Pete Doherty: Benders, Burglary, and a Shocking Fall

Summary

DISGRACELAND – Pete Doherty: Benders, Burglary, and a Shocking Fall

Host: Jake Brennan
Date: March 24, 2026
Production: Double Elvis Productions

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Overview: Sex, Drugs, Rock and Roll – And a Mysterious Death

In this gripping episode, Jake Brennan delves into the tumultuous life of Pete Doherty, frontman of The Libertines and Babyshambles: a story of artistic brilliance marred by relentless drug abuse, violent altercations, a fractured brotherhood with Carl Barât, and a grim mystery—the suspicious fall and death of Marc Blanco in 2006. Beyond music, the episode explores questions of accountability in the shadowy spaces where rock stardom, addiction, and tragedy intersect.

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Key Discussion Points & Episode Breakdown

1. Setting the Scene: December 2, 2006

[03:16]

• Jake Brennan sets up the chaotic events of a late Saturday night in London’s East End.
• Marc Blanco, an aspiring actor, is shoved out of an apartment after a confrontation with Doherty’s entourage. He returns moments later, only to fall to his death from a balcony—an incident steeped in suspicion.

Quote:
“It was a decision that would cost Marc Blanco his life.” — Jake Brennan [05:20]

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2. Pete Doherty’s Addiction and Personal Decline

[06:30 – 13:25]

• Despite being at the pinnacle of indie stardom, Doherty is engulfed in legal trouble, drug testing, romantic chaos (engagement to Kate Moss), and a toxic entourage.
• Ketamine is his escape of the night, chosen because it isn’t detectable on upcoming court-ordered drug tests.
• The episode draws back to Doherty’s relationship with Carl Barât, their shared rock ‘n’ roll mythology, their volatile brotherhood, and how success deepened their rivalry and addiction.

Quote:
“Despite his current status as an A-list rock star, Pete Doherty had a lot of worries on his mind.” — Jake Brennan [07:30]

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3. The Libertines: Brotherhood to Enemies

*[08:20 – 13:25]

• The Libertines’ meteoric rise; seen as the saviors of British rock, but internally plagued by jealousy, drugs, and competition.
• Rivalry with Carl Barât, culminating in Doherty’s spiral into chaos and eventual ejection from the band.

Memorable Moment:
“They moved into a dingy squat they called the Albion Rooms and started writing songs, spinning out a detailed mythology for themselves as marauding pirates sailing on the good ship Albion, heading for an imaginary rock and roll utopia they called Arcadia.” — Jake Brennan [08:45]

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4. Pete Doherty’s First Jail Term: Burglary and the Cost of Addiction

[17:29 – 25:43]

• Flashback to 2003: Doherty’s first prison stint after breaking into Carl Barât’s flat and stealing a guitar, harmonica, and cash while on a crack binge.
• Powerful recollection of playing music on a battered guitar in prison, and the temporary redemption that music offers him.
• Release from prison is punctuated by a chaotic and iconic reunion gig with The Libertines—a brief, shining moment before relapse.

Quote:
“As Pete finished playing the song on the battered acoustic guitar, he felt fat tears rolling down his face. But he also felt... pure uncut music. After what seemed like an eternity without it... For just a moment, he could imagine a world where music was all he needed.” — Jake Brennan [20:50]

Memorable Moment:
“NME would eventually declare the Freedom show the gig of the decade... It was freewheeling rock and roll chaos at its best.” — Jake Brennan [23:45]

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5. The Libertines’ Implosion – Creative Fire and Personal Feuds

[29:55 – 39:00]

• Studio session for “Can’t Stand Me Now” is an emotionally charged confrontation between Pete and Carl, both artistically and personally.
• Even producer Mick Jones of The Clash is alarmed by their volatility, prompting him to hire bodyguards to prevent physical altercations.
• Despite musical magic (“lightning in a bottle”), the partnership is fatally wounded; Doherty’s descent accelerates as he is pushed from the band.
• Doherty’s world now orbits around new bands, addiction, questionable friends—and increasing instability.

