Pete Doherty leaps into crowd at Reading Festival

Babyshambles headlined the NME/Radio 1 Stage tonight (August 22) at the Reading Festival, drawing screams and cheers from a big crowd despite playing at the same time as Main Stage headliners Rage Against The Machine.

During the show frontman Pete Doherty made reference to the fact that his band had been banned from appearing at another festival recently because they \"incite violence\". He later leapt into the crowd causing pandemonium.

The band defied their reputation for unreliability by appearing on time and playing a slick set featuring hits including 'Delivery', 'Pipedown' and 'Fuck Forever'.

"Is this a whirlpool?" Doherty laughed after playing 'UnBiloTitled', a reference to a recent police "investigation" into his band.

Wiltshire Police recently caused Babyshambles to be banned from appearing at the now-cancelled Moonfest event, due to them supposedly creating a "whirlpool" effect in the crowd with their song tempos.

Although no "whirlpools" were in sight, the band did induce a large show of devotion from the large crowd, who screamed "Pete! Pete! Pete!" before the band took the stage.

Bizarrely, Doherty and co placed a stuffed heron on an amp for their show, while bassist Drew McConnell showed off his recently shorn hair, having lost his distinctive mohawk cut in favour of a skinhead cut.

The band ended their set with a euphoric rendition of 2005 hit single 'Fuck Forever'. Doherty leapt into the front row during the song's climax, providing a high-octane close to the first day of Reading Festival 2008.

Babyshambles played:

'Carry On Up The Morning'
'Delivery'
'Beg, Steal Or Borrow'
'Baddie's Boogie'
'Side Of The Road'
'UnBiloTitled'
'Pipedown'
'Sedative'
'I Wish'
'Killamangiro'
'What Katy Did'
'Albion'
'Fuck Forever'

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Babyshambles tickets:

• Dec 10, 2009 19:30 at O2 Academy Sheffield, Sheffield - Buy from Seetickets
• Dec 10, 2009 19:30 at O2 Academy Sheffield, Sheffield - Buy from Seetickets
• Dec 12, 2009 19:30 at Cardiff University, Cardiff - Buy from Seetickets

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