For two decades, tabloids and music magazines have reported on the orgiastic life of Peter Doherty. Together with the music journalist Simon Spence, he has now written his own version of the story: On June 16, his autobiography entitled “A Likely Lad” will be published by the small traditional US publisher “Little Brown”.
From the skyline to the curb
Over the 336 pages, Doherty explores his darkest moments. The announcement reads: “With amazing frankness – and his trademark wit and humor – he takes us to decadent parties, late nights, prison and his self-destruction. Doherty also reflects on the turbulent relationships he’s had with various important people in his life over the years.”
In the book, the 43-year-old writes about poetry, Paris, philosophy, politics, the music business and its most important influences from Hancock to Baudelaire. Humor and critical reflection should find a place in it as well as a defiant feeling of triumph. The publisher promises a rock memoir “like no other”. In any case, Simon Spence has already contributed to several books as a (co-)author; for example about Depeche Mode and Andrew Loog Oldham, the manager of the Rolling Stones.
EXCLUSIVE
A rock memoir like no other…@petedoherty and Simon Spence – ‘A Likely Lad’
The long-awaited, candid memoir from talented musician and @libertines frontman Peter Doherty.
Signed + 4 exclusive postcards.https://t.co/CisggEMjUG @LittleBrownUK pic.twitter.com/SxfchILsw1
— Rough Trade (@RoughTrade) April 20, 2022
In Normandy, Doherty escaped his demons
On March 18th of this year Doherty’s current album THE FANTASY LIFE OF POETRY & CRIME was released – a collaboration with the French arranger Frédéric Lo. The long-player is a novelty in Doherty’s life in two respects: On the one hand, he only contributed the lyrics and the singing to the chanson-like pieces. On the other hand, the former enfant terrible of British guitar music was clean when it was created. In an interview with MUSIKEXPRESS, he recently revealed that he has been doing without hard drugs for over two years.
He gave a conglomerate of reasons that would enable him to live without heroin, cocaine and crack: At the end of 2019 there would have been a conversation with his intimate Carl Barât – who asked him to at least stay clean during the Libertines tour . This was followed by the lockdown that the musician spent on the French north coast in Étretat. “There are no drugs here,” says Doherty. Furthermore, the love for his wife Katia de Vidas saved his life – and the fact that he has had neither a mobile phone nor the Internet since the beginning of his withdrawal.
New Libertines tracks walk in the footsteps of The Clash
He also made a vow during the interview: that the Libertines will play some new songs when they return to Germany. On Friday, June 10th, the quartet will be a guest at the new Berlin festival “Tempelhof Sounds” – presented by MUSIKEXPRESS. In the fall, the English will play in Cologne (October 26th), Hamburg (October 28th), Frankfurt (November 3rd) and Munich (November 8th). Doherty told the NME that his band’s next record will be off The Clash’s fourth album, SANDINISTA! was influenced.