Listening coursework : Pete Doherty 'Help! A Day In The Life...'
This is a monologue written as a listening piece of material for English Language/Literature at AS level. It achieved an A at AS level.
Monologue.
Pete Doherty: Help! A Day In The Life...
Introduction:
For the next two weeks BBC Radio 1 is giving the listener an insight into the world of modern day contemporary artists. Today we focus on musicians, and to start us off is a man more famous for his girlfriend and well documented drug abuse than for any cultural impact on the world. He now plays and writes for a band aptly titled 'Babyshambles', but his most worthy credentials come from a band hundreds of new indie bands cite as their biggest influence 'The Libertines'. He was ejected from the band in 2004 for his heavy drug use and erratic behaviour, but is know proving with Babyshambles he is still a great composer and lyricist. In his own words, Pete Doherty;
''Is is recordin'? (Pause) Alright!
Hello, my name is Peter Doherty and I'm a musician. I play in a band called Babyshambles, and yeah (pause) we're the best mother-f**king band out there (laughs). Let me guess, you've never read any reviews of my records, or articles about me that have mentioned the music?
(Pause) what a surprise eh! Crack crack crack crack crack. That's all anyone is ever interested in, but crack isn't my specialised subject. I mean, when you've got a pipe in your hand, you haven't got a guitar in your hand, have you?
(Pause). The beautiful ...
This is a preview of the whole essay
Hello, my name is Peter Doherty and I'm a musician. I play in a band called Babyshambles, and yeah (pause) we're the best mother-f**king band out there (laughs). Let me guess, you've never read any reviews of my records, or articles about me that have mentioned the music?
(Pause) what a surprise eh! Crack crack crack crack crack. That's all anyone is ever interested in, but crack isn't my specialised subject. I mean, when you've got a pipe in your hand, you haven't got a guitar in your hand, have you?
(Pause). The beautiful people, in our beautiful Albion listenin' to this right now, they don't know what crack is, f**king hell! Alright, so now I'm giving them what then want, I'm not here to talk about drugs, its been well documented what I've done to my body and what I've put in my blood so I don't think you need to know anymore. Let me tell you about my band. Babyshambles! We are continuing on the good ship Albion's voyage to Arcadia, and we are doing so through our music.
(Pause) What's Arcadia? The realm of the infinite! (Laughs) Benches are made of denim and cigarettes grow on trees. Seriously though, our last record went down a storm man. It was an honest record, like they all are. I suppose it symbolises a change, in me, in the rest of the band. We've grown together, and now with Mick on guitar our sounds changing too.
(Break)
Did you hear about the reunion? Well, I say 'reunion' but I never stopped being a libertine. Biggles and Bilo came together for a triumphant display of libertonian decadence, stop press! (Laughs). 'Both in the flower of their youth, Arcadians both, and matched and ready alike to start a song and to respond' Virgil said that, and it reigns true, well apart from the 'flower of their youth' part, I'm 28 now, getting on a bit (laughs).
(Pause) I don't know what will become of us likely lads after that night at the Hackney Empire but I think the way things stand at the moment is fine, so let's not rush things. I do miss Carl, but not The Libertines because I am a Libertine and as long as I've got air in my lungs then I will be forever. Oscar Wilde said 'Music is the art most nigh to tears and memory' and that's how I feel about what I do. Lots of people don't feel the music, and that's what sets us apart from most of that s**t out there right now. They aren't all bad though, I think The View have got that loveable street urchin sense about them, and The Kooks too.
(Break)
I've recently come into some criticism from the fans. You've gotta keep your fans close man otherwise they'll go off and start adoring a band like Kasabian (laughs) no, I love you Tom (makes kissing noise). I am a very paranoid man though, and an even more paranoid boy, I'll let you decide which is worse. The fans think I'm neglecting them I think. They've gotta realise though that I'm just as accessible as I ever was, I'm just not around as much. Bands like Razorlight, they never played for fans in their own front rooms, because they're selfish, they don't understand how important the fans are. I'm trying to get the close proximity between our fans back because I went a bit wayward a few months back when the tabloid fodder was at its worst.
(Break)
I'm not a cretin, and I'm not a f**ker, I'm not gonna f**k anyone over, but that's not me trying to change your opinion of me. I think the term 'junkie rocker' is a caricature of me, I'm a poet, I like Queens Park Rangers, Tony Hancock, Oscar Wilde and making love, yeah. That's it.''