Through the mists of habitual drug use and musical genius, a band formed, excelled and died; the scandal that followed fulling tabloids and dividing opinion as each new revelation overshadowed the last.

Peter Doherty’s self-imposed exile now sees him living in Paris, estranged from his beloved Albion, and, perhaps more painfully for the music world, estranged from Carl Barat.

The insatiable demand for these two masters of their art has led to a rumored £2million being offered to secure a return – an amount that has led to the pair opening up discussions about The Libertines potentially reforming.

Skeptics in the media world see this as achieving nothing more than something to widen the rift; Doherty will spend his cut on opiates which in turn will further alienate Barat. This is an issue that continues to plague them as individuals.

While together they may be a tour de force, apart they are prisoners of their past glories, jealousies, and continue to have mixed levels of success.

Post 2004, Barat’s projects have faltered at every turn, leading to critics questioning his credentials; while there is no doubt he is a supremely gifted songwriter and musician, he seems to lack the rebellious edge needed to dominate a stage.

Jealousy had always been a contentious issue according to friends of the duo, especially as Doherty’s profile as the lovable rascal began to escalate along with his notoriety. Dirty Pretty Things stalled constantly in their bid to emulate The Libertines, with some suspecting Carl Barat was fighting a personal battle and trying to emulate Doherty.

The duo seemed to share an obsessive relationship; one where the boundaries between platonic and sexual love could at times seemed blurred. Their rapport when it came to love of literature, their natural wit and unnatural talent, saw the two connect on a level seeing them resemble players in a Wildean novel.

“I think there’s, y’know, obsession and jealousy on both of their sides. They bitch about each other to each other or to other people,” Roger Sargent, a close friend of both musicians, told the BBC.

“They have a bond, intellectually and spiritually, like nothing I’ve ever seen … but sometimes, you know, you just think, God, why don’t you just get a room?!”

This bond between the two was the fundamental reason behind The Libertines disbanding in 2004. Doherty’s destructive personality was impacting on the band and Barat was forced to take a back seat as the two things he cared most about hit the shitty fan.

Heroin had too strong a hold on Doherty – rehab failing numerous times – so Barat took control of the one thing he still had power over, and Peter was out of the band. A distraught Doherty burgled Carl Barat’s flat and found himself bundled in front of a judge and then off to prison. This, numerous arrests for drug possession, assault and blackmail saw his charge street become longer than his discography.

Barat, sensing a friendship with someone so intent on destroying themselves was not good for either of them, decided to cut ties. Fast-forward to 2009 and this remains the case, albeit one littered with fleeting reunions for one-off performances.

“We had some ridiculous offers to headline Reading. Like £2 million to headline this festival, £1 million to headline that festival,” Doherty told NME Magazine. “I said, ‘Why don’t we just do it? Let’s get the old band back together’.”

Doherty continued, “He (Barat) said: ‘We have to be friends, we can’t just do it for the money’. I said, ‘OK, let’s be friends! Friends who go and make lots of money’, because I haven’t got any money and I know he’s skint. He said I had to go and see an energy consultant, some new age guru who is going to measure my energy levels and see if I’m surrounded by darkness. If I am I’m not allowed to go near Carl because I’ll tap into his good energy and I’ll sap all the good energy and bring nothing but darkness into his life.”

While people may scoff at Barat’s suggestion it is very easy to see where he’s coming from. In the past Carl Barat’s behavior has shown Doherty tends to cloud his mental judgment; he has suggested suicide pacts between the pair and even admitted to contemplating becoming addicted to heroin to bring them closer.

If The Libertines reformed, Barat would be admitting failure – at least to himself. A naturally demanding person, he’d then feel the critics would accuse him of not being able to succeed without Doherty, but more importantly he would be letting unneeded demons back into his life.

The Reading and Leeds Festival crowd would have the hour they’ve dreamt of for seven years but the band may very well be signing their own death warrant. Two million seems a lot to turn down but for Barat the money is less than half the issue. There’s little point in locking yourself into a golden handcuff if you’re going to be attached to a sinking ship.

In my last post you may have gathered my burst of excitement for the upcoming film Twilight. As promised I’ve read the first novel and eager to share my thoughts.

To recapture, Twilight is about a 17-year-old girl, Bella Swan. She moves in with her dad to the gloomy town of Forks, where the sun literally doesn’t shine. Her life flips upside down when she meets the alluring Edward Cullen.

With this beautiful combination what could happen next? Yes, they fall in love….oh but did I mention Edward is a vampire?

The book is narrated by ‘ordinary’ Bella, whose clumsy behaviour gives her a tendency to attract accidents, making her refreshingly funny.

Immediately Bella and Edward’s bond starts off with so much tension your back aches. Edward’s actions are so intimidating you feel as uncomfortable as Bella.

Their friendship is so thought provoking and addictive-like a fat kid’s desire for cake. Even though I knew it was coming, their relationship evolves suddenly; their lust and desire bubbles beneath the surface filling the empty space with electricity. Bella’s infatuation with Edward is intoxicating and Edward’s longing to protect Bella is endearing.

I understand why many girls were so critical when casting Edward for the film; he’s described so distinctively and his charm overpowers characters and makes readers smile uncontrollably. Bringing him to life (in a sense) is British actor Rob Pattinson.

On the blurb it states Edward is a vampire but this doesn’t ruin anything, with this knowledge you pick up on hints while also attaining curiosity about him.

The novel doesn’t follow the cliches of ‘vampires’. It’s often said, ‘it’s perfect for people who don’t like vampire films/novels’, which strangely enough is how author Stephenie Meyer is like.

The writing is beautiful with extraordinary descriptions of the outdoors, and encapsulating teenage culture through Bella’s sprit, and love for Edward.

The ending has your blood cells crashing against your veins as you become consumed of adrenaline, when Edward and Bella’s relationship comes in jeopardy.

This is the first time I’ve read the book before watching the film. So I watched the trailer (which motivated me to buy the book) to see if the novel is intact. To my satisfaction, the film keeps the colours shining bright. From the appearance of Bella’s car to the beautiful surroundings, also adding of its own elements, keeping it fresh.

‘Twilight’ is the time before sunrise and after sunset. When the sun passes over the horizon Edward says, “It’s the safest time of day for us…But also the saddest, in a way…No matter how perfect the day, it always has to end.”

This was exactly how I felt when I finished the book, but Bella then says, “Some things don’t have to end”, and I realised I just have to buy the next in the series ‘New Moon’ so the story never ends.

Another reason to read ‘New Moon’ – following Twilight’s success in America it lead to the confirmation of the sequel.

Not bad for a film with relatively unknown leading stars!