London, England-based indie rock band formed by ex-Libertines guitarist and vocalist Carl Barât (b. 6 June 1978, Basingstoke, Hampshire, England). After the high profile split of the Libertines in 2004 owing to the strained relationship between Barât and co-frontman Pete Doherty, Barât took himself on a self-imposed hiatus to recover from the ordeal. During this time his friendship with Cooper Temple Clause bass player Didz Hammond (b. David Jonathan Hammond, 19 July 1981) solidified, and they started to write songs in Barât's Waterloo flat, whilst also running club nights around London called "Dirty Pretty Things'. In early 2005 Barât and Hammond formed Dirty Pretty Things with ex-Libertines drummer Gary Powell and occasional Libertines guitarist Anthony Rossomando (b. USA). With a handful of songs they decamped to Los Angeles to start recording the album with Dave Sardy, famous for producing Oasis' Don't Believe The Truth. After the band's stint over in California, the production duties were handed to Tony Doogan in Glasgow, Scotland. In September 2005, Barât unveiled his new band to the media. Any references to the Libertines" trademark military look were noticeable by their absence, with Barât and his bandmates choosing to dress in black leather.
After a furious string of gigs around the UK, the quartet's debut Waterloo To Anywhere was released in May 2006. Picking up where the Libertines left off, Hammond brought in a sonically enhanced bass sound to complement the Clash-inspired arrangements. Stand-out tracks included "Bang Bang Your Dead" (a thinly veiled attack on Doherty), "Blood Thirsty Bastards" and "The Gentry Cove", although the album was solid throughout.
