In typical North-West fashion, it was a gloomy night on the 29th of November in Liverpool. Torrential rain caused chaos on the streets – large groups darting under doorways to get out of the rain, and the chaos ensued even further once stepping into the venue.
Mountford Hall, typically a student hall, was filled with concert goers of all walks of life, all filled with the anticipation of Babyshambles’ long waited return to the stage, after an 11-year hiatus.
Due to the weather, we unfortunately missed Babyshambles’ first support act “Trampoline” but managed to catch the end of local Liverpool band “The Bandits’” set. And I am so glad that we did! The Bandits rounded off their set with a very poignant cover of The Clash’s “Guns of Brixton” which they dedicated to Patrick Walden, Babyshambles’ former guitarist, who unfortunately passed earlier on in the year.
The thoughtfulness of the night didn’t stop there, as later on, during the main event with Babyshambles, front man Pete Doherty, made a heartfelt dedication of The La’s hit, “There She Goes”, to Amy Winehouse. Pete often pays homage to his friendship with Amy during his shows, but it was a very special moment for me personally, as Amy has always been an inspiration to me and her passing hit me hard, so this added a real depth to an already magical evening.
Despite the acts taking their time to honour those that have passed, the night was filled with frivolity, energy and a real feeling of community – which was only to be expected after their long-felt absence from the music scene.
The devoted fanbase sang along heartily as Babyshambles played throughout their set, but a real high-energy moment was the band singing “What Katie Did”, arguably, one of their most popular tracks. Strangers hugging, dancing and singing along, was a real reminder of what live music can do for a community.
Speaking of high-octane, popular tracks, the crowd erupted during the encore, finishing the evening with “Fuck Forever”, where the Liverpool crowd really showed everyone what they were made of. A high energy end to a night that had it all – remembrance, great music, and revelry.
Ellen Lewis