At nine 'o' clock when the stage is set with merely a dining chair, microphone stand and an acoustic guitar, it's not unreasonable for the two thousand strong crowd to have concerns as to whether this is going to work.
However, forty-five minutes late though half an hour late, Doherty took to the beer soaked stage; starting off his eighty minute cheeky acoustic medley, each song woven together with jangly guitar fills and jaunty chord patterns. With just a few brief pauses to read out letters thrown on stage by adoring fans.
His set incorporated a fine mixture of solo album and Babyshambles tracks, notably "Arcady", "Sheepskin Tearaway"and "Grace/Wastelands" lead single "Last of the English Roses." plus a cover of pop classic "Blue Moon" but most exciting and well received the variety of The Libertines classics such as "What a Waster," "Can't Stand Me Now" and singalong of the night "What Katie Did" though emotional without Carl Barât's vocal accompaniment, especially following the recent news of the final demise of "The Libertines." Bringing the show to it's post curfew finale with "Albion," with suitable lyrical adaptations.
It's astounding how one man can keep such a vast crowd going, equipped with just an acoustic guitar and microphone. Despite the drugs and tabloid romances, Peter Doherty is a poetic genius, overlooked incredibly by the media circus. Though he is an artist that should definitely be seen live and embraced with an open mind, to witness his extraordinary showmanship skills.
Jonathan Hatchman.
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