Babyshambles recently announced that they’re reuniting to celebrate the 20th anniversary of their debut Down in Albion, which will see them tour across the country next year
Babyshambles will be heading on tour next year – and here’s how you can see them. The band will be hitting the road for the first time in more than a decade to mark the 20th anniversary of their debut album, Down in Albion. The band was formed by frontman Pete Doherty during a hiatus from his other band, The Libertines.
Doherty said: “It’s unfinished business and everywhere I go I get ‘what’s happening with the ‘shambles’. It’s a no-brainer for me, a real desire to play some of them old tunes and have a little shindig.”
But the band admit that it was heartache which spurred them on to hit the road again. In June, it was announced that former lead guitarist Patrick Walden had died at the age of 46. Bass player, Drew McConnell, said: “The death of Patrick made us determined that we have to tour now.”
They have since said that Patrick was intending to be part of the reunion before his tragic death, which spurred the band on to want to continue with the celebration of the anniversary.
Over the course of their career, Babyshambles released three albums: Down in Albion, Shotter’s Nation (2007) and Sequel To The Prequel (2013). In a new interview, Doherty revealed it had been “hard” to pinpoint when the reunion discussions had taken place as the band members hadn’t been communicating directly.
Speaking to NME, he said: ” I don’t think the four of us have been in the same room for so long.” However, he added that he and Mick had been off the “hard stuff” for around four to five years, and they had been toying with the idea of tiptoeing into “polite society.”
Previously, Babyshambles had been due to support Oasis before their split in 2009, but were ultimately dropped from the bill as they didn’t make it to the first date of the tour. “That is a shame that, looking back, because nobody believed me that it wasn’t my fault, but I was well up for that. That was the missus that deliberately kept me,” Pete said.
McConnell joked: “‘He just looked so peaceful, he was asleep I didn’t want to wake him up’ OK cool…” And while the band haven’t released any music since 2013, Pete hinted that he “hopes” there’ll be new material, having already written a song which he believes could work for the band.
He said it would be “nice” for the group to release a single, as well as a handful of B-sides and he already has a handful of ideas ready to go.
The band will play venues in Birmingham, Liverpool, Manchester, Newcastle, Glasgow, Leeds, Nottingham, Norwich, Plymouth and London’s celebrated Brixton Academy. The 2005 album Down In Albion featured hits such as F*** Forever.
Tickets for the live shows go on sale on September 5, with pre-sale on September 3.
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