Gigs of the week + Borlange

PETER
Friday July 3rd - Festival Beauregard, Herouville Saint Claire, France, Scene 1, from 00.45 to 01.45.
Saturday July 4th - Festival Eurockeennes de Belfort, France, Chapiteau Stage, from 22.20 to 23.20
Sunday July 5th - Roskilde Festival, Denmark, Arena Stage, from 14.00 to 15.00

About the Concealed Festival, i.e. Peace and Love in Borlange, Sweden (last week)...
the event was totally obscured in the news, first by MJ passing away, second by Glasto... but now some info is slowly surfacing:

Carl Barat (who played on Thursday) appeared on the stage in the afternoon, wearing the usual grey suit, backed by Anthony on guitar and Drew on bass/double bass + the drummer currently known as "Donald" and the hotties on violin/violoncell. We have:
MWTLGO
A bit of Can't stand me now
and a bit of Bang bang

Peter played on Friday, donning a light blue vest and a weird hairdo. We have:
LOTER
Fuck Forever (not an awesome video, but...)

Glastonbury: the round-up

Sorry about the video I posted yesterday, it was deleted before I could say "reunion". Anyway, Peter's appearance at Glasto received huge appraisal from various sources. Here's a round up of the articles (some of them are reviewing the Festival in general):

• The Independent


• Spalding Today


• Virtual Festivals


• Wales on line


• The Age

And of course the NME

Videos have been fucking deleted!

Bits:

• Everybody agree that Peter was looking on top form and played very well.


• Adam, Drew and Stephen Street were the backing band, whereas Mik was nowhere to be seen.


• The supposed Queen's Head slot on saturday was cancelled without any explanation.


• Carl Barat was spotted both Saturday and Sunday, allegedly looking "too cool to talk to". Emily Eavis was seen drooling over him all the time and when asked about a possible late night Libs reunion Carlos just replied "no fucking way".

Bits from Glasto

Adam says: "off stage in Glasto, sound was poo on stage hope it was good out front on route to the garage in islington for djizmz.."

More photos here

And here

Peter at Glasto

This just in, in real time! Not much of course, but two brand new photos taken seconds ago on The Other Stage!

Stay tuned!

Rumor has it that Peter is playing a secret slot on the Queen's Head stage tonight.

PETE DOHERTY SILENT MOVIE

Awright Peter you little bastard! That's the way we love you. Get it?

New single out!

Now it's official:

Peter Doherty New single ‘Broken Love Song’ out July 27th

Peter Doherty releases the second single, ‘Broken Love Song’ from his recent album ‘Grace/Wastelands’ on July 27th.

The video for the track will be unveiled exclusively on independent web and mobile TV service Babelgum on June 29th.

Babelgum also features exclusive live performances of the tracks, ‘Arcady’ and ‘Lady Don’t Fall Backwards’ as well as a never before seen two-part interview.

‘Ballad Of Grimaldi’ will feature as the single b-side.

New Slang gig to be rescheduled

Message from Adrian:

"Hi folks, some more bittersweet news. Kingston, New Slang on Thursday is going to have to be re-scheduled.Again, without going into too much, this is for very good and genuine reasons. We are still set for Friday in Sweden and Saturday in Glastonbury. Sorry for the disappointment folks but it's for good reason. Thought I'd let you guys know as soon as I did in case anyone was booking transport".

Once again, best wishes Peter. Take all the time you need.

GIGS OF THE WEEK

PETER

• Thursday June 25th - Kingston, New Slang (this should be on).
• Friday June 26th - Peace & Love Festival, Borglange, Sweden, Utopia stage, from 18.00 to 19.00 (this is to be confirmed)
• Saturday June 27th - Glastonbury Festival, Other Stage, from 16:50 to 17:50 (this should be on)

CARL

• Thursday June 25th - Peace & Love Festival, Borlange, Sweden, Venus stage, from 15.15 to 16.00.

Last stop in Rome

Photo by Alice Mess

Carl has concluded his Italian minitour last night in Rome, at the Lanificio. The show was highly appreciated, although the mic wasn't working perfectly. "The beginning was a bit slow" says Alice "maybe because many people didn't know songs like Ballad of Grimaldi or So Long, but after What a Waster, Carl and Anthony started to move their arses and so did the crowd. There were tears everywhere during The man who would be king and Time for heroes".

