Having been under the weather for the previous few days and still suffering from an infection a very busy O2 Bristol gives Libertines, Babyshambles frontman Doherty a very warm welcome in the spacious environment for an “intimate” acoustic performance. Peter is accompanied onstage by his two rather large dogs who stroll on and make themselves comfortable making the whole thing quite surreal.

I can’t help but feel that playing this kind of show would work so much better in a small compact venue but then a fraction of the people would get in but that’s the way it goes, the O2 is impersonal and cavernous for a one-man acoustic show even if it was a treat to hear some gems played this way by a writer who has written some of the best songs and lyrics over the last few decades. Doherty is a genius and it felt a treat and a privilege to witness the man perform in this way. Whilst he might well have been playign to a set list it certainly didn’t feel that way as Peter meanders through the songs finding a comfortable pitch and easing his vocal into the set whist interacting with the audience as shouts go out for favourite songs and classic cuts this is loose as Dylan and Richards and Wood at live aid (go find it) its Libertines heavy in the opening exchanges, ‘Music When The Lights Go Out’ is very early in the set along with a couple of Babyshambles choice cuts with ‘Bollywood To Battersea’ working really well.

Mid set we were treated to a fantastic ramshackled ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’ where the audience found its voice and joined Doherty for the best song written by anyone in the UK for decades. As we headed into the homestraight and Peters voice was showing little signs of wear that had him postpone a show a few days earlier ‘Don’t Look Back’, ‘Time For Heroes’, ‘What Katie Did’ went down a treat before ‘Last Of The English Roses’ was aired along with a new song entitled ‘The Barons Claw’.

Possibly the best song of the night was an epic version of ‘French Dog Blues’ before ‘Albion’ kissed goodnight to a really chilled night out where I witnessed people jostling in the pit to a one man acoustic evening which was cool. To be fair I love his lyrics and I’ll take his music be it with a rock and roll band or ensemble of musicians as well as on his lonesome. Peter Doherty is a poet and one of the United Kingdoms finest songwriters and to him stripped bare like this was a real treat.

