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The Libertines

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The Libertines



 
 
The Libertines were an English rock
Rock music

Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
 band. Formed in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
 in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât
Carl Barât

Carl Ashley Raphael Bar?t is an England musician and most recently, actor. He was the Lead vocalist and lead guitarist of Dirty Pretty Things and the co-frontman with Pete Doherty of the indie rock band The Libertines....
 (vocals/lead guitar) and Peter Doherty
Pete Doherty

Peter Doherty is an England musician, artist and poet. He is currently a singer and songwriter in the band Babyshambles, but first came to fame with punk band The Libertines, alongside Carl Bar?t....
 (vocals/rhythm guitar), the band also included John Hassall
John Hassall (musician)

John Hassall was the bassist for The Libertines. He now performs with his own band, Yeti . He has been described by Dirty Pretty Things bassist Didz Hammond as "...a fucking class bass player....
 (bass) and Gary Powell
Gary Powell

Gary Armstrong Powell is a drummer. He was formerly the drummer for The Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things and Eddy Grant. He also played with the New York Dolls for their 2004 reunion shows....
 (drums) for most of its recording career. Part of what was described as the garage rock revival of that time, one of the aptly named 'The' bands and spearheading this movement in the UK, the band was centred on the song-writing partnership of Barât and Doherty.

The band gained some notoriety in the early 2000s.






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Encyclopedia


The Libertines were an English rock
Rock music

Rock music is a loosely defined genre of popular music that entered the mainstream in the mid 1950's. It has its roots in 1940s and 1950s rhythm and blues, country music and other influences....
 band. Formed in London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
 in 1997 by frontmen Carl Barât
Carl Barât

Carl Ashley Raphael Bar?t is an England musician and most recently, actor. He was the Lead vocalist and lead guitarist of Dirty Pretty Things and the co-frontman with Pete Doherty of the indie rock band The Libertines....
 (vocals/lead guitar) and Peter Doherty
Pete Doherty

Peter Doherty is an England musician, artist and poet. He is currently a singer and songwriter in the band Babyshambles, but first came to fame with punk band The Libertines, alongside Carl Bar?t....
 (vocals/rhythm guitar), the band also included John Hassall
John Hassall (musician)

John Hassall was the bassist for The Libertines. He now performs with his own band, Yeti . He has been described by Dirty Pretty Things bassist Didz Hammond as "...a fucking class bass player....
 (bass) and Gary Powell
Gary Powell

Gary Armstrong Powell is a drummer. He was formerly the drummer for The Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things and Eddy Grant. He also played with the New York Dolls for their 2004 reunion shows....
 (drums) for most of its recording career. Part of what was described as the garage rock revival of that time, one of the aptly named 'The' bands and spearheading this movement in the UK, the band was centred on the song-writing partnership of Barât and Doherty.

The band gained some notoriety in the early 2000s. Although their mainstream success was initially limited, their profile soon grew, culminating in a #2 single and #1 album in the UK
United Kingdom

The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom , the UK or Britain,is a sovereign state located off the northwestern coast of continental Europe....
 Charts. In December 2004, their self-titled second album
The Libertines (album)

The Libertines is the second, self-titled and final album by the United Kingdom punk rock band The Libertines. Released on August 30, 2004, it is particularly biographical of the relationship between frontmen Carl Bar?t and Pete Doherty....
 was voted the second best album of the year by NME
NME

The New Musical Express is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition....
 magazine. Both of their full-length LPs were produced by Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)

Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones was the lead guitarist and a singer of the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and later Big Audio....
, of the British punk band The Clash
The Clash

The Clash were an English Rock music band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk rock, they experimented with reggae, ska, Dub music, funk, Hip hop music and rockabilly....
.

In spite of their critical success, the band's music was often eclipsed by its internal conflicts, often stemming from Doherty's addictions to crack cocaine
Crack cocaine

Crack cocaine, crack or rock is a solid, smokable form of cocaine. It is a freebase form of cocaine that can be made using baking soda or sodium hydroxide, in a process to convert cocaine hydrochloride into methylbenzoylecgonine ....
 and heroin
Heroin

Heroin is a opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. It is the 3,6-acetate ester of morphine . The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt diacetylmorphine hydrochloride, however heroin Freebase may also appear as a white powder....
, which ultimately resulted in the breakup of the band. Doherty has since claimed that the breakup of the band had been due to relationship difficulties between Barât and himself that were not related to his drug addictions. The members of The Libertines have gone on to form new bands with varying degrees of commercial and critical success.

History


1997–2001: Early history

The founding members of The Libertines, Carl Barât and Peter Doherty, met when Barât was studying drama at Brunel University
Brunel University

Brunel University is a university situated in West London, England....
 in Uxbridge
Uxbridge

Uxbridge is a university town in the London Borough of Hillingdon in West London, England. It is a suburban development situated west north-west of Charing Cross and near to the boundary with Buckinghamshire which is locally the River Colne, Hertfordshire....
 and sharing a flat in Richmond with Amy-Jo Doherty, Peter's elder sister. This lasted until they realized their collective creative capabilities and forged a bond over their shared passion for writing melodies and Doherty's love of The Smiths
The Smiths

The Smiths were an English Rock music band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce ....
. Barât abandoned his drama course two years in; Doherty left his English literature course at Queen Mary, University of London, after only a year, and they moved into a flat together on Camden Road in North London, which they named "The Delaney Mansions."

They formed a band with their neighbour Steve Bedlow, commonly referred to as Scarborough Steve, and named themselves The Strand, later discarded for The Libertines after Marquis de Sade's Lust of the Libertines ("The Albions" was also considered, but rejected). They later met John Hassall
John Hassall (musician)

John Hassall was the bassist for The Libertines. He now performs with his own band, Yeti . He has been described by Dirty Pretty Things bassist Didz Hammond as "...a fucking class bass player....
 and Johnny Borrell
Johnny Borrell

Jonathan Edward Borrell is an English people guitarist and singer, currently fronting the band Razorlight....
, who played bass with the Libertines for one rehearsal. After arranging another rehearsal which Borrell did not attend, they telephoned him to discover he was on tour "living the high life." Thus Hassall joined the band as bassist. At this stage, they had no consistent drummer. They began playing gigs, many taking place in the flat shared by Doherty and Barât.

