The Enemy & Dirty Pretty Things Play Pentonville Prison Gig To Highlight Suicides

The Enemy and Dirty Pretty Things played a live gig in Pentonville prison today to highlight the amount of suicides in British prisons.

Mimicking Country music legend Johnny Cash, the two British Indie bands played a special gig to support ‘Wasted Youth’, a campaign to highlight and reduce the high incidents of suicide among young men.

Dirty Pretty Things front man Carl Barat first played a short acoustic set in the atrium of the prison, before both bands played a full set in the 180 capacity prison chapel.

Barat’s former Libertines band mate Pete Doherty was originally asked to play a part but it was thought his drugs problems might overshadow the important issues at hand.

Carl Barat said of the gig:-

“It’s not the most uplifting environment. Apparently there’s an average of two suicides a week in prison, so anything we can do to help that … if we can make a difference in the fight against depression and its demons then it’s worth doing,”

“If we can bring something in that makes people happy it’s a good start.”

The Dirty Pretty Things played a variety of songs during the performance, including ‘Come Closer’ from their unnamed new album and finishing with hit ‘Bang Bang You’re Dead’.

Meanwhile new band The Enemy who recently enjoyed a number 1 hit album ‘We’ll Live And Die In These Towns’ supported Dirty Pretty Things.

Lead Singer Tom Clarke said:-

“Suicide among young men is quite a quiet problem.”

“I think in general boys don’t talk about it enough we don’t tell each other what we’re thinking and we never tell anyone everything.”

“I think the band to get a platform and not use it is a complete waste, if you’ve got the audience to raise the awareness about an issue, if you’ve got any social conscience there’s no question you must.”

Both bands received a standing ovation from the prisoners, and hopefully the message will get across to the young men present at the one off gig.

There will also be a concert at the Koko club in Camden, London on September 8 which will raise funds for suicide prevention charity ‘Campaign Against Living Miserably’ to run a helpline. Acts confirmed will include The Rakes and Boy Kill Boy.

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