Quote:
“Carl looked at Pete with a sneer... ‘My sister won’t even let you step foot in the apartment.’” — Jake Brennan [31:30]

Memorable Moment:
“Before Mick could react, Pete launched himself across the glass table at Carl. As he tackled Carl, they both went down in a heap...” — Jake Brennan [32:00]

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6. The Tragedy of Marc Blanco

[39:00 – 43:30]

• Marc Blanco, a struggling but talented actor, seeks Doherty’s attention for his self-produced play, hoping for validation or a boost in attendance.
• Blanco is described as “drunk and aggressive, or at least overly enthusiastic,” refusing to back away when asked to by Doherty’s associates.
• After a heated scuffle and being ejected, he re-enters the building, and within 57 seconds, falls to his death.
• Police rapidly rule the death accidental or suicidal, but suspicions remain:
  • No drugs were found in Blanco’s system
  • Forensics suggest another person on the balcony
  • CCTV shows Doherty and his entourage running from the scene
  • Johnny “Headlock” (bodyguard) briefly confesses to the murder before recanting, high on cocaine
• Shortly thereafter, Doherty records himself singing “The Lost Art of Murder” in the same apartment, an act many view as tasteless.

Quote:
“Just 57 seconds later, the same security camera that captured him leaving the building showed his body plummeting to the ground and hitting the sidewalk. What happened to Marc Blanco?” — Jake Brennan [41:25]

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7. Legacy: Art, Excess, and Unanswered Questions

[43:30 – End]

• The Libertines reunite in 2010 and tour, with Doherty claiming to be clean and swapping heroin for French cheese.
• Doherty maintains he knows nothing about what happened in Marc Blanco’s final moments.
• Jake Brennan raises the lingering question of guilt and the dark aura surrounding those drawn into Doherty’s orbit.

Quote:
“Maybe there’s nothing to know. Maybe it was just a freak accident, just another in a series of horrific events that accompany Pete Doherty’s slide into darkness. To the surprise of many, somehow Pete managed to make it out the other side alive...” — Jake Brennan [43:30]

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Notable Quotes and Moments

• “It was a mythology the British music press was only too happy to run with. They saw Pete and Carl as the next in a long line of competitive co-leads of British bands...” — Jake Brennan [09:03]
• “Fame put a target on his back. So did his well-publicized heroin problem.” — Jake Brennan [18:40]
• “Carl’s eyes narrowed into slits. ‘You mean the apartment you broke into?’” — Jake Brennan [31:12]
• “Was it because Pete Doherty wanted to avoid another arrest for drug possession and another negative tabloid headline? Or was it because they knew something more about what happened to Marc Blanco?” — Jake Brennan [42:10]

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Timestamps for Important Segments

• 03:16 – Opening setup: The night of Marc Blanco’s death
• 07:30 – Pete Doherty’s state of mind: drugs, fame, relationships
• 08:20 – The Libertines: the birth of a British rock myth
• 17:29 – Prison and the first major fracture with Carl Barât
• 22:00 – The “Freedom Gig” and fleeting hope
• 29:55 – Studio sessions and the famous altercation with Barât
• 39:00 – Marc Blanco’s last night alive
• 41:25 – The mysterious circumstances of Blanco’s fatal fall
• 43:30 – Reflection, aftermath, and legacy

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Episode’s Tone and Style

Jake Brennan’s storytelling is vivid, darkly humorous, and steeped in the seedy glamour of rock and roll’s underbelly. The episode oscillates between gritty realism and mythic excess, mirroring Doherty’s own life. It’s equal parts cautionary tale and celebration, never shying from unromantic truths or the blurred lines between creative brilliance and self-destruction.

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Final Reflection

The episode is a riveting and disturbing journey through Pete Doherty’s highs and lows—musical innovation, addiction, violence, and tragic consequences. It challenges the audience to consider how fame, addiction, and artistic obsession can entangle not just the artist but everyone around them, sometimes with deadly results.

Host's invitation:
“What do you think happened? Do you think Pete Doherty had anything to do with the death of Marc Blanco?” — Jake Brennan [44:00]

Transcript

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[Jake Brennan]

is a production of Double Elvis. This is a story about a rock star. It's got sex. Or a sex symbol anyways, and Kate Moss. And drugs. Lots of drugs. Heroin and crack cocaine and glorious rock and roll. But it's also a story about brotherhood and a suspicious death. It's a story about Pete Doherty from the Libertines, a rock star in a rock and roll band that made great music. Unlike that music I played for you at the top of the show. That wasn't great music. That was a preset loop for my melotron called shambolic Shasha MK1. I played you that loop because I can't afford the rights to I Want to Love youe by Akon. And why would I play you that specific slice of winding and grindin cheese? Could I afford it? Because that was the number one song in America on December 2, 2006. And that was the day that an unknown London actor named Marc Blanco fell to his death under mysterious circumstances after an altercation with Pete Daugherty in his entourage on this sex, drugs, rock and roll, a suspicious death, and Pete Daugherty of the Libertines. I'm Jake Brennan and this is Disgrace. December 2, 2006 it was a late Saturday night in London's East End. In fact, it was just minutes away from Sunday morning. Outside on the sidewalk, everything was dead silent. Fourteen feet up, an apartment on the second floor was a different story altogether. Screams cried out from inside so loud that they echoed throughout the building. And they weren't the joyful, boisterous sounds of a Saturday night rave up. These screams were tense. They were menacing. They had the ring of a schoolyard fight. When the kids start circling up and the insults start cutting a little bit deeper, when the pushing and shoving gets a little bit more intense, when it feels like violence could break out at any moment. The sounds kept building. Louder and louder, darker, more frenetic, agitated, angry. Until it felt like something was going to explode. Suddenly, the front door of the apartment building swung open. A tall man was pushed out onto the sidewalk. He was so tall that his head nearly hit the doorway as he was forcibly shoved backwards. He staggered back a few steps from the force of the blow and then the door slammed shut in his face. Down the street, a security camera caught the tall man as he started walking a few steps away from the building. Suddenly, he paused, frozen in place for a few seconds. His mind made up. He wheeled around and started walking back towards the building. It was an impulse, a split second decision. Less than a minute later, it was a decision that would cost Marc Blanco his life. Back inside the apartment on the second floor, Pete Daugherty, the pop star of libertine's fame, was waiting for the ketamine to take hold. It held the promise of total annihilation. Annihilation of all of his thoughts and worries. Soon it would leave a warm black void that he could float in for a few hours. Because despite his current status as an A list rock star, Pete Daugherty had a lot of worries on his mind. And despite the scuffle he'd just witnessed, Marc Blanco was far from the top of the list. Pete had court in the morning, which meant, inevitably, another drug test. Hence the ketamine in place of his preferred fix, a mixture of heroin and crack cocaine. Over the past three years, he had racked up dozens of arrests for possession. He'd been in and out of rehab and probation, and he quickly learned that unlike heroin and cocaine, ketamine didn't show up on the drug tests. There was his girlfriend. No, not the 19 year old girl sitting next to him. Pete wasn't sure if he could even remember her name. He'd only met her a few hours ago at a party at the hotel where he was staying. Instead, Pete was thinking about his fiance, the supermodel Kate Moss. The pair had just gotten engaged two months ago, but their on again, off again relationship was already hanging by a thread. The last thing Pete needed was Kate finding out about another dalliance with another young girl. Then there was his friend. It wasn't the stout and muscular man standing across the room from him. Johnny Hedlock was a live wire, especially when he'd been using cocaine. Earlier at dinner, Johnny stabbed Pete's guitarist in the hand with a fork when the musician made a comment that he didn't like. It's true, Johnny Hedlock was completely unhinged, but with the number of scrapes Pete got into, it was good to have a man around with Johnny's particular talent for violence. However, as the ketamine began to overtake him, Pete's thoughts weren't on Johnny. Tonight, like almost every night, Pete's thoughts were on the only man he'd ever loved, his former best friend, roommate and co founder of the Libertines, Carl Barreth. Only a few years ago they'd been inseparable. They dropped out of school together to form the band. They moved into a dingy squat they called the Albion Rooms and started writing songs, spinning out a detailed mythology for themselves as marauding pirates sailing on the good ship Albion, heading for an imaginary rock and roll utopia they called Arcadia. It was a mythology the British music press was only too happy to run with. They saw Pete and Carl as the next in a long line of competitive co leads of British bands such as the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, the Kinks in Oasis, when the Strokes and other American bands kicked off the early 2000s garage rock revival, British critics quickly found their answer in the Libertines. The band appeared on the COVID of British music magazine NME the week they dropped their very first single. It didn't matter that the song what a Waster was laced with so many profanities that it could never make it onto the radio. When their debut album, up the Bracket, came out a few months later, the magazine gave them its Best New band award for 2003. But success bred competition between Pete and Carl. Pete was furious when a song featuring Carl on lead vocals was selected for the band's performance on the Late show with David Letterman. Carl raged when the Pete written single Time for Heroes went higher on the charts than his songs add into the mix copious amounts of drugs and alcohol and every other rock and roll excess and soon their brotherhood was curdling into bitterness. By 2006, Pete and Carl were mortal enemies. Pete's new band, Baby Shambles, was in constant competition with the group Carl was leading Dirty Pretty Things. They competed for airplay, for tour dates, for chart position, and in 2006 it looked like Carl was winning. Dirty Pretty Things hit the top three of the UK album charts and put three singles into the top 40, while Pete's band had only managed a brief stint at number 10. So between tour dates, court dates, women troubles, and a frantic attempt to outdo Carl with his next Baby Shambles album, Pete had a lot on his mind that night. After the party at his hotel started getting out of hand, Pete went looking for a place to get stoned and chill out for a few hours, try to get his head on straight before he had to head back to court in the morning. That's what he hoped to find at his friend Paul Roundhill's apartment that night. Paul was an artist, and his apartment was a hangout for a certain group of the in the know London bohemians. It was a place where Pete could sit for a few hours or for a few days and write songs or match wits with the painters, the poets and musicians constantly circling through the apartment that Paul liked to refer to as a literary salon. Of course, the neighbors referred to it differently. They called it a crack den. Copious amounts of drugs were bought, sold, traded and consumed in the flat, and the police were called more than once to break up a gathering. And just a few years earlier, another British singer songwriter named Paul Cunniffy wandered out onto Paul's balcony after taking drugs and plummeted to his death. The police ruled it was a freak accident and no one was charged. Still, the neighbors whispered to each other about the drugs and the wild behavior. They all knew it was just a matter of time before something like that happened again. Foreign

