Rough Trade, the record label that carried The Smiths and The Strokes to soaring heights of fame and wealth, has unceremoniously dumped Pete Doherty’s band, Babyshambles, from its seemingly indestructable contract. It would appear Rough Trade’s decision was forged upon the countless number of drug convictions and errant behavior on behalf of Doherty.

“For a little while things were too dark to even begin to get my head around . . . Spending all my time dropping my trousers to the police. Sat in cells. What I want is a little bit of self-control. But plans are the last thing you want.”

Yeah, Mate, it would really suck to have plans. The numbers themselves don’t lie, either. In November 2005, the coddled Babyshambles released its much anticipated debut album, Down In Albion, to lukewarm reviews. The album sold a mere 110,000 in half a year. Babyshambles also received the dubious honour of a Naomi Award for Worst Live Act in February 2006. In addition, I actually subjected myself to the entire bloody Babyshambles album, and it sounds nothing that would resemble Pete’s old band, The Libertines, which saw its two albums soar to #1 on the UK charts almost immediately.

Many folks would enjoy an explanation for this abrupt departure from a man in process of changing the face of British music. Quite simply, he was a media darling. Yet Pete himself recently confessed that though he loves the first album from The Libertines, he cannot claim the second album:

“It had nothing to do with me. It took me a year to listen to that first Libertines album. I listen to it now, and I love it.”

In reference to the Babyshambles album, Doherty continued:

“But I couldn’t listen to (‘Up The Bracket’) like I can with this. I don’t feel like such a fraud, you know what I mean.”

Yep, Pete, we know exactly what you mean when you call yourself a fraud.