The Libertines // Brixton Academy: Live Review

The Libertines // Brixton Academy: Live Review

The Libertines: Britain’s favourite likely lads and the band that spearheaded the garage rock revival take to Brixton Academy for two glorious nights of nostalgia.

The quartets comeback tour is following their last album release Anthems for the Doomed Youth which we were awarded with in 2014. In the five years of their absence, multiple side projects have been in cahoots as well as front man, Peter Doherty making headlines for finishing a full English breakfast (probably one of the strangest publicity movements I’ve ever seen). Tonight sees their second stint in Brixton Academy (also sold out) and the night hasn’t lost the energy that was present in the band so many years ago.

They open the set with ‘The Delaney’ and ‘Heart of the Matter’ which gives us a strong inclination of the messy direction in which the night is heading. They then burst in to ‘Horrorshow’ as fellow frontman Carl Barât and Doherty bound around the stage recreating the on-stage bromance that The Libertines are so famous for. The erratic movements from the show’s get-go and the increasingly fast tempos created from drummer Gary Powell recreate the impulsive relationship between the band and bring stenches of reminiscence along with it.

They play all the hits including ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’ and ‘Time for Heroes’ that bring with them a football chant reception. The crowd move together in unison, not stopping for air or respite, as the entire academy is on its feet moving to the favourites. Barât then effortlessly glides towards the piano and treats die-hard fans to some respite with the much slower, ‘You’re my Waterloo’ as the crowd sing back every word with intent before other favourites, such as ‘What Katie Did’, are sweetly sung with purpose.

The guys seem happiest when playing tracks from the first two albums and the crowd seem happier throwing themselves around to them also. But this is to be expected from a band who’s career peak was in the early 2000’s. However, The Libertines never fail to impress with their mastered act of coming across well-rehearsed yet scrappy and loveable yet arrogant. I hope our favourite likely lads don’t leave us waiting any longer for new music as, from what this night suggests, The Libertines are back and are in full swing.