In reply to drunken monkey: I reckon the Libertines' second album "The Libertines" is a contender for the best albums of the last 5 years and Pete Doherty (let's get the spelling right) is/was the main talent behind it. And we are in fairly rich times musically speaking. Even the Babyshambles album stands up fairly well in the current indie scene - how many of his detractors on here have heard it I wonder. Coldplay - well Ok if you're a natural Shadows/Carpenters/Police/etc (delete according to whatever the safe unmemorable bistro/dinner party music of your generation happens to be) sort of fan.
OK so the lad's a f*ck up on drugs - anybody heard of Billie Holiday, Miles Davis, Jimi Hendrix, Jim Morrison, John Lennon, Kurt Cobain etc, etc, etc? Didn't stop them making great music either. How would today's tabloid culture have dealt with Janis Joplin or even Marc Bolan?
The press have had a field day of cheap and easy copy and he hasn't courted them as far as I can see. It's the music that matters and I think he'll be long remembered for The Libertines if nothing else whatever becomes of the poor sod
just my 2p
Paul