Pete Doherty at Rough Trade East

The Libertines frontman is a week into the release of his latest solo record, Felt Better Alive, and it’s already proving to be another hit with both critics and fans. While touring across Europe and the UK, the Hexham-born singer is also making time for a series of in-store events – and tonight’s takes place in East London, just down the road from where he once lived.

At the back of the Rough Trade East store, a healthy-looking Pete Doherty arrives promptly on stage at 8pm, cheerfully greeted by the crowd gathered in the record shop. “Oh, look at that – bang on time!” he remarks, sounding slightly surprised. There was a time when his turning up on the dot would’ve raised eyebrows, but those days are thankfully long gone. For those of us old enough to remember the unpredictable gigs of his more chaotic years, it’s a joy to see him still playing music – and he hasn’t lost his quick wit either.

Tonight’s show is a stripped-back affair, with only Pete Doherty and his acoustic guitar on stage, and many of the tracks are cleverly intertwined. It’s also a relatively intimate performance – Rough Trade East holds a capacity of 300, and tonight’s crowd isn’t far off that number.

While the singer-songwriter is here to promote Felt Better Alive, he assures the audience he’ll have to play some older tunes – especially given how close he is to his old stomping ground, where many of them were written. And between new songs from the album, like the hopeful Calvados – an ode to Normandy’s drink of choice – he treats the crowd to a handful of much-loved classics.

Tracks like Can’t Stand Me Now, Music When the Lights Go Out and Horror Show are a delight to hear, but it’s the troubadour’s humour and natural charisma that make shows like this so special. At one point, he points out his baby daughter in the crowd and sings her a lullaby, joking that they’d rehearsed the moment and she was supposed to cry out for him on cue.

For the closing track, Doherty is joined on stage by his support act and long-time friend Jack Jones, along with Maxi Bianco, for a magical performance of lead single Felt Better Alive. Not all singers and songwriters are so at ease with the public, but the Libertines’ frontman has always made it look effortless. There’s a warmth to him that’s rare among artists, and it’s this persona – paired with his undeniable talent for poetry and songwriting – that has made him such a star.

Hannah Broughton
Photos: LA Benoit

For further information and future events visit Pete Doherty’s website here.

Watch the video for Felt Better Alive here: