Hosted in an intimate and local venue, 2000s indie legends The Libertines took to the Underground stage to an eager sold out Stoke On Trent audience. Powering through a set of classics and new material, with every song going down a storm. They jumped straight in with Up The Bracket, creating an uproar of shouting and bouncing amongst the enthusiastic crowd.
Night Of The Hunter; a thoughtful and charming ballad, went down beautifully. Despite only being released in the final month of 2023, that didn’t effect the audience’s attentiveness and appreciation of the song. The crowd sang along to the track as if it had been released for years, and looked up in awe, truly transfixed by seeing such an iconic band play in our tiny little local music venue.
The last time the band played this venue was 20 years ago, in the April of 2004. Resulting in a riot where the obstreperous crowd destroyed the grounds of the premises, tearing down parts of the building and causing a mass amount of damages. Despite this, The Underground were eager to have the band back for another gig; luckily this time there was no unruly behaviour.
One of the highlights of the gig was Pete’s dog, running excitedly onto the stage multiple times throughout the gig, gazing lovingly up at the band members and gleaming with excitement at the sight of the adoring fans. This dog, instantly becoming the star of the show every time he made a grand entrance onto the stage.
The Iconic London band played an exquisite setlist featuring many of their biggest hits, including Can’t Stand Me Now, What Katie Did and Don’t Look Back Into The Sun, and even managed to include a snippet of Twist And Shout by The Top Notes, with Pete Doherty fittingly altering the lyrics by singing “Come on, come on, come on, come on, Hanley, now!!” To honour the location of this very special show.
This really was an extraordinary gig, The Libertines performance and crowd interaction made the atmosphere feel extra special, and every member of the audience looked to be having the time of their lives. The Libertines are a band that have very much impacted many generations, with both teenagers and over 60s in attendance at the event. One thing is for sure, The Libertines are a force to be reckoned with in the live music scene, and they won’t be stopping anytime soon.