In the meantime, Carl's new song "So Long" got thumbs up by the NME column "1o tracks you have to hear this week":

9. Carl Barat – So Long. The cup of the Libs lover runneth right over: reunions, tabloid stories, gigs left right and centre, and now – Carl solo! Dirty Pretty Things this ain’t, as El Barât peforms at Dunfermline’s Carnegie Hall backed by a violinist in a suit that looks like he half-inched it from the Telstar costume department. The song is a Celtic-tinged ballad, Carl crooning, “So long my lover, it’s over…” You can’t get rid of us that easily, Carly boy.

All is well with Carl, and I wish I could say the same for Peter. But after all, as they say, no news is good news, so let's roll on to the Gigs of the Week.

Carl & Co in Ancona

Photo by Martina Stanic

After the first gig in Milan, Carl, Anthony, Drew and the rest of the crew continued their Italian mini-tour in the town of Ancona, on the Adriatic sea.

Report by Martina:

"I really thought it was lovely, the sound was great, there was a bit of a problem with Carl’s acoustic at the beginning, so he took electric and played What a Waster first, so the usual order got mixed up a bit. He didn’t play France, which was a shame. And I suppose he didn’t intend to play Ballad of Grimaldi, either, because he already invited Anthony on the stage, but Anthony didn’t show, so Carl said he’d play something else for us, then.
I thought his voice sounded great. They all seemed to be having a great time, the crowd were great and Carl stage-dived at the end. The room was really hot and Drew even complained about it in Italian at one point. The gig was supposed to be outside but was moved inside because it looked like it would rain.
I got photos with Carl, Drew and Anthony afterwards and Carl and Anthony’s autographs. Drew seemed really surprised when I asked and was even more surprised when I said he’d been amazing. Carl and Anthony stayed outside for over half an hour afterwards, though, chatting with everyone, having photos taken and signing things, they were in a wonderful mood".

This video shows Carlos singing his new song "So Long".

The last date of the tour is tonight in Rome.

Carl in Milan

Photo by Edo Binda

First Italian date for Carl, Anthony and Drew last night at the Plastic club in Milan. People complain of having been left outside under the rain until 10 minutes before the show started, and somebody said the sound was lame, but on the other hand all seem to agree it was a good show. Carl played the usual mix of Libertines and DPT songs + the new tracks "So Long" and "Monday Morning". Tonight Carl and his band are playing in Ancona.

Setlist: 9Lives, Ballad of Grimaldi, France, So Long, What a Waster, Blood Thirsty Bastards, Music When the Lights Go Out, Deadwood, Come Closer, The Man Who Would Be King, BURMA, Monday Morning, Truth Begins - Dont Look Back Into The Sun, Cant Stand Me Now, Time For Heroes, Bang Bang You're Dead.

Carl Barat Live @ Plastic Milano 19-06-09

More info later!

Telstar to premiere tomorrow

Carletto Barattolo won't participate to the event (he's coming to visit my folks - well, nearly) but if you still enjoy a good night out at the pictures, don't miss it. The following article (by Neil Smith) comes from BBC News:

"Telstar, a British-made biopic of the 1960s music producer Joe Meek, arrives in UK cinemas this week on the same day as the heavily-hyped Transformers sequel.
It is a David and Goliath battle that would no doubt appeal to Meek, a maverick talent accustomed to ploughing his own idiosyncratic furrow.
A pioneer who created musical history from a humble flat on London's Holloway Road, Joe Meek enjoyed phenomenal success with the iconic Telstar.
Performed by The Tornados, the instrumental track - named after the first active communications satellite - was a number one hit on both sides of the Atlantic in 1962 and the biggest-selling record of its time.
Meek's other successes included Johnny Remember Me, a "death ditty" for singer John Leyton, renowned for its eerie, ethereal vocals.
But he is equally well known for his lapses in judgement - he turned down the Beatles four times - and the nature of his tragic demise.
That came in February 1967 when he killed himself with the shotgun he had just used to murder his landlady, Violet Shenton.
His dramatic rise and fall form the basis of a film that could hardly be further removed from a certain effects-laden blockbuster.
Actor turned director Nick Moran admits he would rather his modestly budgeted film did not face such stiff competition.
"It wasn't planned," he tells the BBC News website. "But I don't think it matters, because it's not going to be seen by giant robot fans.
"What this film has is amazing British talent and world-dominating acting," he continues. "That's what we're good at.
"We're not good at robots. You want to see robots, go see them - the choice is yours."

