Time For Heroes: Peter Doherty

The inspiration for the title of this blog and the inspiration to a generation-

Peter Doherty

It's hard to talk to people who have decided they don't like Pete Doherty. So I don't.

For everyone else I figured the best way to go about doing justice to the spokesperson for a flailing generation is to focus on the three defining acts of his career so far.

There's around 3 links in each of the titles so make sure you don't miss any.

The Libertines
Essential Downloads- Vertigo, Don't look back into the sun, Time for heroes, Up the bracket, What a waster, Boys in the band, The good old days, Can't stand me now, Last post on the bugle, Music when the lights go out, HaHa wall, Arbeit Mach Frei, The Saga, what katie did, campaign of hate, What became of the likely lads

It would just make sense to download both albums as they are both flawless. It's a shame the majority of this generation won't get to see them live because they are the iconic band of that period but it's another question as to whether the majority of them really deserve it.

These albums for me are raw passion and energy mixed with some great music and some of the best songwriting of recent times. I tend to point to this as one of his finer moments-

Is it cruel or kind
Not to speak my mind
And to lie to you
Rather than hurt you?
Well, I'll confess all of my sins
After several large gins
But still I'll hide from you
I'll hide what's inside from you.
And alarm bells ring
When you say your heart still sings
When you're with me
Oh darling, please forgive me
But I no longer hear the music

The geurilla gigs and live shows merely go down in folklore for the time being.

The video for up the bracket is a nice snapshot of such times-





Babyshambles
Essential Downloads: La Belle Et La Bete, Fuck Forever, in love with a feeling, down in albion, back from the dead, 32nd december, carry on up the morning, delivery, you talk, un bilo titled, unstookie titled, baddies boogie, lost art of murder, beg steal and borrow, the blinding.

Babyshambles' gigs are unique in that there's the sense of nostalgia of the Libertines' times, the enigma that is Pete Doherty, the great music that Babyshambles made in the wake of the split and in the past two years seeing a great band with huge tracks that don't need any of that. Well except pete.

At university after a night of high times I'd put on old cd's of libertines and babyshambles sessions and drown in the portrait of a distinct moment in his career that they encapsulated. The nearest thing to those cd's are Miles Davis' bitches brew sessions in terms of the atmosphere they capture and convey. This demo like feel encapsulates their debut album, down in albion. It's marvellously intoxicating.

The first time I saw Babyshambles was in 2004. I was completely sober, Pete wasn't and by the end of the night made everyone feel like they were on one hell of a trip, such was his charisma. He came on about midnight, just as the place was ready to fall apart with the riotous crowd, such were the early days of the shambles. He went off after around 15 minutes and said he couldn't play any longer unless he paid something like £2000 to pay the venue's fine.

So I left around 4am slowly walking out, exhausted as pete played acoustically on his own. I've no idea when the gig finished but it was one hell of a time.

That night he played a lot of Libertines tracks. Next time I went to see him up in Manchester he played zero. Shotter's nation was an incredible album and Pete was becoming a pretty polished performer, I mean as much as is physically possible for him to be. He wasn't totally clean but I saw him solo in the summer and last month in Birmingham and he looks as healthy as i've ever seen and the gigs were flawless, intertwining classic Libertines and Babyshambles with some astounding stuff from their upcoming LP. Rarely do you get the kind of reception those tracks get when you announce you're playing something new but these are already huge amoung fans.



Peter Doherty
Essential Downloads- Last of the english roses, A little death around the eyes, New love grows on trees, For lovers, Arcadie, Broken love song

So that's Peter Doherty. If you read tabloid newspapers you've got no reason to like him because who wants to pay any attention to a talentless druggie who's in and out of prison constantly? Of course if you listen to the music and have the remotest appreciation for passionate artistry you probably already dig his bones. There's probably some stuff on this page you haven't gotten already though, there was a lot I didn't! Thankyou for having an open mind.