The recent double whammy of Prince William donning their signature red jacket for a private event in London, along with another reunion performance earlier this week on Wednesday night, likely left fans of The Libertines hopeful that this time the reunion was genuinely happening.
I must include myself in that group, as I viewed The Libertines as one of the most significant bands in music during a brief period at the start of the last decade, despite their output being limited to only two albums.
Last summer, the buzz surrounding their reunion (which, to be honest, has persisted since the band’s dramatic split in 2004) appeared fruitful when the band took to the stage for the summer festival circuit, performing at England’s Reading and Leeds Festival. While I didn’t witness it firsthand, the audience response was positive, although, judging by what I’ve seen, the performances lacked the spark that characterized the band at their peak.
It’s not necessary to dig deeply into what created the original tensions within the band, which eventually led to a six-year hiatus for the songwriting duo of Barât and Doherty. A quick search for ‘Pete Doherty arrest’ on Google will provide a glimpse for those unfamiliar with the backstory. The tragedy lies in their shared songwriting talent, which is quite rare, combined with their powerful vocal interplay and fierce guitar work that left other artists seeming rather meek in comparison. Reflecting on the numerous drug-related incidents involving Pete, which often pushed the band to the brink of collapse, I had my doubts about whether Carl would reunite the band at all.
The past twelve months have shown little change in this pattern, as Doherty continues to battle his demons. It brings me no joy to observe how his addictions erode his potential; I genuinely believe he has produced some of the finest music of the last decade with Babyshambles, yet Pete hasn’t evolved… and I sense Barât questions whether he ever will. Furthermore, Carl’s decision to give the band another chance indicates that, above all, he wishes to see Pete stabilize long enough to create music and tour together again. They were like brothers at their best, but witnessing one’s brother self-destruct must be incredibly painful.
While I know Pete will likely never see this, I hope my sentiment reaches him nonetheless. Like many of his admirers, I yearn to see him clean and productive, reinstating himself to a position where he can craft some of the most notable music of this era. I doubt Barât has much patience remaining following this week’s performance, as he expressed, “It’s the end of a chapter for sure for me. Tonight a curtain is falling on something… Anything is possible again, but for me it’s almost cathartic and I can now move on.”
I presume the only way to alter this situation lies in what it has always relied on: a sober and fully functioning Pete Doherty. Beyond my own self-serving desires to witness another Libertines record, I genuinely hope that he can achieve this for his own sake, as the window seems to be closing.
by Wallace McTavish