The British talent of which Moran speaks spans an eclectic range of actors, comedians and music stars.
The latter include singer and guitarist Carl Barat, of the Libertines and Dirty Pretty Things, and Justin Hawkins, formerly of The Darkness.
Barat plays rock 'n' roll star Gene Vincent, while Hawkins makes a memorable impression as the late Screaming Lord Sutch.
Moran, best known for his role in Guy Ritchie's film Lock, Stock and Two Smoking Barrels, says it was important to involve figures from the current music scene.
"We've tried to throw in contemporary links, and hopefully people pick up on that," he explains.
"If they don't it still stands up, but if they do it's an added bit of texture."
Actor Con O'Neill, who plays Meek in the film, sees further parallels between his character and the modern pop industry.
"Joe was the Simon Cowell of his day," he says. "He was a star maker, which is what Simon is, and he was as abrupt as he is too."
"I think Simon owes a lot to Joe," agrees Moran. "Joe was taking kids off the street, giving them a shiny suit and turning them into a pop star.
"That's something that was going on back then and couldn't be more relevant, thanks to shows like Pop Idol and The X Factor."
Having played Meek in the stage play on which Telstar is based, O'Neill knows pretty much all there is to know about this neglected British icon.
Given Meek's well-documented obsession with the occult and the afterlife, then, what does the actor think he would make of how he is portrayed?
"I think he would love the fact that a film has been made of his life," says O'Neill. "It's great it's raised interest in that era and his music.
"And I think he'd appreciate we don't dress him up as something he wasn't. We chose to show him as a complex, flawed human being."
Moran, meanwhile, is convinced that Meek, wherever he is, thinks his leading man did the late impresario justice.
"When we did the cast and crew screening, one of Joe's relatives said he was in the room," he reveals.
"He thought Con did very well, even if he was a little bit too short."
Telstar is out in the UK on 19 June".

New Slang Gig?

I'm not too sure about this piece of news, but maybe it's worth to be reported:

"Infamous rocker Pete Doherty is heading to Kingston to play a show at the New Slang club night at McClusky's.
On Thursday (June 25) he will perform a solo set featuring songs from his latest record, Grace/Wastelands, and he may even dust off some Babyshambles and Libertines favourites.
Tickets, which cost £6, are available from Banquet Records in Eden Street and are expected to sell out".

Source: Surrey Comet

Queen of Hoxton is off

Message from Babybear:

"Some bad news folks. Peter cannot do The Queen Of Hoxton show on Saturday. This is for genuine (and I may add positive) reasons. I know it's going to be a disappointment to some of you so I thought I'd better let you know asap in case travel arrangements are being made. I am trying to help out the promoter by finding a decent replacement for the show, which is still going ahead so watch this space. Don't shoot the messenger! bb".

Update: "Unfortunately it also means Paris is off on Sunday. We will be looking to re-schedule the FNAC event as soon as possible. Very disappointing obviously but every cloud has a silver lining. bb".

Well I think we all know what BB is talking about don't we. Best wishes, Pizza.

Gigs of the new week

Let's forget everything about last week, OK? Today it's Monday and we're starting over.

First of all, let's have a look at the upcoming gigs.

PETER

Saturday June 20th: Queen of Hoxton, London (starts 18.30)

Sunday June 21st: Fete de la Musique FNAC, Chateau de Vincennes, Avenue de Paris, Vincennes, France

CARL (+ Anthony Rossomando and Drew McConnell):

Friday June 19th: Plastic, Milan, Italy

Saturday June 20th: Terrazzo Museo archeologico, Ancona, Italy

Sunday June 21st: Lanificio 159, Rome, Italy

Plus!

• Peter is on TV tonight, Panorama, BBC1, 20.30 (preview here)
• Stephen Street talks about his "Midas touch" (here)

Idro flop?

Reports from last night's Babyshambles show at the Rock in Idro Festival in Milan talk of a disappointing and tired gig, and of a disastrous behavior on behalf of the crowd, which didn't seem too interested in Peter and co. and, after two raging sets by Gogol Bordello and Social Distortion, generally decided it was the right time to have dinner.

