, Carl is recovering well: "He's better, y'know, he's not in pain; he goes from health strength to health strength."
"He can only really eat like seeds and boiled things and chicken and no red meat, and no drink obviously. So yeah he's kind of struggling with that; he misses his cheese a lot."
The rest of Dirty Pretty things got on the wagon with Carl to help him quit alcohol - although it didn't last long.
"We did for the first gig or two and then kind of lapsed – well, we lapsed anyway, Carl didn't obviously or he'd have been in big trouble.
"If someone has such a momentous event in their life, where they have to change everything that they put in their body, then it's nice and supportive to show that solidarity."
