2006年10月英国《镜报》网站报道：被可卡因困扰的Tom

19 October 2006
Mirror.co.uk

CHARLIE CHAPLIN
EXCLUSIVE Keane frontman Tom spent £1,000 a week on cocaine
Eva Simpson & Caroline Hedley

HE was labelled a wimp by the rock fraternity after checking into The Priory – but Tom Chaplin’s booze and drug addiction was far worse than feared.

We can reveal that, during his darkest days, the Keane frontman was spending upwards of £1,000 a week on cocaine while also guzzling copious amounts of booze.

His management are so concerned about a possible relapse that they have imposed a backstage booze-ban on the band’s current tour, which kicked off in Hull on Tuesday.

A source close to Keane tells us: “Tom had a serious addiction problem and any suggestion otherwise is ludicrous. He has been hurt by some comments aimed in his direction – almost suggesting that he went into The Priory for some sort of street cred.

“There are genuine fears that he could suffer some sort of relapse, but he has a strong team around who are there to give him as much support as he needs.”

Tom, 27, was inundated with messages of support after he admitted he was an addict in August and said he needed “professional help”. But his words prompted a cynical backlash from other bands, who put him down as a publicity-seeking lightweight.

Kasabian guitarist Serge Pizzorno sniped: “He has probably had one line and all his minders are like, ‘Oooh’… This guy is going, ‘Everyone thinks we’re f***ing safe, I might go into rehab for a week and read a book’.”

The Zutons frontman Dave McCabe called Tom’s problems “mystifying” and announced: “Anyone who goes to rehab over coke is a bit of a k**b.” And Bjorn Agren from Razorlight questioned Tom’s drinking aptitude, saying he only managed one lager in the same time that they could down “seven or eight”.

Shrugging off the bitching, and fresh from a four-week spell in rehab, Tom’s amazing performance in Hull proved he is back to his best.

Speaking for the first time of his drugs hell, he says: “It’s something I’ve been dealing with for quite a while now and something I needed to knock on the head.

“It’s been a tough time for me and anyone around me. I was just really unhappy. I wasn’t enjoying myself.

“I think of the experience as like walking to the edge of a cliff and looking into the abyss – you can either jump off or turn round and walk back. Thankfully, for me it was the latter. I’ve come out feeling like a new person.”