Within a few weeks, they had booked themselves into the Odessa studios to record 3 songs, assisted by Gwyn Mathias, who had previously worked with the Sex Pistols. However, they were disappointed by their scheduled drummer, so at short notice Mathias enlisted the help of Paul Dufour, who agreed to record with the band for £50. At 54, Dufour was considerably older than the others. Despite this age difference, he was impressed enough by the band to become a member. The Libertines started recording more sessions and playing gigs at venues further afield. Roger Morton, a journalist from the NME
NME

The New Musical Express is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition....
 who went to see them play at Filthy Macnasty's Whiskey Cafe in Islington
Islington

Islington is the central district of the London Borough of Islington. It is an inner-city district in London, spanning from Islington High Street to Highbury Fields, encompassing the area around the busy A1 road #Upper Street....
 where Pete was working as a barman, thought they had potential offered with a friend to manage The Libertines. Despite a separate offer from an experienced member of the music industry, John Waller, The Libertines accepted Morton's services as manager. However, Morton would eventually give up the job after an unsuccessful six months.

In March 2000, The Libertines met Banny Poostchi, a lawyer for Warner Chappell Music Publishing
Warner Music Group

Warner Music Group is the third-largest of the big four music industry, the others being Sony Music Entertainment, EMI, and Universal Music Group....
. Recognizing their potential, she took on an active role in managing them. They recorded "Legs XI", a set of their best 8 tracks at the time (and later a popular bootleg recording among fans). However, by December 2000, they had still not been signed and this caused Dufour, Hassall and Pootschi to part ways with The Libertines. The subsequent success of The Strokes
The Strokes

The Strokes are an United States rock music band formed in 1998 in New York City who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a leading group in the Garage rock#Revival....
, a band with a similar style, caused Pootschi to reconsider her position. She formed a plan (dubbed "Plan A") to get the Libertines signed to the record label Rough Trade
Rough Trade

Rough Trade may refer to:*Rough Trade Records, a record label*Rough Trade Shop, a linked but independent London record store*Rough Trade Publishing, a separate music publishing company with the same musical ethos...
 within 6 months. In this period, Barat and Doherty wrote many of the songs which ended up on their first album. Gary Powell
Gary Powell

Gary Armstrong Powell is a drummer. He was formerly the drummer for The Libertines, Dirty Pretty Things and Eddy Grant. He also played with the New York Dolls for their 2004 reunion shows....
 was recruited to play drums, as Paul Dufour was deemed by Pootschi to be 'too old'. On 1 October 2001, Barat and Doherty played a showcase for James Endeacott from Rough Trade. His support led to them playing for the heads of Rough Trade, Geoff Travis and Jeanette Lee, on 11 December that year. They were told they would be signed, and the official deal took place on 21 December.

The Libertines were in need of a bassist, so Hassall eventually rejoined the band at their request, but was informed he would have to stay in the background, as the band would be focused on the partnership of Doherty and Barât. Doherty and Barât rented a flat together at 112a Teesdale Street which they named "The Albion Rooms" (a venue that became a location for many of their guerilla gigs).

2002–2003: Up the Bracket

Now with a firm line-up, they began to play more gigs alongside The Strokes
The Strokes

The Strokes are an United States rock music band formed in 1998 in New York City who rose to fame in the early 2000s as a leading group in the Garage rock#Revival....
 and The Vines
The Vines

The Vines are an Australian Garage rock#Revival band notable for producing a musical hybrid of '60s rock and '90s alternative music. Since 2006 their line-up has consisted of vocalist and lead guitarist Craig Nicholls, rhythm guitarist Ryan Griffiths , bassist Brad Heald and drummer Hamish Rosser....
 in quick succession. This succeeded in spreading their name around the music press, with the NME taking a particular interest in them (an interest which continued throughout their career).

Their first single was a double A-side of "What a Waster
What a Waster

"What a Waster" is the first single from The Libertines. A "Wiktionary:waster", as used in the song, is an excessive user of drugs and alcohol. The song was used in the film The Football Factory ....
" and "I Get Along", produced by former Suede
Suede (band)

Suede were an English alternative rock band of the 1990s and the early 2000s that helped start the Britpop musical movement. Through their several incarnations, they were able to consistently put out albums that charted well, while still holding the respect of critics....
 guitarist Bernard Butler
Bernard Butler

Bernard Butler is an English musician and record producer....
. It was released on 3 June 2002 to a lukewarm media reception and received very little airplay due to its liberal use of profanities. A somewhat 'beeped' version appeared as BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1

BBC Radio 1 is a United Kingdom international radio station operated by the BBC, specialising in current popular music throughout the day, with a slight bias to Rock music & Independent music music....
 DJs Mark and Lard's single of the week. On the week the single came out, The Libertines featured on the cover of the NME for the first time. The single reached #37 in the UK Singles Chart
UK Singles Chart

The UK Singles Chart is compiled by The Official UK Charts Company on behalf of the British record industry. The chart week runs from Sunday to Saturday, with the chart being printed in Music Week magazine , ChartsPlus , and published online on various sites ....
.

Their first album was recorded and produced by Mick Jones
Mick Jones (The Clash)

Michael Geoffrey "Mick" Jones was the lead guitarist and a singer of the British punk rock band The Clash until his dismissal in 1983. He went on to form the band Big Audio Dynamite with Don Letts before line-up changes led to the formation of Big Audio Dynamite II and later Big Audio....
, formerly of The Clash
The Clash

The Clash were an English Rock music band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk rock, they experimented with reggae, ska, Dub music, funk, Hip hop music and rockabilly....
. Entitled Up the Bracket
Up the Bracket

Up the Bracket is the debut album from United Kingdom punk rock band The Libertines, released on 14 October 2002, reaching #51 in the UK Albums chart....
, it was recorded at the RAK studios in St John's Wood
St John's Wood

|country = England|region=London|official_name= St John's Wood|latitude= 51.5361|longitude= -0.1751...
 and mixed taking place at Whitfield studios. During this time, the band were playing as many gigs as possible (over 100 in 2002 alone) including support acts for the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. The band are widely credited with initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll....
 and Morrissey
Morrissey

Steven Patrick Morrissey , known primarily as Morrissey, is a British singer-songwriter. After a short stint in the punk rock band The Nosebleeds in the late 1970s, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths....
.

