In front of only around 2000 fans, the British indie bullies The Libertines celebrated the 20th anniversary of their debut “Up The Bracket” including a selected best-of set on Monday evening in the Vienna Gasometer. The two hate-loving frontmen Pete Doherty and Carl Barât offered the best concert in their Austrian history.
“You’re dumb, has he turned pale” or “I hope he liked the football he ate” are two of the many seminice attributions that Libertines frontman Pete Doherty flew at from deep in the golden Viennese heart. He won’t understand it and will get over it, especially since the now 43-year-old Briton is extremely healthy, but also seems healthier than ever. In the French diaspora, he swapped his heroin-laden syringes for good wine and mature cheese. Instead of a crack pipe, he gets a piece of baguette with Parma ham. The result is qualitatively groundbreaking and begins with the fact that he and his three colleagues not only come on stage at all (Austrian fans know that it was completely different), but are also almost on time. Toxic Rock’n ‘RollDoherty and his artistic twin Carl Barât, despite all the differences that kept arising, have made their way forward to drive a very special anniversary across Europe in good time after the end of several years of corona restrictions. The Libertines cult album “Up The Bracket” is celebrating its 20th birthday and, to be honest, hasn’t survived the “Test Of Time” completely flawlessly. But it’s definitely enough for a trip to the glorious Indie ’00s. A world hardly imaginable today, long before cloud rap and the overproduction of generic EDM sounds. Just plain Camden rock ‘n’ roll. Not as intellectual as with Blur, not as proletarian as with Oasis, but always a bit toxic and above all explosive due to the two frontmen. This rugged wildness of the early days has given way to a certain mildness of age in the mid-40s, you can see that in the whole band special harmony on stage. The anti-Covid antiphonal vocals on a microphone, which is not at all Covid-compliant, the wide-legged guitar solo duel in the short instrumental phases or the easily noticeable, male gockling in non-verbal communication on stage – there is an invisible bond of unmistakable love between Doherty and Barât, but this is always endangered by a fuse that is always ready to burn. The rhythm foundation of Gary Powell (drums) and John Hassell (bass) works like clockwork and in 2022 no longer has to intervene as a cement between the two egomaniacs. The two frontmen are now too tired and relaxed for that. With yourself, with life and above all with the band. Tidy and wide awake The Libertines have become a best-of fair that crosses all holy times again through the village to offer the great classics for sale and to be cheered at. In contrast to the Stadhallen fiasco of 2016, Londoners today are cheerful and wide awake. Instead of microphone stands, the hits fly, and special numbers at that. The “Up The Bracket” set, which lasts about 45 minutes, is celebrated from A to Z and unleashes its most intense pull in songs like “Time For Heroes”, “Radio America” or the rough closer “I Get Along”. No one takes Doherty’s smiling farewell seriously anyway and after a short break for rebuilding and breathing, the fans are released into the cool autumn night with a crisp best-of set. That the sound sometimes echoes and rattles and the beer mugs fly – for free. We’re not at a children’s snack. Today Doherty has the better vocal organ, Barât shoots the better solos out of his six-stringed axe. Against the raw originality of songs like “What Became Of The Likely Lads” or “Can’t Stand Me Now”, Libertines’ American alter-egos The Strokes seem like professional prog musicians. “We Are The Happy Libertines,” Doherty grins around the set and has just as much fun as the surprisingly sparse crowd. Barât poses powerfully with a white rip shirt and suspenders, Doherty with a hat and his stately cloak. Who would have thought ten or 15 years ago that this man would still be with us in 2022? What luck for him and us. Also that the Libertines don’t seem to be thinking about writing new songs. It can’t get any better than “Don’t Look Back Into The Sun” or “Begging” anyway. Until the next anniversary visit!
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