The setlist was totally devoid of surprises, there were some technical problems and the Shambles were acting like they didn't want to be there but that's not a good reason for the audience to behave like imbeciles. Somebody threw a beer at Mik (who reacted very badly - can you blame him?) and the band's dressing room was raided. The only mildly satisfied one seems to be Adam who twittered "good Italy gig but someone ransacked the shamz dressing room, made of with dollars, booze and phones...!!".

Babyshambles played:

Side of the road, Killamangiro, Beg Steal or Borrow, I wish, Sedative, Baddies Boogie, Delivery, Carry on up the morning, Back from the dead, Pipedown, Albion, Time for Heroes, Fuck Forever.

Babyshambles in Milan

After forking out a stunning 50 grand for the bail, Peter has graciously decided to concede his beautiful presence to the Italian buffs, and has just reunited with his Shambles mates on the unbelievably hot Italian soil. So, the Rock in Hydro Festival is on, and Babyshambles are going to be there. The Pogues are headlining (Shambles playing just before them, at 21.30) and other acts include Gogol Bordello, Subways and Gaslight Anthem.

Reports tomorrow.

No gig. Sorry.

The Rockhouse has issued an official statement which says: "Tonight’s show with Peter Doherty will no longer be taking place. The show will be rescheduled shortly and a new date will be announced. All tickets will be valid for the rescheduled show or alternatively ticket holders can request a refund from the original place of purchase. An official statement will be released on Peter Doherty’s website."

Tonight's gig likely to go ahead

Glad to know everything is being solved (particularly for the people who bought the tickets of course):

PROMOTERS say Pete Doherty will play at Derby's Rockhouse tonight, despite reports that he has been arrested and is still in custody.
The former Libertines singer and Babyshambles frontman is due to perform a solo gig at the Babington Lane venue.
Tom Kitchen, assistant promoter at the Rockhouse, said: "He will still be playing tonight.
"He is just sorting out the last legal documents then he is hoping to get down here."

Source: This is Derbyshire

Peter wows Gloucester (gaol included)

Peter played at the Gloucester Guildhall last night. According to This is Gloucestershire, "The ex-Libertine took to the stage armed with just a guitar and the occasional cigarette for the show at the Guildhall. Playing to a packed hall of more than 300 people Pete kept his crowd captivated".

"Was a fantastic gig!" says Nick Clark "I was really unsure of what to expect but he really won me over, a incredibly talented performer and showman".

"Last nights gig was brilliant!" says J "Despite being late (which I think everyone was expecting), he played a blinding set!! It was great that he interacted with the crowd and played songs suggested by fans! He is a brilliant singer / song writer!".

Unfortunately, one hour later Peter was busted by the police while "driving erratically" on Derby Road and apparently he's still in custody. At this point the fate of tonight's gig in Derby is uncertain.

Stay tuned for updates.

Video corner

From Carl's last night show:

• France
• So Long (new!)
• Monday Morning (new!)
• MWTLGO

Plus!
Peter: Arcadie at the infamous Neuchatel Festival of last Friday
And!
RKC's new EP (out August): Apples and Engines

Review of Carl's gig

by Greg Christison

Carlos Barat was given a warm reception at Dunfermline’s Carnegie Hall as he played a rapturous set to thrilled fans. Although the all-seated venue was not sold out, Barat’s energetic performance drew hundreds of fans from their chairs as he concluded the gig with a stirring encore.
Taking to the stage around 9pm, the former member of The Libertines began the night with an acoustic 'Nine Lives' before continuing on to 'Ballad of Grimaldi'. However, it was a beautiful version of 'France', a song written by Barat during his time with the Libertines, which was the first to be met with cheers from the enthusiastic crowd. After an adventurous attempt at the solo, Barat told the fascinated crowd: "That bit doesn’t sound right without Pete", in reference to friend and former Libertine Pete Doherty.
Barat then introduced his band to the audience, which interestingly included Drew McConnell, bassist of Babyshambles, the band fronted by Doherty. Anthony Rossomondo, the former guitarist of Dirty Pretty Things, another of Barat’s previous projects, also appeared in the band.
The group fired through a series of Libertines’ classics, including an interesting jazz-styled rendition of 'Music When the Lights Go Out', as well as finding the time to fit in Dirty Pretty Things tunes 'Blood Thirsty Bastards', 'Deadwood' and 'BURMA'. Barat also aired new songs 'So Long' and 'Monday Morning' to the captivated crowd.
Returning to the stage after a five-minute interval, Barat threw the crowd into a frenzy of excitement with the opening chords to 'Don’t Look Back Into the Sun'. He then proceeded to close the gig with 'Can’t Stand Me Now', 'Time for Heroes' and 'Bang Bang You’re Dead', as dedicated fans left their seats and surrounded the stage, a scene reminiscent of the early days of the Libertines.
As one member of the audience invaded the stage and embraced a clearly exhausted Barat, it brought a smile to the musician’s face. If his break from performing live had brought any doubts to his mind, they were now crushed as he left the stage to cheers and adulation.