Author: Dom Daley

Having just completed a sold-out tour of the UK, Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres have announced a UK and European tour to coincide with the release of their eponymously titled debut album on Friday 26th April through Strap Originals/Cargo Records.
Tickets for all shows go on sale at 9 am on Friday 1st March. Tickets for the European shows are available from: Here  To make sure you bag a ticket for the UK Tour, pre-order the new Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres album from Here and get access to an exclusive pre-sale starting 27th February at 9 am.
The full dates are:
MAY
3rd Friday Belfast – Limelight
4th Saturday Dublin – The Academy
5th Sunday Bristol – O2 Academy
7th Tuesday Glasgow – Barrowland Ballroom
8th Wednesday Leeds – Stylus
9th Thursday Manchester – O2 Ritz
11th Saturday Nottingham – Rock City
12th Sunday London – O2 Forum Kentish Town
15th Wednesday Paris (FRANCE) – Bataclan
16th Thursday Antwerp (BELGIUM) – Trix
17th Friday Cologne (GERMANY) – Kantine
19th Sunday Berlin (GERMANY) – Astra Kulturhaus
20th Monday Vienna (AUSTRIA) – WUK
21st Tuesday Munich (GERMANY) – Backstage Werk
23rd Thursday Zurich (SWITZERLAND) – X-Tra
24th Friday Fribourg (SWITZERLAND) – Fri-Son
Pete Doherty & The Puta Madres also play the following Festivals:
MARCH
31st Sunday Rennes (FRANCE) – Mythos Festival
JUNE
8th Saturday St Pierre (FRANCE) – Sakifo Musik Festival
JULY
19th Friday Amersham, Buckinghamshire – Penn Festival
21st Sunday Amstelveen (NETHERLANDS) – Amsterdamse Bos
A single, mixed by Cenzo Townshend, ‘Who’s Been Having You Over’, is available now when you preorder the album.
“We believe the act of creating public artworks is visual activism, punk
ethics have always been at the very core of it’s soul. We are arming an inactive society with an alternative knowledge, standing up to ongoing vilification by the press and their immoral standards, and to the authorities who encourage the soulless gentrification and social control in our public space, whilst ignoring their duty of care.”
‘Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres’ will be available on Vinyl in a gatefold sleeve (SOLP1), CD (SOCD1), Cassette (SOCASS1), Deluxe CD (SOCD1X) & Deluxe Vinyl (SOLP1X) (including live album and film)and digital download.
‘Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres’ was recorded at a family home overlooking a fishing village in Étretat Normandy, over 4 days last summer and mixed at Urchin Studios (East London). The album is engineered by Dan Cox (Laura Marling, Thurston Moore, Florence & The Machine)and produced by Jai Stanley (longtime friend and manager). All the songs from the album were road-tested over the last 18 months across Europe at Festivals and headline shows.
Songs include the reflective ‘All At Sea,’ the raw ‘Punk Buck Bonafide,’ the upbeat and playful ‘Shoreleave,’ the joyous hymn of liberation ‘Paradise Is Under Your Nose,’ ‘Someone Else To Be’ Peter’s re-imagining of  the Velvet Underground’s ‘Ride Into The Sun’ and Oasis’ ‘Don’t Look Back In Anger, ‘Traveling Tinker’ an elegy to Peter’s friend Alan Wass and ‘Who’s Been Having You Over’ with dialogue from the 1948 film adaption of Graham Greene ‘Brighton Rock’ and the cheeky poke at his own notoriety…or is it,“Your so Rock & Roll.”
Peter Doherty has released three album with The Libertines (‘Up The Bracket’ (2002), ‘The Libertines’(2004) & ‘Anthems For Doomed Youth’(2015) and With Babyshambles ‘Down In Albion’ (2005), ‘Shotter’s Nation’ (2007) & ’Sequel To The Prequel’(2013) and two solo albums ‘Grace/Wastelands’ (2009) and ‘Hamburg Demonstrations’(2017).
Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres are Peter Doherty (Vocals/Guitar), Miggles (bass), Miki Beavis (violin), Katia DeVidas (Piano/keyboards), Jack Jones (lead guitar) and Rafa (drums).
Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres have announced six UK shows, commencing at York Fibbers on 13th February and culminating at Swansea – Sin City on 19th February. The bands new single ‘Who’s Been Having You Over’ was premiered on the BBC6 Steve Lamacq show. ‘Who’s Been Having You Over’ is taken from Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres debut album – more details to follow next week. 
Tickets for the Who’s Been Having You Over Tour are available now from Here The full dates are:
FEBRUARY
Wednesday 13th  York – Fibbers
Thursday  14th  Margate – Fort Road Yard
Friday    15th  Derby – The Venue
Saturday  16th  Northwich – The Plaza
Monday    18th  Swindon – Level 3
Tuesday   19th  Swansea – Sin City
As previously announced Peter will play the following solo shows  at the end of the month, all of which sold out within minutes of going on sale:
JANUARY
Sunday    27th Liverpool – Hanger 34  SOLD OUT
Monday    28th Glasgow – King Tuts Wah Wah Hut  SOLD OUT
Wednesday 30th Carlisle – The Old Fire Station  SOLD OUT
Thursday  31stNewcastle Upon-Tyne – Riverside SOLD OUT
After three albums with The Libertines (‘Up The Bracket’ (2002), ‘The Libertines’(2004) & ‘Anthems For Doomed Youth’(2015) three With Babyshambles ‘Down In Albion’ (2005), ‘Shotters Nation’ (2007) & ’Sequel To The Prequel’(2013) and two solo albums ‘Grace/Wastelands’ (2009) and ‘Hamburg Demonstrations’(2017). This will be Doherty’s ninth album.
Peter Doherty & The Puta Madres have toured Europe and South America over the last few years, including re-opening the Bataclan in Paris and the 02 Forum in London, are: Peter Doherty (Vocals/Guitar), Miggles (bass), Miki Beavis (violin), Katia DeVidas (Piano/keyboards), Jack Jones (lead guitar) and Rafa (drums).