Peter Doherty, Debaser Medis, Stockholm

has been called a number of things by the media - erratic, troubled, unpredictable, unreliable, criminal - and the circumstances of his postponed gig in Stockholm last month did little to curb such accusations. It was a week in which Doherty not only caused a media storm in Germany by singing the illegal Deutschland Uber Alles on stage, but also managed to ‘lose’ his voice, ‘miss’ his flight, and swap his scheduled Stockholm appearance for a night in a German prison cell. Though not a surprise that he failed to show up to the original gig, DIY was surprised by how different this performance was since we caught him in 2009. This is DIY’s ‘Top Ten Shocks’ from seeing Peter Doherty in Stockholm 2010:

1. According to one security guard at Debaser Medis, Peter Doherty arrived on time and was “having a shower” by 4pm. Shocking fact number 1 - Peter Doherty actually washes.

2. Incidentally, Debaser was the venue security guards reportedly threw Pete out of back in 2006 after he nicked a woman’s mobile phone, inadvertently launching both himself and her off the stage in the process. No such debacles this time round!

3. Pete can start his shows half an hour late but his mixtapes are so good (featuring Television, The Only Ones, The Beatles) that nobody seems to care or boo. [Perhaps this relates to his gift of getting away with just about anything? This guy once allegedly pissed in a trophy at the Charity Soccer Six tournament. He could probably piss on a fan’s face as they lap it up without protesting. Note: Gift does not extend to pissing off the Germans].

4. Despite urine-related antics, Pete really does love his fans. He will even sign autographs during the show if you ask nicely enough.

5. BUT he will call you an “arsehole” if you throw a glass on stage. And (insisting that it isn’t “grassing”) he will ask the audience to point you out.

6. He won’t play ‘Cyclops’ live no matter how drunk you are and no matter how many times you shout for it.

7. However, he will please hardcore fans when he can by throwing in the unreleased Libertines track ‘Breck Road Lover’ and rarities like ‘Mockingbird’ and ‘Never Never’.

8. He brings ballerinas in tutus on stage with him (one being the rumoured ‘girlfriend’) to accompany several of the songs, even though he could do with some advice from Arlene Phillips.

9. He makes friends quickly, bringing ‘Tommy’ the Trumpet player on stage for numbers like ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’ and ‘I Wish’, having only met him an hour before the show.

10. Armed with an acoustic guitar and a set-list heavy on Libertines and Shambles tracks (as well as the best of ‘Grace/Wastelands’), Peter Doherty still plays a magical set for 90 minutes. Despite that reputation of his!

Songs included:
What A Waster/Can’t Stand Me Now/1939 Returning/Arcady/For Lovers/Time For Heroes/Delivery/Music When The Lights Go Out/Albion/The Good Old Days/What Katie Did/The Last Of The English Roses/There She Goes (A Little Heartache)/Hooligans on E/Mockingbird/Never Never/Death On The Stairs/Lady Don’t You Fall Backwards/New Love Grows On Trees/Breck Road Lover/Fuck Forever/I Wish (with Mik Whitnall).