Gigs of the week

A thrilling week ahead!!!

PETER
Wed June 10th - Guildhall Arts Centre, Gloucester, UK
Thu June 11th - Rockhouse, Derby, UK

CARL BARAT
Tue June 9th - Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline, Scotland

BABYSHAMBLES
Sat June 13th - Rock in Idro Festival, Idroscalo, Milan, Italy

RKC
Fri June 12th - The Winchester, Bournemouth, UK

Camden Rocks mess

So, this is what the NME says about last night:

"Pete Doherty and Carl Barat played two small venues in Camden tonight (June 6), the large number of fans resulting in police intervention. The two former Libertines members were performing in London as part of the Camden Rocks festival, which took place at a number of venues in the area.

Doherty took the stage at the Underworld at 9.40pm (BST), and performed a wide range of material from his days with The Libertines and Babyshambles, and as a solo artist. Highlights of the 50-minute set included The Libertines' 'What A Waster', 'Music When The Lights Go Out' and 'Time For Heroes' and Babyshambles' 'Merry Go Round' and 'The Lost Art Of Murder'. Doherty's solo single, 'The Last Of The English Roses', and a version of 'For Lovers', his 2004 collaboration with Wolfman, were greeted with the biggest sing-alongs of the night. After performing 'Fuck Forever' and 'Albion', the songwriter played half of Babyshambles' 'Killamangiro', before throwing down his acoustic guitar and leaving the stage.

Carl Barat then performed at the small Monarch pub at 11.15pm - however, crowds of fans were left stuck outside the venue after its capacity was reached hours before. Police turned up to help enforce the venue closure, and organisers with megaphones asked the fans, some of whom were calling for refunds, to disperse".

This is what Epiphany has to say about Carl's performance:

"Carl played: What a Waster (solo), Deadwood (solo), Ballad of Grimaldi (solo), Nine Lives (with Kieran Leonard), France (solo), Holly Go Lightly (solo), Truth Begins (full band), Bang Bang (full band), Time for Heroes (full band), Can’t Stand Me Now (full band), I Get Along (full band).
Also on the setlist were Likely Lads, Come Closer, Blood-Thirsty Bastards, Gin and Milk, Death on the Stairs and Monday Morning (which I assume is a new one). The set was cut short due to pressure from the police who were calling for the whole event to end as trouble started up outside The Monarch from the crowd showing up after the Pete gig and hoping to gain entry. The band consisted of Stan, Drew and the drummer from the Paddingtons. Carl was in very good cheer (he came on to a rendition of Happy Birthday from the crowd). The solo part was beset with technical difficulties (What a Waster was best heard with a finger in one ear) and the last few songs generated utter chaos as the crowd surged forward, people fell and drinks flew. At the aftershow Carl muttered about playing on a couple of occasions but it came to nothing. Great success for him, I think".

Photos from Getty Images.

Carl + Anthony + Drew @ Camden Rocks

It seems last night was a proper mess! I'm gathering info on both gigs (Peter's and Carl's) at the moment, just enjoy this beautiful rendition of Truth Begins, played by The Three Hunks.

Happy Birthday Biggles!

...His star quality and sex appeal radiate from his devastating good looks and enormous talent, yet he is a complete loner, the antithesis of the old fashioned star...

Camden Rocks schedule?

