Culture 4 min read By Trevor Kendall
Pete Doherty on Babyshambles reunion success, new Libertines album and second-hand shop plans
Pete Doherty discusses the Babyshambles reunion tour exceeding expectations, the upcoming live album from KOKO, plans for a new Libertines record, and his dream of opening a second-hand shop in France.
Pete Doherty has opened up about the success of the Babyshambles reunion, revealing that the band's return to the stage far exceeded his expectations. Speaking about the tour, which marked their first shows together in over a decade and followed the death of original guitarist Patrick Walden, Doherty admitted he had been worried about whether audiences would still care. “Compared to our expectations, it was a roaring success,” he said. “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.”
The reunion tour concluded with a closing show at London’s KOKO in December, where the band brought out Carl Barât to perform The Libertines’ ‘What Katie Did’ and played ‘Wolfman’ for the first time in 20 years. That performance is now being immortalised on the live album ‘Live At KOKO’, set for release on October 9 through Doherty’s label Strap Originals. Despite the celebratory nature of the record, Doherty was candid about the recording conditions. “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,” he said.
Doherty also reflected on the emotional weight of performing without Walden, who died last year. He explained that the loss is not a constant presence but hits at unexpected moments, particularly when he mentions the guitarist before songs like ‘Fuck Forever’ or ‘Pipedown’. “Whenever I say something about Pat I turn to Drew [McConnell, bassist] and he turns away emotionally,” Doherty shared. “It’s not something that’s always there. It’s not like you’re constantly sad, but then sometimes it just hits you.”
Beyond the live album, Babyshambles are keeping momentum with a headline slot at Dreamland in Margate on Sunday, supported by Big Special and Warmduscher. The band are also sitting on new material, following the recent single ‘Dandy Hooligan’. Doherty said there are “bits and bobs” of new songs in the works, though he is undecided whether they will become Babyshambles or Libertines tracks. “It’s all a bit wide open, which is a good position to be in,” he explained. “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.”
On the subject of The Libertines, Doherty confirmed plans are afoot for a follow-up to ‘All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade’, though he kept details deliberately vague. He also discussed the creative dynamic with Barât, admitting that the old system of testing songs on his bandmate still applies. “It used to be that I’d just play it to Carl and if he didn’t think it was good enough for The Libertines then I’d do it on my own,” he said. “That’s still kind of how I do it, but I need another litmus test.” He noted that Barât has done the same to him, revealing that he thought The Jackals’ ‘Glory Days’ could have been an amazing Libertines song.
Doherty also expressed delight at seeing a new generation of fans at Babyshambles shows, with younger audiences joining longtime devotees. “There are as many young faces as there ever were,” he said, adding that some fans have even named their children after band members. Despite this renewed enthusiasm, he does not feel immediate pressure to record a new Babyshambles album. Instead, his focus is on a very different project: opening a second-hand shop. “I’ve got so much stuff,” he said. “I finally got it all out of Margate to Normandy and I’ve got this big warehouse of records, clothes…”
