The Libertines in 2015
Pretty much everyone who is vaguely interested in music knows of The Libertines. They may not all be able to recite their lyrics back to you, but play them one of their bigger songs, and chances are they’ll be singing along within seconds.
Considering how fast the tickets sold out (gone in approximately 0.259 seconds), I think it's fair to say the majority of the people in the room were superfans. So it was interesting to see the different perspectives shared on social media post-gig.
I’ve never seen a gig so polarised in terms of reviews. A quick Google will reveal that people either said it was the best gig of their lives, or the worst gig of their lives. My review summed up? I’m kinda somewhere in the middle. Ever the awkward one.
I didn’t recognise any of the first few tracks, so not off to a good start, but that did give me enough chance to cop a nice little spot on the balcony where I could actually see the band. First thoughts upon seeing more than the backs of people's heads: “Wow, they look a bit different,” and “Shit, there are a lot of people in here.”
Just as my mind was running through the safety logistics of getting this many people out of one building, my mind was put at rest as four songs in came...
“You can't stand me now, you can't stand me now”...
Everyone went batshit. Me included. That’s one song ticked off the musical bucketlist.
After grabbin a drink, it was time to find another viewing platform and I found myself wondering "When did the average size of a Nottingham person get so tall?" Jesus.
“Shoop shoop, shoop de lang a lang"...
Nah, not talking about something off the Grease soundtrack. That’s What Katie Did, another one of their anthems that brought back insane amounts of nostalgia with each melody. Quite beautiful watching the large crowd (have I mentioned IT WAS RAMMED?) sing in harmony. Then someone threw a can at my head. I don’t even like Carling.
I was bored by the end. Simple as that. They played 23 songs in total, which, credit to them – definitely gave you your money's worth if you were a super fan. For me, it felt a bit stretched out.
If nothing else, I’m glad I saw them as they’re such an iconic part of the noughties music scene. As lame as that sounds.
Now I’m off to go and scrub Carling off of my jacket.
The Libertines played at Rock City on Monday 7 September 2015.
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