The Libertines – the milestone band every other indie sleaze act tried to topple – are back on the road and here to celebrate the release of their newest album, All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade. The new album is just as witty, wry, and filled with the braggadocio and sensitivity as anything Up the Bracket held fresh in its hands, but there’s a maturity there now, too.
The gig is a time machine: men in porkpie hats and stripey tee shirts, women in ‘60s mod dresses and skinny scarves. The smokers’ area is filled to the brim, even in the rain, and empty pint plastics are chucked high from the rafters.
We were there a little last minute, a plan B in the pouring rain. I’ve been a Libertines fan since I was sixteen and first saw Doherty and Barat posing in their red military jackets: the dandy coy boys with a cigarette in one hand and a supermodel in the other. I have a list of bands I’m desperate to see before I die – working at The Bristol Gig Guide, I’ve managed to check most of them off – but The Libertines have long since been my white whale.
Doherty is bare chested with a grey blazer on. His hair’s greying, but there’s a sly glittering in his eyes that’s as recognisable as a fingerprint. Barat and Doherty still stage an almost-kiss every time they share the microphone, and the band’s drummer, Gary Powell, still conducts expansive solos that leave the frontmen a minute to catch their breath or throw an offhand wink into the audience. The concert is raucous, bass-heavy, and personality forward: they play ‘What Katie Did’, one of my favourite songs of all time, and I almost swoon. These are still the likely lads we know and love.
Then come the songs for the boys in the better band; ‘What Became of the Likely Lads’, ‘Up the Bracket’, ‘Death on the Stairs’, ‘Music When the Lights Go Out’, and ‘Can’t Stand Me Now.’ It’s an anthem to another time, another life, another version of the right-now.
The encore is epic; it’s fan service by a pair of frontmen who love their band more than even the most hardcore crowd could. The pair’s history is tumultuous and well-documented, but the way they perform songs written over the span of two decades, each sent out as reverently as the next, is a testament to the band’s significance. The night ends with ‘Don’t Look Back Into the Sun’, and it becomes a moment of nostalgia waiting to happen. The gig, too, will be one for the history books, even if only written down in mine.
Kate Jeffrie @katejeffrie
Role: Lead Writer / Interviewer
I review gigs, and interview bands and musicians.
Available For: Gig Reviews, band interviews
Qualification: I study English Literature at the University of Bristol.
First attended gig: The first gig I remember going to see was Lewis Watson when I was 13, at a pub a few towns over from where I lived. My friends and I all loved him, and I remember how shocked I was that someone I had on this pedestal could be stood on a stage just a few feet away, drinking a beer and playing guitar!
First gig reviewed: The first gig I ever reviewed was Palace at the O2 Academy Bristol. As a band I wasn’t particularly well acquainted with, it was a testament to how live music can bowl someone over, even when it’s coming from strangers.
Dream gig: My dad saw The Smiths on their first tour, and since they’re my favourite band, I think seeing them in an intimate venue would be a dream
Isaac Stubbings @ilnsimages
Role: Photographer & Reviewer
Hey! I'm a photographer who uses music as a core influence in all my photography. I love looking towards colour and lighting to try and emulate a narrative that enhances my work.
Qualifications: I study Photography at the University of the West of England, Bristol.
Available for: Gig Shoots, Photo Shoots, Album and Single cover shoots and Touring
First attended gig: The first gig I went to was to see the band Beach House in Brighton when I was about 14. It was in a big church and I remember the dreamy vocals and synths sounded amazing with the acoustics of the place. After that, I was hooked on the experience of going to see live music.
First gig shot: In college I shot a couple of my friends’ bands in tiny venues, but I think the first proper gig I shot was Newdad at Thekla. Wanting to get back into music photography, I reached out – not really expecting to hear back – and it meant a lot to me when I was put on the list to shoot one of my favourite bands. It was such an enjoyable and rewarding experience for me, so after that I was set on pursuing it further.
Dream gig: Big question. There are so many I could think of, but it would have to be The Cure in a small intimate venue.