"It can notbe infinitechronic, abuse, drugs, crackand heroin. Medically, physically, I say. There is avery consistentand inevitablethatinsanebombardmentof the senses andthe soulcompletion. It's time tostop thishabitconfusing, this horribleadventure.(...) Maybeget anotherhobby.Sex, _____and RockN'Roll. Completethe missing word", PeteDoherty.
The above passageis an excerpt fromFromAlbiontoShangri-La, a book that has just beenreleased in Englandand does not havea Brazilianedition. The workbrings together severaltexts thatPeteDohertywrote in hispersonal diaryfrom 2008 to 2013andwas edited bya famoushistorianof rock,NinaAntonia. Journalist,writerand foremosta rocker, Antoniawas born inLiverpoolin 1960,butbecame knownin 1987when it launchedJohnnyThunders...In ColdBlood, a book that tells the storyof theNew YorkDollsguitarist.
In this exclusiveinterview withNOIZE, NinaAntoniatoldit was like workingwithPeteDoherty andhow she feelsdocumentingthe lives ofartistsimmersedin thedirtierside of therock. It was noteasy to giveway tothebooknotesfrontamnof TheLibertinesandBabyshambles: Dohertydevoted himself to alife of excessmarked by periodsin jail, romances withfamous models, scandals inBritishtabloidsandserious problems withhard drugs.
Readourchatwith herbelowand stay tuned: tomorrowwe will publishan exclusiveinterviewthatNinamadewithDohertyand is presentin FromAlbiontoShangri-La.
When and how youstarted writing aboutrock n'roll?
I startedcollaboratingwith somearticles for afanzinecalledLiverpoolMerseysoundbut at that timeI had nolong-term planonbecoming awriter. Had two editions, one of TheCrampsand one onThe NewYorkDolls. I think itwasaround 1979, but not sure, it seemsso long ago! It was.Looking back,I started workingon theauthorizedbiography ofJohnnyThunders, In ColdBlood, only one ortwo years later.Since then, I was knownfor writing aboutunconventionalthemesin rockn'roll.
Musicians whogo againstthe rebelsrepresentandhave always had agreater appealto me thanthesycophantsof themainstream. But as Icould not get apublishingcontract topublish thebookThunders, justgoing to sellhim personally. If not for thesealJohnnyJungle,which eventuallyreleasingthe book,perhaps hehad never beenedited.Ironically, this bookhas already beenreprintedfor over 25years, whichisa kind ofrecord fora bookabout music. One way oranother, all theprojects I'vebeen involvedhadunconventionalpaths, but it wasthe only choice. Nowadays, even ifthe chief editorofpublishing houselikesomeof his ideas, isthe sales teamwho givesthe last word oneverything.But theyarebusinessmen, not basedoncreativeideas.
Therebelliousself-destructivetraitsissomething thatunites allicons thatyou addressin your books. What attractsyoumostin thisdirtyand dangerousside ofrock n'roll?
It'san interesting question. The onlyartiststhat interest mearethose who defysociety andits norms. If youlook back andthink ofmarginalartists likeRimbaud, BaudelaireandVanGoghwill seethat they allsuffered greatlywhen they were aliveand stilltodayhis worksare properlyrevered, there is oneundeniabletruth in them. I think it wasIggyPoponce saidthat societytakes 30years toaccept theirpioneers. The NewYorkDollsare the perfect exampleof this theory. There in theearly 1970s, taking hisdevoted fansand a handful ofliberal journalists, the general public andthemainstream mediacould not handlehis imagestaring, much lesswith his music. But today theNewYorkDollsare acclaimed, along withMC5andThe Stooges, because theyopenthe door towhat would be thefuture of rockn'roll.
Do you seeany parallels betweenThunders, theDolls, and PeteDoherty?
As people,they are verydifferentandthesongsarelight yearsawayfrom each other. If you have anythingin commonbetween them is thatPeter, as Thunders, refuses to berestrictedby the establishment. Bothhave becomeconduitsfor rebellion.
Howyou metPeteDoherty? What relationshipdo you havewith him today?
I met himseven yearsagothroughmutual friends.There has never beena real problem forme to workon one oftheir projects, at leastnot at firstplan.Itistoo subtletosay thisdirectly, butevery timewe meet,we always end uptalking aboutliteratureso I guessitwasinevitable! Eventually, he introduced me to hisliterary agentand gave mehis diariesthat Itheenactment.
I foundthisamazingrelationship betweenDoherty andRimbaud, did not know hewas soconnectedwithclassical poetry.
Justyou readtheirlettersto see that hehas one foot inpoetry.Libertinesbeforeheeven organizeda night ofpoetryin London. The firsttime I hadcontact withPeterwasan event ofpoetry.Even littleself-portraiton the coverof FromAlbiontoShangri-la refersto an illustrationthat[Paul]VerlaineRimbauddid. On the sealofGrace/Wastelands(2009), Petersoloalbum,has an imagethat blendsfacewithPete's Rimbaud, the cluesarethere.
Howwasyour jobto turnmany pagesscrawledin a book? How longdid it take?
Ispent mostof last summerreadingthe diariesand transcribingthem.It wasa painstakingbut rewardingwork.Although IthinkI blewa bitof my visionofbothwork nightstrying to decipherso manywaves ofink.
It was necessary tocensorsomethingof the dailyPete?Names, locations...
I tried to beas sensitive as possiblewhilekeeping the beat, the rhythmandthe authenticityof the words ofPeter. But it was notmy roleto act asa censoring. FromAlbiontoShangri-Laisa historical documentof acertain periodin time. Peterisa verymercurialcharacter, and although manybookshavespokenof theiradventures, I'm not sure if they capturedits essenceas theFromAlbiontoShangri-Ladid. Albion, Shangri-La ...Youknow what thesemythical placesmean forPete? Are symbolsof yourimaginary world?
Everytrue artistcreatesinner visionsandAlbionFromToShangri-La openswith a short descriptionof these mythicalplaces. Myunderstanding is thatAlbionwoulda paganEnglandthat existedbefore thesocial embarrassment, populated bynymphs, shepherds, poets andvagabondskind, wherethe fluteof Pancan still be heard. Ironically, someone saidto me: 'Oh, but it has asecond meaning ofShangri-La, is anothername for theGlastonbury festival',this is news tome!I prefer to thinkthat thisisa mysticdestinationrather thana corporateparty.[Actually, there isa facilitywithin theGlastonbury Festivalthat takesthe same name]. InAlbionFromToShangri-La, Petetalks a lot aboutpeopleand situationsthat surround him,butdespite hisrock starroutine, he says heisa lonely man. Do you thinkthat this contextwas related tohis drug abuse?
If youare a sensitive person, it is common to feelalone in a crowd. Ifyou're famousand sensitive, should probably besomething moreinsulatingyet.Anyonecan excel, butthe use ofdrugscanlead tosocialdisconnection. But ifyou'replaying tocrowdsof several thousandpeople, hasthe right to closethe doorand stayin your. Must be prettyhard to havereal friendsin thisworld?
How manytrue friendsanyonehave?If you aresomeone you know,is even more difficult, but there aresome goodpeoplearoundPeter. There's a momentin the bookwherePetesays: "The power is infinite, but youhave to knowhow to use it." Do you think hehas managed todo this?
Absolutely. Heis probably oneof the smartest peopleI've ever met. Buthis greatestpower is whathe useson stage, heis aperformerand runs untilthe endof it. Translated by French Dog Blues 1/8/2014 Noize Article With Photos