It’s been twenty long years since The Libertines released their debut album , but the band’s place in the new British guitar rock canon still has fans queuing up to hear classics like ‘Time for Heroes’ and ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’. Having burnt fast and bright at the start of the millennium, the London band entered a lengthy hiatus before reuniting on 2015’s Anthems for the Doomed Youth and subsequent tours.
The Libertines last played in Manchester in December 2021, but will return for a special open air performance as part of Sounds of The City at Castlefield Bowl with a set on Friday July 1 supported by Sports Club. The band is also gearing up to release a 20th anniversary deluxe version of Up The Bracket – complete with 65 rarities, demos and radio sessions as well as a 60-page book – and will be playing the album in full.
The songwriting partnership of Pete Doherty and Carl Barat was fuel for critical acclaim and tabloid infamy alike, but a little older and wiser the balance seems to have been restored. Whether Doherty will try his fork at one of the city’s many food challenges, having famously bested a Margate café ‘Mega Breakfast’ in under 20 minutes back in 2018, remains to be seen.
