After a long trip through the deepest darkest depths of the Metropolitan line on the London Underground I entered the half empty Wembley Arena on the out skirts of the capital.

I did not deem it nessesary to turn up in time to see supporting act Dizzee Rascal and decided instead to buy a beer rather than subject myself to that phenomenon, the English rapper.

Pete Doherty and his Babyshambles then proceeded to play a set of nearly one and a half hours to a sea of skinny jeans, trilby hats and sweaty teenagers.

This is not the best gig I have been to but a certain element of disbelief did occure at the site of the tear away singer actually materialising on stage. To give my honest opinion I wasn’t fully convinced that he would turn up at all, having in the past driven across the country to see this band only to be given the news that he wasn’t coming.

I am glad that the new material, from album 'Shotters Nation’, was the focus of the gig but equally glad to recognise an old Libertines classic in the form of 'Music when the lights go out.’ For reasons unknown to me this song was performed with images of comedian Tony Hancock projected behind the band.

Lamp lights from the 1930s were placed strategically across the stage and wooden coat hangers, from which dangled the band’s overcoats and scarves, were also present. The arena looked more like a pre-world war living room rather than a music venue.

Throughout the set meaningful words such as 'love and 'war’ were projected on to the back wall which under any other circumstances would come across as pretentious, like something from a Pink Floyd concert, but for some reason Doherty managed to pull it off with an enormous amount of grace.

The first song, new track 'Carry on up the morning’, possibly a nod to the old 'Carry on’ films, was weak and Doherty’s vocals were not all that clear as he slurred his way through the early part of the set.

The frontman did look healthier than in recent rehab pictures and from then on the band played a proffessional set. By the time the anthemic 'Albion’ was play I was completely convinced by Doherty’s obvious talent. It’s easy to remember why he was once one of this country’s brightest stars.

If I had my choice the extremly modern Wembley Arena would not have been the place to see England’s musical bad boy. The size and lack of atmoshpere ruined the gig for me. There isn’t really anything rock and roll about queuing up in a nice orderly line to pay £3.20 for a chilled beer, only to have an usher show you to your seat. I was then able to sit comfortably, a reasonable distance from the stage, before casually buying a glossy programme on my way out.

Not so much rock and roll as pipe and slippers.

Set List
'Carry On Up The Morning'
'Delivery'
'Beg, Steal Or Borrow'
'Baddie's Boogie'
'UnStookietitled'
'Side Of The Road'
'UnBilotitled'
'The Blinding'
'You Talk'
'Sedative'
'Crumb Begging'
'I Wish'
'Music When The Lights Go Out'
'Lost Art Of Murder'
'There She Goes (A Little Heartache)'
'Albion'
'Pipedown'
'Killamangiro'
'Back From The Dead'
'Fuck Forever'