The music world was left in shock after the news of Paul Dufour’s passing was confirmed; the musician was best known for his stint as The Libertine’s drummer. Dufour was a Libertine during their early years in 2000; he was later replaced the following year by the group’s current drummer Gary Powell.
Otherwise known by his nickname Mr Razzcocks, the late drummer passed away on Tuesday 6th September 2022; a cause of death is yet to be known. The Libertines took to social media to pay tribute to their former band member; alongside a picture of the band, The Libertines included the following heartfelt statement, “Paul Dufour, our much loved drummer from the early days, passed away last night. We are all in great shock and sadness. Sending love and thoughts to Paul’s friends and family. It was honour to play with you Mr Razzcocks. Forever in our hearts x,“
Paul Dufour, our much loved drummer from the early days, passed away last night. We are all in great shock and sadness. Sending love and thoughts to Paul’s friends and family. It was honour to play with you Mr Razzcocks.
Forever in our hearts x pic.twitter.com/Y21OU96iYb
— Libertines (@libertines) September 7, 2022
Earlier this year, the indie rockers announced a one-off show celebrating the twentieth-anniversary edition of their debut album. Released in October 2022, Up The Bracket ushered in a new generation of modern popular music and propelled The Libertines into the limelight. The album’s release and The Libertines’ subsequent notoriety marked a resurgence of popularity in the UK rock and alternative music scene; the album’s tracks such as “Time For Heroes” and “Boys In The Band” have since become the cornerstone of indie music.
‘Up The Bracket’ arrived like a raging bull in a tired post-Britpop china shop, introducing The @libertines‘.
In celebration of 20 years since this astonishing debut, it now arrives as a deluxe boxset with double vinyl, cassette & book.@RoughTradeRecshttps://t.co/W6fWHoTaPm pic.twitter.com/mfzVDGsdWK
— Rough Trade (@RoughTrade) June 16, 2022
The Libertines have also confirmed a release date of a special twentieth-anniversary edition of Up The Bracket; the album will be released via Rough Trade Records and will be able to purchase from 21st October 2022. The beloved band’s drummer Powell recently spoke with NME concerning the anniversary release and the band’s hotly anticipated fourth studio album, the band’s upcoming album will follow their third studio album, Anthems For Doomed Youth, released in 2015.
Within the interview, Powell confirms he is more interested in new material than the forthcoming reissue, “My mind is more in line with the opportunity to record a new album than anything regarding 20 years ago. We’ve been playing the majority of the album [‘Up the Bracket’] for 20 years now, so this year for me, is a great opportunity to draw a line under this part of the saga and move on to the next phase.“
The Libertines’ sticksman continued to describe the band’s new music, “The good thing is everybody’s been writing. I’m hoping there’s going to be a whole new fervour and interesting dimension added to how we approach things. Obviously, we’re not going to try and reinvent the wheel and be like Depeche Mode going from rock ‘n’ roll to electronic, but I think we can push the boat out a little more while still bringing something that has the same emotional integrity and dynamism that the audience craves when they come to a Libertines show.“
The Up The Bracket 20th Anniversary Edition is available to pre-order now and will be available on various formats. A statement via Rough Trade describes the upcoming release, “In addition to a remaster of the original Up The Bracket album, produced by Mick Jones (The Clash), the Super Deluxe Edition also includes a remarkable 65 previously unreleased recordings including many original demos, radio sessions and live recordings all helping to chart the making of Up The Bracket, plus a live recording from the 100 club in 2002. It also contains a 60 page book with a forward by Matt Wilkinson, new interviews with the band by Anthony Thornton and many unseen photos and memorabilia.“
Click here to pre-order Up The Bracket 20th Anniversary Edition.
