All farewells should be sudden

1 Oct 2008, a bank holiday, I was tidying up my messy bookshelves and drawers as usual (my routine on every holiday without any accomplishment), I decovered an old notebook which I used in london, within which there's some doodling, hand-drawn maps (couldn't afford to buy a proper A-Z London map), addresses, websites, unknown passwords, phone numbers. While i was musing about this pile of nostalgic yellowed and bug-bitten paper, i saw a monstrous black bug , i lost my head, killed it, was nervous if there were more inside, struggled if to throw it away or keep it whatsoever. sadly the decision was to throw it away, but I was feeling some part of me was being thrown away also. i cling to history and memory. a bad omen.

and evening came i read that news about the split of dirty pretty things. Yes, i want to write some sort of memorial but first, i was too shell-shocked to collect any thought, and then, I mean now, i become too calm to write anything. once you accept the fact, you lost the tragic feeling.

carlos barat is always regarded as the second best when being compared to peter doherty. I always try to be equal, as I think both gentlemen are equally important to the whole legend of that albion-arcadia stuff. The cruel fact is, dirty pretty things sells less than babyshambles. Fate. Blame it on the black star. Or personality decides the fate. Insecure and self-doubt, i could sense his uneasiness whenever he's on stage and this disoriented feeling proved to be interactive and reflective. maybe it explains why the gigs of dirty pretty things was never as exciting as babyshambles'.

having said that, i never doubt the craftsmanship of his songs writing. Personally, i love their latest album Romance At Short Notice more than their debut Waterloo To Anywhere. The frustration and anger in Waterloo To Anywhere is a bit too much and even my ears can taste the sour. Romance At Short Notice is on the other hand more playful, it fits so well for the noble aburdity of its members. I always like their propensity for foolery. Acutually one of those classic libertines moments are their silly mimics and farce. The tortured poets take their miserable existence by the sheer light-heartedness... aye, i start talking gibberish again. Pop and catchy songs with a few sincere moments, Romance At Short Notice is definite one of my favourite albums this year. Its commercial disaster is something I can never fathom.

so long, dirty pretty things, thanks for three years of good music. i wish all of you have a bright future cos' you definitely deserve to have one.




what? i said your concerts were less exciting as babyshambles? no no, i actually love the indie boys stripped shows.