[Jana Kramer]

this is Jana Kramer from Wind down with Jana Kramer. Every Mother's Day, I tell myself I'm going to be more thoughtful than flowers because flowers are beautiful, but they don't last. In my house, everyone always ends up in the kitchen. Friends, family, the kids. And I love having things around that spark conversation and feel special. That's why I love the Lenox Spice Village. And your mom will too. It's a set of 24 hand painted little houses that are actually spice jars, and I swear people notice it the second they walk in. It's charming, it's nostalgic, and it somehow makes even everyday cooking feel a little more fun. And here's the best part. It actually gets used every day, whether you're starting the full set or helping her complete one she's loved for years. There's a whole world of Spice Village to explore this Mother's Day. Give her something she'll treasure long after the card is put away. Trust me, once you see it, you'll want one too. Find the full [e-mail] Spice Village Picture

[Reese Witherspoon]

this Me Reese Witherspoon in London ordering fish and chips so often they might start wrapping me in paper. I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card so I earn rewards wherever I book travel five times points with hotels, four times with airlines, three times times on restaurants and other travel and one point on other purchases. Imagine getting rewarded for eating a toad in the hole. Wait, what is a toad in a hole?

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Visit wells fargo.com autographjourney Terms apply support for the show comes from Public, the investing platform for those who take it seriously. On Public, you can build a multi asset portfolio of stocks, bonds, options, crypto and now generated assets which allow you to turn any idea into an investable index with AI. It all starts with your prompt. From renewable renewable energy companies with high free cash flow to semiconductor suppliers growing revenue over 20% year over year, you can literally type any prompt and put the AI to work. It screens thousands of stocks, builds a one of a kind index and lets you back test it against the S&P 500. Then you can invest in a few clicks. Generated assets are like ETFs with infinite possibilities, completely customizable and based on your thesis, not someone else's. Go to public.com podcast and earn an uncapped 1% bonus when you transfer your portfolio. That's public.com podcast paid for by Public Investing Brokerage Services by Open to the Public Investing Inc. Member FINRA and SIPC Advisory Services by Public Advisors, llc. SEC Registered Advisor Generated Assets is an interactive analysis tool. Output is for informational purposes only and is not an investment recommendation or advice. Complete Disclosures [e-mail] have you heard about Klarna?

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[Jake Brennan]

