Pete Doherty and Carl Barat perform with their band The Libertines in 2015
(Picture: AFP via Getty Images)It’s been 20 years since The Libertines released their debut album Up the Bracket. To set the scene, at the time it was Will v Gareth on Pop Idol, the Sugababes were at the top of the charts, Ant and Dec were writing England’s World Cup song and The Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers was on at the cinema.
To celebrate these two successful decades in music, the British band, which includes frontmen and guitarists Pete Doherty and Carl Barât, bassist John Hassall and drummer Gary Powell, are going to host an anniversary show at the OVO Arena Wembley on July 23.
The gig will see the band play their first album in its entirety - interjected with some of their most beloved tracks from over the years too. Supporting the night will be The Cribs and The Paddingtons. The line-up also includes singer Louis Dunford, along with DJ Amazonica on the decks.
That’s not all though, as Up the Bracket will enjoy a special anniversary makeover with a 2LP, 2CD, digital and boxset extravaganza, featuring 65 previously unreleased recordings. The updated album will be released on October 21 through Rough Trade. The original album was also released on October 21 through Rough Trade, just 20 years ago.
Calling itself a ‘Super Deluxe Edition’, the new album will include original demos, radio sessions and live recordings. The new Up the Bracket will also include a 60-page book, which includes a foreword by former NME journalist Matt Wilkinson, new interviews with the band, plus unseen photos. So for fans of The Libertines, this collection is a major jackpot.
The Libertines are not just performing on July 23 this year either, so don’t worry if you can’t make the gig. You can catch them at Glastonbury, at the O2 Academy in Bristol, in Manchester, Cardiff and Edinburgh over the summer, before continuing to play around Europe.
The Libertines was founded in 1997 in Camden. Their first single What a Waster was released in June 2002 - just six months before the arrival of Up the Bracket. Over the years the band has become as well-known for Doherty’s hard drug usage and his tempestuous relationship with Barât, as its chart-topping singles and music.
