A crush on Peter

From This is local London:

Pete Doherty causes crush at Kingston's McClusky's
9:20am Saturday 21st November 2009

By Louise Robertson

Pete Doherty reminded fans of his rock star credentials by lighting a cigarette on stage at McClusky’s on Thursday night.
The troubled star created a storm when he rocked up to the Kingston club with Babyshambles, after a previous gig there was cancelled through illness.
Fans reported being crushed against the stage barrier as clubbers went wild for the act. One girl was spotted shouting she could not breathe and begging security to help.
Despite the pushing and shoving, and someone trying to throw a shoe on to the stage, the mood was positive and Pete took time to shake hands with those dedicated enough to push their way to the front.
At one point he tried to light a cigarette with a fan’s mobile phone, before realising it was not a lighter.
Queues to the gig snaked around TK Maxx, as there were only 100 tickets available on the door for the night, organised by New Slang.
Superfans Francesca Galluzzo, both 24, got there at 6pm to secure their place at the front of the queue, despite Babyshambles being scheduled for a 10.30pm start.
Miss Galluzzo said: “I can’t explain how excited we are. It’s not even a situation where we’re fans, it’s beyond that. I’ve lost count of how many gigs we’ve been to.”
Richmond teenager Sam Fryer also got there early and said he was “freaked out” when he heard his hero was playing so close to his home.
The 19-year-old said: “I just love the romance of it all. At first it was all about the Libertines before the Pete and Carl Barat bust up. I just love the poetry of it all and how they so loved each other but hated each other at the same time.
“When I was younger I was literally addicted, I just could not stop listening to them.”

Francesca, if you're there speak up! We want to hear from you!

Shambles in Kingston

NME.com has a short review of last night's gig:

"Babyshambles played a club gig at the Kingston McClusky's venue last night (November 19) – playing a cover of Happy Mondays' 'Kinky Afro' to open their set.
As well as the cover, Pete Doherty and his band included new songs 'Fireman' and 'Stranger In My Own Skin' in the setlist, plus another untitled new number later.
The four-piece also played crowd favourites including 'Delivery', 'Killamangiro' and set-closer 'Fuck Forever' – with fans crowd-surfing towards the stage as the set ended.
Doherty now heads to Europe for a solo tour".

Khalim12 says: "Was a great gig, crowd was ok, some pricks though. Pete looked really disheartened when no one reacted to stranger in my own skin, I really like it. Fireman is really good as well. Sometimes I get the impression pete gets bored by it all. Fuck Forever was amazing... Overall I thought it was really good".

Shambles freshman Buk tells us about his experience: "Last night at Kingston was the second gig I've managed to get to so far, although I have tickets for upcoming ones already booked. The first time was at The Roundhouse in Camden and I was mesmerised. I thought he had absolute control of the songs, the band and the audience. Last night was a very different experience - at times both he and the band were superb and his rapport with the audience is really good, but the venue was truly awful. The security procedures to get in were a real pain, the majority of the audience seemed more interested in getting pissed and the sightlines were frankly shit. It was just hard to hear or see anything. I think Pete did his best - throwing in some of the great songs to keep us happy and the momentum going, as well as testing new material. Overall I enjoyed it, but I hope the next time I see him and Babyshambles, they've sorted the technical stuff out and that the audience are there for the music, not the cheap booze".

Setlist:
'Kinky Afro'
'Carry On Up The Morning'
'Delivery'
'Beg, Steal Or Borrow'
'Fireman'
'Side Of The Road'
'There She Goes (A Little Heartbreak)'
'Stranger In My Own Skin'
'Pipedown'
'I Wish'
'Pipey Magraw'
'I'm Forever Blowing Bubbles'
'UnBilotitled'
'Killamangiro'
'Time For Heroes'
'Unstookietitled'
Untitled new song
'Baddie's Boogie'
'Albion'
'Fuck Forever'

Now YOU vote!

Normally I don't do these things, I know these charts are generally useless and after all it's only a matter of taste, but I'm totally fucked with the idiot comments I've read yesterday in the press about the NME "Best album of the decade" chart. You know, the "Up the Bracket of the Libertines, former band of the junkie rocker Pete Doherty...", the "Pete Doherty has 3 best albums of the decade!" (excuse me???), the "Arthritic Monkeys are the best band ever, not those drugged losers!" (yeah I read that too).

So please guys, get voting.

Here for Up The Bracket
Here for The Libertines

Vote for the junkies, for the losers, for the tossers! Whatever. But vote!

Carl comments the NME chart

Lack of sleep??? Mmmmm...

Thanks a lot to Carmine for the (witty) transcription!

