The Libertines light up Gunnersbury Park with their very own stellar festival line-up
The London band returned home for a lively set.
Photo: Mike Massaro / Hello Content
Just when you thought The Libertines were a thing of the past, the likely lads were back to prove that they still very much have it. West London was the home for this indie feast, which also saw the likes of Real Farmer, Soft Play, Hak Baker, Lambrini Girls and veterans Supergrass. The glorious London summer sun was the backdrop on this early August weekend, and there was no shortage of devout lifelong Libertines fans in attendance for this one-off super special event.
Gunnersbury Park has been transformed as part of their summer series festival season and, with the size of the space itself, it looked every bit the part. Dutch post-punk band Real Farmer opened up proceedings and whipped the crowd up into a frenzy first thing, which is no bad thing. Followed closely by up and coming rapper and singer Hak Baker, alongside Brighton punk-rock duo Lambrini Girls, who again brought the energy before leading nicely into The Libertines’ good pals (thanks to Pete’s impromptu story he provided us with before they hit the stage), indie heavyweights Supergrass.
Photo: Mike Massaro / Hello Content
As the sun began to set over Gunnersbury, the rock ‘n’ roll nostalgia was just beginning and the crowd were very much eager to see just what The Libertines would be bringing to their very own festival. Both Pete and Carl wasted no time in getting stuck in and welcoming the crowd with their undeniable chemistry, which has been the subject of the band for many years. Up the Bracket was their first port of call, which was matched with raucous applause across the field, an old faithful from their back catalogue.
This seemed quite the moment for the band, with each member soaked in the atmosphere alongside their carefully curated setlist that had the perfect mix of well known to some more recent tracks. The Albion Rooms was visually displayed as their backdrop on stage and magenta lighting strobed across the audience, creating an immersive experience for everyone involved. Gary Powell did an impromptu dance in his all-cream Adidas tracksuit mid-set, much to the crowd’s joy, which then followed into his own drum solo after the Good Old Days played out. Small yet mighty touches throughout this set made it all the more memorable with extended outros, including a snippet of West End Girls by Pet Shop Boys, that had everyone chanting back.
Photo: Mike Massaro / Hello Content
Halfway through the set, the band used this moment as a time to reflect on their journey together by sharing anecdotes about friendship as well as songwriting, adding such a personable touch to an already memorable night. The classics such as The Boys in the Band, What Katie Did and Can’t Stand Me Now (the one before the encore), as always, went down with sheer delight from the audience. As soon as that encore did hit, the crowd were waiting with bated breath to see what they’d be hit with next; Man with the Melody was the chosen track that then opened up the final six songs of the night.
Don’t Look Back into the Sun closed off the set and, in the best possible way, with everyone singing in unison for one final time. Proving that indie sleeze is still very much thriving, creating a little slice of nostalgia, which we could all do with a little bit of and, luckily, The Libertines bring it in their droves.
