Pete Doherty on the grief and growth of an emotional Babyshambles reunion: “I don’t want to destroy things”
2025 has been the year of the reunion. While Oasis has been the most noteworthy, Babyshambles are ending the year on a flourish. However, following the tragic death of Patrick Walden, it’s a notably bittersweet affair.
Before their first shows back earlier this month, it had been 11 years since they had played live together. In that time, Doherty got back with his ex, The Libertines, as well as releasing a number of solo albums, and bassist Drew McConnell became Liam Gallagher’s right-hand man on stage.
Babyshambles in 2025 isn’t the same proposition as they were in 2005, when Doherty was better known by the masses for his off-stage antics rather than writing ‘Fuck Forever’. While his life is quieter now that he’s a married man with a young child to care for, Doherty is not afraid to admit that the reunion has opened up old wounds.
Speaking from the backstage area ahead of a show in Norwich, Doherty begins by jokingly describing the opening night of the tour in Coventry as an “open rehearsal” due to it being sparsely attended. Although he’s taking the piss, these are songs that Doherty needed to rehearse due to having neglected them for years.
Giddy with excitement, Doherty rushes to find a paper setlist before going through each of the tracks, such as beloved cuts like ‘Delivery’ or ‘Beg, Steal or Borrow’, which he “never plays” unless it’s requested from a crowd member. He elaborates, “I’ll maybe play ‘Fuck Forever’, an acoustic ‘Killamangiro’, and ‘Albion’, which is a staple, but a lot of these songs, I don’t know why (I don’t play them). There’s some incredible songs there, that something in me just hasn’t been able to touch for whatever reason.”
The frontman then gives his take on why he’s allowed himself to ignore these creations, honestly admitting, “It’s all connected, I think, to the dark and scary past, all of the ghosts of which are now popping up to haunt me, if not in the lyrics, then, they’re looking at the back of sound check.”
With Doherty, it’s hard to separate fact from fiction, such as a tale about how a “completely bonkers” woman turned up on the day of our conversation claiming a bandmate had fathered twins years ago, which a DNA test disproved, as well as, “Another bloke [who] came in wearing a hooded mask, saying, ‘We owe you loads of money.”
Although it’s wise to take these anecdotes with a pinch of salt, nothing can be ruled out for certain with Babyshambles.
Doherty now considers himself to be “a reliable family man with my dog and my baby on tour, just trying to make an honest living doing my music”. However, he concedes that can’t be said for the person who penned these Babyshambles songs, which were “originally written in and performed in incantations and spells”. The singer-songwriter admits, “It’s just weird getting up there performing (Babyshambles songs), because I’m just not that person anymore.”
Looking back on his former self, Doherty reflects on the vicious cycle of behaviour: “The chaos and the carnage and that old paranoid, angry feeling, would end up manifesting itself in chaos and carnage and inevitably, some type of ultra violence. That was always a sort of logical conclusion to those feelings.”
However, Doherty’s old way of dealing with these complex emotions is firmly in the past, explaining, “But now, when I conjure those feelings, I can’t use that as an outlet. I don’t want to destroy things. In fact, first of all, it’ll freak the dogs out, let alone the baby.”
Sadly, the Babyshambles reunion is missing one vital part. In June, guitarist Patrick Walden, who played on their debut album, Down In Albion, heartbreakingly died aged 46. He was set to return to the band for the reunion tour, and Doherty is overcome with emotion while talking about the loss of his late friend.
“He was supposed to be here,” Doherty painfully shares. “That’s why we did it, you know, because Pat, in particular, was in a bad way, and he needed a few pennies, and that’s why we were gonna do it, and then he died.”
While fighting back tears, Doherty remembers the immense talent of Walden, adding, “All those songs from Down in Albion, nobody can play them like Pat. He had a very distinctive guitar style.” He then emotionally sighs, “It’s heartbreaking.”
Each night that Babyshambles take to the stage, they are holding a torch to Walden’s work and keeping his memory alive, which also comes with a taxing emotional cost for those in the band.
The future of Babyshambles, beyond this current tour, is uncertain. When pressed on a potential European tour in 2026, in true Babyshambles style, Doherty reveals, “Mick (Whitnall) hasn’t got a passport”. While this is a simple hurdle for most bands to jump, Doherty adds that Whitnall is being “evasive” on the matter, adding, “I think there’s something else going on. I don’t know what it is, but it doesn’t look like he’s getting one anytime soon”.
Presumably, Babyshambles, who released ‘Dandy Hooligan’ this month, won’t be left on the shelf for another decade and a bit, even if their exploits are restricted to the UK for now. In an ideal world, they remain a touring vehicle for Doherty alongside The Libertines and his solo career.
He’s also got his own record label, Strap Originals, to keep himself occupied, too. Doherty says constantly being on the road is “perfect” for the label, due to having a “million support slots” available. For him, the thrill of discovering a new band still provides him with a wholesome almighty buzz that can’t be replicated.
“I love playing my own songs, but more and more, my favourite part of the day is just watching these young bands come in, sound-checking and watching them. Seeing the energy, the lust, and the love of it, that’s what keeps me going,” he reveals, with a glint in his eye.
Next summer, The Libertines will be playing a smattering of festival dates with Doherty saying of the band’s current status: “There’s always going to be festivals here and there with The Libs. We’ll see what happens.”
Doherty then drops a bombshell, revealing, “There’s talk of another album. I’m trying to get them to sign to Strap Originals, but I don’t think Carl’s having it.” Following the expiry of their deal with Virgin EMI after All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade topped the UK charts in 2024, The Libertines are currently without a label.
Doherty jokes that signing The Libertines to Strap Originals would be a conflict of interest akin to “Donald Trump selling golf club packages to Saudi princes”, and admits he’d be “astounded” if they let him be their boss. According to Doherty, the rest of the band are leaning towards a “decent offer” on the table from an unnamed record label, which, sadly but probably wisely, appears to be a more likely destination for album five.
As much as there are discussions around a new Libertines album, seasoned fans know not to expect any new music in the near future, considering their last record was almost a decade in the making. However, one thing is for sure that they are not going anywhere.
Yet with Babyshambles, seemingly not even Doherty knows precisely what the future may hold, which isn’t unexpected for a band who have never planned too far ahead. But, chances are, Doherty will be coming to a town near you with either one of his projects in the near future.
Tickets to the remaining Babyshambles tour dates, which are listed below, can be found here.
Babyshambles 2025 tour dates:
November
- 24th – Oxford, O2 Academy
- 25th – Stoke, Keele SU
- 26th – Birmingham, O2 Academy
- 27th – Cardiff, Tramshed
- 29th – Liverpool, Mountford Hall
- 30th – Manchester, O2 Victoria Warehouse
December
- 1st – Middlesbrough, Empire
- 2nd – Newcastle, O2 City Hall
- 4th – Glasgow, O2 Academy
- 5th – Glasgow, O2 Academy
- 7th – Leeds, O2 Academy
- 8th – Nottingham, Rock City
- 9th – Bristol, O2 Academy
- 10th – Plymouth, Pavilions
- 15th – London, KOKO
