Reviews!

You can now check out some of my film, gig and movie reviews hosted at: lastbroadcast.co.uk, credited to William Peach. Go on, have a read, you know you want to!

 Babyshambles 26th Nov 2007

Babyshambles have indeed tightened up and smoothed out all the spluttering and splayed rough edges that made them the ramshackle catastrophe of the past. However, it’s slightly disappointing that the rock n’roll rollercoaster has caved in to the commercial pressures of “putting on a good show”. No longer do we wait and no longer do we gasp, as Pete and his band play safely by the record label rules. Their edge is consequentially missing.

That is not to say that they are necessarily dour. They run through new album “Shotter’s Nation” gunning the crowd with incredible smooth live conversions. Opening with “Delivery” they set a good pace and infuse the crowd with bursts of energy that spill over into the promising (and hopeful next single) “Crumb Beggin’ Baghead”. Pete seems on good form as the crowd all join in for a rendition of “oh we all like to be beside the seaside” - at least he knows where he is tonight.

The band continues to punch through their set before taking an unexpected early encore right after “You Talk”. The pace abruptly shifts as Pete emerges with acoustic guitar, and Drew ditches his electric bass for a larger classical alternative. It is here Babyshambles seems to ruin their previous momentum and turn largely into a rubbish jazz house band. “Lost Art Of Murder” (or should I say “Love Cats” by The Cure) shows a sentimental Babyshambles all cuddling up to one another as they crowd together in the centre of the stage. What happened to the vitriolic outbursts of patriotic rage I had to come expect?

The wait is not long as they emerge after a second encore with their strongest procession of songs yet: “Albion”, “Pipe Down” and “Kilamangiro”. As they rip through the crowd favourites we are treated to a continual montage of bizarre black and white photographs that include the haunting face of Tony Hancock. “Fuck Forever” finishes us off eradicating  any doubt we had over their inability to write a successful anthem for the masses. As the song comes to a cataclysmic end, the Union Jacks roll out, Churchill flips us the ‘V’ and the knees of the hardcore Doherty fan to my right buckle with admiration. Clearly Pete has done enough to still be this man’s hero. But as for me, well I preferred it when they sounded crap, they turned up late, and they kept me waiting.

Fortunately, Dizzee Rascal’s support set was enough to provide the edge for which Babyshambles lacked. Drawing mostly from latest album “Maths And English”, some were wondering why “The Boy In Da Corner” had in fact managed to be upstaged on the bill by a band that’s calibre appears largely his inferior. Nonetheless, Dizzee the true performer, continued to entertain and turn some of the Docherty Disciples into his own. “Flex” spelled a particularly raucous sing along amongst the younger populace of the Centre, whilst old hit “Fix Up Look Sharp” managed to get one of the largest responses of the night.