The Libertines Tickets

A plethora of ‘The’ bands dominated the magazine covers and airwaves of the '00s. The Strokes flew the skinny tie flag for NYC, The White Stripes held the bluesy enclave to the north, while The Hives came marauding down from Scandinavia. In the UK though, nobody embodied that “out of the garage and onto the streets” ethos quite like The Libertines.

Unpredictable, volatile, seemingly only ever one chord away from complete self-destruction, they were rock ’n’ roll without a hint of artifice, for better or worse. The band was formed by Pete Doherty and Carl Barât while the two were still at university. Realising their kindred nature, the two dropped out of their respective courses and set up camp in Camden.

After a series of false starts and missed opportunities, the band settled on a line-up that included John Hassall on bass and Gary Powell on drums and signed with Rough Trade. Their first single What A Waster (produced by Suede’s Bernard Butler) gained some traction – only after it was heavily censored – and the The Libertines headed into the studio with Mick Jones of The Clash to record their debut album, Up The Bracket was released.

The band reunited with Butler for their next single Don’t Look Back Into The Sun, released to acclaim in 2003. However, Barât and Doherty had reached a point of no return in their relationship. Doherty left the band and formed Babyshambles. Eventually, he and Barât set about repairing their relationship and, after a string of reunion shows, they headed to France to start work on their second album. Both Doherty and Barât helped out with their friend Wolfman’s single For Lovers, which became their highest charting single.

That May, Doherty was in rehab but the band continued to tour with Anthony Rossomando filling in on guitar and vocals. Their second album The Libertines reached No.1 in August 2004, with single Can’t Stand Me Now getting to No.2 in the UK singles chart.

The Libertines continued to tour without Doherty. Barât eventually called an end to the band, forming Dirty Pretty Things, with whom he recorded two albums. In 2009, Barât and Doherty finally came back together for a tribute show, kicking off a flurry of activity that culminated in 2015’s Anthems For Doomed Heroes.

The band continued to tour over the ensuing years, including a December 2019 UK tour. In early April 2021, The Libertines announced "a Christmas jaunt" called the Giddy Up A Ding-Dong Tour visiting cities across the UK in November and December 2021.

In February 2024, the band announced a UK tour in the autumn in support of their new album All Quiet On The Eastern Esplanade, which is set for release in March.

In November 2024, The Libertines announced what looks to be a busy summer in 2025, performing a series of outdoor concerts at London’s Gunnersbury Park, TK Maxx presents Live at The Piece Hall Halifax and Margate Summer Series.