Heart of a Punk Soul of a Rasta

BABYSHAMBLES
19th DECEMBER O2 ACADEMY BIRMINGHAM

Being 46 years of age and having undertaken a full week of daily gigs did inevitably take its toll. I woke up on the sofa in a pool of my own dribble not knowing what day it was, what time of day it was, or why I was (here). Wiping my gob dry I blindly stumbled around in the dark until I found my watch, it was 5.30, but was it 5.30 in the morning or 5.30 at night? The watch did tell me that it was the 19th, and if it was the 19th, and if it was Saturday the 19th, then it was Babyshambles. I snatched up my Shambles tickets from the table and held them far enough away for my eyes to focus on the detail, then I did the math. "Doors 6.00pm" and I live an hour and a half away from the Birmingham Academy, oh shhhhhhhhhhhhit! Within in 5 minutes I was Red Bulled up and behind the wheel of the car, "What took you so long was there a queue at the post office" asked my kid who was already belted in to the passenger seat. The key turned and the car thankfully started first time, Burning Spear immediately started to sing "Jah No Dead" and we slid off into "the cold, coldest of nights", heading East.

On route we passed a brief moment between "Marcus Garvey/Garvey's Ghost" and "Red" by Black Uhuru laughing at the Babyshambles interview in NME. The Shambles were asked about the forth coming NEW album and quick as a flash the NME's fixation for logging the date and time of every Peter Doherty penned song, that hasn't made it to record yet, surfaced big time. This sad fixation of NME's is as absurd, as it is irrelevant. They say "blah blah" isn't really a new song because Doherty wrote that in 2004 and "yadda yadda" isn't really a new song either because……oh yes it is - oh no it isn't - it's behind you Peter - behind you! We mustn't be too hard on the music journo though, cos unlike you and I the music journo he's not fully formed.

Of course when we finally got to the Academy the "Scuzzies" three piece were in their death throws doing a cover of "Ebeneezer Goode" by The Shamen. Yes the song with the chorus that proclaims that E's are good. Yawn. Does anyone want to buy a Rag Mag?

It's bizarre for an old tosser like me to witness what fragments survive the inferno of musical banality, unlike most of the young whipper snappers present at the O2 tonight I was alive in '88 four years prior to The Shamen getting "Ebeneezer Goode" to No.1, so able to see The Shamen play live at Wolverhampton Poly. I was also able to witness their progression from mildly interesting, mildly impressive, mildly experimental Indie band to evil horrid dance outfit. "Look on my works, ye Mighty, and despair! Nothing beside remains, Round the decay of that colossal wreck, boundless and bare, the lone and level sands stretch far away ". Unfortunately though something has remained, it's "Ebeneezer Goode" and it's in my face again in all its transitory trite Rag Mag glory, ahhhhhhhhh, it hurts. Apart from that though The Scuzzies sounded alright.

Gaoler's Daughter was up next but their performance was way outside the remit of this fanzine.
NB: When you get old you get a bit grouchy when you've just woken up.

After the musical preamble that included "Death and Glory" by The Clash Doherty took to the stage looking every bit the dapper young man about town, in a three piece whistle with gold watch chain accoutrements, looking definitely lither and leaner in comparison to earlier in the year (September @ The Roundhouse) and (March @ Brum O2). His black trilby was immediately deposited on the drum riser to reveal his thick black mop that was neither greasy nor lank, it really did look like it had been washed, recently - I shit you not! And bugger me he actually looked rather well, in fact I don't think I'd seen him look this well since 2000 and...... , 2000 and......, 2000 and………. no actually I don't think I've ever seen him look this good. (court on Monday then). He toasted the crowd with what appeared to be a pint of orange juice and then fagless he led Babyshambles into "Side Of The Road".

Some more followed it included "French Dog Blues", "UnBiloTitled", "Baddies Boogie" and "Beg, Steal or Borrow" [Point of order here: sorry to have to state the bleedin obvious but "Beg, Steal or Borrow" however wonderful it may seem played by the band is not even in the same league as it's acoustic incarnation. It's like Marley's "Redemption Song", the power of the song stems from the intimate one to one relaying of the lyrics - something should be said]. "Delivery" was greeted with an airborne delivery of odd shoes - the throwing of shoes is supposedly a great insult in the middle east, but here in middle England it's a grandiose sign of affection, believe! "Pipedown" & "Time For Heroes" were riotously well received, even I was moved to gentle oscillation. "I Wish" that had been requested by the paying clientele even before the kick off (in customary "Oh Oh Oh Oh Oh, Oh Oh Oh" fashion) was obligingly trotted out. There were several new tracks including "The Fireman", hum, I thought The Fireman was MaCartney until the voice in my head said "Here's another clue for you all, the walrus was Paul", fair enough, my mistake. At the mid point in the set, probably during "There She Goes (A Little Heartache)" my mind drifted off to try and tackle the Libertine problem. To reform or not to reform that is the question the journo's have continually asked the protagonists, but what about us poor saps, no one asks us? Well watching the Shambles tonight there's certainly no requirement, Ficek and McConnell are as tight as a ducks doo da and can swing and shuffle as sublimely as anyone, and Mick Whitnall is the perfect foil for the meandering vagaries of the Doherty guitar. (Though Mick does not look well poor old bugger - see later). There has been plenty of live Libertine stuff played by Pete and Carl this year so what would be the point in a purely live reunion? Well as far as I'm concerned none, but that's easy for me to say. My kid however who never got to see the Libertines play live holds a markedly different opinion, he demands a reunion, even though at the grand age of 12 he has seen Babyshambles, Pete solo and the DPT. Obviously if the Libertines did reform purely to play live (totally against my wishes, ha ha) it wouldn't stop me from going to see them - after all I'm not that fucking miserable. For this cold hearted punter the significance and essence of the Libertines stems from the song writing of Carl and Pete at a particular, possibly unique point of time "when the two sevens clashed". It couldn't be the same again but it could be something else, possibly something more.

When I awoke from my reverie Mr Doherty was looking at his watch and saying nighty night because of the impending curfew. "Albion" and "Fuck Forever" were unleashed as encores and when the music was gone and the lights came up it was game over as far as I was concerned for another decade.
A tear fell onto my cuff - did it bollo!