Britain’s last great rock ‘n’ roll band did not disappoint at Manchester’s Albert Hall.
I attended the first two of The Libertines’ three consecutive sets at the beautiful Manchester venue, taking place last Thursday and Friday.
The band were electric on both nights.
The Libertines remain one of the most exciting live bands in the world – their magic has not waned at all since the early 2000s.
They are less ramshackle, a bit tighter and just a bit older, but their formula remains largely the same.
Frontmen Peter Doherty and Carl Barat, with their creativity and their partnership – the rhythm section Gary Powell and John Hassall holding it all together – and the relationship with the audience, unprecedented in its closeness.
On both nights they received a heroes’ welcome as the crowd roared for their entry on stage.
Many of their songs have reached classic status.
The opening trifecta of The Delaney, Likely Lads and Up The Bracket is astoundingly good – the three indie classics set the Albert Hall alight immediately.
Can’t Stand Me Now, Time for Heroes, and Don’t Look Back Into The Sun were similar highs, the crowd united in deafening euphoria.
The slower moments were good too – You’re My Waterloo and Music When The Lights Go Out remain beautiful and heartbreaking.
Hearing the songs from their new album All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade was interesting too.
Just above the stage up in the rafters was a small orchestra, each wearing the red imperial military jacket that The Libertines sported in the 2000s.
They add a lot to the new songs – which had a different, slightly more mature sound than the older classics.
On the song Man with the Melody the band shared vocals between all four members, which worked well and made a change from the usual Peter and Carl dominance.
One massive highlight of the night was Run, Run, Run – it is an amazing song live and I was very wrong to call it generic in a review earlier this year.
Carl has a commanding presence, owning the centre of the stage.
Peter meanwhile is a more ethereal figure, as he always has been.
However, he cuts a very different look in 2024 – gone is the rake-thin, indie sleaze, bad boy look, and in is his straggly grey hair.
And though they obviously played the same set-list, my attendance of two nights made the authenticity of the band clear.
On both nights they rattled through their songs, and any interactions with the crowd were completely unplanned.
As always with the band, there was very little in the way of posing or a routine.
The spontaneity of the band is well-known – after all they pioneered guerrilla gigs, where they held live performances across London and even in their own flat.
Another thing clear from the gigs is that Gary Powell is a beloved and very talented drummer, pulverising the drum-set with intensity, whilst John Hassall is a great, solid and stoic bassist.
Both remain underrated.
However, as always, the soul of the Libertines is Peter and Carl.
And as the two of them come together on the mic stand like star-crossed lovers, lips together as they sing of Albion and Arcadia, you do realise that there is a unique brilliance and magic to this band.
