The frontman reflects on performing without Pat Walden, Babyshambles’ renewed confidence and energy, and an intriguing new idea taking shape with The Libertines.
Pete Doherty has opened up to NME about the warm response to Babyshambles’ return, early plans for another The Libertines album and his ambition to run a shop selling secondhand goods.
Babyshambles returned to the stage together last year after more than a decade apart, following the death of founding guitarist Patrick Walden. Their reunion tour finished at London’s KOKO in December, where Carl Barât joined them for The Libertines’ ‘What Katie Did’. The set also featured their first performance of ‘Wolfman’ in 20 years. A recording of the night, ‘Live At KOKO’, will arrive on October 9 through Doherty’s Strap Originals label.
Reflecting on the reception, Doherty explained to NME: “Compared to our expectations, it was a roaring success. I was a little bit concerned. I don’t know why. My main worry was that people just weren’t going to come. I didn’t know if there was an appetite for it and I didn’t realise how much this band meant to so many people.
“We did a few little warm-ups, and we did the first night of the tour proper at the Norwich UEA, it was beautiful. People were singing every word, the energy was really strong, and it was a nice, bright clear sound. It was ace, and it just went from there, really. I don’t think we had any real stinkers. There weren’t any old proper messy disasters, which some people used to like for the mythology and the chaos of it. But for us it was important to play well and do justice to the songs. That’s hard work when you’re trying to do justice to Pat and his songs.”
Turning to the forthcoming concert recording, Doherty admitted: “If anything, KOKO was probably the worst one to record! It was the end of the four weeks [of touring] and we get a little bit frayed around the edges.
“I’ve got very happy memories of that ‘Shambles tour. We haven’t done any tours since, but we’ve got festivals, a run in Ireland and Margate. The ‘Shambles seem to be chugging along nicely.”
The reunion celebrations continue with Babyshambles headlining Dreamland in Margate on Sunday August 30. Big Special and Warmduscher are among the supporting acts, with “a beano guaranteed for all”.
Read the full conversation with Doherty below, covering how the band honours Pat onstage, whether more Babyshambles music could be coming, and the intriguing plans for The Libertines’ next release after ‘All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade’. He also discusses his wish to open a secondhand shop in France to sell his collection of “tat”.
NME: Hello Pete. How has it been playing these Babyshambles shows with Pat no longer with us?
Pete Doherty: “Not every night, but I tend to mention him before the set maybe before ‘Fuck Forever’ or ‘Pipedown’. Whenever I say something about Pat I turn to Drew [McConnell, bassist] and he turns away emotionally. It’s not something that’s always there. It’s not like you’re constantly sad, but then sometimes it just hits you.”
Beyond recent single ‘Dandy Hooligan‘, are Babyshambles working on more new stuff?
“There are bits and bobs, as there always tends to be with Babyshambles. You’ve got four creative people and there are some good ideas. When I wrote ‘Dandy Hooligan’, I knew straight away that it was going to be a Babyshambles song. There are some good ideas knocking about but I don’t know whether to do them with ‘Shambles or offer them to The Libertines. It’s all a bit wide open, which is a good position to be in. There’s no pressure. We’re not contracted to anyone or signed to anyone as a band. We just exist as this autonomous collective in the midst of the music industry. I like it.
“It’s not like being young and in your only band and you’re desperate to get somewhere with it. I don’t think we could ever recreate what we did before. It’s quite a precious space we’re in at the moment. We’re kind of armed and dangerous, Babyshambles. We’ve got these amazing songs and some amazing characters. We’ll keep it as it is for now. Obviously if we write 12 amazing songs all together then we’d have to make a record.”
How do you decide if a song is going to be for Babyshambles, Libertines or a solo record?
“I feel as if I’m struggling a little bit with knowing how to do that. It used to be that I’d just play it to Carl [Barât, frontman] and if he didn’t think it was good enough for The Libertines then I’d do it on my own. That’s still kind of how I do it, but I need another litmus test.”
Does Carl ever get annoyed when you record a banger without him?
“We had all them years when we were apart, so it has happened. He does it to me as well: I thought that ‘Glory Days’ [by The Jackals] could have been an amazing Libertines song. I’ve told him that a few times, so he’s written all these ‘Glory Days’ rip-offs now!”
It was nice to see a regeneration of younger fans at The Libertines shows for the last decade or so. Have you seen that with Babyshambles too?
“Yes, and that was a major part of it for me – the joy of people coming with their kids, and some of them named after songs or nicknames. There are a few Peters, Micks and Drews out there. There are as many young faces as there ever were. I like it.”
Does that give you more impetus to make a new Babyshambles album?
“I don’t really feel the need to make a record right this second. I don’t feel it’s in my list of things to do immediately. I really want to open a second-hand shop. I’ve got so much stuff. I finally got it all out of Margate to Normandy and I’ve got this big warehouse of records, clothes, typewriters, mannequins, books, trunks.
“I’d like to make it a venue as well. It wouldn’t be a museum, it would be a living, breathing organism in France. I know a few people on the local council and I’d like to think I could tie into a lot of the work I do for the local dogs refuge. Maybe they could overlook a few of the licences and let me have a little bit of cafe or acoustic venue. Get a few of the bands from the label [Strap Originals] to come and play. People can potter about, they can have a chat, they can buy a book.”
Now you just need a decent name…
“Well I live in a town called Étretat, so I was thinking of calling it ‘Étre Tat’ with the emphasis on the ‘tat’, or ‘Étre Tatty’. Or the French word for a second-hand shop is ‘Brocante’, so maybe ‘Brocante Roll’?”
But before you become a shopkeeper, Babyshambles are headlining Dreamland in Margate…
“It’ll be special to go down there as the ‘Shambles, at last. Plus all of the bands that are playing that day: Warmduscher, Pregoblin, Real Farmer, Gans. It’s just exciting. It’ll be cool if it’s a nice sunny day, but we could do with a bit of rain.”
Anything you can tell us about progress on the new Libertines album? When we spoke at Glastonbury last year you told us you had a ‘tantalisingly gorgeous plan’…
“Well, we didn’t actually. That was a lie, but we do now. We had an emergency band meeting when we were in a hotel in Manchester before we played Kendal Calling. I was a bit late so I sat down and John [Hassall, bass] says to me, ‘Listen Pete, we’ve been talking…’ really ominously. I said, ‘Are you me kicking out of the band again?’ He said no, and then told me the plan. I can’t really say what it is. I’ve always hated the idea of ‘concept albums’ or even ‘concept songs’. There are certain people – mentioning no names – who like that approach. I’ve always held off, but democracy has finally had its way in the band and we finally have a general idea about something before we’ve started writing. That’s all I can say. I really want to tell you, because it’s a really interesting idea but I’ll get in trouble…”
Babyshambles headline Dreamland in Margate tonight (Sunday August 30). ‘Live At KOKO’ will arrive on October 9.
