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Its shocking to hear all the stories from fans about mistreatment at the hands of Peter's management or downright plain rudeness. And its tragic that this perfect beautiful artist has been reduced to a source of tawdry, sordid press stories. Cockney, Catholic, Jewish, Gypsy antecedents are all summoned, implied or flaunted as required but it seems that the old Oirish gift o' the gab, reckless rebellion and downright emerald green sentimentality trump the hand of ethnic influences. It's a sad fact that like Oscar Wilde he's been driven abroad to Paris to be tolerated.
Peter lives totally in the moment and when he encounters a new person (I have heard time and time again) he engages 100 % with that person - it is one of the extraordinary ability's that he has. So many people tell me how close they felt to him when they met and as any of his friends will affirm - there is a sense of bereavement when he has gone - of course always promising to be back! His drive to be loved and to cop all of the loot is pathological and equally inbuilt is his ability when faced with an impossible challenge to step up to the plate and deliver in spades far beyond the necessary requirements and such an ability is uncommon indeed.
I get told stories by people who have met him and been taken into some bookshop and presented with some amazing, personal poetry book and shared meaningful moments that remain forever.
Peter has some unusual talents, the necessity to exceed boundaries without heed but with faith in outcome and consequence. His determination to be true to his own free self which leaves others feeling left out and bitterly betrayed. "I'll neglect you, I mean you no harm." he sang back in 2003. So many people have felt the pain of his absence - he is determined it seems not to be (like Elvis famously was) unbeholden to others,"Don't rely on me".
It has long been understood that in the music business that when an act has become successful and bankable the business arm inevitably will want a repeat of previously profitable output because that is the nature of most business men - they will not take a risk- there are very few visionaries in that game.(excepting Geoff Travis, Alan McGee et al)
Peter like most artists needs to be struggling to come up with the goods or stimulated by an encounter with some inspiring collaborator. He seems to have an ability to almost merge with another, to take inspiration from them in a powerfully empathic way that stimulates their - and his - creative talent. Its part of his character to be the receptive and magnifying mirror. A notorious "magpie" he homes in and picks up the unnoticed gems of others and sets them into his work like a talented jeweller with a good stone. Some take this a a cause of resentment claiming he's pinched their lyric or riff but more prescient artists recognise the complement.
It's why his partnership with Carl Barat was so productive and engaging, he is a performer and superb as one half of a double act, he has repeated the trick in different ways - as chiaroscuro with Peter Wolfe and in his gripping liason with Kate Moss. These erstwhile partners have no shortage of talent but none of them achieve such compulsive attention alone. He's an exceptional man and artist with a touch of the music hall thrown in with poet, libertine and musician but encompasses a disconcerting combination of personal traits capable of streaming tears at the drop of a word, unbelievable generosity, compelling candour, exceptional ability.
I long ago reckoned that the six foot three genetic circus with its British army background combines winning talents - he's white, tall with charm in dangerous quantities, can sing and play guitar ... how can he fail? In the creative idealistic period from 2001- 2006 Peter was learning how far he could go and making up the rules as he went along. He was the ONE and he knew it and so did we ... The Golden Boy - the one we'd been waiting for but never really expected to arrive. He combined a winning innocence with outrageous disregard for propriety and attracted bright, idealistic acolytes. He was shocking in his unashamed exploitation of starry eyed girls head over heels with his "can i borrow some money and your car?" routine - he'd empty the account, total the motor and still be forgiven time after time and beware boys who wore size 11 shoes - they'd be walking home barefoot.
He would embrace any opportunity to play, perform collaborate with whoever had a proposal for him and who would go halfway .... The despair of seasoned managers who he shed with abandon, he brutally it seemed would drop out of scheduled tours and leave 20,000 or so ticket holders bereft by being waylaid in some iniquitous den or by a pretty smile. He was the darling guitar bard messiah of Albion ... surely Parisienne temptations ain't THAT good?
Was it merely fame he was after? Surely not .... and what's happening with the album? I'm told that Babyshambles have been invited back in.
