Brixton Gig 18th Feb - Allan Jones

Uncut Editor's Diary
A daily dispatch from Allan Jones.

Post details: 'There's a four mile queue outside the disused power station. . .'
'There's a four mile queue outside the disused power station. . .'
2007-02-19 13:35:13
Someone’s put up large printed signs all down Stockwell Road and around Brixton Academy, large black letters on a bright orange background, their authorship unknown but their message starkly clear.

Continued...

“DON’T,” they thunder gravely, “END UP LIKE PETE THE JUNKIE”.

They are referring to Pete Doherty, in case you were wondering, and you can only give due consideration to what they have to say. Who, after all, would want to end up like Pete?

I mean, he’s young, witty, good-looking, easily adored, a great songwriter, has recently signed a new record deal, loves to get high, is engaged to one of the world’s most beautiful women, gets whisked hither and yon on exotic holidays (from which he is occasionally obliged to return somewhat earlier than intended) and tonight – Sunday - he’s playing a sell-out Shockwaves NME Awards Show at the Academy, where a seething audience is in excited attendance.

Yes, there are spells in rehab to contend with, which can’t be much fun, regular court appearances and the still-lingering threat of a custodial sentence – but on the whole, you’d have to say there are worse ways to go.

Anyway, the last time I saw Babyshambles here, they were promoting Down In Albion, which hadn’t come out on schedule and whose release anyway was then wholly overshadowed by the Kate Moss Drug Scandal, an unfortunate distraction with much woeful fall-out.

The Academy was far from full that night, plenty of room for tumbleweed to do its thing among the draughty spaces at the back of the hall. The show was sensational, though – with guitarist Patrick Walden, now long gone, an absolute revelation, a cross in his way between Jimi Hendrix and Keith Richards, a phenomenal presence.

Tonight, the place is as packed as I’ve ever seen it, the crowd a raucous thing that fair erupts when Pete appears, looking quite spiffing in a rakish trilby and tightly-buttoned black suit, out of which he fleetingly looks like he might burst out of and into an unwelcome version of the ghastly Alexei Sayle novelty song, “Ullo John! Gotta New Motor?”

Instead, the show starts with a slightly misfiring “Pipedown”- Pat’s replacement, former roadie Mick Whitnall barely audible when he should be whipping up a firestorm. They hit their stride, though, with “Baddies Boogie”, which provokes a crowd surge that alarms the Academy security enough to stop the show, the band leaving the stage while a few bodies are removed from the mosh-pit and the crowd encouraged to move back, a pretty sensible suggestion from the point of view of anyone being crushed against the front-of-stage crash barriers, or whatever it is they’ve got down there.

Pete repeats the same message when he comes back on for a full-blooded “Beg, Steal Or Borrow” and “The Blinding” and “Sedative”, which grows out of broody beginnings into a glorious mass singalong, one of many, the audience keen to join in whenever they can, which they do with particular gusto on the old Libertines favourite “Time For Heroes”.

Their only restive moments are probably on the songs from the unreleased but widely available Bumfest sessions, including “Unstookietitled” and “Unbilotitled”. “Killimangiro”, though, has the crowd sounding like something you might hear at a Cup Final. Kate Moss makes a fantastic two-part cameo during “La Belle Et Le Bete”, and her wiggling exits are among the evening’s undisputed highlights and the cause of much hearty cheering.

Pete’s early dapperness is a thing of the recent past, reduced now to a state of merry dishevelment, matched by a rough but lovely duet with Wolfman on what’s announced as the first-ever live airing of “For Lovers” and a raucously poptastic “I Wish”, after which the band promptly split.

The audience is by now is such a condition of euphoria they would probably have performed the encores entirely by themselves, but are joined anyway by a returning Babyshambles for “Albion”, “Back From The Dead” and “Fuck Forever”, which even deprived of Pat Walden’s original epic guitar intro is still a lusty anthem, the kind of thing the eventually departing crowd will sing long into the night on their various journeys to wherever they call home.

Outside, I am even more pleased to note that the finger-wagging placards I mentioned earlier are being torn down and ripped up by delirious fans, joyously refusing to toe the line, and letting the world know what they really think of the notorious Pete and how he looks currently ended up, which looks to me to be nearly the top of the world.

