Pete Doherty

I was the resident photographer for the only year that the Marquee lasted when it re opened in Islington. Xfm was a new radio station and was holding a Christmas party at the venue. The Libertines were... read more the headline band. Not knowing who the support band was my friend Scott and I stayed in the bar area knocking back coffee flavoured shots (they were after all free) while the support band were on. “Don’t worry,” said Scott, “ I have heard of this band they are RUBBISH!” Taking Scott’s advice we continued drinking passing on the chance to photograph until it was Libertines turn on stage. From the moment they walked out it was magical, Pete had such a presence that night, I think I captured this along with his naive unspoilt, to me it is almost iconic. I only photographed Pete in The Libertines the once, later in Babyshambles but it wasn’t the same. The support band? Some new upstarts called The Darkness.

Pete turned up at my flat unattended as he sometimes did. It was the 16th of January 2002 and I was living in Brick lane. He picked up my guitar and started to play. Earlier on that day I had looked at... read more an L.P cover from The Jam, on which Paul Weller is on stage jumping while holding his guitar. I showed it to Pete and he started to reproduce the act. I instinctively knew that if I didn’t capture this moment the opportunity would never arise again- The Libertines had just been signed. Luckily a spare B&W roll of film was lying around, I loaded the camera and shot asking Pete to keep on jumping. I also did a few portraits of him sitting on a Marshall amplifier, smoking. Pete was very comfortable with being photographed, he was one of those rare people who aren’t self conscious at all. He would play guitar wherever whenever and was always on the look for some new adventure. That day we talked about life and dreams. He was already taking drugs then but it was nowhere near as bad as what it would become. He was just this young, free spirited man.

Pete turned up at my flat unattended as he sometimes did. It was the 16th of January 2002 and I was living in Brick lane. He picked up my guitar and started to play. Earlier on that day I had looked at... read more an L.P cover from The Jam, on which Paul Weller is on stage jumping while holding his guitar. I showed it to Pete and he started to reproduce the act. I instinctively knew that if I didn’t capture this moment the opportunity would never arise again- The Libertines had just been signed. Luckily a spare B&W roll of film was lying around, I loaded the camera and shot asking Pete to keep on jumping. I also did a few portraits of him sitting on a Marshall amplifier, smoking.Pete was very comfortable with being photographed, he was one of those rare people who aren’t self conscious at all. He would play guitar wherever whenever and was always on the look for some new adventure. That day we talked about life and dreams. He was already taking drugs then but it was nowhere near as bad as what it would become. He was just this young, free spirited man.

This was the 2nd of 3 nights Babyshambles played at Brixton Academy, and in my opinion the best gig I’d ever seen from Them. I think this is just a case of being in the right place at the right time... read more with the rear lighting casting an amazing shadow.

As The Libertines came to an acrimonious split, Pete and Carl did separate interviews or the NME, Pete was living in a pretty squalid flat in Farringdon at the time – while I was photographing him... read more he wrote Forever on the wall, which added poignancy to the shot.

This shoot was taken for the cover of NME and was at the time of the Libertines debut album. The boys turned up and began drinking promptly and continued to do so throughout the shoot. Even at this early... read more point in their career together, the competitiveness between both Pete and Carl was evident. I particularly like this shot as it offers up an image of friendship and serenity. The shoot finished up with the band and crew dancing around the studio to one of Pete & Carl's favourite tracks - Bugsy Malone - You Give A Little Love.