Pete Dougherty heard the sound of metal grinding on metal as a prison guard slid open the heavy iron door of his cell. He and his three cellmates looked up in confusion as the guards stepped aside and the prison chaplain walked in. Pete had only been in lockup for a few days, but he recognized the older man's salt and pepper hair and his kind smile, a rarity in the grim atmosphere of Sheppey Prison. He was surprised as the chaplain stepped toward him, but Pete was intrigued by what he carried in his hand. Not the hand with the Bible. Sure, Pete had grown up going to church with his parents and sister. His father was a major in the British army, so church was a familiar comfort as the family bounced from one base to another. But it had been years since he stepped foot inside of one. It was what the chaplain carried in his other hand that caught Pete Pete's attention. A battered acoustic guitar. The instrument was scratched and scuffed, and it was missing two strings. But after a month without touching a guitar, Pete was jonesing when he reported for lockup. Pete was terrified about going through heroin withdrawal in prison, but he didn't need to worry. It turned out scoring drugs in jail was even easier than on the street. But what he hadn't counted on was how hard it would be to withdraw from music. Now the chaplain was holding the guitar as he bent down to look Pete in the eye. Pete's mom had written him a letter begging him to check in on her son. His explanation had Pete's cellmate snickering with laughter, but Pete pretended not to hear. Was 2003, and Pete was only a few days into his first stint in jail, but he was quickly learning to keep keep his head down. There were some people in this prison eager to make a name for themselves by thrashing a quasi famous musician like the guy who came after him with a sock full of nuts and bolts on his first night in lockup. Fame put a target on his back. So did his well publicized heroin problem. On his second day at Sheppey, three prisoners burst into his cell while he was alone. They backed him into a corner and then strongly implied that they could score him heroin as long as Pete was willing to to, shall we say, return the favor. So Pete ignored the laughter from his cellmates and accepted the chaplain's invitation to take a walk. He knew a sermon was coming his way, but it was worth it if he got a few minutes with the guitar. As they walked across the prison grounds, the chaplain launched into a speech about Pete's drug use. Pete pretended to listen, but his eyes were locked on the guitar until finally the Chaplin handed it over. He told Pete he could play for 20 minutes before he had to go. Back in his cell, Pete grabbed the worn down instrument and sat on a sunny patch of grass outside the prison's ugly stone chapel. He tuned up the four strings as best he could and started strumming through the first song that came into his head. It was a song still bouncing around the UK Top 100 singles chart, a Velvet Underground Oasis mashup that he wrote with Carl that they called Don't Look Back into the Sun. Tears welled up in his eyes as he remembered the last time he heard it. A few weeks ago, he was crashing at a friend's apartment, waiting to be sentenced. He flipped on the television one night and saw Carl and the rest of the Libertines with another guitarist in Pete's place bashing through the song on BBC's Top of the Pops. Seeing the band on television without him was painful, but now strumming the song alone in the prison yard, the reality of what he had done finally began to sink in. Pete was in jail for a crime so bizarre, so shocking, so utterly stupid, that he wondered if he would ever play with the Libertines again. Back in July, the rest of the Libertines were out playing the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan, but Carl had insisted Pete stay home until he could clean up. Rather than taking Carl's advice, Pete took the opportunity to go on a bender, all the while getting angrier and angrier at the demand from his friend. Finally, he convinced someone to drive him over to the central London flat that Carl shared with his sister to see if his bandmate really was off in Japan. The apartment was empty when Pete arrived, but after three days of smoking crack, he was convinced he could see shadows moving inside of the room. He banged on the door and demanded that Carl come out and face him, and when there was no answer, he kicked in the door, leaving a size 11 Reebok print clearly visible. He wandered through Carl's living room in between paintings and pictures of the band, where there was a large frame poster from a Libertines gig Carl had played without him. Rage boiled up. Pete wanted to burn the poster. He wanted to ransack the apartment. Instead, he quickly grabbed one of Carl's vintage guitars, a harmonica, a laptop, and some cash from Carl's sister's room and he threw the items in the back of his friend's red Ford Fiesta and they headed home. Where Pete promptly passed out. When he woke up the next day, he barely remembered the break in until the police showed up. Thanks to a tip from Pete's girlfriend who thought he needed a wake up call as well as the shoe print from Carl's front door, cops had all they needed to book Pete for burglary and the memory came roaring back. As Pete finished playing the song on the battered acoustic guitar, he felt fat tears rolling down his face. But he also felt the wood of the instrument reverberate against his skin and the steel strings against his fingertips. Pure uncut music. After what seemed like an eternity without it. For just a moment, he could imagine a world where music was all he needed. He could repair his relationship with Carl. He could reunite the band, he could leave the drugs behind. And for the rest of his time in prison, that's more or less what Pete already did. On October 8, 2003, when he was released after serving two months, he was as clean as he had been in years. And when he walked out of the prison gates, Pavarotti were waiting to see snap his picture. There was someone else waiting for him as well. Carl Barrett. Carl hugged Pete in an embrace and tossed him into the passenger seat and the pair tore ass toward Kent. And they weren't going to take it easy on Pete's first night on the outside. Not by a long shot. They were headed for a small pub and music club called the Tappin Tin. A young booking agent who worked there had been writing letters to Pete while he was locked up. Together they planned a small acoustic show informally billed as the Pete Doherty Freedom Gig. But now the buzz was building that this was going to be much more than a solo acoustic performance from Pete. Tonight would be a full blown Libertines reunion. When the pub opened, more than 300 people squeezed into a space designed for half that number. And by the time the band hit the stage, it was pure pandemonium. Kids were everywhere, pogoing up and down, climbing onto the stage and working themselves into a frenzy while the band ripped through a dozen cathartic songs. It was freewheeling rock and roll chaos at its best. NME would eventually declare the Freedom show the gig of the decade. They sent a photographer to document the night. He snapped a backstage picture of Carl with his arm around a bleary looking Pete Doherty, both showing off their matching libertine tattoos. It was an iconic indie rock image that would eventually adorn the COVID of the second Libertines album. Not everything ended on a high note, though. Someone in the crowd passed Pete some heroin and he shot up in the bathroom despite promising that he wouldn't. Later, the party spilled out into the street in an improvised conga line and Carl tried to jump a parking meter and missed. He landed on his chin and skidded a solid 10ft across the sidewalk. When he stood up, blood was soaking his white T shirt and there there was a hole in his chin so big that you could see his teeth through it. A few dozen stitches and a small scar seemed a worthy price for a memorable night. Pete and Carl both felt hopeful about their renewed partnership and a second Libertines album. For a moment, things seemed bright, but darkness was looming for Pete. More drugs, more chaos, and more bloodshed.

