The Libertines have made headlines for something other than their music.
Pete Doherty and Carl Barât, co-frontmen of the iconic English rock band, revealed during an interview with Matt Wilkinson on Apple Music 1 (as per NME) that they’ve allegedly acquired the bathtub in which the legendary Jim Morrison of The Doors died in.
According to the pair, this historic relic will find a new home in one of the rooms in The Libertines’ very own Margate hotel, The Albion Rooms.
The Albion Rooms, a project realised in 2020, is more than just a hotel – it’s a creative hub for the band and visiting artists. Doherty shared the story of how they came to possess Morrison’s bathtub: “There’s a fellow who my wife’s cousin knows, and his cousin was basically the landlord. And he’s not interested in music, and even less interested in music mythology… So I said, ‘Well, we’ll take it for the hotel.'”
Morrison died in Paris in 1971 aged just 27. He was found dead in the bathtub of the Parisian apartment he was staying in at the time, with the official cause of death being ruled as heart failure. Due to French law, however, no autopsy was carried out as no foul play was suspected.
The shock bathtub acquisition isn’t the only rock memorabilia the band members have taken an interest in. Barât himself purchased a coat once belonging to Jimi Hendrix, spurred by the anticipation of a Hendrix biopic featuring André 3000.
The Albion Rooms also served as the birthplace of All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade, The Libertines’ latest album. Doherty described the album’s creation process to NME as collaborative and organic, with strong ideas being fleshed out by the entire band. This marks the band’s first full-length record in nearly ten years.
Fans eager to catch The Libertines live, meanwhile, can look forward to their 2024 UK and Ireland headline tour, with shows added due to popular demand.
