It was perhaps inevitable that the night would be eventful with Pete Doherty in town.
Already annihilated at 1pm when he was refused alcohol from The Swim Inn; not even in the building when his set was due to start, deciding instead to go running down West Street and cause havoc; it seems amazing that Babyshambles were only half an hour late onto the stage.
Doherty casually sauntered on stage smoking a cigarette, cheekily asking “Any requests?” before the band began their opening song, ‘Carry On Up the Morning’. This soon made the fans forget about the delay; its catchy chorus and Doherty’s distinctive voice held everyone’s attention.
Babyshambles paid their regular tribute to Doherty’s time in The Libertines by playing ‘Time for Heroes’, which swept an air of nostalgia throughout the Academy.
The final song, ‘Fuck Forever’ ensured a vigorous close to an impressive set, with Mik Whitnall’s scratchy guitar tone throwing Babyshambles’ adoring fans into a physical frenzy. This was all that was needed to cue hundreds of half-full pints flying into the air, morphing the crowd into an energetic mass.
Despite being burdened with a typically shambolic Doherty, whose actions in the set included fellating a microphone, falling to the floor, and saying farewell to the Academy by throwing half the drum kit and a microphone stand into the crowd. Babyshambles still managed to deliver.
It was, however, tainted by the appearance of being more like ‘The Pete Doherty Show’ rather than a performance by Babyshambles in their own right.
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