Babyshambles prove a shambles in Dublin

Pete Doherty Watchers had a field day at the weekend with the ever-shambolic Babyshambles singer appearing at the Trinity Ball and Dublin's Ambassador Theatre on consecutive nights.

Although parents of Trinity students had ample cause for concern, it was Doherty's Saturday night headliner at the Ambassador that proved the most hazardous experience, with reports of skirmishes between security personnel and members of the audience.

According to Hot Press' Steve Cummins, a seasoned Doherty Watcher who was in attendance for both Babyshambles appearances, the ruckus erupted during the song 'Wolf Man', when Doherty attempted to bring people onto the stage:

"Pete got very angry when he saw a skirmish down below between security and his fans. He threw his mic down at one of the bouncers and then he jumped down and reportedly started hitting one of the bouncers. His manager and one of the roadies had to pull him back onto the stage," says Cummins.

Earlier in the night there were doubts as to whether the Babyshambles singer would even be joining his band. Cummins recounts:

"Doherty had kept the crowd waiting long enough and the general feeling, about an hour after the support band came off stage, was that he wasn't going to show. When he did the place went mad. The gig itself was amazing, and certainly a vast improvement on the previous night at Trinity."

Also tardy for Friday's Trinity Ball, Doherty had reportedly been holed up at the Clarence Hotel in a drinking session with Shane MacGowan and girlfriend Kate Moss.

Much to the delight of Trinity students, the supermodel later made an onstage cameo appearance. Writing in his review of the TCD festivities, Steve Cummins observed:

"The former Libertine was working to hold the crowd's dwindling interest but even a run through ‘Time For Heroes’ wasn’t enough to pull things together. His new songs were shambolic and, alerted to potential disaster, it was left to Kate Moss to try and rescue her boyfriend once again. The supermodel’s brief dart onto the stage to sing drew the loudest applause of the night and, after catching a glimpse of her, the audience began to leave. Tonight Doherty wasn’t getting the devotion he’s become accustomed to, even at one stage begging, “Ah please don’t leave, this’ll be a good one.”

As for the early departure of the Babyshambles guitarist Patick Weldon midway through the set (no, it wasn't concern for his pumpkin coach), Doherty Watchers believe that he was fed up with the singer's age-old problem of remembering lyrics.

Weldon was, however, in attendance at the Ambassador the following night.

To read Steve Cummins' full review of The Trinity Ball, be sure to pick up the next issue of Hot Press, out Thursday, May 19.