The Libertines debut single What A Waster was released in June 2002. Carl Barat (guitar/vocals) Pete Doherty (Guitar/vocals), Gary Powell (drums) and John Hassell (bass) were hailed the best new band in Britain. An album, Up the Bracket, came out and rocketed them to fame, but as success grew, so heroin addict Pete Doherty – and therefore the band – fell apart in a series of legendary calamitous exploits. The Libertines – both with and without their errant front man – soldiered on, and the resulting self-titled album (Aug 2004) is as wonderful as it is melancholy. Pete Doherty continues to perform under the name Babyshambles, but his erstwhile sidekick Carl Barat has indicated that without Doherty, The Libertines show may not go on.