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Word, word, word.

[Jana Kramer]

This is Jana Kramer from Wind down with Jana Kramer. Every Mother's Day, I tell myself I'm going to be more thoughtful than flowers, because flowers are beautiful, but they don't last. In my house, everyone always ends up in the kitchen. Friends, family, the kids, and I love having things around that spark conversation and feel special. That's why I love the Lenox Spice Village. And your mom will too. It's a set of 24 hand painted little houses that are actually spice jars and I swear people notice it the second they walk in. It's charming, it's nostalgic, and it somehow makes even everyday cooking feel a little more fun. And here's the best part. It actually gets used every day, whether you're starting the full set or helping her complete one she's loved for years. There's a whole world of Spice Village to explore this Mother's Day. Give her something she'll treasure long after the card is put away. Trust me, once you see it, you'll want one too. Find the full [e-mail] SpiceVillage picture this

[Reese Witherspoon]

me, Reese Witherspoon in London ordering fish and chips so often they might start wrapping me in paper. I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card, so I earn rewards wherever I book travel five times points with hotels, four times with airlines three. Three times on restaurants and other travel and one point on other purchases. Imagine getting rewarded for eating a toad in the hole. Wait, what is a toad in a hole?

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[Jake Brennan]

March 2004, Mick Jones of the Clash was feeling it he had his hands up in the air and his hips were swinging in that little dance that he always did during a great studio take. In the tracking room, the Libertines were slamming their way through a new song called Can't Stand Me now, their first of the day. Mick signed on to produce the album, was listening in the control room, and he liked what he heard. The song was written by Pete as a duet. It was a song about a love gone wrong. It wasn't about Kate Moss, who Pete wouldn't meet for another year. Instead, it was about the love between him and Carl. It was structured like an English indie rock version of Johnny Cash and June Carter's Jackson. Only instead of a married couple bickering about the flame going out, it was two brothers calling each other out for controlling behavior and rampant smack addictions. Mick was nervous about starting with this one. The lyrics were so raw and direct, but it quickly became clear he didn't have any choice. Although the band booked a week of rehearsals before the session, this was the only song they had ready. Watching Pete and Carl leaning into their lines, shouting back and forth, he knew it was worth the risk. The electricity of their performance was impossible to miss. Standing practically nose to nose, the two front men conjured up years of frustration in three and a half minutes. Mick knew the song was a winner. That's why he was working with Pete and Carl again, despite all the hassles, because they make great music. Mick had also produced the band's debut album, up the Bracket. Back then, Pete and Carl had been a handful, but Mick had been through his share of tense studio sessions with Joe Strummer, and they still managed to make plenty of great albums. He could handle the tension, and his steady hand and impeccable rock credentials kept Pete and Carl relatively restrained during sessions for the first album, which snuck onto the top 40 of the UK album charts a year later. The follow up album was hotly anticipated by fans in the music press. No one had any doubt that it would hit number one. If they could actually get it made, that is. Mickey knew that the last time Pete and Carl spent more than 48 hours together, they were supposed to work on new songs for the album at the home of their manager, Alan McGee. Instead, they got into a fight and Carl got so drunk that he bashed his face into a bathroom sink until his eye was literally hanging out of the socket and he needed 70 stitches to repair the damage. So Mick was more than a little concerned about the prospect of Pete and Carl spending a week with recording together in the same room. The bodyguards would help, though. Alan McGee, who had dealt with his share of combustible brotherhoods as the manager of Oasis and the Jesus in the Mary chain, decided to hire bodyguards for Pete and Carl to make sure they didn't try to kill each other during the recording sessions. The presence of the two burly men unnerved Mick, but fortunately the vibes have been great so far, and the bodyguards had spent most of the morning shooting pool. In the tracking room, the band brought the song to a thundering climax. The ending was so good that Mick made a mental note to try cutting it and using it as the song's intro. It seemed like the right move for a song that was about an ending. Mick motioned for the band to join him in the control room. He lit a spliff and inhaled as he sat back in a chair. The band, a pair of studio engineers, and the bodyguards all filed into the room in Stone stood around a long glass coffee table. Hearing the song again through the speakers, it was clear to Mick that