"Yes, it finally happened!" exclaims the Mirror. The "Liberteam" are back! Pete Doherty and one time BFF Carl Barat were reunited for the first time in three years on stage at Hackney Empire last night.
It was like nothing had changed for the most charismatic collaborators since Sinitta and David Gest joined the judging panel of ITV's Grease Is The Word. Both were sporting the same crumpled suits and dodgy hats that clothed the Libertines back in 2002, and there wasn't a syringe or a supermodel in sight (on stage, anyway).
The crowd responded to Doherty's introduction - "I've been waiting for this moment - Mr Carlos Barat" and Barat's humble entrance - "hello" - with sheer delight, singing along to What a Waster, Death on the Stairs and Don't Look Back Into The Sun with appropriate vim. All in all, the band played 13 Libertines numbers and, after the gig, serenaded fans with Can't Stand Me Now from a window while Kate Moss played backing cigarette.
This being the year 2007, someone was there to capture the whole thing on video and post it on YouTube.
While the early 2000s were being revisited in Hackney, the Kings of Leon were celebrating their ascent to the top of the UK album charts with an intimate gig at the 100 Club on London's Oxford Street. Rod Stewart's daughter Kimberley was there, as were the Arctic Monkeys, which is handy because Victoria Newton was just chatting to Leon-ista Caleb Followill and he was saying how the Monkeys were the only modern band worth listening to. Newton also reports that "within hours the two bands were partying together in the Met bar". Fingers crossed, it will only be a matter of time until we get to hear what happens when you musically cross-pollinate Nashville with George Formby in trainers. Now that's a collaboration worth getting excited about!
Incidentally, Page Three stunna Katie Downes was pictured snogging the bejesus out of Monkeys' guitarist Jamie Cook at the very same Met Bar, the very same night. Well done to the Sun for getting access to the first pictures of the couple together in existence; you must be very proud.
Liam Gallagher likes chocolate. In fact, he is, according to the Victoria Newton, the "wildman of choc". This is because he was papped leaving his ex-wife Patsy Kensit's North London home carrying a mountain of Easter eggs. There was a Smarties one, a Milky Bar one and also one that looked like it was shaped the Tardis from Dr Who. Not so much wildman of choc as toddler let loose in Woolworths, don't you think?
