What a Shambles!

Andrew Kendall reports:

So, the Astoria. Several of my friends say that they saw Peter arrive at the venue - whether that is true or not I don't know. Whatever happened, Baby shambles didn't play and after two hours of waiting, the curtains were lowered on to the stage and an announcement was made. Seconds later what could best be described as a riot began to take place. The curtains were torn down, the drum kit was smashed and essentially the entire contents of the stage were destroyed. As the "rioting" progressed, the security became more and more aggressive, they drove the kids from the stage and forced them back to the other side of the barrier. Then things started to get really violent, a security guard tore electric cabling from the stage to form a whip, leapt over the barriers and proceeded to lash at the kids. People around me were crying as the security guard caught one of the teenagers who was trying to run away and beat him as he knelt on the floor. The whole spectacle was horrific and left everyone who saw it in a state of utter shock. Now I'm left debating what I should do with the pictures, they are incredibly graphic and I get the feeling that they have the potential to cause an awful lot of trouble.

NME also has a report

And there's a discussion of the night on the .Org Forum

He Knows He's Losing It

(Photo by Jasmine)

NME Reports:

PETE DOHERTY was pulled off the stage by his management and "completely lost it" as part of a chaotic gig at the BLACKPOOL EMPRESS BALLROOM last night (December 15). Doherty's new group Babyshambles played at the venue as part of a UK and Irish tour which has already visited London, Belfast, Dublin and Glasgow. Fans at the show have contacted NME.COM, concerned at Pete's physical state at the gig. They say he was forgetting songs and at times could barely stand. Things got so bad that the rest of the band walked off stage. One fan told NME.COM: "Everyone can see he wasn't well. Pete was looking really bad, forgetting his lines and almost falling to sleep. Members of the band kept having a word in his ear but a few songs in the guitarist just got fed up and left. The rest of the band followed and Pete tried to play on his acoustic."

Other fans have claimed that a member of the band's crew physically attempted to remove Doherty from the stage in a headlock. Another said: "Pete played about four songs before the guitarist stormed off. Pete looked bemused and the rest of the band members decided to leave the stage. He played a couple of Libertines songs on his guitar and carried on. But a member of their road crew was buzzing around him on stage after every song trying to get him off. After about half an hour of the set someone came on and eventually dragged him offstage in a headlock to a chorus of boos.

"When they came back on the crowd were really angry. They were throwing bottles at the stage and shouting abuse but the band carried on and played a couple of songs including 'Killamangiro'. The band went offstage again and Doherty followed them shortly after.

"The crowd were getting more and more pissed off at this point and people started leaving. When he came back on at about midnight, he started playing a few Libertines tracks and he seemed to come round again. They tried to get him off again. But Pete tore his T-shirt off and dived into the crowd. He then climbed on the speakers. He was going mad. He didn't have a clue what he was doing."

From the gig, Pete then went to Liverpool for a second show at the Zanzibar. Fans there have said the performance was just as bad. One told NME.COM: "He played without his band last night and it was bloody shambolic. He turned up two hours late and played some awful songs." There is currently no comment from the band's official spokesperson. The tour is scheduled to continue tonight in Sheffield (December 16) and return to London for the Astoria on Saturday.

Chav Scum!

NME Reports:



CARL BARAT has formed a 'supergroup' with members of THE CHARLATANS, RAZORLIGHT and PRIMAL SCREAM -- and they played their first ever gig last week, NME.COM can reveal.

Carl recently signalled he was planning to split The Libertines at the end of the year, telling NME.COM that he was taking the band off the road for the "foreseeable future". Barat has to have an operation and with Pete Doherty now seemingly out of the band for good, with Babyshambles going from strength to strength, Carl is looking to the future.

For his band first venture outside of The Libertines, he roped in some old friends to form The Chavs for a festive night of music.

Featuring Charlatans singer Tim Burgess, Razorlight drummer Andy Burrows and Primal Scream keyboardist Martin Duffy, the band played a combination of Burgess-penned hits and solo material, Libertines songs, and a cover of the Christmas classic 'Fairytale Of New York'.

The show took place at the Tap And Tin in Chatham, the venue made legendary for the gig The Libertines played on the night Pete got out of prison for burgling Carl's flat.

For exclusive interviews and pictures from the show, see this week's NME which is out now in London and nationwide tomorrow (December 15).

Shamblin' In Ireland

NME Reports:



BABYSHAMBLES kicked off their brief December tour of Ireland and the UK with a manic show in BELFAST last night (December 11). The band tore through a 12 song set at the Limelight club with none of the problems, late shows or histrionics of previous dates. The most notable part of the gig was the variety of bits and pieces fired at singer Pete Doherty from the crowd – including socks, gloves, bras, scarves and a rubber glove. At one point Doherty started to tell the crowd how close the band had been to missing to show, but the story turned into an incomprehensible mumble about lying on a bunk on the tourbus. The best reception of the night came for the group's latest single 'Killamangiro', though their version of The Libertines' 'What Katie Did' was also welcomed. Babyshambles move on to The Village venue in Dublin tonight (December 12). The rest of the tour will visit London Forum (December 13), Glasgow Barrowlands (14), Blackpool Empress Ballroom(15), and the Sheffield Leadmill (16).


Not much else to report, except for the fact that the Band played on Top Of The Pops and video is here. Enjoy.

Time For Updates

Babyshambles dropped by XFM to perform "Killamangiro" and new song "32nd December". Andrew Kendall has photos. This site has audio (plus video of Pete and Graham Coxon together).

Read the excellent new article on Pete from Q magazine here:
Part One
Part Two
Babyshambles are Pete Doherty's new band, which he formed after falling out with, and evntually being expelled from, The Libertines. He would only be allowed back, said his friend and co-frontman Carl Barat, when he stopped using crack and heroin. This internal strife conspired to derail them on the eve of releasing a much-hyped second Libertines album, one that was expected to elevate them to rock's premier league. Doherty also split with Libertines manager Alan McGee, after McGee personally paid for Doherty's short-lived attempts at rehab. He is now managed by James Mullord, who runs 1234, a small London record label. Barat has referred to Babyshambles as Doherty's "denial band". An early incarnation was terrible. Today's version, against all expectations, are terrific. One song in particular, anthemic rocker Fuck Forever, is Doherty's first claim to greatness. Logic would dictate that Doherty was finished without the Libertines. Now it seems the reverse is likely.

Pete interview from Metro Life: "I don't want to die", Doherty says, taking occasional sips from a vodka and lemonade in Soho’s Colony Room. " And I'll take every precaution to avoid death. Probably, for the way I am and my state of mind and the state of my life, it’s best to avoid heroin. And it's certainly best to avoid crack cocaine. It's having the right people around me and the love of my family and the people I'm closest to".

Pete promises to give up crack if new single goes Top 10 (it did, btw)

And finally, Babyshambles.net is reporting that "Albion" could possibly be the next Babyshambles single!