LIBERTINES frontman Pete Doherty headlined The North Stage at Sound City last Sunday (May 29). Quays News entertainment reporter Natalie Rees was there…
Infamous Libertine and Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty charmed The North Stage on Sunday night to close the Sound City weekend.
Doherty’s set proved to be a sweet escape from the madness of the main stage into the madness of Doherty’s world, which you’re instantly enveloped in when watching him perform.
Unlike the main stage, which had suffered power difficulties during both Circa Waves and The Coral’s sets, The North Stage seemed to be a hive of energy and excitement in anticipation for the musician’s solo venture. Pete and his band began their set with ‘Down for the Outing’, highlighting a slight folky sound with a harmonica to open the performance and a gentle starter for his headline slot.
Typically, Pete wasn’t playing by the rules, parading around the stage with his guitar, dressed in a silver suit and bowler hat with a glass of wine in hand, he is oddly charming. Watching Pete on stage felt more like looking through a window into a band practice, a more chilled out approach for a festival headliner.
pete doherty at sound city was a special experience
— fergal hartnett (@fergalhart) June 1, 2016
Pete was joined by a violin and accordion on stage, before ‘I Don’t Love Anyone’, which saw the crowd continue to grow. Crowd favourite ‘Last of the English Roses’ followed, the Londoner’s debut solo single released in 2009 and the first taken from the album ‘Grace/Wastelands’, which saw beer glasses in the air and people on shoulders.
Pete enjoyed the reaction from the crowd in the intimate space, who by now had started to chant “Peter is a scouser”, which he seemed to enjoy.
The Libertines’ ‘You’re My Waterloo’ came next, a nostalgic nod to the frontman’s other life, which allowed the crowd to take over the vocals, before ‘Arcady’, another marvel of Doherty’s song writing expertise. The set continued with ‘Do You Know Me’, the B-Side to ‘Albion’.
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“Look at that beautiful view!” Doherty stopped to point out the incredible setting in which he was playing, as many of the bands over the weekend had done before.
The Sound City crowd were treated to the new and unreleased ‘Hell to Pay at the Gates of Heaven’ from his forthcoming album, before ‘The Whole World Is Our Playground’, which was released on Record Store Day earlier this year.
The set continued to be an assortment of both new and vintage material, concluding with ‘F**k Forever’, uniting the crowd in chorus, proving a perfect end to the weekend.
By Natalie Rees
@quaysnat
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