NME 'The Libertines emerged at the start of the decade - hazy days?'
CBeebies (haha): 'I just remember the excitement of the routine of recording 'Up the Bracket.' Fallinmg asleep recording 'Radio America' - banging my head on the microphone because i was that battered. Mick [Jones, producer] stopping the sessions to watch Eastenders and us all sitting around the dinner table every night.'
NME 'Then it all got a bit more intense...'
Crazy Bat: 'Later all our lives changed and everyone got a bit wilder, in a bad way. The second album was a blur. It was an intense time, all sorts of emotions going round I didn't understand at the time - now i can look back and maybe think that it might just have been due to lack of sleep, some of the...Spinal Tappings.'
NME 'What Do you remember from that time?'
Carlos Whisper: 'Having a bodyguard each was a bit weird. When we first went in on the first day we almost had a massive ruck. We managed to break away from our guardians and flew at each other.'
NME: 'What do you think of the album now?'
Chewable Bottom: 'I didn't feel this at the time, but... you write lyrics and you only realise what you're writing about afterwards. If we'd set out to write honestly what was going on at the time I don't think it would have had the same effect. It's like the Velvet's album, some people say they heard it and then started a band - I couldn't ask for anything more.'

The printed interview is traceable in the new issue of the New Musical Express, out today.

Up the Bracket is the best British album of the decade

At last the truth has been restored! The NME's chart of the 50 best album of the last decade is out, and the Strokes' "Is This It" tops the chart, followed by the Libertines' first album at number 2. "The Libertines" is also in the chart (at number 24) and so is "Down in Albion", Babyshambles' first effort, at number 35.

You can see the whole chart here.

It's a great achievement for the guys, and maybe it will help to give them a little perspective of their real value.

Peter, Carl, John, Gary, you were the best musical thing of the last 10 years.

We want you back.

Together.

Gigs of the week

BABYSHAMBLES
Thursday 19 November
New Slang at McCluskys, Bishops Hall, Kingston upon Thames, United Kingdom

PETER
Sunday 22 November
Tivoli Oudegracht, Utrecht, The Netherlands (Roses Kings Castles supporting)

And now a tip: MatteoAlbion (Pete Doherty Italia Forum) met The Ficek in Italy last week and he said a new Shambles EP will be probably released in February, with the full CD expected in Spring.

Last days recap

Been easyjetting again, so I think I need a quick recap of the last things:
1. The Ashton-under-Lyme gig. Totally ignored by the Lancashire press, Peter's last gig at the Underground Live (sans Babyshambles) was mildly appreciated by the buffs. The only review comes from the old libertines.org, particularly a guy who calls himself "skagskagskag". Read on:
"was actualluy a really great gig.
turned up early on time and was totally with it.
played for the best part of two hours, me and my mates put together a setlist of what we can remember, no particluar order:
cant stand me now
delivery
man who would be king
tell the king
death on the stairs
last of the english roses
albion
fuck forever
beg steal borrow
dont look back into the sun
time for heroes
what a waster
ha ha wall
hooligans on e
for lovers
gang of gin!!!!!!!
whole world is our playground
music when the lights go out
and a shit load of covers:
someday - strokes
half the world away - oasis
ask - smiths
only fools and horses theme tune
mr postman
i wanna be adored - stone roses
waterfall stone roses
another girl another planet
sure ive missed a few but he was great. grabbed a spliff from someone in the crowd aswell which was quite funny.
was also a incident where he punched some kid for trying to steal his hat, the guy was being a twat though. some kid from the first band on, The Fayre, came and played drums on the last few songs also. he was insanely good, absolutely nailed fuck forever. pete was buzzin of him. his own band were pretty ace aswell when they played earlier on. didnt rate the other two".

2. Saturday night. Peter kindly turned up at the tribute for Dale Massey (the unforgettable ProperBo of FDW who died a few months ago) scheduled at 126 on Saturday night. Unfortunately, and certainly not by his fault, his semi-announced presence attracted a lot of people who had never known Dale and clearly didn't care for him, but went there only to see Peter (who in any case didn't perform). That's fame innit.

3. Adam was dj-ing in Italy last week, namely in Arezzo (Tuscany). He easyjetted back too on Saturday (not in my same plane).

4. I don't know if I should talk about Carl Barat's latest bizarre activities. This is a blog strictly related to music so stage acting is not contemplated. oooooo. Jokes aside, since I know many people also care for him in general, I'll try to give some shallow updates:

Carl has apparently suspended work on his solo album to dedicate himself to acting. He's got two things going on at the moment: one is a movie directed by his pal Jon McClure, taken from the latter's recent book, a "big rant" entitled "Lies". "It'll have Howard Marks in it" said McClure "a wrestler, some other friends. Carl Barat has said he wants to be in it. I'm beating them off now, I tell you. Brad Pitt will be next..." (for Jon's complete interview, featuring other Carlos-related rants) go here.

Carl has also been working with actress and producer (and professional ligger) Sadie Frost on a mysterious play which probably will premiere in some West End theatre early next year. The only thing I know is that last week a poster has been shot for the play by the legendary snapper Roger Sargent. So, good luck to Barat for this new adventure, with the hope he will get back to rock'n'roll as soon as he can.