This is for lovers, running away... from Pete?
By: Alex Lee Thomson
This week I switched on my computer and saw a news headline that simply stated; 'Pete Doherty - least deserved icon'. This not only struck an instant chord with me being an unashamed and open Doherty fan, but as it repeated and echoed through my head I became more and more infuriated about this latest in current a string of throw away headlines. How can the media call him an undeserved icon when they made him one...?
Firstly, I have nothing but disgust for anybody that would even talk about him in either a positive or negative way without listening to or reading any of his work. It amazed me that most people who have what is regarded as an unconstructive outlook on Pete have based it solely on his dumpster media coverage and haven't actually taken the time to see what he's about. The majority of people who voted in this poll debacle have probably never even listened to his work with Wolfman, Babyshambles, Little'ans or dare I even say The Libertines. How you can have any kind of opinion based on a man's life without actually knowing even in the smallest way what he's actually about, is far beyond me.
Let's all recap for a minute. Pete began life in a regimented way. The son of an army officer, he moved around the country and went on to achieve several high grade GCSEs and A Levels before finding his voice as a writer. When he was only a teenager he was supported by the British Council to tour Russia with his award winning poetry, and only then settled down to study English Literature at University in London, where he also formed his first band The Libertines. This band alone has protected his place in history by reinventing for many what indeed British music was. Only the Sex Pistols before them had managed to formulate an entire culture and music movement, and soon we would see scenes appearing across the country devoted to this new brand of ramshackle indie punk.
Within months of their incredible debut EP and following album, there were sparks flying as every indie-minded 15 to 30 year old picked up a guitar and sang whatever came into their head while actually taking pleasure in the simplicity of the sounds they were generating. Songs like 'Time For Heroes' and 'Don't Look back Into The Sun' captured peoples' imagination and inspired a wealth of artists that now dedicate their existence to the group. Simply, the old phrase 'best band since The Beatles' has been rewritten for a new generation stating, 'the best band since The Libertines'.
Though the band's success was also equally furthered by Carl Barat who provided the concrete backboard and necessary structure to Pete's whimsical expressionism, it was Doherty's lyrics and anxious vocal style that flung them to the top of theoretical 'cool lists' in 2003 / 04. At the height of their success however began a dive in to drugs, most of which one suspects were provided by supporters of the flourishing duo who began to hang around them as an entourage, almost an army of devotees. People started to cling themselves to the Libertine clique and by buying their way into the inner circle were sure to have a firm seat for the ride as they rose to critical and commercial triumph.
As is exhaustively documented, Pete would become the habitual user. After distancing himself from Carl he began work on a project closer to his own heart, something that he had more rule over and ultimately, something that he could never be excluded from. Being asked to leave The Libertines affected Pete in a dire way yet despite being deeply hurt by the incident he turned his attention to Babyshambles, an outlet for Pete to articulate his words unedited, in the way he wanted.
Due to his ongoing drug problems and the spiralling collapse of his relationship with Barat, the media that once supported his libertine ideals turned on him for the sake of headlines. The old 'build 'em up so we can knock 'em down' was in full force again. The NME famously ran a column for months called 'Cant Stand Up Now' where people would send in letters dedicated to the artists personal and emotional downfall.
Inevitably, larger and more respected media publications joined in the joke and Doherty became a talking point of the moment as a well accessed and easy to hit target. In private, Pete was a sombre man with an amazing talent for writing, yet the tabloids would stalk him waiting for any kind of incident to make the next day's front page. Often tormenting and shadowing him, the paparazzi would follow him throughout what was probably the worse year of his life even interviewing his own mother to fill a few extra column inches.
Fellow media junkie Kate Moss appeared in Pete's life and despite attempting a low-key relationship, it was inescapably covered incessantly by his collection of regular tabloid whores and even supposed music enthusiasts who only a year before were championing him for his unconditional genius. Once every half soaked journalist in the country had attached themselves to his brand name they began referring to Pete as an attention seeker and media darling, thriving off his own coverage. Once all the stories had been printed, every documentary aired, and every angle covered, what better way to keep the story going than to catalogue his invented demise, eh?
The press may have tagged him as the most undeserved icon of the year, and most people who've had the name (and yet crucially not the music) thrown down their necks for the past 12 months would agree. But has he actually ever tried to be an icon? If you unnecessarily choose to talk about somebody in a harmful way every day you can't throw it back at them as though it's their fault. I can think of people with much worse habits and addictions both inside and outside of the media, but are they an undeserved icon? Does anybody care if some stupid tart from the latest game show pop band is forcing powder up her nose? No, because that wouldn't sell your glossy fag-mag.
Tabloids have been selling a name, not a human being, and as soon at it suited them they turned the hero into the villain. Most people only have an opinion of Doherty based on this unwarranted coverage and not on his history of accomplishments and back catalogue of labours. Take note of 'This Is For Lovers', 'Down In Albion' or 'The Blinding' and not bulletins on commercial radio. Read his journals and verse, not some lad mag's trashy bitching columns, then decide what you think of Pete Doherty, and if he should be an icon... or better yet, left alone for 5 minutes to get his life together.
Pete's an icon to me for his words, his attitude, his passion, his love, his strength and his determination to shake drugs off, but most of all for his adulation of music. If Doherty's an undeserved icon, I'm sorry but you'd have to rub Lennon, Hendrix, Dylan and Cash off the list of iconic revolutionaries as well, as he stands up there with his troubles along with the rest of them, and I for one hope to see a positive and thriving future for Pete as a musician, songwriter and person.