Blur's Graham Coxon: 'Pete Doherty is funny, warm and charming'

Blur's Graham Coxon has spoken about why he chose to hook up with the Babyshambles man and how he got frustrated with him.

The guitarist, who plays guitar on Pete Doherty's forthcoming solo album, said that the promise he heard in the initial demos for the album convinced him to sign up. He also spoke about Doherty's personal life, calling him a "funny, warm and charming".

Writing online at Forums.blur.co.uk, Coxon wrote, "I would not have entertained the idea of playing on his record if I had not heard such a lot of promise when listening to the demos."
Writing about his relationship with Doherty, he wrote, "I actually like Pete as a person a lot. He is very funny, warm and charming. He has rough press and not surprisingly so.

"He is also very impressionable, quite vulnerable, rather too trusting and needlessly gets himself into some difficulties – basically and unfortunately for him, he is a scumbag magnet.

"I really do think it's easy to think Pete is a waster. I also have been more than a little angry with him at times for pissing his talent up the wall on too many occasions.

"But I think when he sees through the murk at what opportunities are there for him he can really come up with the goods... Well, I think he did with these songs anyway.

"Some songs here touched me quite deep to be honest. And lyrically I think he's bang on with this record."