PLease take this with a grain of salt. The organizers are still saying the correct scheduled will be delivered tomorrow, together with wristbands. Anyway, this seems reasonable:

The Monarch- *Carl Barat - 11.15 *Rosie Oddie & The Odd Squad - 10.15 *Som Wardner(My Vitriol) - 9.14 *Paddingtons - 8.05 *New York Fund - 7pm *The Strangways - 6pm *The Social - 5pm *Vaults - 4pm *Lets Wrestle - 3pm *TBA - 2pm *Subkick - 1pm *Candy - 12.10pm
Underworld- *Pete Doherty - 9.30 *Ginger - 8.20 *Nine Black Alps - 7.15 *Black Hole - 6.10 *Black Spiders - 5.20 *Sonic Boom Six - 4.30 *Sharks - 3.40 *Dirty Harry - 2.50 *Templeton Pek - 2pm *TBA - 1.10 *Gundays - 12.30
Barfly- *Exit Ten - 9.45 *Glamour Of The Kill - 8.30 *Slaves To Gravity - 7.15 *TBA - 6.15 *MiLLS: - 5.15 *Turbowolf - 6.15* *Telegraphs - 3.15 *Kill Casino - 2.15 *Haunts - 1.15 *Young Guns - 12.15
Prince Of Wales- (Acoustic Venue) *Stax Dempsey - 9.45 *Kieron Leonard - 9pm *The Strangways - 8.15 *McDaid & Fox - 7.30 *Sonic Boom Six - 6.45 *Dave McPherson (INME) - 6pm *New York Fund - 5.15 *Seamus - 4.30 *Tabitha Benjamin - 3.45 *Medi & The Medicine Show - 3pm *Subkicks - 2.15 *Gundogs - 1.30 *New Adventures - 12.45
Dingwalls (After Party) *Queens Of Noize 12-1am *Cherry Cola -3am

Besides, for people who cannot go there's a treat: Camden Rocks will be visible on your PC thanks to Noonan Media, which will broadcast all the events live from Camden Rocks on their NM-Multi Live Stream Player.
The Player will be hosted on the Camden Rocks Website, as well as on the websites and MySpace Profiles of all participating acts and venues.
Should you rather wish to stay in your neighbourhood, you can also follow every single gig on Facebook, check the application here.

Tips

A few midweek tips from various sites and blogs:

• Caroline Lees analyzes Peter's possible breakthrough in US;
• Peter has spoken out about why he abhors racism and the British National Party in a video interview;
• Adam rants about indie music;
• Drew also talks about the LMHR event.

New gig announced

From SoGlos.com:

In true rock ‘n’ roll style, with just a week until the former Libertine and Babyshambles’ frontman steps on to the Gloucester Guildhall’s stage it has been announced that Pete Doherty will be playing a live gig at the city centre venue.
Perhaps better known for his tabloid-hogging antics off stage, fans of both Doherty’s indie bands will undoubtedly be snatching-up the chance to see the singer-songwriter in Gloucester on Wednesday 10 June 2009.
And with tickets costing just £15, they won’t be on sale for very long.
Event: Pete Doherty gig

Venue: Gloucester Guildhall

Date: Wednesday 10 June 2009

Times: Doors open at 7.30pm

Tickets: Cost £15, available from the Gloucester Guildhall box office on (01452) 503050.

Visit gloucester.gov.uk/guildhall for more information. Please note, this is an over 14s event.

Peter's half gig

Severe sound problems plagued Peter's last night gig at The Den and Centro. Five songs into the set Peter's mic broke and the set had to be halted.

"Pete Doherty helped launch the Shine club-night at London's The Den and Centro venue by playing an acoustic set there" Steve wrote to NME.com "but his microphone wasn't working so it was even more acoustic than normal".

"Pete Doherty performed a London club show at the brand spanking new venue The Den and Centro last night" says Festivalwise "The 30-year-old Babyshambles star performed an acoustic set to the packed-to-the-rafters room at the Monday indie club night Shine. The Den and Centro is the name for the revamped club formerly known as The End which closed its doors last December. Upcoming guests at the Shine include Carl Barat, former Oasis guitarist Bonehead and Stone Roses and Primal Scream legend Mani" (Festivalwise has also beautiful photos of the event).

