Pete Doherty is putting music on the backburner so he can open a second hand shop in France possibly called Brocante Roll, and as well as shifting his old typewriters and books he wants to make it a venue and help a dogs refuge
Watch out Oxfam, Pete Doherty is looking to open his very own second hand shop to help dogs.
The Libertines rocker has become a bit of hoarder over the years collecting all sorts of items and now wants to shift some of the overflow, hopefully for charity. However, you won’t be able to pick up a Doherty bargain in Margate or any other sleepy UK town over-run with charity shops, as Pete’s new gaff will be in France.
Pete – who has been playing live with both Babyshambles and The Libs this summer – explained: “I really want to open a second-hand shop. I’ve got so much stuff. I finally got it all out of Margate to Normandy and I’ve got this big warehouse of records, clothes, typewriters, mannequins, books, trunks.”
The reformed badboy first moved to France (Paris) around late 2008 and then moved to the Normandy coast in 2020 where he spends most of his time.
He’d like his new business to include music as well as helping out some local hounds. However, he’s banking on a few pals helping him avoid any ‘red tape’ involved in opening a new business in France.
“I’d like to make it a venue as well. It wouldn’t be a museum, it would be a living, breathing organism in France,” Pete spilled. “I know a few people on the local council and I’d like to think I could tie into a lot of the work I do for the local dogs refuge.
“Maybe they could overlook a few of the licences and let me have a little bit of cafe or acoustic venue. Get a few of the bands from the label (Strap Originals) to come and play. People can potter about, they can have a chat, they can buy a book.”
Half the battle of opening a new business is coming up with a decent name and Pete already has one.
He revealed: “Well I live in a town called Étretat, so I was thinking of calling it Étre Tat with the emphasis on the tat, or Étre Tatty. Or the French word for a secondhand shop is Brocante, so maybe ‘Brocante Roll’?”
After a busy summer touring with two of his old bands, fans have been hoping for new material but Doherty admits they may have to wait for his new shop to open before embarking on any fresh recording sessions.
He told NME: “I don’t really feel the need to make a record right this second. I don’t feel it’s in my list of things to do immediately.”
Pete tours France this October.
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