How the tables turn. Once, The Libertines kept the crowds waiting and played as though they could fall apart at any moment. Today – thanks to an 11.30am set that marks the de facto start of Glastonbury – it’s their fans who are rolling in late, bug-eyed and dishevelled.
All the attention is on frontman Pete Doherty. He was at one point the most important rock star in Britain, both ridiculously famous and incredibly influential, spawning an entire scene of lesser imitators. He was relentlessly pursued across London by paparazzi. These days, he lives a quieter life in France with his wife, Katia De Vidas. With his flat cap, he actually bears a passing resemblance to Pascal, the prickly French husband of Noughties “I’m too beautiful” Daily Mail columnist Samantha Brick.