Their second single and title track from the album, "Up the Bracket
Up the Bracket (song)

"Up the Bracket" is the second single from The Libertines and their first from debut album Up the Bracket.In May 2007, NME magazine placed "Up The Bracket" at number 47 in its list of the 50 Greatest Indie Anthems Ever....
", was released on 30 September and charted at #29. This was soon followed by the release on the 21 October of the album, which charted at #35. They won Best New Band at the NME Awards
NME Awards

The NME Awards are an annual Popular music awards show, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
 for that year and Barât moved out of The Albion Rooms.

2003: Problems

During the recording of Up the Bracket and in the subsequent touring, Doherty's drug use had increased greatly (he was using both crack cocaine and heroin by this time) and his relationship with the rest of the band deteriorated. The band had become fractious, and some of this tension was visible in their performances. Doherty expressed himself in "The Books of Albion", his personal collection of notes, thoughts and poems, and also more and more frequently on the libertines.org fan forums. His posts and writings at this time were unpredictable: at times, he seemed distressed and angry; at others, he came across as calm and happy.
Libertine Tattoo
They went to the U.S.
United States

The United States of America is a Federal government constitutional republic comprising U.S. state and a federal district. The country is situated mostly in central North America, where its Contiguous United States and Washington, D.C., the Capital districts and territories, lie between the Pacific Ocean and Atlantic Oceans, Borders of the U...
 to promote themselves and work on new material. While in New York
New York

The State of New York is a U.S. state in the Mid-Atlantic States and Northeastern United States regions of the United States and is the nation's List of U.S....
 around May 2003, they recorded the Babyshambles Sessions. As a mark of their commitment to the band, Doherty and Barât both got tattoos of the word "Libertine" on their arms. The prelude to this moment can be heard on "The Good Old Days" from the Babyshambles Sessions, in which, after the lyric, "A list of things we said we'd do tomorrow," Doherty yells 'Get a tattoo!' However, Barât became increasingly exasperated with the people with whom Doherty was associating and the drugs they brought. Barât quit the sessions in disgust and Doherty finished recording alone. The sessions were given to a fan called Helen Hsu who, as Doherty allegedly instructed, put them for free on the Internet
Internet

The Internet is a global network of interconnected computers, enabling users to share information along multiple channels. Typically, a computer that connects to the Internet can access information from a vast array of available server and other computers by moving information from them to the computer's local memory....
.

Back in the UK, tensions continued to grow as Doherty organised and played guerrilla gigs which Barât did not attend. Their new single "Don't Look Back into the Sun
Don't Look Back into the Sun

"Don't Look Back into the Sun" is the fourth single released by The Libertines. NME Magazine awarded it single of the week upon its release. It was released as a single only, therefore not appearing on any albums....
" saw the return of Bernard Butler as producer. The lyrical quality of the song was praised, and the single held as a prime example of Doherty and Barât's songwriting talents. However, Doherty did not work well with Butler and was rarely present during the recording process. As a result, the song had to be pieced together from the vocals he provided, with Butler himself recording Doherty's guitar parts.

As Barât's birthday approached, Doherty organised a special celebration gig in an attempt to smooth the tensions between them. Barât, however, was already attending a party organized by some of his friends, and the hosts convinced him not to leave. Doherty was left to play the gig himself. Feeling betrayed, Doherty neglected to take the train to Germany the next day for The Libertines' European tour. The Libertines were forced to play without Doherty: a guitar technician learned his guitar parts and several songs were dropped altogether. Soon, however, positions changed and it was Barât who refused to let Doherty into the band unless he cleaned himself up. Doherty continued to play with separate musical project Babyshambles
Babyshambles

Babyshambles are an England indie rock band established in London. The band was formed by Pete Doherty during a hiatus from his former band The Libertines, but Babyshambles has since become his main project....
 whilst The Libertines completed tour commitments in Japan without him. Distraught and angry, Doherty burgled Barât's flat and was subsequently arrested. On 11 August, he pleaded guilty at the preliminary hearing to the charge of burglary.

Amidst the internal turmoil, "Don't Look Back into the Sun
Don't Look Back into the Sun

"Don't Look Back into the Sun" is the fourth single released by The Libertines. NME Magazine awarded it single of the week upon its release. It was released as a single only, therefore not appearing on any albums....
" was released on 18 August and charted at #11, the highest position they had managed at that point. The Libertines played the Carling Weekend
Reading and Leeds Festivals

The Reading and Leeds Festivals are a pair of annual music festivals that take place in Reading, Berkshire and Leeds in the United Kingdom and are run by Festival Republic....
 with replacement guitarist Anthony Rossomando
Anthony Rossomando

Anthony Pasquale Rossomando is a guitarist, most recently with Carl Bar?t's Rock music band Dirty Pretty Things . He previously stood in for Pete Doherty in The Libertines, after Doherty was first suspended from the band and then sacked due to his drug habits....
 (who later joined Dirty Pretty Things
Dirty Pretty Things (band)

Dirty Pretty Things were an England band fronted by Carl Bar?t, a former member of The Libertines. The formation of the band was announced in September 2005, after a dispute between Bar?t and Pete Doherty led to the breakup of The Libertines in 2004....
). On 7 September, Judge Roger Davies sentenced Doherty to 6 months in prison. He served his sentence in Wandsworth prison
Wandsworth (HM Prison)

HM Prison Wandsworth is a Prison security categories in the United Kingdom men's prison, located in the Wandsworth area of the London Borough of Wandsworth, in South West London London, England....
. This sentence was later reduced on appeal by Judge Derek Inman to two months.

2003–2004: Second album and the end of The Libertines

Barât was waiting for Doherty outside the prison when he was released in October 2003. After an emotional reunion they played a gig the same day at the Tap'n'Tin pub, in Chatham, Kent - with both Hassall and Powell, who had not been expected to come. The show became NME's Gig Of The Year. The Libertines went on to play three consecutive sold-out dates at the London Forum
London Forum

The London Forum is a well-known venue for concerts in Kentish Town, London, United Kingdom owned by the MAMA Group. The venue was built in 1934 and was originally used as an art deco cinema....
 in mid-December 2003, ending in stage invasions by the fans. These gigs would be named amongst the top 100 gigs of all time by Q Magazine
Q (magazine)

Q is a music magazine published monthly in the United Kingdom, with a circulation of 130,179 as of June 2007.Founders Mark Ellen and David Hepworth were dismayed by the music press of the time, which they felt was ignoring a generation of older music buyers who were buying CDs — then still a new technology — from artists suc...
. The Libertines also went on a widely-acclaimed UK tour in March 2004 that included three more consecutive sold-out dates in London, this time at Brixton Academy.

