Brawl Led To Libertines Reunion

Cult British rock band THE LIBERTINES' reunion was sealed after frontman PETE DOHERTY got into a brawl in Denmark.

The controversial singer/guitarist was strolling through a street in the country last year (09) when a group of tourists hurled abuse at him - which escalated into a group fight.

Doherty was so shaken up, he called up former Libertines bass player John Hassall, who now lives in Denmark - and the conversation set the wheels in motion for the band's surprise reunion.

The Libertines split in 2004 after Doherty's drug addiction caused a huge rift with fellow frontman Carl Barat. Although they eventually made up, a full reunion of the band looked unlikely until Doherty contacted Hassall.

Doherty tells rock mag NME, "I was in Denmark last year. I got abused by a load of Americans. I walked past this bar and one of them went, 'Hey man, what's Danish for pr**k?' I ended up getting in a bit of a ruck (brawl). As usual I got the f**king blame, and I phoned John. That's how we got back in touch."

Doherty, who previously confessed the band's upcoming gigs at the Reading and Leeds festivals in the U.K. could be a "f**king disaster", also admits the reunion is "upsetting".

He adds, "It would be very easy for us to laugh and joke and put up a front about it, but there's almost something quite upsetting about it in the excitement. It was a big part of my life. And I'm quite good at blocking things out. But the more I think about it, the more it upsets me. It's a celebration of a different time. It's a time that was... well, it's gone."