Peter Doherty - Hangar 34, Liverpool, 27/1/2018

  by Andy Gordon

published: 11 / 3 / 2019

intro

Andy Gordon at Hangar 34 in Liverpool enjoys an improvised set from Libertines' and Babyshambles' Peter Doherty. Photos from Amanda J Window.

The first time I saw Peter Doherty perform (without the Libertines) was on Glastonbury's, 'Other Stage' on a hot summer's afternoon in 2009. Back then he was the Doherty the media preyed upon - and despite being inebriated he put on a good set. We're looking forward to hearing the poet Peter tonight, no band – just Peter and his guitar. On-time and on-form Doherty strolls onto stage wearing a suit and thick gold chains adorning his tattooed neck. He opens with 'What a Waster' and the audience are just starting to warm up from the bitter chill beyond the stage doors. It's not long before an officer's hat is frisbeed onto stage .and Doherty scoops it up and places on his head for a few minutes whilst carrying on singing. There's no set list and it seems like Doherty is choosing what he wants to sing as he goes along - which makes the show all the more entertaining. As he strums the opening chords to 'Gunga Din' the audience seem to have warmed up sufficiently to sing along. A QPR shirt is the next missile to make it onto stage. Again Doherty picks it up and displays it above his head as he jests with his fans. It's the next song that makes the crowd erupt... 'Time for Heroes' is certainly one of the more popular Libertines songs and one that usually sees the lager flying - but this time there's no flying beverages and Doherty seamlessly goes from this track into the next song, Babyshambles' 'Merry Go Round'. As Doherty picks up his harmonica - it initially seems he's having a problem with it (as it leaves his mouth and he says something as he oddly looks towards the floor). Whispers reveal that Doherty's pet Huskies have followed their master onto stage, We're at the back so could barely see them as Doherty jokingly tells the audience, “It usually works.” as he ushers his beloved pets off-stage! 'Archady'(from the 'Gracelands/Wastelands' album) and 'Breck Road Lover' are next, and they sound wonderfully pure being played on the guitar without all the backing music. 'The Whole World is Our Playground' is next which oddly enough is an early Babyshambles track - but featured on his last solo album 'Hamburg Demonstrations'. After this the hits are played back to back and extended version of Libertines tracks 'What Katy Did' and 'Death on the Stairs' come next. The lager starts flying during the first chords of 'The Good Old Days', but luckily for Peter there isn't much of it and whoever threw it – misses by a good mile. The next song is a melodic ensemble starting with 'Music When the Lights Go out' - a snippet from 'Always Something There To Remind Me' (Sandie Shaw) merging back into 'Music When The Lights Go Out' and straight into 'Horrorshow'. The audience obviously love this one due to the extended applause and 'whoop-whoops' he gets at the end. Peter strums the first chords of 'Music When The Lights Go Out' again and walks away from under the spotlight. There's no encore, and despite his fans shouting “Pe-ter, Pe-ter” he doesn’t return to the stage. The lights come on and it's time to go home. Photos by Amanda J Window www.amandajwindow.com

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