Banny Pootschi resigned and was replaced as manager by Alan McGee
Alan McGee

Alan McGee is a London-based music industry media mogul,DJ, and musician. McGee is particularly famed for co-forming the independent Creation Records label which ran from 1983 to 2000....
, previously the founder and MD of Creation Records
Creation Records

Creation Records was a United Kingdom independent record label headed by Alan McGee. Along with Dick Green and Joe Foster, McGee founded Creation in 1983....
 (most famous for signing Oasis
Oasis (band)

Oasis are an English rock music band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as "The Rain", the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul Arthurs , Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher ....
) and later to become manager of Dirty Pretty Things
Dirty Pretty Things (band)

Dirty Pretty Things were an England band fronted by Carl Bar?t, a former member of The Libertines. The formation of the band was announced in September 2005, after a dispute between Bar?t and Pete Doherty led to the breakup of The Libertines in 2004....
. They continued to play gigs and commenced recording their second album with Bernard Butler. However, the relationship between Doherty and Butler was as unsuccessful as before and the attempts were soon abandoned. In early 2004, The Libertines won Best Band at the NME awards, despite the fact that "Don't Look Back Into The Sun" was their only official release during the preceding year.

Mick Jones returned as producer for the second attempt to record the second album. Doherty had returned to his old ways and habits, so relationships were strained. Security hired for the protection of Doherty and Barât had to be used to keep them from fighting. As an aside from The Libertines, Doherty had recorded the vocals for "For Lovers
For Lovers

"For Lovers" is the debut single by Peter Wolfe and Pete Doherty. The song was written by Wolfe just after his divorce in the late 90s and recorded in 2003 to give Doherty a hit and himself a way into the music industry....
", a song written by his friend and local poet Peter "Wolfman" Wolfe
Peter Wolfe

Peter William Wolfe is a poet and a musician of the band Wolfman and the Side-Effects. He is also a friend of Pete Doherty. From time to time Wolfman and the Side-Effects support Doherty's band, Babyshambles, and used to support The Libertines....
. "For Lovers" was released on 13 April 2004 and reached #7 in the charts, eclipsing The Libertines' highest charting single to that date. Despite Barât's intolerance of Wolfe and the associated drugs, he recorded guitar for the B-side to the single, "Back From the Dead". The album was finished and Doherty left the mixing and dubbing to the others; he would never return to the studios with The Libertines. On 14 May 2004, he was admitted to The Priory, a high-profile retreat, in an attempt to overcome his addictions. He left early, then returned, only to leave again a week later on 7 June.

During this time, Barât had been setting up a weekly club night called Dirty Pretty Things (a later dispute forced it to be renamed Bright Young Things) at the Infinity Club
Infinity Club

Infinity Club was a nightclub and music venue located in London's West End of London, at 10 Old Burlington Street, Mayfair, London, W1S 3AG, United Kingdom....
 in the West End
West End of London

The West End of London is an area of Central London, England, containing many of the city's major tourist attractions, businesses, headquarters and the commercial West End theatres....
. The day Doherty left the Priory for the second time, he went to the club and spoke with Barât, with Hassall and Powell present as well. Doherty told him that he was going to Wat Tham Krabok
Wat Tham Krabok

Wat Tham Krabok is a Buddhism temple in Thailand, located in the Amphoe Phra Phutthabat of Saraburi Province.The temple was first established as a monastery in 1958 by the Buddhist nun Mae Chee Boonruen....
 in Thailand
Thailand

The Kingdom of Thailand is an independent country that lies in the heart of Southeast Asia. It is bordered to the north by Laos and Myanmar, to the east by Laos and Cambodia, to the south by the Gulf of Thailand and Malaysia, and to the west by the Andaman Sea and Myanmar....
 to get clean. The Libertines performed a short set that night: it was the last time they would all play together, and the last time Doherty would speak to Barât for more than 9 months.

Doherty's rehab was, once again, unsuccessful. He abandoned the monastery and went to Bangkok
Bangkok

The city of Bangkok is the Capital , largest urban area and primary city of Thailand. Known in Thai language as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or Krung Thep for short, it was a small trading post at the mouth of the Chao Phraya River during the Ayutthaya Kingdom and came to the forefront of Thailand when it was given the status as the...
 to find drugs. The rest of The Libertines, with Rossomando stepping-in once more as replacement guitarist, played gigs to promote the album and fulfill commitments (having already cancelled some gigs once, to do again would have been too expensive). On 17 June, back in England, Doherty was arrested for possession of an offensive weapon - an engraved flick knife purchased in Thailand as a birthday gift for Barat. He pleaded not guilty and was sentenced on 1 September to 4 months in prison, but the sentence was suspended for 12 months. The Libertines did not let Doherty play with them but promised that "when he cleans up his addictions he will be immediately welcomed back into the band." However, Doherty had managed to achieve growing success and fame with his new venture, Babyshambles, which further reduced the likelihood of reconciliation.

Meanwhile, The Libertines were still releasing fresh material. The new single "Can't Stand Me Now
Can't Stand Me Now

"Can't Stand Me Now" is the first single from The Libertines' eponymous second album. The song was their biggest hit and peaked at #2 on the UK singles chart....
", which detailed the breakdown of the ailing frontmen's once seemingly cast iron friendship while illustrating the love/hate relationship between Doherty and Barât, was released on 9 August and charted at #2. The song included Doherty asking the question: 'Have we enough to keep it together?' Their eponymous second album, "The Libertines
The Libertines (album)

The Libertines is the second, self-titled and final album by the United Kingdom punk rock band The Libertines. Released on August 30, 2004, it is particularly biographical of the relationship between frontmen Carl Bar?t and Pete Doherty....
" was released in late August and topped the albums chart. Their final single "What Became of the Likely Lads
What Became of the Likely Lads

"What Became of the Likely Lads" is a song by The Libertines, which was released as the final single from their self-titled, second album, The Libertines ....
" reached #9.

The Libertines played their final show in Paris
Paris

Paris is the Capital of France and the country's largest city. It is situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the ?le-de-France Regions of France ....
 on 17 December 2004, still without Doherty. Barât chose to then dissolve The Libertines as he was no longer willing to tour and record under the name without Doherty.

