PETE DOHERTY ***
ALBERT HALL, LONDON THIS year, the Albert Hall expressed plans to appeal to a younger, more boisterous crowd. After Pete Doherty's performance on Saturday night, though, it'll probably be longing for the hushe
d reverence of the Proms again.
For once, Doherty wasn't to blame for the commotion. Appearing on stage in a sharp suit, trademark trilby nowhere in sight, he hadn't looked this smart since his last court appearance. Doherty was lucid between songs, smiled throughout and sipped from the least rock'n'roll of drinking vessels: the tea cup.
At times, he sounded good, too. Time For Heroes and Can't Stand Me Now, both taken from Doherty's days with The Libertines, worked well as stripped-down acoustic ballads. Newer Babyshambles songs such as There She Goes pushed his voice into new territories, with soaring high notes that he hit and held convincingly.
Whether Doherty has the wealth of great material needed to pull off this kind of solo slot is debatable. He has written a handful of catchy, vaguely poetic pop tunes, which fare much better in a band set-up. He does score highly, however, for braving the stage alone. A couple of years ago, Doherty's gig-dodging was such that fans would turn up to his show in hope rather than expectation. Here he was, sober, on time and, occasionally, on form.
Exiting to Down In Albion and returning for I Wish, Doherty was mobbed by a sea of fans. For some, this will symbolise the ultimate punk ending; for others, it will be seen as the final nail in the Pete Doherty coffin.
It seemed a crying shame that Doherty would be making the headlines again after the weekend for something other than his music.
The full article contains 291 words and appears in The Scotsman newspaper.