"It started off OK" Alicepooh wrote to FDB "Peter arrived only a bit after the scheduled midnight start, still sporting his Vivian Westwood cardy, and began playing straight away. However, things started to go seriously wrong after the first song, Killamangiro, when the mic conked out. Gamely, Peter carried on, mic-less in a bizarre karaoke-style set, accompanying himself on amplified guitar, and shouting his lungs out to be heard. The crowd joined in, and we sang Arcady, Time for Heroes, What Katie Did, Fuck Forever and Can't Stand Me Now".

Babybear said: "Last night was absolutely NOT Peter's fault.I have just spoken to The Boabie and he's told me the list of farcical things which happened last night. Peter can hardly be blamed for faulty equipment and attempting to carry on even when said equipment failed. Also, the idea to move the crowd from a packed larger room into an upstairs smaller room with a 1 ft stage and no barriers was ludicrous even to suggest. If I had been there I would have vetoed that right from the start, there is no way I would put artist, crew and most importantly audience in danger. In my absence this decision was made by others in the camp and I fully support it. They would NOT allow a show to continue in dangerous circumstances. I imagine there are a lot of disappointed people there but if anyone is to blame it is certainly none of us".

More on Saturday

At last, some reports from the LMHR bash and the Underground show. From:
NME
Independent

Plus! Our friend Alicepooh tells us about the Carnival:

"Was an extraordinary day. The sun shone, the sound quality was totally amazing, brilliant, and lots of 'our' lads performed and did really well. Drew sported an unravelling stripey jumper and has got some more sticky hair goo since the mohawk-droop at the RF the other week. Kieran sounded incredible, and Peter arrived only three minutes after his scheduled stage-time complete with the two ballerinas. He played with Drew and the keyboardist from Helsinki. Think the organisers were tearing out their hair fretting as to whether he'd show up in time to perform, and the eleventh hour trick is more effective at little venues than at a bloody stadium. That being said, he sounded absolutely excellent, the pa really made everyone sound so crisp, like listening to a good quality stereo. Eddie Izzard compered, Mick Jones did a set, and Rev. and the Makers finished off the event with a huge flourish. Confess I didn't devote much attention to Kelly Rowlands, but the crowd loved it all, and it was great to see Peter finally managing to perform at a big LMHR event, previous attempts having been disrupted by HM pleasure".

And No Judy Garland recounts his Underground experience:

"This must be one of the most exceptional gigs that Peter has done in a long time. He was blazing drunk … in the most good-humoured and agreeable way. Early on, to shouts of ‘down in one’, he managed neck more than half of a bottle of run and (a little) coke without coming up for air. The next two hours were a treat. He sat in an armchair with bottle in one hand, fag in the other and conducted the crowd in an extended rendition of ‘Deliah’. Later he tossed the armchair into the crowd. He responded to the chant of ‘Get your rat out’, by videoing those responsible on his phone and threatening to put it on YouTube. He sniffed a pair of pants sent on stage by ‘Greg’ (‘They’re clean; I knew you wouldn’t do that to me’) and then incorporated references to ‘yellowing boxers’ and ‘Gregory’s bum’ into Albion. He held forth on ‘the state of Stoke’ (‘There’s blokes eating mobile phones and policemen asking barmaids for the time’). He played about 28 songs (depending on how much of a song has to be covered before it counts as ‘played’ …. two lines? … one verse and chorus?). Fairly standard Libs/Shambles/solo stuff plus covers like Any Old Iron, I Wanna Be Adored, The Boy with the Thorn in His Side, Gangsters, and lots of other bits and pieces (including a few bars of Ian Brown’s Corpses to demonstrate how hard it was). I could go on and on … very funny, very endearing. Thanks largely to a great bunch of blokes in the middle. ‘These are my people’ Pete said when BB suggested it was time to go. Still laughing. Cheers, Stoke".

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GIGS OF THE WEEK

• Tonight Peter is playing in London. Details by Babybear: "Venue is called The Den, the night is 'Shine' and the address is 18 West Central Street, WC1. Doors open at 10pm till 4am, its £10 on the door".
• Saturday 6 June: it's Camden Rocks day. The fest's official site has updated the ad but details are still uncertain. It is generally thought that Peter and Carl will start separately at two different times (and different venues) but somehow they'll join forces along the night.

LIBERTINES

Could one week pass without mentioning the Libertines reunion? No, of course. Peter talked about it to Gordon Smart (!) after the LMHR bash. Without adding anything new, but keeping up the buzz.