Reunions

Doherty and Barât remained out of contact for several months after The Libertines had ended. However, on 18 April 2005, at around 11:30pm, Pete Doherty and Carl Barât reunited at the Boogaloo Bar in Highgate, North London. This was said to be a friendly meeting and was the first time the pair had met since 8 June 2004, just before Doherty went to Thailand. The reunion took place when Barât arrived at the bar at 10pm and was told there was a strong possibility that his former bandmate would also be visiting the pub that evening. Upon learning a reunion was possible, Barât told journalist Anthony Thornton that "it might as well happen now, because it’s going to happen sometime". The pair were said to have seemed nervous at first, but greeted each other with a hug, before talking together on a leather sofa. Barât has also said that The Libertines are only "on ice" and that he is in "intermittent contact" with Doherty.

The next sighted meeting of the pair was on 18 July 2006, at the Dublin Castle pub in Camden, London. They also talked to the Los Angeles band The Tender Box who were playing the venue that night. They said in the NME "Who knows if they will reform? It seemed like there was a lot of chemistry between them." Barât said in a later interview that it was "all a bit public for my liking. I was blind drunk that night."

The pair were temporarily re-united at the 2007 NME
NME

The New Musical Express is a popular music magazine in the United Kingdom which has been published weekly since March 1952. It was the first British paper to include a singles chart, which first appeared in the 14 November 1952 edition....
 Awards. After being guided over to Doherty's table by his entourage, Barât and Doherty talked for a while at the table, before going off to the bar. According to the NME, they seemed to be really getting on well, even though they had not met since the Dublin Castle meeting of 2006.

On 12 April 2007 at the Hackney Empire
Hackney Empire

The Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in the London Borough of Hackney, built in 1901 as a music hall....
, London
London

London is the capital of both England and the United Kingdom, and the most populous municipality in the European Union. An important settlement for two millennia, History of London goes back to its founding by the Roman Empire....
, Barât joined Doherty on stage to play through some old Libertines songs together, their first live performance since the pair originally split. The reunited duo played: "What a Waster", "Death on the Stairs", "The Good Old Days", "What Katie Did", "Dilly Boys", "Seven Deadly Sins", "France", "Tell the King", "Don't Look Back Into the Sun", "Dream a Little Dream of Me", "Time for Heroes", "Albion", and "The Delaney".

However, both Doherty and Barât have remarked that this was a one-off. Quelling the rumours of more shows together, Barât said: "We're both doing different things and I'm really into Dirty Pretty Things... I'm focused on Dirty Pretty Things' new album." Meanwhile Doherty revealed that in addition to a solo acoustic album, he and Babyshambles were going into the studio to work on their new album with Stephen Street
Stephen Street

Stephen Street is a British people music Record producer best known for his work with The Smiths in the 1980s, The Sundays and Blur and The Cranberries in the 1990s....
.

BBC Radio 2 rerecorded the entire Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band
Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band is the eighth studio album by the United Kingdom rock music band The Beatles. Recorded over a 129-day period beginning on 6 December 1966, the album was released on 1 June 1967 in the United Kingdom and the following day in the United States....
 for the 40th Anniversary of the album in June 2007, and Doherty and Barât covered the track "A Day in the Life
A Day in the Life

?'A Day in the Life'? is a song by the British Rock music band The Beatles. Written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney, it is the final track on the group's 1967 album Sgt....
" for the project. It was the first time they recorded a song together since April 2004.

Rumours circulated of a possible Libertines reunion at the Sunday date of the Glastonbury festival. Both related bands Babyshambles and Dirty Pretty Things played sets on the Saturday. However, a reunion did not take place but Doherty performed an unexpected set on the Sunday, an intimate solo acoustic show.

On 29 June, Doherty was a guest on Friday Night with Jonathan Ross
Friday Night with Jonathan Ross

Friday Night with Jonathan Ross is a comical chat show presented by Jonathan Ross . It is on the United Kingdom terrestrial TV channel BBC One and is broadcast at 10.35pm on Friday nights....
, where, when prompted, he hinted at a possible reunion of the band. Doherty joked that Barât was down on money and could do with the revenue of a reunion tour. Later that year, it was announced that a new 'best of album', entitled Time for Heroes - The Best of the Libertines
Time for Heroes - The Best of The Libertines

Time for Heroes - The Best of the Libertines is the greatest hits collection by United Kingdom Punk rock band The Libertines. It was released on October 29 2007....
 would be released on 29 October 2007. Its tracklisting contains no unreleased songs.

Although other ex-members of The Libertines are not reportedly involved, Pete Doherty and Carl Barât will collaborate on a "rock'n'roll" musical
Musical theatre

Musical theatre is a form of theatre combining music, songs, spoken dialogue and dance. The emotional content of the piece ? humor, pathos, love, anger ? as well as the story itself, is communicated through the words, music, movement and technical aspects of the entertainment as an integrated whole....
 for the Donmar Warehouse
Donmar Warehouse

Donmar Warehouse is a small not for profit theatre in the Covent Garden area of the London Borough of Camden, with seating for 250 playgoers....
 in London, currently without an estimated completion date. However, Barât has recently rubbished rumours that the pair are recording new material, saying that he has not seen Doherty 'for donkey's' and the musical 'is off'.

In May 2008, Barât said that he would reunite with Doherty only to make a new album, but also said that he wanted to 'let it be for a while' as he was busy with his new band. Despite referring to his relationship with Doherty as 'a friendship I cherish' and stating that a reunion would not be difficult, they currently do not have any firm plans to record together again.

In a July 2008 interview, Barât said that The Libertines had 'unfinished business' and that he missed performing with Doherty, which he was particularly reminded of at their Hackney Empire gig. At the question of a Libertines reformation, he stated that it is 'a big maybe'.

On 17 September 2008, Doherty was playing a private gig at the Prince of Wales pub in Camden
Camden Town

Camden Town is the name of an area within the London Borough of Camden, situated in London, England. It is occasionally shortened to Camden....
 as part of London Fashion Week. Towards the end of the 45 minute set Barât was led onstage by security to join his former bandmate. The reunion appeared to be unplanned; Doherty greeted Barât with the exclamation, "Stone me, Carl!" With trademark chemistry, the pair played a variety of Libertines songs including "Time for Heroes", "Don't Look Back into the Sun", "Horrorshow", "France", and "Death on the Stairs", as well as a cover of Oasis
Oasis (band)

Oasis are an English rock music band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as "The Rain", the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul Arthurs , Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher ....
' "Don't Look Back in Anger
Don't Look Back in Anger

"Don't Look Back in Anger" is a song by the United Kingdom rock music band Oasis , written by the band's guitarist, Noel Gallagher. Released as the fourth single from their hit second album Morning Glory?, the song became the band's second single to reach #1 in the United Kingdom charts, where it also went platinum....
". This is the first time Barât and Doherty have played together publicly since April 2007. Though they appeared close in an interview following the show, their intentions regarding future collaborations remain cryptic. Barât also stated he had a new tattoo, with the words 'let's put our futures behind us', which could indicate a possible forgiveness and reunion with Doherty.