they had just captured lightning in a bottle. The song practically jumped out of the speakers. It felt like a number one song. Not wanting to lose momentum, Mick quickly asked Pete and Carl what song they wanted to do next. Carl threw out a suggestion and Pete shot it down. Pete suggested another, but Carl spat back that that song didn't seem finished. Mick felt the tension rising in the room. Pete suggested they set up a small digital recorder at Carl's apartment so the two of them could flesh out a few of the songs between sessions. Carl's eyes narrowed into slits. You mean the apartment that you broke into? He asked. Everyone was silent as the question hung in the air and Carl continued. My sister won't even let you step foot in the apartment. Mick stubbed out the spliff in an ashtray and jumped up from his seat. Time to jump in before things got worse. So he walked across the control room and saw Pete staring speechless at Carl from across the glass table. He looked like he might break into tears or possibly rip Carl's head off. Better to start off with a gentle approach, Mick thought to himself. He reached an arm toward Pete and Carl. Boys, boys, what's all this about? He asked softly. Carl looked at Pete with a sneer. His eyes were still burning with anger. It's nothing, Mick, he said. Pete just can't handle his brown. Before Mick could react, Pete launched himself across the glass table at Carl. As he tackled Carl, they both went down in a heap and Pete started punching him wildly in his face and Stomach. Mick was shocked. In the past, Carl had been the more aggressive one. Pete would rather run than fight. But maybe prison had changed him. Fortunately, the two bodyguards rushed in. One easily lifted Pete in the air by the waistband of his jeans and the other held Carl back as he screamed about wanting to finish things outside. After struggling for a few minutes, eventually both Pete and Carl calmed down. Mick shared a few choice anecdotes about scrapes he and Joe Strummer got into while recording Combat Rock, and they even managed to lay down a few more songs that day. But after the fight and the emotional drain of recording Can't Stand Me Now, Pete's heart wasn't in it. Something about hearing the words he had written for Carl being sung back at him. He'd always imagined that Carl hated him on some level. After recording the song, he knew it was true. And thanks to the tenacity of his bodyguard, Pete showed up for the next few sessions. But his partnership with Carl had fractured beyond repair. Besides, Pete was looking forward to new bands, new experiences, new friends. Like the ones who were hanging around his apartment every morning when his bodyguard showed up. The crack dealers and groupies and other so called artists that inhabited his world. Now, while the rest of the Libertines were mixing the album, Pete was in rehab. And when the band was playing festivals, Pete was in court on a series of drug possession charges. And by the time the second album hit number one on the charts, Pete was out of the band indefinitely. Without Carl trying to reign him in, Pete's drug use spiraled even further out of control. Chaos followed him everywhere. Violent altercations with paparazzi, trashed hotel rooms, canceled gigs. And on one fateful December night, for an unknown actor with dreams of stardom, a brush with Pete Doherty would mark his last night on earth among the living. Mark Blanco started off his Saturday evening on December 2, 2006, like he did most Saturdays at the George Tavern. Mark was intelligent, Cambridge educated. He was a trained actor and his friends said he had real talent. But he struggled to land roles. He also struggled to connect with people offstage. He had a hard time finding his place in the vast London art scene. At the George Tavern, though, he finally felt like he'd found a community here. He made friends with artists like Paul Roundhill, whose so called literary salon was just around the corner. The George Tavern was where Marc Blanco decided to put on a Play. He was 30 years old and tired of feeling like life was slipping by. He was tired of waiting for some director to cast him. Instead, with the help of some friends, he would put on his own production right there at the tavern. For his debut, he chose Accidental Death of an Anarchist, an Italian play based on the real life death of Giuseppe Pinelli, an anarchist who fell to his death under suspicious circumstances While in police custody. Mark threw himself into the production. He acted in the lead role. He directed, he did the marketing. Which is why, as he put away a few pints at the George that Saturday night, he had a stack of flyers for the show tucked into his jacket pocket. As he ordered another round, a friend popped into the pub with an excited look, and he said that the rock star Pete Doherty had just turned up at Paul Roundhill's apartment. When Mark heard the name, his ears perked up. He knew from the tabloids about Pete's reputation as a druggie and as half of a celebrity couple with Kate Moss. But he also read that Pete was a true artist, someone with deep knowledge of poetry, books and plays. Hell, he'd named his band after a Marquis de Sade novel. In short, Pete Doherty was the kind of man who might be