Once again we gathered in the great hall at Cardiff University watching Dead Freight use their twenty-five minutes to good effect with a solid sound much the same as when we were here the last time The Libertines played at this venue and Dead Freight supported Then I wasn’t familiar with much of the set but again the band impressed with their full bloodied sound of indie post-punk with the set closer of ‘Bat Man’ being the band standout track and a great way to end their set for a nicely filling up room.

Now last time The Libertines played here it was a Saturday night. The venue was heaving from the get go but tonight it’s a more chilled-out Cardiff Uni possibly due to it being a School night. Still, there aren’t the same level of pissed young men throwing themselves about which is quite nice and there is a time and a place for such uncontrolled behaviours. It would seem tonight wasn’t the time or place however from the opening song Cardiff was in fine voice as the band took the stage looking match fit and sounding like they’ve been rearing to go for weeks and with the set list bedded in the band were sounding fantastic having road tested some of the new songs earlier on their club tour that was fantastic to see the band at close quarters again.

Kicking off with ‘The Delaney’ it was evident after the opening three or four songs the band were in no mood to fuck about and it was down to some serious rocking business and ‘What Became, ‘Boys In The Band’ and ‘What Katie Did’ their telepathic frontmanship weave was in sync as Doherty and Barât interchanged vocals and guitar parts with a majestic telepathy that is a sight to behold and tonight in rather fetching fedoras they looked every inch the been there seen it done it Roc n Rollas that they are and The Libertines 2024 are all the better for it. Tonight, when they only need a glance across the stage from one to the other, they work as one no words necessary, just that innate bit of magic that not every band possesses but the Libertines do.

Again it’s the rhythm section that pushes our six stringing pirates all the way with a thunderous energy that is often the overlooked force behind the Libertines, Gary often seeming like he has about three pairs of arms and John Hassall holding everything in place that enables the two swashbuckling frontmen the room to do what they do.

We get the usual suspects off the first two albums with the odd song off their third album thrown in for good measure but tonight the new songs off their magnificent ‘All Quiet’ album that lifts the set and sit perfectly in the set alongside fan favourites I might as well point out here that they played every song off ‘All Quiet’ with the exception of ‘Barons Claw’ which is quite remarkable yet not surprising such is the band’s confidence and belief in this new material.

From ‘Horrorshow’ to ‘Run Run Run’ which is greeted like an old friend, the main set is brought to an end with a goosebump rendition of ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’ and the foursome exit stage left to a well-deserved rapturous applause.

Of course they were going to return to the stage to a seven-song encore that began with a cosy gather around the ole Joanna as ‘Man With The Melody’unfolds before ‘Oh Shit’ cleared the head before ‘Gunga Din and ‘Last Post’ enabled a quick intake of breath before we head into the home straight and the ‘Time For Heroes’ before we get a loose run through ‘Songs They Never Play On The Radio’ before we get the familiar fireworks of ‘Don’t Look back Into The Sun’ and we’re done. Cardiff has once again been thoroughly entertained by one of the UK’s finest bands currently making new records and touring. Always a pleasure and never a chore if you get the chance I can’t recommend seeing The Libertines highly enough. Wonderful band and probably better than you would imagine trust me I know these things. Same time same place next year gents thank you very muchly, you beautiful, talented bastards.

Author: Dom Daley