Doherty stepping out into the Wastelands

Controversial, singer, guitarist and self-styled 'people's poet' Pete Doherty celebrates the release of his first ever solo album next month and a tour which includes a date at Birmingham 02 Academy.

In the same month that Doherty turns 30, he will be appearing at the Academy on Wednesday, March 25.

Tickets, which cost £19, are available by clicking here.

Doherty, who seems never to be out of a media storm for his colourful lifestyle, releases his debut solo album, Grace/Wastelands, on March 16. The first single from the album, Last of The English Roses is out on March 9.

The album was recorded at Olympic Studios in London last autumn and is produced by legendary producer Stephen Street (The Smiths, Blur)

Grace/Wastelands features a number of special guests, with Blur guitarist Graham Coxon on all but one of the tracks and guest vocals from Dot Allison.

Fans might recognise some of the songs on the album from demos he's previously released or from bootlegs of live shows where he's performed them.

"They kept telling me in rehab that I had self-esteem problems, so I went along with it, but it didn't really register," he admits.

"But now, I can really see that, because I don't really believe people when they tell me that they love the record or they enjoy listening to the songs. Maybe I'm just warped, you know?"

Doherty says that the biggest impact on the new album was the presence of another unique English artist.

"Graham Coxon ended up playing on most tracks," Peter beams. "He was probably in the studio more than I was, to be honest," he notes with a wink.

Doherty says he was left reeling in awe at his one-time hero.

"I remember when I was about fifteen and still listened to Pet Shop Boys and Chas And Dave," Peter remembers, "and some lad at school who was a bit of a mod lent me a Blur tape and it had on it a song called Bank Holiday. I was like, 'What's this?' I said to him, 'I liked that tape but that one song, it's a bit fast'.

The feeling was mutual.

"I was absolutely horrified when he said he was actually a fan of some of the things I've done," Doherty grins.