10/11/2025

“The Babyshambles quartet reminded the small audience why they matter and left them with a statement of intent. They towed the line somewhere between chaos and elegance as they embark on a new journey for the historic band.“

You’ll struggle to find a bigger juxtaposition than Babyshambles performing in a former church. The building is no longer holy territory, unless you worship at the altar of punk, garage-rock and post-punk revival.

The assembled audience felt like less of a crowd and more of a congregation. Nostalgia was in the air, as the fans embarked upon Papillon, Southampton.

When the lights dropped and Babyshambles emerged on stage, 2000’s nostalgia emanated around the former chapel, except this time Peter Doherty was present and punctual.

Babyshambles recently announced their reunion, coinciding with the 20 th anniversary of their debut album ‘Down in Albion’. The current lineup features Peter Doherty (Vocals and guitar), Mick Whitnall (Guitar), Drew McConnell (Bass) and Adam Ficek (Drums). Original guitarist Patrick Walden was originally due to be part of the reunion, before his passing earlier this year.

This one-off Southampton show was a warmup for the Dandy Hooligan tour, which begins this week. So Young Live presented the show, alongside a merchandise collaboration with Tonic Music for Mental Health.

Opening the night was Liam C, a singer-songwriter known for busking with his ukelele. He rose to fame when a clip of him performing to artists at Glastonbury went viral. Performing with a full band, his short set was steeped in fast-paced, up-beat melodies over spoken-word lyrics. Concluding his set, Doherty jumped into the crowd to join the revellers down the front.

Up next was Strap Originals (Doherty’s label) artist Charles Bueller. It was a hometown gig for the Southampton-born performer, who took to the stage armed with just an acoustic guitar. He was given a short two-song set to showcase his poetic songwriting.

The final support slot came in the shape of Laurie Wright. Another London-based busker who builds influence from mod/rock legends such as The Kinks and The Small Faces.

His fast, guitar driven rock & roll combined with stage presence and swagger to truly warm the crowd up and get them moving ahead of Babyshambles.

Tension builds and you can feel the excitement in the air, reverberating off the boarded-up windows of the former church. Ficek, McConnell and Whitnall grace the stage and take their place behind their instruments. Doherty booms onto the stage, cane in hand and addresses the microphone “Good evening, Southampton. We are Babyshambles.”

The crowd erupt into cheers and applause. He gives the roar a moment to slowly peter out and continues “We were last seen, not including Hastings last week, some time ago. I’d like to dedicate this song to the memory of Mr Patrick Walden”.

On cue, Whitnall begins the familiar snarling guitar of ‘Pipedown’ and the crowd roar into action. Energy is surging throughout the crowd as the pit opens in anticipation of the first chorus.

Doherty bellows “Oh Paddy put the pipe down” as the audience crash and bounce off each other. Pints spill, hugs are shared and floorboards shake. It’s feels like the band have never been away, but at the same time the crowd feel like they’ve waited forever for this moment.

Musically, Babyshambles are probably tighter than they ever have been as they continue to roar through stomping anthems like ‘The Man Who Came to Stay’, ‘Delivery’ and ‘Killamangiro’. The crowd love every minute, and you can really feel a sense of release in the room.

They continue to rattle and crash their way through the setlist, which includes hits like ‘A’rebours’, ‘Back from the Dead’ and ‘Carry on up the Morning’.

It’s a small, enclosed venue and the heat ramps up in the room. Doherty and Whitnall are visibly sweating through their shirts, and even the ever-cool McConnell looks a little drenched on the enclosed stage.

As with all Peter Doherty solo shows and previous Babyshambles gigs, one song that’s always guaranteed to turn the room into a choir is ‘Albion’. It could be described as the national anthem of these shows.

The crowd link arm-in-arm, Babyshambles veterans and new-comers united. The past and the present come together, chiming every word along with the band.

Doherty grasps the microphone, and you can feel the sense of joy and pride in his voice he chimes “Anywhere in Albion”. Newly released single ‘Dandy Hooligan’ worked its way into the setlist before the ska/reggae anthem ‘I Wish’ once again caused an eruption through the crowd. The band vacated the stage as the lights dipped.

Within no time at all, the band returned to their usual positions and roared into the start of the encore. Once again, the crowd’s cheers rattled the rafters of the building and the onlooking balcony revellers circulated above the room, as they flailed their limbs.

The band led into hits like ‘Crumb Begging’, ‘The Blinding’ and ‘Side of the Road’ before they met the crowd’s anticipation for ‘There She Goes’. The mood softens at the start of the track as Doherty graces his way around the stage. Just for a moment the chaos and energy in the room was transported elsewhere, replaced with something tender.

Without any warning, the band rip everyone straight back into the room as Whitnall begins plucking away at the opening chords to ‘Fuck Forever’. Both McConnell and Ficek roar into life at the same time. The crowd are not only hanging onto Doherty’s every word, but they’re also chanting them back. Shouting them back. The pit opens for one final time, and the crowd go as wild as Doherty is on stage. He’s bumping and crashing into monitors and mic stands, and the audience are bumping and banging into each other. The band take a bow and round off a thrilling performance.

As the crowd begins to flood out onto the silent Southampton streets, they leave beer on the wooden flooring but there’s smiles on their faces and ringing in their ears. Left as proof that something phenomenal occurred between those old church walls. It feels almost holy.

The Babyshambles quartet reminded the small audience why they matter and left them with a statement of intent. They towed the line somewhere between chaos and elegance as they embark on a new journey for the historic band.

Review and photos by Brad Halcrow (@brad_halcrow_writing) for THE SONGBIRD HQ