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It would appear that the North-West isn't the only region clinging to the good times of yesteryear, as The Libertines have reportedly been confirmed to headline the Leeds and Reading Festivals.
The official line-up won't be unveiled until 7pm today, but rumours are strongly hinting at other headline slots from Blink 182, Arcade Fire and Green Day.
Yet the biggest suprise is the news that Carl Barat and Pete Doherty will be re-uniting for an estimated £1.5million pay cheque (as reported by The Guardian) to reform for the annual Bank Holiday weekend festival.
The indie band (also featuring Gary Powell and John Hassall, who's involvement has yet to be confirmed) were something of a revelation in 2001. Providing a much need energy boost to a stagnating indie-rock scene, and offering a resurgence of home grown punk-rock on the eve of it's 25 year anniversary. It could be argued the impact of The Libertines was such that The Sex Pistols saw it fit to re-release God Save The Queen to mark The Queen's silver jubilee.
Though The Libertines' arrival came off the worldwide demand for indie thanks to The Strokes. Their visceral early shows (pre-drugs) are some of the most memorable I ever witnessed. So it's doubly frustrating that their career stumbled into an intoxicated mess, with Barat removing Doherty from the band, and then covering Libertines songs with his own ill-fated side project Dirty Pretty Things.
All of which makes this re-union of zero interest to me. Sure The Libertines have a hard-core following, and Doherty is still able to command decent crowds, but amidst all the re-unions of recent years doesn't this one just stink of a pension plan for two ailing musicians? There's no way that any new material could live up to their fan's expectations, right?
I'm not calling for a boycott of the show by any means, for their vital early singles alone The Libertines deserve one last hurrah, but is this the right time? Doherty has been in and out of the news in 2010 following the death of Robyn Whitehead in January, with him arrested on suspicion of supplying drugs only this week. The story goes that Whitehead had recently completed a Libertines documentary entitled The Road To Albion. A court hearing is set for 10th April.
Some may say Doherty is an easy target, an impressionable genius, yet Contact Music report that Doherty has comitted 21 drug offences, with 6 motoring related convictions. The most recent being possession of heroin in December 2009.
With such clear issues at force it baffles me how anyone would see a Libertines re-union as a seismic event, regardless of the size of their reported fee. 2010's music scene is fresh, invigorating and diverse. I for one am prepared to move on. TAGS: The Libertines Words by: Richard Cheetham
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