Just because it’s always worth watching, meanwhile, here’s a quick link to Babyshambles’ fantastic performance of “Albion” at last year’s NME Awards, the night’s high spot in fact.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F5CZDSQbW7g

Manchester Apollo 17th Feb - Shambles Smurf

What an ace night, best ive seen the shambles by far.

I thought the setlist was:

pipedown
baddies boogie
beg steal borrow
i wish
carry on up the morning
the blinding
unstookietitled
sedative
killamangiro
la belle et la bete
delivery
time for heroes
unbilotitled
what katie did
albion
fuck forever

------
back from the dead
side of the road

twas absolutely magnificent. started with best post pat version of pipe
down
ive heard and moved onto the ever growing baddies boogie. time flew by
with
some songs from the blinding ep, and later la belle et la bete avec
Kate
Moss roared out. the higlight of the night for me was delivery, that
drifted
into time for heroes and the crowd went wild. fuck forever was amazing
too.
after a long wait for the encore back from the dead bounded out and
weirdly
the shambles finished with the little known side of the road. my mark =
9/10
*gives thumbs up*

Brixton Academy Gig 18th Feb

The signs plastered along the route from Stockwell to the Brixton
Academy
didn't make sense tonight. The words "Don''t End Up Like Pete The
Junkie"
gave out a confusing message. If tonight's show is what a 'junkie' can
achieve, well...it seems Judge McIvor has known what has been possible
and
the sign posters had better take a second look at what Pete is doing
these
days.Peter Doherty was in total control of his voice and his guitar
playing
as he lead the band and his two guest singers, Kate Moss and Wolfnman,
to
some spectacular highlights that punctuated the evening

The gig was sold out, even with the balcony open. Touts were buying
£20
tickets for £25 and selling them for £35. The merchandise stall saw a
brisk
business, particularly for the new "Ficeck Forever" t-shirt that sold
to
more than freinds and family. The bar was busy while Little Man Tate
gave it
their best, but the crowd didn't care. They'd come to see the Shambles.
Pete swirled on stage with a bottle of beer and doused the first
rows of
the most pit with its contents. Straight into "Pipedown", a pared down
perfunctuary minimalistic version - partly because Mik's guitar did not
appear to be plugged into the amplifier. A QPR flag appeared on stage
and
issued the only boos of the night as Pete brandished it with pride.
Pete strapped up for a magnficent version of "Baddies Boogie"
which had
to be stopped by the security because of the power of the moshpit. The
band
was ushered off stage and returned shortly to finish the song before
launing
into a rocking "Beg Steal or Borrow" which has grown in electric
stature
from its acoustic beginnings. Pete's guitar playing was adventurous and
confident, filled with atttude and heart.

Pete kept the guitar for "The Blinding" and "Unstookietitled", but
laid
it aside for the drama of "Sedative" which saw him at the front of the
stage
drenched in diffused light and wisps of smoke from his only cigarette
of the
night.

Adam and Drew were tight and even Mik's often reticient guitar
found a
place in the spotlight. The show's most grand and eloquent moments were
in
"Killimangiro" which expanded to fill the Academy and the hearts of the
fans
who sing every word as they have done for years. Gone was Pete's cry
"I
believe in love" and instead his silence and the energy of the band
filled
the sonic room.

It was followed by "Side of the Road" and "You Talk" before Kate
dazzled
the crowd in "La Belle et Le Bete" with her deadpan vocal and her crazy
girls-just-want-to-have-fun squiggle off the stage. "The Delivery"
surged
despite a few sour notes and "Time for Heroes" was greeted with raised
arms
and fists punching the air.

"Unbilotitled" was followed by a thank you from Pete to "Ms. Moss"
before introducing Wolfman who joied him to sing what is called the
first
live peformance of "For Lovers". It worked really well and seemed
touchingly appropriate in this night of unions and reunions.

A poppy "I Wish" closed the set and gave the crowd a new chorus to
sing
while waiting for an encore which was "Albion", "Back from the Dead",
FUCK
FOREVER.

There were many new fans tonight. They didn't know the words to
the
"Bumfest" songs and demanded those they were familiar with. There was
no
"Pete, Pete, Pete". No hats, letters or pieces of jewellery were thrown
on
to the stage. No fans lighting his cigarette from the foot of the
stage.
Pete didn't stage dive. Patrick didn't spark out splintered
electricity. It
was a different night. As good as the old ones. I hope to see many
more
nights like this.

200turtles