festnoise | Music & Festivals

Nov 11

Nov 11 The Libertines @ Columbiahalle in Berlin

Recently Pete Doherty confessed in an interview with the New Musical Express his panic to grow old, his fear of dying. When I read it, I thought it was good news. Perhaps the enfant terrible of the British music scene had finally left behind his tumultuous past. After his recent concert in Berlin, I begin to believe that most likely at his 40 years he did not know how to manage the image the mirror gave him.

Last Tuesday, Pete came to Berlin ready to give it all ... but in the dressing rooms rather than on stage. In fact, as I write this article I have just received a notification from NME: ´Pete has been arrested in the streets of Paris, drunk, drugged and with 2 grams of Cocaine in his pocket while trying to buy more drugs´ (He would be arrested for second time shortly after having been released, this time because of a “drunken brawl” with a teenager).

When he took the stage of Columbiahalle, in addition to some delay, he did it by stumbling. He wasn't even wearing one of his characteristic suits, as if he hadn't even changed clothes. I immediately feared the worst. And in a matter of seconds all my doubts were cleared, Pete had come to hit rock bottom.

The Libertines at Columbiahalle in Berlin. Photo by Pier Paolo Campo Photography

During the show the audience could see him moving on stage erratically showing obvious signs of drunkenness. It became a pain in the ass for his bandmates with his constant displays of rebellion. It was certainly difficult to say whether he was going to hit correctly the next chord or he was just going to collapse. What a pity to see so much talent ruined by a life of excesses that seems not to cease.

Honestly, I wish someone had dared to cancel the concert, saving Pete from ruining every song of a brilliant repertoire in front of 3,000 witnesses.

There is really not much to say about the concert, it was honestly a disastrous show. And personally I was overwhelmed to see the band surrendered to such a storm, relegated to being mere luxury spectators of a friend's self-destruction. And I was especially surprised to see Gary Powell (drums) go down to the pit at the end of the concert to personally thank the fans for being there. I couldn't help but imagine that he was doing it knowing the terrible concert they had just offered despite the notorious efforts by the whole band and staff to offset the onslaught of an unpredictable Pete Doherty.

The band had published a picture in the morning with the show setlist, which they did not even respect. Perhaps because they had to take out several songs in an impromptu exercise to reach the end as soon as possible and in the most dignified way possible. Who knows…