On 1 October 2008, it was announced that Barât's band, Dirty Pretty Things
Dirty Pretty Things (band)

Dirty Pretty Things were an England band fronted by Carl Bar?t, a former member of The Libertines. The formation of the band was announced in September 2005, after a dispute between Bar?t and Pete Doherty led to the breakup of The Libertines in 2004....
 would split after a month long UK tour. In a statement, the band said it was time for them "to try new things" but added that these would not involve The Libertines.

In February 2009, Doherty revealed that he and Barât had been offered millions to reform and headline the Reading and Leeds Festival, but although he had been keen, Barât had turned the offer down. In response to this, Barât stated "I’ve just freed myself up so the last thing I wanna do is completely burden my mind [with a reunion]. No, not right now."

At the Shockwave NME Awards
NME Awards

The NME Awards are an annual Popular music awards show, founded by the music magazine, NME .The first awards show was held in 1953, shortly after the founding of the magazine....
 on 25th February 2009, Barât stated that the pair were still the Libertines, while Doherty admitted that he had tried to "twist [Barât's] arm" about a reformation, before saying "2010" for a possible date. Barât also hinted at releasing a solo album.

Musical style and legacy

The Libertines musical style is often characterized as a mix between indie rock
Indie rock

Indie rock is alternative rock that most notably exists in the Independent music underground music scene. It primarily refers to rock musicians that are or were unsigned, or have signed to independent record labels, rather than major record labels....
 and 1977 style
1977 in music

EventsBohemian Rhapsody is named 'The Best Single Of The Last 25 Years' by British Phonographic Industry.In this year, the St. Magnus Festival was founded in Orkney by Sir Peter Maxwell Davies....
 punk rock
Punk rock

Punk rock is a rock music genre that developed between 1974 and 1976 in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Australia. Rooted in garage rock and other forms of what is now known as protopunk music, punk rock bands eschewed the perceived excesses of mainstream 1970s rock....
. Lead singers and guitarists Doherty and Barât had different influences musically. Doherty was inspired by bands such as (principally) The Jam
The Jam

The Jam were an English Rock music band active during the late 1970s and early 1980s. While they shared the "angry young men" outlook and fast tempos of their punk rock contemporaries, The Jam wore neatly tailored suits rather than ripped clothes and incorporated a number of mainstream 1960s rock influences rather than rejecting them, placing...
, Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. The band are widely credited with initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll....
, Oasis
Oasis (band)

Oasis are an English rock music band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as "The Rain", the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul Arthurs , Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher ....
, The Smiths
The Smiths

The Smiths were an English Rock music band formed in Manchester in 1982. Based on the songwriting partnership of Morrissey and Johnny Marr , the band also included Andy Rourke and Mike Joyce ....
, Suede
Suede (band)

Suede were an English alternative rock band of the 1990s and the early 2000s that helped start the Britpop musical movement. Through their several incarnations, they were able to consistently put out albums that charted well, while still holding the respect of critics....
 and Chas & Dave. Barât admired The Velvet Underground
The Velvet Underground

The Velvet Underground was an American Rock music band first active, in various incarnations, from 1965 to 1973. Their best-known members were Lou Reed and John Cale, who both went on to find success as solo artists....
, The Clash
The Clash

The Clash were an English Rock music band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk rock, they experimented with reggae, ska, Dub music, funk, Hip hop music and rockabilly....
, The Doors
The Doors

The Doors were an United States rock music band formed in 1965 in Los Angeles, California by Singer Jim Morrison, keyboard instrument Ray Manzarek, drummer John Densmore, and guitarist Robby Krieger....
 and Django Reinhardt
Django Reinhardt

Jean-Baptiste "Django" Reinhardt was a Belgian Gypsy jazz guitarist.One of the first prominent European jazz musicians, Reinhardt remains one of the most renowned jazz guitarists due to his innovative and distinctive playing....
. Doherty liked the written works of William Blake
William Blake

William Blake was an English people English poetry, Painting, and printmaker. Largely unrecognized during his lifetime, Blake is now considered a seminal figure in the history of both poetry and the visual arts of the Romanticism....
, Emily Dickinson
Emily Dickinson

Emily Elizabeth Dickinson was an American poet. Born in Amherst, Massachusetts to a successful family with strong community ties, she lived a mostly introverted and reclusive life....
 and Thomas Chatterton
Thomas Chatterton

Thomas Chatterton was an English poet and forgery of pseudo-medieval poetry. Committing suicide by arsenic rather than die of starvation at the young age of 17, he served as an icon of unacknowledged genius for the Romanticisms....
, whereas Barât preferred Saki
Saki

Hector Hugh Munro , better known by the pen name Saki, was a United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland writer, whose witty and sometimes macabre stories satirized Edwardian period society and culture....
 and the Edwardian
Edwardian period

The Edwardian period or Edwardian era in the United Kingdom is the period covering the reign of Edward VII of the United Kingdom, 1901 to 1910....
 idea of wit.

On their collective sound, Doherty commented that "if Oasis
Oasis (band)

Oasis are an English rock music band that formed in Manchester in 1991. Originally known as "The Rain", the group was formed by Liam Gallagher , Paul Arthurs , Paul McGuigan and Tony McCarroll , who were soon joined by Liam's older brother Noel Gallagher ....
 is the sound of a council estate singing its heart out, then the Libertines sounded like someone just put in the rubbish chute at the back of the estate, trying to work out what day it is".

Doherty and Barât followed one common dream whilst in The Libertines: "It's either to the top of the world, or the bottom of that river." Referring to the River Thames
River Thames

The Thames is a major river flowing through southern England. While best known because its lower reaches flow through central London, the river flows through several other towns and cities, including Oxford, Reading, Berkshire and Windsor, Berkshire....
, Barât once said this phrase to Doherty in the early days of their friendship.

