Heart Of The Matter// The Libertines
Over the past few decades, music videos have arguably become just as important as the songs that accompany them: artists can let their creativity flow with reckless abandon to create the images they feel would go best with their music, be it a self-contained short film, a message or idea they wish to promote to people, or even the chance to let fans see just what their intentions of their song actually were.
Such is the case with the most recent music video released by The Libertines. In the film that accompanies their new single ‘Heart of the Matter’, we bear witness to lead singers Pete Doherty and Carl Barat torturing an unseen person in a number of grisly ways whilst some of their young fans watch on in glee. Only one of the many spectators appears to show any concern for what is unfolding in front of them, while fellow bandmates John Hassall and Gary Powell are made to stand and watch it all, ashen-faced. At the video’s climax, it’s then revealed that the likely lads were in fact torturing versions of themselves as they hold their corpses up to the audience – Carl, in a twisted sort of pride; Pete, with an eerily calm, knowing glance at the camera.
Subtle or not, it’s pretty harrowing to sit through. Especially if you, like the people in the video, call yourself a fan.
With all its disturbing content, the video has obviously been a project of passion for the band. At first listen, the song could have perhaps been interpreted as being solely about Carl, given Pete’s use of “you” and Carl himself using “I”, as well as the fact that expressing their inner demons – or calling out the other for theirs – has always been at the core of The Libertines’ song writing. Upon watching the video, however, the meaning changes completely: rather than simply calling out themselves, they bravely decide to shift some of the blame onto the public – onto us.
At the heart of it (sorry), ‘Heart of the Matter’ is perhaps the band’s most personal song to date. Pete and Carl both strip themselves down to their most vulnerable states as they reflect on everything that’s brought them to this point in their lives, from the substance abuse to the psychological abuse, and they use the music video to an unsettlingly brilliant effect: the blood red wall that permeates the background immediately sets the viewer in a state of discomfort as we, just like the first ‘fan’ who’s seated down, proceed to watch the show the lads put on for us, both of whom even take a bow before launching into the carnage. Deposit a coin, watch them self-destruct, gossip and joke about it, repeat. Hell, some even start to get off on it. The fans are held just as accountable here as the media; to enjoy this video in any sense is in itself a paradox.
And yes, I’m aware of the irony of writing a think piece on it.
Words by Samantha King