live music

Editor's rating

Venue: Leeds Academy
Gig played: 23 March 2009

Pete Doherty has become synonymous with drugs, debauchery and dirty fingernails - so what will the newly rebranded Peter bring to the world? Rumours say he's clean and ascending from the depths, but is this really a reincarnation or merely an elongation of his first name? On Peter's first UK solo tour, the bustling Leeds Academy is eager to find out.

He arrives on stage alone, looking dapper in black and launching directly into 'The Delaney' and 'Music When the Lights Go Out' in jangly acoustic style. Graham Coxon joins next for the gentle folk-blues number, 'Arcady', followed by the rest of the backing band for recent single 'Last of the English Roses'. The crowd's ecstatic reaction to the latter confirms its position as a vital addition to his catalogue. Peter's voice is fragile but strong, and Coxon is surgeon-like - economic but with every note and chord weighed to emotive perfection.

Peter pours honesty through album tracks such as the dark-hued 'A Little Death Around The Eyes' and the ghostly 'Salome'. 'Sweet By And By' arrives like a plink-plonking melange of Randy Newman and Chas and Dave, and 'Broken Love Song' blasts from the now-nine-piece band, with Coxon tremolo-happy and Peter charming the crowd completely.

The last song of the set, 'Time for Heroes', gets the riotous reaction it knows so well, followed by an inevitable encore, finishing with a rendition of 'F*** Forever' that leaves the crowd on an irrepressible high.

In the past Pete would be as likely to miss a gig as turn up. Tonight he hasn't missed a note, a beat or the opportunity to reaffirm himself as a beautiful songwriter and talented musician. Reincarnated not regurgitated, long may the magic of Peter Doherty remain.

Sam Butterworth