Returning to Melbourne for the first time since 2017, The Libertines were greeted by a raucous crowd at the Forum for last night’s show.
The night started strong with a fantastic high energy opening set from Sheffield’s Reverend and The Makers. You honestly couldn’t have asked for a better opening act and the crowd were already in high spirits by the time the Libertines took to the stage.
The Libertines were in good form and this was a tighter, more well oiled performance than I’ve ever seen from the band. It’s been over 10 years since I saw them last and it’s interesting to see how the dynamics have changed. It’s very much Carl Barat’s band now and you can see the difference in energy this brings.
These older (wiser?) Libertines are now more about giving everyone in the band a place in the spotlight and delivering a neatly planned, coordinated performance rather than the unpredictable crazy onstage antics of the past. And as long as you’re not hankering for their indie sleaze heyday it makes for a much less anxiety inducing and more enjoyable show. It was nice to see more of a light shined on Gary and John’s versatility as musicians too!
Having seen Pete before solo a few times in the intervening years, and being both charmed and captivated every time, I’d actually forgotten what an incredible frontman Carl Barat is. The man exudes cool, and along with taking the lead on most of the vocals he also showed off his skills as a talented multi-instrumentalist (anyone else keen for a Carl saxophone solo show?).
There were still plenty of iconic mic-sharing moments and their legacy hits were performed true to the originals. These long-standing tracks such as Can’t Stand Me Now and What Katie did received the wildest response from fans as they jumped around like crazy and chanted the lyrics in unison. It was great to see new tracks like Run, Run, Run receiving a strong reception from the crowd too.
It was a strong, triumphant return down under for these indie music legends, and for anyone wondering, no I didn’t cry.
Click here for the rest of The Libertines tour dates and ticket info.
Side note 1:
This is the second gig I’ve been to in a month at forum where there were sound issues at the start of the set. Sort this shit out please Forum… it’s not that hard.
Side note 2:
I don’t always cry at gigs just when I do it’s The Libertines, Nick Cave or Green Day. (Actually, I’d probably cry at Lana too)
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Our review of All Quiet on The Eastern Esplanade
Pete releases The Day the Baron Died.