The Libertines' lyrics occasionally reference their idea of sailing on "the good ship Albion
Albion

Albion is the oldest known name of the island of Great Britain. Today, it is still sometimes used poetically to refer to the island. It is the basis of the Scottish Gaelic name for Scotland, Alba....
 to Arcadia
Arcadia (utopia)

Arcadia refers to a Utopian vision of pastoralism and harmony with nature. The term is derived from the Arcadia which dates to classical antiquity; the province's mountainous topography and sparse population of pastoralists later caused the word Arcadia to develop into a poetic byword for an idyllic vision of unspoiled wilderness....
". This idea was especially important to Doherty who has continued the theme when writing for Babyshambles. He thinks of Arcadia as a utopia without any rules or authority.

Their recordings were fairly lo-fi
Lo-fi music

Lo-fi is an aesthetic in music production which uses low fidelity recording practices. Its use is sometimes due to the artist's financial limitations but is often a deliberate rejection of so called main stream music....
. Mick Jones' recording method was hands-off: he allowed the band to perform one song several times through and would then choose the best take. He performed minimal mixing and dubbing. Bernard Butler was less strict with this, however the final sound still came across as raw and unpolished.

The band has been compared to many classic British rock bands, as their angle on rock is uniquely English. The resemblance to The Beatles
The Beatles

The Beatles were a rock music and pop music band from Liverpool, England that formed in 1960. During their career, the group primarily consisted of John Lennon , Paul McCartney , George Harrison and Ringo Starr ....
, both in their mop-top appearance and their wild yet melodic music, is striking. Their sound is often likened to that of The Jam and The Kinks
The Kinks

The Kinks are an England rock music group formed in 1963, and categorised in the US as a British Invasion band. The Kinks have been cited as one of the most important and influential rock bands of all time....
' early records as well as The Clash's
The Clash

The Clash were an English Rock music band that formed in 1976 as part of the original wave of British punk rock. Along with punk rock, they experimented with reggae, ska, Dub music, funk, Hip hop music and rockabilly....
 first album and early singles. They are perhaps most similar to pioneer rockers, Buzzcocks
Buzzcocks

Buzzcocks are an England punk rock band formed in Manchester in 1976. They have been led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Pete Shelley for nearly their entire existence....
. Morrissey
Morrissey

Steven Patrick Morrissey , known primarily as Morrissey, is a British singer-songwriter. After a short stint in the punk rock band The Nosebleeds in the late 1970s, he rose to prominence in the 1980s as the lyricist and vocalist of the alternative rock band The Smiths....
 is another strong influence cited by the band members. Many of their lyrics refer to elements of British life, use English/cockney
Cockney

The term Cockney has both geographical and linguistic associations. Geographically and culturally, it often refers to working class Londoners, particularly those in the East End of London....
 slang and are sung in a near-drunken sounding slur. In their attitude they are sometimes compared to the Sex Pistols
Sex Pistols

The Sex Pistols are an English punk rock band that formed in London in 1975. The band are widely credited with initiating the punk movement in the United Kingdom and creating the first generation gap within rock and roll....
 due to their chaotic and energetic live performances.

The Libertines were praised for forming a very close relationship with fans. The band befriended several of their fans, and their guerrilla gig
Guerrilla gig

Guerrilla gigging is a type of concert performed in a non-traditional setting or arranged in an unusual fashion. It became associated with punk rock, indie rock and noise rock bands in UK and the United States during the early to mid 2000s....
s allowed devoted supporters to see them in close proximity. The film Fuck the Police shot in 2003 by Anne McCloy captured one such gig at The Albion Rooms when the police raided and closed down an impromptu gig after complaints by irate neighbours. Doherty published the "Books of Albion" online, sharing his personal thoughts and feelings freely. He also frequently posted on the fan forums. This allowed fans a deep insight into his life and helped cement the relationship between the band and the public. They were also very free with their recordings, releasing songs free onto the internet and via word-of-mouth giveaways. This allowed their fan base to hear unfinished songs or ideas, some of which would grow into finished versions on the albums, some of which would be discarded.

The Libertines have had two biographies written about them, both written after the band split. The first was Kids in the Riot: High and Low with The Libertines written by Peter Welsh, a friend. The second was The Libertines Bound Together
The Libertines Bound Together

The Libertines Bound Together is a book focused on the English rock band The Libertines by the writer, Anthony Thornton , and the photographer, Roger Sargent....
: The Story of Peter Doherty and Carl Barât and How They Changed British Music
written by Anthony Thornton and Roger Sargent, an NME journalist and photographer respectively who had followed the band from an early stage.

The Libertines have had a lasting effect on the British music scene. The image of Doherty and Barât entwined, Barât looking up protectively as his friend leans into his shoulder, on the front of their second album, has been called by Anthony Thornton "one of the most iconic rock images of the last decade".

Personal lives


Relationship between Barât and Doherty

Speaking of Carl Barât and Pete Doherty, Roger Sargent (a close friend and photographer of the band) described their relationship as like "first love, and all the jealousy and obsessiveness that comes with that" - adding "I think there's, y'know, obsession and jealousy on both of their sides. They bitch about each other to each other or to other people. They have a bond, intellectually and spiritually, like nothing I've ever seen ... but sometimes, you know, you just think, God, why don't you just get a room?!" In the same interview, a Radio One documentary, upon being asked just how close their relationship was, Doherty responded "I love him. Wouldn't go, um - certainly not on Radio 1 - go into too much detail, but... we had lots of wonderful times together, yeah." But in contradiction, Barât, when questioned similarly, steadfastly denied that the relationship had involved anything "physical." Carl Barât has insisted that "People are really into conjecture" and has frequently denied having a sexual relationship with Doherty. However, in a 2008 article, Barât described their relationship as "not too different from falling in love."

The volatility and ardency of Barât's relationship with Doherty formed a significant, if not essential, aspect of their music and live performances. Doherty frequently posted passionate declarations addressed to Barât on the Libertines forum; in June 2002 he wrote, "I'm obsessed to the point of needing to know everything. All of you...I quite love you." In another post from 2003, referring to an incident in 1997 in which Barât had wanted to form a suicide pact, Doherty wrote, 'let's keep going i love you i love you so much.' Speaking of his separation from Doherty in 2004, Barât revealed, "There was one point where I very very nearly, just to be close to him, started taking full on heroin."

