26 July 2015 (gig)
30 July 2015
A week ago The Libertines rocked Ibiza like it was 2003, as they headlined at Ibiza Rocks performing the old and the new, ahead of the release of their long-awaited album.
Open-air gig venue, Ibiza Rocks with its tribal décor and colourful past where artists such as Maximo Park, Mark Ronson and Kasabian have performed, was home to the biggest gig of the party-calendar season last week, as The Libertines headlined on The White Isle. Slaves, who also performed at this week’s Converse Chuck Taylor II launch party on Monday in London, supported the band.
Having performed at Ibiza Rocks as Babyshambles in 2005, Pete Doherty mooches on stage 10 years later with a beer can in hand and a ripped shirt looking the part, right before launching himself from the stage into the crowd. Not to be seen for a good minute or so, but sure enough security pulls him out and throws him back on stage; his shirt now totally pointless and serving no purpose other than to show give off “I really don’t give a f**k” vibes.
Carl Barat looked better than ever with his staple bandana around his wrist and charming demeanor, yet still oozing similar vibes. F*****g cool. Comrades Gary Powell on drums and John Hassall on bass rocked the open-air venue like it was 2003 back at Carl & Pete’s London gaff. The energy was spot on: a passion-gig, raw and intimate at its core.
The love for Gary was overwhelming, as one fan claimed Gary was his dad - questionable, but the crowd seemed to go with it as they waved the bespoke “Gary is My Dad” t-shirt proudly above the crowd before passing it to Pete on stage. John didn’t seem phased as Pete wrapped it around his shoulders: just another day in the office I guess.
They played song after song, with Carl and Pete’s bromance showing no sign of flailing as they draw to towards the end of their set, giving one another permission to spill poetic lines and lyrics that fill the stage silences between performances, before finishing with Don’t Look Back Into The Sun.
The party continued At Pikes Hotel into the late hours of the next day, in true Libs style and is still going on. Since returning to London its been a week of partying and secret gigs as the band gears up for the launch of their long awaited album since 2004.
In anticipation of the long-awaited new album, The Libertines performed a secret gig at The Blues Kitchen in Camden on Tuesday and rumour has it there’s more to come. They teased fans with a Facebook post on the day, so likely more poetically cryptic clues to come.
Their latest single, Gunga Din, hits over a million views on YouTube last week showing that fans are chomping at the bit for their Libertines fix. The new album, ‘Anthems For Doomed Youth’ is to be released on 4th September.
