Peter Doherty at The Tivoli Theatre, Wimborne (on 12.3.2025) with Junior Brother, Charles Bueller and Max Bianco supporting.
This was a very complete evening with three support acts hand-picked by Doherty.
We took our seats early at this all seated local theatre (Venue detailed here in my venue blog) and Pete Doherty was out on stage waving his trial fanzine type booklet about (a tenner each). Meanwhile his 21 month old daughter – Billie May – played on a monitor speaker and dog Gladys posed for people stage front to take selfies with her. Pete eventually introduced the first act, Max Bianco. He must have made an impact already as the young woman next to me exclaimed “f*cking hell, it’s Max Bianco.. sorry”.
Just a few songs from this Hartlepool born singer songwriter, who also fronts a band The BlueHearts.
Next, also introduced by Pete, was Charles Bueller from Southampton. He really interested me. He has an essence of Doherty about him with meandering acoustic guitar and stand out dark poetic lyrics which Charles squeezes out looking pained with the intensity. One to see again and I would think one who could go somewhere.
Mysterious Charles grips everyone and retains the attention for his allotted 25 minutes or so and then last of the introductions to these new artists was for Irishman, Junior Brother.
A most unusual singing style about him which employs the Irish accent completely. He recounted his afternoon pint in Wimborne’s smallest pub – Oddfellows – and the bar woman asking about his visit and his music. She put some on through the sound system which he really appreciated, before the landlord returned and asked, “what’s this crap you’re listening to?”, before sticking some classic rock back on. He persevered with his evening slot, undiscouraged and a patient audience were entertained.
We’ve been here a while and the auditorium is finally filling to its sold out capacity. Quite a rowdy audience in parts, for Wimborne – outbreaks of noisy drunken chatter from latecomers and a few incidents of bottles being smuggled in – The Tivoli doesn’t allow drinks in the auditorium.
With a roar, Pete Doherty kicks off his set with Libertines song Horrorshow. I was braced for a set of Doherty new solo stuff, and hence the small venue gig, but the crowd pleasing Libertines choices unfolded with the excellent recent single Run Run Run and Don’t Look Back Into The Sun, another belter.
He is accompanied on electric guitar on some tunes and his wife, Katria de Vidas, on keyboards for a bit while they both took some very arm’s length responsibility for their roaming young daughter. At some point she was just laying on the stage playing with their huge dog Gladys, and with some ear defenders on, until she got fed up with those. What a rock’n’roll daughter eh, and dog for that matter. (Last time I saw a dog on this stage was with Julian Clary.)
I was so pleased to hear Babyshambles’ best track, Albion get played. When this came out, I used to drink in The Albion pub in Wimborne sometimes and listened to it so many times, thinking for ages I could hear Wimborne mentioned as one of towns in the lyrics (as are some of the other towns on this tour). My ears were playing tricks and I revisited this uncertainty when the tour schedule was announced.
Felt Better Alive was one of the notable new solo songs Doherty paraded, the new album getting an occasional direct plug, as well as his fanzine prototype. Also Calvados, celebrating the distilled cider drink from around his French home. Possibly a love of said drink might be at odds with the message from Felt Better Alive.
There’s a break for a Happy Birthday singalong (Pete’s 46th) and a cake, which I’m sure the dog licked when it was in the table at the back. It’s as if we’ve all popped round to Pete’s house for the gig and he is a charming, spontaneous and chaotic host. It’s just great the way he ambles about the stage starting songs on the merest whim or audience request. A genius at work and doing just what he wants.
He diverts from a set list he peers down at to satisfy an audience shout of What a Waster. In previous years – and now his former life – this was a horribly appropriate Doherty anthem. Pete references his health a few times, type two diabetes and the desire to look after his toes.
As Doherty stands alone on stage in his suit and stylish fedora, new solo track Dandy Hooligan sounds like it might be autobiographical.
As 11pm approaches, this very friendly evening has to end and there is a realisation that he will be thrown off stage if the curfew is reached. This is Wimborne.
The Libertines’ What Katy Did gets a rowdy singalong, ending a lovely wander around the works of Babyshambles, The Libertines and the new and reformed Pete Doherty, with an introduction to some new artists as well. I’ll remember this one for a long time.
Gigs with Ivan 