interested in a new Do It Yourself theater production. If you could get Pete to attend the play, that he had no doubt that attendance would go through the roof and the play would be a success. And Mark was determined to make it a success. So Mark set off for Paul Roundhill's apartment, arriving just around midnight. And whether it was the excitement, the pints, or his all consuming desire to make the play a success, witnesses say he was drunk and aggressive, or at least overly enthusiastic. When he began talking to Pete about the play. He cornered Pete, badgered him about attending. And then when Paul and Pete's bodyguard, Johnny Headlock, tried to back him away from Pete, he refused to leave. Pushing and shoving broke out. Witnesses from the apartment building heard screams, and then Johnny Headlock and Paul forcibly pushed him out of the building. After taking a few steps away, Marc Blanco decided to return. Why? Maybe he left something behind. Maybe he wanted to get the final word. Maybe, as Pete suggested, he wanted to make a dark artistic statement with a brutal final act. What we do know is that just 57 seconds later, the same security camera that captured him leaving the building showed his body plummeting to the ground and hitting the sidewalk. What happened to Marc Blanco? The police were quick to rule the death a suicide and later an accident. But there's no evidence that Marc Blanco was suicidal. Toxicology reports didn't show any drugs in his system, although his blood alcohol level was elevated. A forensic analyst claimed that reverse projection techniques indicate a Second person was on the balcony with Marc Blanco before he died. The security camera shows Pete Thaugherty, a young woman and his bodyguard all running from the scene moments after Mark's body was was discovered. They step right by the prone body, pause to yell something up at the balcony, and then sprint away. Was this because Pete Doherty wanted to avoid another arrest for drug possession and another negative tabloid headline? Or was it because they knew something more about what happened to Marc Blanco? There's also this. Two weeks after the death, Johnny Headlock walked into a police station and confessed to murdering Marc Blanco. You heard that, right? He confessed to the crime, but an hour later, he recanted. During his interrogation, he was so high on cocaine that the police questioned the validity of his confession from the start. Meanwhile, just a few weeks after Mark Blanco's death, Pete made the extraordinary, some might say extraordinarily tasteless decision to make a video of himself singing a brand new song in the same same flat where Blanco died. And the name of the song, the Lost Art of Murder. The Libertines reunited in 2010. Since 2014, they've put out two new albums and toured with more regularity than in their early 2000s heyday. Pete Daugherty, for his part, says he's clean. He says French cheese has replaced heroin as his drug of choice. He also says he knows nothing about what happened to Marc Blanco during the latter's final 57 seconds in that apartment. And maybe there's nothing to know. Maybe it was just a freak accident, just another in a series of horrific events that accompany Pete Doherty's slide into darkness. To the surprise of many, somehow Pete managed to make it out the other side alive to repair his fractured relationship with Carl Barrett to continue making great music. But not everyone who followed him into the darkness would be that lucky. And that's a disgrace. I'm Jake Brennan and this is Disgraceland. All right, guys, thanks for listening to this episode of Disgraceland. Pete Daugherty. Listen, I want to know a question of the week. This week, what do you think happened? Do you think Pete Daugherty had anything to do with the death of Mark Blanco? 617-906-6638 voicemail and text, let me know what you think. You can also email me disgracelandpodgmail.com hit me up on the socials@gracelandpod or in the Patreon chat, go to disgraceandpod.com to sign up to become an All Access member today to unlock exclusive and ad free content, guys. Appreciate y'.

[Reese Witherspoon]

All.

[Jake Brennan]

Here comes some credits Disgraceland was created by yours truly and is produced in partnership with Double Elvis. Credits for this episode can be found on the show notes [e-mail] if you're listening as a Disgraceland All Access member, thank you for supporting the show. We really appreciate it. And if not, you can become a member right now by going to Disgracelandpod.com membership. Members can listen to every episode of Disgraceland ad free rate and review the show and follow us on Instagram TikTok, Twitter and Facebook Disgracelandpod and on [e-mail] Disgracelandpod Rocka Rolla He's a bad, bad man.

[Reese Witherspoon]

Picture this Me, Reese Witherspoon in London ordering fish and chips so often they might start wrapping me in paper. I'm traveling with my Wells Fargo Autograph Journey card so I earn rewards wherever I book travel five times points with hotels, four times with airlines, three times on restaurants and other travel and one point on other purchases. Imagine getting rewarded for eating a toad in the hole. Wait, what is a toad in the hole?

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