Babyshambles play Shockwaves NME Awards show in London

Babyshambles played a headline Shockwaves NME Awards Show gig at London’s Brixton Academy venue tonight (February 11).

Pete Doherty led his band through an eighteen-song set of hits including songs from both the band’s albums, ‘Down In Albion’ and ‘Shotter’s Nation’, ‘The Blinding EP’ plus new song ‘Pretty Sue’.

Taking the stage at 9:20pm (GMT), Doherty, wearing a black suit, white shirt, thin black tie and trilby, started the gig with the guitar lines of ‘Carry On Up The Morning’.

After third song ‘Beg, Steal Or Borrow’, after a sound technician passed on a message to the singer/guitarist, Doherty said, “You’re going to have to calm down a bit and stop pushing at the front,” encouraging rowdy fans to create some space among the front rows, which were heavily crowded.

After the next song, ‘Baddie’s Boogie’, Doherty was given another message and said, “There’s people getting squashed at the front – their eyes are bulging out. We’re gonna have to leave the stage [if you don’t calm down].”

The fans seemed to take the message on board and relaxed, the crowding subdued and the gig continued without further need for messages of calm.

Before playing ‘UnBilotitled’ Doherty introduced a keyboardist, “Luca”, who accompanied the band during a bulked-up version of the song with particularly prominent, pounding beats from drummer Adam Ficek.

Babyshambles left the stage for a full ten minutes after ‘Back From The Dead’, leaving the crowd wondering if they would return for an encore or not.

The band did return to the stage for a four-song encore. During ‘Albion’ Doherty name-checked the Hawley Arms, the Camden pub which suffered severe fire damage on Saturday night (February 9).

The set ended with a kinetic version of ‘Fuck Forever’ before the band left the stage.

Babyshambles played:

‘Carry On Up The Morning’
‘Delivery’
‘Beg, Steal Or Borrow’
‘Baddie’s Boogie’
‘UnStookie Titled’
‘Side Of The Road’
‘UnBilotitled’
‘The Blinding’
‘You Talk’
‘There She Goes’
‘Sedative’
‘Pipedown’
‘I Wish’
‘Back From The Dead’
‘Killamangiro’
‘Albion’
‘Pretty Sue’
‘Fuck Forever’


The Shockwaves NME Awards 2008 are coming soon – and it’s time to have your say. Vote now by heading to NME.COM/awardsvote and you could win VIP tickets to the ceremony, which takes place in London on February 28.