Drug abuse and legal problems of Doherty

Doherty has been repeatedly arrested for drug offences
Illegal drug trade

The illegal drug trade or drug trafficking is a global black market consisting of the cultivation, manufacture, distribution and sale of Law controlled drugs....
 and those arising from substance abuse, such as driving under the influence
Driving under the influence

Driving under the influence of alcohol or other Psychoactive drugs, is the act of operating a vehicle after consuming alcoholic beverage or using Psychoactive drugs....
, car theft, and driving with a suspended licence. He has plead guilty to possession of crack cocaine
Crack cocaine

Crack cocaine, crack or rock is a solid, smokable form of cocaine. It is a freebase form of cocaine that can be made using baking soda or sodium hydroxide, in a process to convert cocaine hydrochloride into methylbenzoylecgonine ....
, heroin
Heroin

Heroin is a opioid synthesized from morphine, a derivative of the opium poppy. It is the 3,6-acetate ester of morphine . The white crystalline form is commonly the hydrochloride salt diacetylmorphine hydrochloride, however heroin Freebase may also appear as a white powder....
, cannabis and ketamine
Ketamine

Ketamine is a drug used in human and veterinary medicine developed by Parke-Davis in 1962. Its hydrochloride salt is sold as Ketanest, Ketaset, and Ketalar....
. His addictions have resulted in jail time and multiple trips to rehabilitation facilities. The influence of drugs on his life had already reached such an intensity at times, that in his younger days, Doherty worked as a gay prostitute
Male prostitution

Male prostitution is the sale of sexual services by a male . The gender of the customer and the sexual act or sexual behavior that the prostitute engages in with that person may not correspond to the prostitute's own sexual orientation....
 and drug dealer to pay for his drug habit, as he stated to author Peter Welsh in his biography.

In 2003, while Doherty's first band The Libertines
The Libertines

The Libertines were an English rock music band. Formed in London in 1997 by frontmen Carl Bar?t and Pete Doherty , the band also included John Hassall and Gary Powell for most of its recording career....
 were performing in Japan, he broke into Carl Barât's flat and stole various items, including an old guitar and a laptop computer. On 7 September Doherty was sentenced by Judge Roger Davies to 6 months in prison, however the sentence was eventually shortened to two months on appeal with the judge commenting, "We feel that a custodial sentence was justified in this case but sufficient credit was not given for his timely plea of guilty which it should have been. We have reduced his sentence to two months which will allow for his almost immediate release." Doherty was released from jail on 8 October.

On 2 February 2005, Doherty was arrested after an altercation with documentary filmmaker Max Carlish
Max Carlish

Max Carlish is a British documentary filmmaker and former lecturer in media studies, was born to Jewish parents in the city of Birmingham. Carlish helped produce an Emmy and Bafta-award-winning television series about the Royal Opera House....
, who was making a rockumentary
Rockumentary

The term 'rockumentary' is a neologism denoting a program on television or film documentary film about Rock music or its musicians. It is a portmanteau of the words "rock" and "documentary." The term was used by Bill Drake in the 1969 History of Rock & Roll radio broadcast, and by Rob Reiner in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal...
 about the singer and sold photos of a heroin smoking Doherty to the tabloids. Doherty and his friend Alan Wass had been charged with robbery and blackmail. On 7 February Doherty was released on bail after his record company Rough Trade
Rough Trade Records

Rough Trade Records is an independent record label, based in London, England. It was started in 1978 by Geoff Travis....
 put up £150,000 in bonds. All charges against him were later dropped by the Crown Prosecution Service due to a lack of evidence.

On 8 April 2008, Doherty was jailed for 14 weeks by a court for breaching a probation order after a string of brushes with the law for drugs and driving offenses. On the 18 April 2008, he was moved to a private area of Wormwood Scrubs prison
Wormwood Scrubs (HM Prison)

HM Prison Wormwood Scrubs is a Prison security categories in the United Kingdom men's prison, located in the Wormwood Scrubs area of the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham, in inner London-West London, England....
 after learning that fellow inmates were planning to attack him, therefore making it safer for the singer. On 6 May 2008, he was released after his sentence was cut in half and further 18 days were remitted due to a government plan to reduce overcrowding. He also had another 2 days off for being in police custody (after serving just over 4 weeks of a 14-week sentence). He described prison life as "a lot of gangsters and Radio 4
BBC Radio 4

BBC Radio 4 is a domestic UK radio station that broadcasts a wide variety of spoken-word programmes, including news, drama, comedy, science and history....
" and showed a certificate confirming he had passed a drugs test while inside.

Doherty's most successful attempt to fight his drug addiction was in September 2007, when he underwent rehab for six weeks at Clouds House
Clouds House

Clouds House is a Grade II listed building located near the village of East Knoyle in rural Wiltshire. Designed in the 19th century by Philip Webb for Percy Wyndham and Madeline Wyndham, Clouds was Webb?s grandest design following on from Red House for the artist and close friend William Morris....
. However, Doherty relapsed in November 2007 following his appearance at the MTV Europe Music Awards 2007
MTV Europe Music Awards 2007

The MTV Europe Music Awards 2007 took place on November 1, 2007 in Munich, Germany at the Olympiahalle. Nominations of the world were announced on September 2007....
 in Munich
Munich

Munich is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Munich is located on the River Isar north of the Northern Limestone Alps. Munich is the third largest city in Germany, after Berlin and Hamburg....
. Since then Doherty often claimed he would've finally gotten clean of drugs. In September 2008, Andy Boyd, Doherty's manager, claimed in an interview with the Daily Mail
Daily Mail

The Daily Mail is a United Kingdom newspaper, currently published in a tabloid format. First published in 1896 by Alfred Harmsworth, 1st Viscount Northcliffe, it is the United Kingdom's second biggest-selling daily newspaper after The Sun ....
 that Doherty did not get off heroin. Boyd stated: "The only time I can be sure he's not doing heroin or crack is when he's in rehab or prison or asleep." and implied that when Doherty had an implant fitted, which blocks the body’s opiate receptors, he replaced heroin with another drug.

Audio sample


Discography


  • Up the Bracket
    Up the Bracket

    Up the Bracket is the debut album from United Kingdom punk rock band The Libertines, released on 14 October 2002, reaching #51 in the UK Albums chart....
     (2002)
  • The Libertines
    The Libertines (album)

    The Libertines is the second, self-titled and final album by the United Kingdom punk rock band The Libertines. Released on August 30, 2004, it is particularly biographical of the relationship between frontmen Carl Bar?t and Pete Doherty....
     (2004)


Additional references


External links

  • (Closed Down)