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
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