Pete Doherty, Arena special (BBC2 12/11/06)

WARNING: ALL THE COMMENTS MADE HERE ARE PERSONAL OPINIONS AND SOLELY BASED ON PERSONAL (MIS)JUDGEMENT.

Last night we were all treated to a documentary following, ex-Libertine, Pete Doherty.

Without much further ado, the documentary was exactly what I expected. It was a sad attempt to glorify a useless cunt. They bloke might have some talent, though I disagree with the level that has been accredited to him for the last three or four years. I remember the first time I read about the Libertines. They sounded like something fresh and back to the old skool of junkie rock and roll. Needless (or should it be needles) to say, in my opinion they could never live up to the NME hype.

They are not, or ever were, a band that would change music or your way of thinking. Forget even about glamourizing heroin, in my opinion they have only about three decent tracks and only one that I really like (Time for heroes). My main problem with Pete Doherty is NME and the news papers. Though, he argued on the documentary that he never reads the papers or is aware of how much coverage he gets, I doubt it.

He is a pretentious tosser that has bought into his own hype and regards himself as an artist who suffers for his art. He is not an artist, he is not a genious and all the suffering might come from all those times he has tried to go Cold turkey. The most amazing thing is how vacuous are the lives of some of his fans. I bet you that if he went to a male fan of his and offered to blow him so that he could get some smack, the male fan would be offended at Pete lowering himself and he in return would offer to blow him and buy him all the smack for one week.

The desperate faces and screams from the shows. I know what it is like to feel passionate about a band you are going to see. Maybe even have been nervous trying to approach them if I see them on the streets... But, fucking hell, the way his fans screamed and how their faces go all red and their eyes pop out, only reminded me of Chelsea, Arsenal and Man Utd fans, you do the maths.

The one talent that I would give him is that he is the first person I have seen on telly 'painting' with a needle (as in hypodermic) and his own blood off his tits on something. The only similar thing I can think of is when people 'painted' with their seed (aka spunk). The documentary was boring and it gave me as much an insight into what I already assumed. In a way I wanted to feel sorry for the rest of the band (Babyshambles) for what is going on. Maybe have one good show out of fifteen, maybe actually get to do a show... But I don't really feel sorry for them, as though they might be his mates, they are as well hangers on, basking on Doherty's attention and fame.

Something hilarious is when they showed clips of a show they played recently. The one where Kate Moss sang backing vocals in a couple of tracks. It was amazing to see that she can be as pathetic as Posh Spice (aka Victoria Beckham). There was something seriously desperate about the few glimpses that we got. This truly surprised me as I imagined her a strong character that was helping PD out of all this mess. She might be, but that didn't come across.

To sum all this up, the documentary was OK, sadly the subject proved to be less interesting that one might have hoped. And now my three scenarios concerning him have intensified my fears.

Number one, as sick as I am to hear and read about him (even if I avoid it) all the time. With NME having turned themselves into a Pete Doherty Heat or Celeb shite magazine journal. In cases like this you might wish the person to die. However in this case, I want him to stay alive. If the hype is as it is right now, if he died, no matter what they would try and turn him into a new Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin type of legend where it would be truly undeserving and disrespectful to the memory of Jimi and the lot.

Number two, god I wish he would die just to get him off the papers in fifteen years, though as mentioned above, his dead would make it far worse.

Number three, I'd be really pissed off if the following were to happen. Lets say that he manages to stay clean. Lets say that he get his act together and focuses all the shit the drove him to despair into a productively creative form. I fucking dread to think that one day he might actually release a seminal album that could change the music scene and the way we all think. The would be an ironic twist that would kick me in the nuts and laugh at my face.

Whatever happens with him, I know you'll be able to read about it every week in the NME. Just like you have been able to for the last three or four years. I am sick of him and so bored of waiting to hear something gifted coming from him. In my opinion he does not deserve the hype and he's not even funny to watch. Fuck him and may he live long.