SMASHED guitars, twenty-odd anthems and a Barrowlands venue filled with flying pints provided the perfect sentiments for The Libertines first gig together in Scotland for ten years. Warming up for their Hyde Park reunion next week, the band played the first of two shows in Glasgow last night.
Opening with ‘Horrorshow’ fans bounced, chanted and sang in delight as the set offered tracks like ‘The Delaney’, ‘Death on The Stairs’ and ‘Campaign of Hate’, the latter causing Doherty to throw his guitar to a side of stage roadie and head backstage. After a quick minute or two he returned to start ‘Begging’.
“We played here years ago. I don’t think any of you were born to be honest,” was Doherty’s response to the eclectic array of teens to middle aged gig goers throwing themselves into the thick of it down the front and chilling with style down the back.
A sexy waitress dressed in a red guards jacket helped provide refreshments mid gig, offering the band champagne and cocktails. Gold snapshots of the gig came in the form of Barat offering the end of his cigarette hanging out his month to give Doherty a light. Then there were the times the two jammed centre stage together magically, just like they did back in the day.
A poetic ‘Music When The Lights Go Out’ stood out for obvious reasons, fans filling with the joy of nostalgia and the distinctive spark shone bright between the band and it was simply beautiful to see.
‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun’, ‘The Good Old Days’, ‘What Katie Did’ and ‘I Get Along’ proceeded before the encore. The gigantic ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’ and ‘Tell The King’ ending the gig.
The sound was far from perfect, there were times when Doherty and Barat stumbled between tracks and it could of been tighter, but there’s always tonight to get it right. And for fans, they were part of this new adventure. A journey with limitless possibilities. It’s good to have them back.
Nadine Walker
