Amazingly, this is the first time the Libertines have actually played a headline concert in Ireland, as their only Irish appearances to date were in the Ambassador supporting Supergrass in 2002 and a breakfast slot at Witnness in the same year. Remarkably, that’s all of 13 years ago.
The band are now diving in at the deep end with a surprise Glastonbury appearance and arena shows. My gut reaction is that they’re biting off much more than they can chew, as they simply don’t have the back catalogue – or, in my view, the musical ability.
They saunter onstage to the strains of The Dubliners singing ‘Molly Malone’, which turns out to be the most tuneful moment of the night. The sound is dodgy and as ever, The Libertines quite frankly look and sound like a band who couldn’t be bothered showing up for a sound check.
This shambolic approach may have been endearing at a guerrilla gig in a Bethnal Green bedsit in the early noughties when everyone was completely off their chops, but in the vast spaces of 3Arena, they’re cruelly exposed as a fantastically over-mythologised band.
A marriage proposal from a girl called Susie to someone called James Madge, which for some inexplicable reason is communicated by Carl Barat and Pete Doherty, falls hilariously flat as a few hundred people claim to be James. The less said about attempts at covering ‘Golden Brown’ and ‘Dream a Little Dream of Me’ the better.
The band are sloppy, ponderous and on occasion excruciatingly out of synch. Pete Doherty expresses his delight that Shane MacGowan has shown up, but apparently he has fallen asleep. It is easy to see why.
They attempt to cram in a few encores with what limited time they’ve left, as true to form they arrived nearly half an hour late onstage. Pete and Carl recklessly fling their guitars and microphone stands around at the climax of ‘I Get Along’ risking serious injury to the audience and crew, but hey, that’s rock n’ roll? Not in my view...
Shane MacGowan joins them for a final bow and they celebrate like they’ve just won the World Cup. It’s an embarrassing end to what is without question the most disappointing show I’ve seen this year.