Babyshambles + Gans + Bliss + Laurie Wright @ Camden KOKO 15th December 2025

Twenty years ago, who would have put money on Peter Doherty making the transition from every bookie’s favourite to live fast, die young and leave a good-looking corpse, to a 21st-century version of Archie Rice, the beloved entertainer? Not me, that’s for sure — but here we are, at a Babyshambles gig, the running order of which has apparently been put together by Mr Doherty himself, who, as well as playing later on, is also acting as Master of Ceremonies.

There seems to have been at least one late addition to the bill. I had been told that the first act would be on at 7.30pm, yet I arrive at 7.15pm, and an apparently unscheduled Laurie Wright is already on stage. Laurie is an absolutely cracking electric blues guitarist, but tonight he’s doing his solo acoustic troubadour act — and doing it very well indeed, I might add. Unfortunately, I only manage to catch one full song, Who’s Laughing Now. It’s certainly worth arriving early for, though.

Peter announces Bless, a ska-tinged mod band from London. Their vocalist is an absolute showman. At over six feet tall, he can’t exactly be a shrinking violet, can he? Luckily, he has the vocal chops to carry it off too. He straps on a Rickenbacker and plays Sonny Bono’s Bang Bang (My Baby Shot Me Down) as the intro to one of Bless’s own songs.

I do like it when young musicians have both a knowledge of, and an appreciation for, musical history. The material is a mixture of ska and sixties-style rockers. Their set finishes with Daddy Gonna Make Us a Rock Star, which has a definite flavour of The Libertines about it. In a way, it’s astonishing to realise just how influential they were.

In between acts, there’s a DJ cueing up CDs — indie-disco favourites including The Jam and Oasis. Peter briefly indulges in a spot of what can only be described as dad dancing before announcing Gans, a duo from the Black Country comprising a bassist and a drummer who both also play synths and pedals. Essentially, they’re electro aided and abetted by real instruments. Both guys take lead vocals and harmonise too. The sound is incredibly meaty. Initially, the electro loops mostly add extra rhythm, while the bass is simultaneously super-distorted yet clear and powerful. The drumming, meanwhile, is awesome throughout.

As the set progresses, the material becomes dancier and more electronic, until for the final song the bass and drums are discarded almost entirely, apart from a thumping closing section. This hybrid approach is quite arresting, and they’re one of the more interesting live acts I’ve seen for a while.

Many of you will be aware that former Babyshambles guitarist Patrick Walden passed away recently. Before Babyshambles appear, one of Patrick’s former guitar pupils, Hak Baker, takes the stage. He gives a very moving speech about Patrick and then plays a song about how much he is missed. Featuring delicate finger-picking with a spoken vocal, it’s really rather beautiful.

By the time Babyshambles are finally ready to take the stage, it’s impossible not to reflect on just how unlikely their continued existence really is. Formed in 2004 from the wreckage of The Libertines, the band became both a creative lifeline and a lightning rod for Peter Doherty, whose talent seemed permanently at war with his demons. The early line-up — featuring guitarist Patrick Walden, bassist Drew McConnell and drummer Gemma Clarke — delivered the gloriously unhinged debut Down in Albion in 2005, before personnel changes became almost as frequent as the headlines. Shotter’s Nation followed in 2007, leaner and more aggressive, while Sequel to the Prequel arrived in 2013 after yet another reshuffle, fronted by long-serving drummer Adam Ficek. Officially, the band never split up — they simply drifted in and out of existence, resurfacing when inspiration, circumstance and survival briefly aligned. That they are here at all, playing to a sold-out KOKO, feels less like a reunion and more like a minor miracle.

The venue is absolutely rammed. I’ve been to sold-out gigs at KOKO before, but nothing quite like this. It’s packed — and sufficiently sweaty that I might lose some weight! There’s a filmed intro from Bill Bailey, followed by an appearance from the man himself. In case there were any doubts that tonight is very much an event, that should surely be sufficient to dispel them.

The band appear and kick things off with Killamangiro. There are more phones in the air than I can count. The crowd sing every word, and carry on singing between songs. Glasses (thankfully made of plastic) and beer are being chucked around everywhere. Patrick Walden was apparently supposed to be here tonight; he only passed away six months ago, and his loss is clearly still raw.

Sedative is quite introspective, but Beg, Steal or Borrow is bouncier, featuring a snippet of The Stone Roses’ Waterfall in tribute to the late, great Mani. A guy sitting on someone’s shoulders gets pelted with plastic glasses. He doesn’t stay up there for long. Apparently, the last time Babyshambles played here Amy Winehouse was with them, and There She Goes is dedicated to her.

La Belle et la Bête starts with something of a drum solo, followed by a brief bass spotlight. I’m slowly starting to wonder whether Peter Doherty might actually be a genius after all. Maybe in middle age he really is starting to come into his own. He certainly seems to improve with age, and gets better every time I see him — whether performing solo, with Babyshambles, or indeed with The Libertines. Carry On Up the Morning features a snippet of Neil Young’s The Needle and the Damage Done, deliberately ironic given Peter’s past.

For The Libertines’ What Katie Did, a very special guest appears in the shape of Carl Barât. For a large number of people in tonight’s audience, that probably makes their year. Peter contents himself with some cool lead guitar work. Baddie’s Boogie features the intro from Joy Division’s Love Will Tear Us Apart, with Peter playing air guitar on his cane while Mick Whitnall handles the actual guitar solo. Dandy Hooligan is a new song and also the title of this tour. The band hand out Crystal Palace shirts. It is almost Christmas, I suppose.

Peter plays The Lost Art of Murder solo, telling a story about smoking crack in a phone box on Camden High Street with Suggs’s brother. As Pipedown signals the closing stretch, Hak Baker returns for Fuck Forever, playing Peter’s electric guitar while Peter sings lying on the floor. They’re then joined by original drummer Gemma Clarke for Wolfman. Her playing is phenomenal — current drummer Adam Ficek may want to keep an eye on his job.

The band play right up until curfew. There’s no time to go off and come back on for an encore. This, it has to be said, has been really special. To call it a gig simply doesn’t do it justice. This has been a celebration — and then some.

WORDS: MARK KELLY PHOTOS: CRIS WATKINS

GALLERY