The last time Peter Doherty was due to appear at The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen with his band Babyshambles, things didn’t work out so well.
A riot broke out among the crowd and several arrests were made as the unpredictable frontman refused to play.
This was back in 2004. But 18 years later, an altogether different character graced the Aberdeen stage and there wasn’t a whiff of anarchy in sight.
Doherty’s latest run of European dates this month, alongside French collaborator Frederic Lo, celebrated the launch of the duo’s album The Fantasy Life Of Poetry & Crime released in March.
The pair stuck to their guns by deciding to play the album in its entirety and not caving in to crowd favourites.
A few Babyshambles songs eventually came later. But what was most impressive was Doherty’s poise and renewed sense of self.
It was as though he was a new man altogether. And though the audience were up for more of a party than Doherty was, nobody went home feeling disappointed.
A new man
Doherty’s destructive past with booze and drugs has been well documented.
Yet, perhaps what’s received less attention is the openness and vulnerability he has shared more recently whilst talking about his battles with addiction.
Doherty has been clean since 2019. He met his new collaborator Lo in 2020 and praised him for helping him “kick his addiction.”
Their new album carries an upbeat underbelly and as they took to the Aberdeen stage, they immediately got stuck into sharing their new creations.
Ye banks and braes o' bonie Doon,
How can ye bloom sae fresh and fair?#thefantasylifetour pic.twitter.com/v8673mFBdW— Peter Doherty (@petedoherty) May 18, 2022
Peter Doherty
That was before Doherty, Lo and their band were met with a rapturous cheer from the tightly packed crowd.
A 50/50 split of age ranges from younger to older made for a rowdy affair.
Surprisingly, even though every gap was met with jeers for old favourites, a large majority of Doherty’s fans hung on to every word he uttered from his newer material.
They adored him. And his tall strides across the stage were miles more relaxed than reckless, looking even slicker in his brown fedora and matching suit.
However, the slickest of all on stage had to be Frédéric Lo who looked like he’d been pinched out of Reservoir Dogs in his sharp suit and cherry red guitar.
New material
The performance began with the title track from The Fantasy Life of Poetry & Crime.
The Epidemiologist followed, bringing nice chord changes and vocal melodies that the crowd got on board with.
Searing applause was met with every tune. By the midway point, the slower pace of the set started to make a few audience members restless, itching for some high energy intensity.
But it was immediately clear that this wasn’t going to be what the show was about.
Instead, intimacy and maturity prevailed in what for most would’ve probably been the calmest Peter Doherty performance they’d ever seen.
Rarer intimate setting
As a performer who’s frequently played in front of thousands on festival stages, the cosier setting of Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree made for a rare sight.
It worked in everyone’s favour; the crowd enjoyed a closeness to the performers and Doherty and Lo revelled in the intimacy which suited their toned-down approach.
The Glassblower as well as The Ballad Of provided noteworthy moments (despite many seeing these slower numbers as a cue to head to the bar).
Rock & Roll Alchemy saw Lo shine on guitar. But the highlight of the set came with You Can’t Keep It From Me Forever.
“Do you want to sing, Aberdeen?” proclaimed Lo, before the band went into the song – the lead single from their new album and undoubtedly its best moment.
This gave the Aberdeen crowd a much-needed energy boost and as the quintet later walked off stage, they still had a surprise in store.
Sophisticated finale
But, it wasn’t quite what everyone expected.
After a long 10-minute or so gap, Doherty, Lo and the rest of the band returned with The Lemon Tree audience hoping and praying they’d burst out into Libertines and Babyshambles favourites.
They did initially deliver with Delivery (no pun intended), a rollicking Babyshambles number that saw Doherty channel his younger self for the first time of the night.
Another fairly energetic track followed, but after this the more sophisticated Doherty and Lo took hold for the remainder of the performance.
Mature performance
A nonchalant mic drop and cacophony of guitar noise did bring a touch of rebellion to the conclusion.
Yet overall, this was as mature a Peter Doherty performance as anyone will see.
It may take longer for more of his adoring fans to get fully on board with his new direction, but the change in Doherty was palpable.
Hopefully, he can continue to revel in his sobriety, further explore his newfound sense of self and produce more forward-thinking material in the years to come.
Today is the day… ‘The Fantasy Life of Poetry & Crime’ is out now! ♥️
🎧 https://t.co/KQNbXavzYV pic.twitter.com/9lokm8uEi4
— Peter Doherty (@petedoherty) March 18, 2022
