It’s been 22 years since London’s eminent indie-rock band, The Libertines, released their debut album, ‘Up The Bracket’. At the time, London’s music scene was blowing up, and you couldn’t move for news of lead singer Pete Doherty’s escapades. Their antics off stage were making as many headlines as their unprecedented rise in the music scene did. Many of the fans at tonight’s show have been following The Libertines for over 20 years, coming back to their shows time and time again, with many of them returning tonight to fill the Roundhouse for the first of three sold-out London shows.

It’s the first night of a stint of shows at Camden’s Roundhouse, and working their way through their UK tour after the release of this year’s album, ‘All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade’. It’s been almost ten years since their last album, but their fans remain as passionate as ever. The show was opened by three acts: Zuzu, Max Bianco (who filled the gaps in between the formal openers) and Chappaqua Wrestling, before The Libertines took the stage for the first show of three sold out nights. 

Opening with ‘Up The Bracket’, ‘Have A Friend’ and ‘What Became of the Likely Lads’ (a term co-opted by the fans as an affectionate nickname for the band), they kicked off with three of their most famous – and most loved songs – with the crowd getting fully immersed in the show immediately. I’ve been listening to The Libertines since I was seven years old, so as the band step out on stage, my adrenaline kicks in and I can’t quite believe they’re standing in front of me.

The set was perfectly balanced with a mix of songs from their new record and classic old favourites. ‘What Katie Did’, another of their most famous songs, was played mid-set, along with new songs including ‘Night of the Hunter’, ‘Barons Claw’ and ‘Shiver’. 

Before many Libertines gigs, many ask the question – will tonight be the night they play ‘You’re My Waterloo’? Luckily for us, tonight they did. The second the first guitar chords kicked in, there was a gasp of excitement as the crowd realised they were getting what they all hoped for. Written by Pete Doherty and rumoured to be about fellow band member Carl Barât (the pair have famously had Oasis-levels of falling out), it was a fan favourite demo for about 10 years before it finally made its way officially into the world via album number three.

We’re also treated to ‘Music When The Lights Go Out’, which sends the crowd surfers flying back over people’s heads, before moving on to ‘Horror Show’ and then ‘Run Run Run’. The pit is a swirling whirlpool; for most people in the room this will be the first time hearing the new tracks live, but the crowd go just as crazy for the new material as they do for the songs they’ve been listening to for over twenty years. At one point, a bouquet of red roses is sent hurtling onto the stage, which singer and guitarist Barât places down carefully.

‘Can’t Stand Me Now’, perhaps their most loved song ever (although as a fan to pick their favourite song and they’ll say it’s an impossible choice), was the final song before the encore, and the band absolutely went in for it, bouncing off each other, as did the crowd. Their fan base remains as passionate and dedicated as ever, sailing over each other’s heads, thrashing about in the main pit. It’s almost like The Libertines choose you to be a fan, not the other way around. Before leaving the stage, drummer Gary Powell shouted, ‘There’s no place like London!’ – something I (and the crowd) certainly agree with.

“There’s no place like London!”

After a quick break, the crowd stomping their feet in unison, they came back and re-started the set with ‘Man With The Melody’, Barât taking to the piano. It was then time for ‘What A Waster’, followed by a double track of ‘Gunga Din’ (from their 2015 record, ‘Anthems for Doomed Youth’) going into an all-time classic, ‘Last Post on the Bugle’. Unfortunately for all of us, the end of the night was coming up fast. Powering through new track ‘Songs They Never Play on the Radio’ before the iconic ‘Time for Heroes’, it was a bittersweet ending.

Of course, they saved possibly their most famous song ever, ‘Don’t Look Back Into The Sun’, for the finale, crowd surfers sail over heads as the sold-out show comes to a crashing finish. Although The Libertines have certainly had their tribulations over the last twenty two years, none of that seems to matter now; their new album and UK and EU tour prove that they are better than ever.

SETLIST
Up The Bracket
Have A Friend
Likely Lads
Boys In The Band
Night of the Hunter
What Katie Did
The Good Old Days
Barons Claw
Shiver
Merry old England
Vertigo
Death On The Stairs
You’re My Waterloo
Music When The Lights Go Out
Horrorshow
Run Run Run
Can’t Stand Me Now
Man With The Melody
What A Waster
Gunga Din/Last Post On the Bugle
Songs They Never Play on the Radio
Time for Heroes
Don’t Look Back Into The Sun