The applause has barely reached its peak for the support act as Pete Doherty playfully strides into view with his trio of underrated musical troubadours. He cheekily peers out into the sea of satisfied faces, thrilled to bits at his mere presence, something that is always in doubt. The chugging baseline of Drew McConnell toes along Pete's hint of intoxicated, dingy and dragging vocals for 'Blinding', from the recent 'The Blinding EP'. The theme for the evening and Doherty's life in general is summed up in the mournful sojourn of 'Back From The Dead'. This allows the boisterous pit to have a much needed breather and actually gives you time to assess Babyshambles’ range.

Equal parts are played by all four members, and a defiant compactness akin to an early Stone Roses is displayed. This number is the key to the future of Da Shambles, along with the flirtation with conventional pop of new song 'Delivery.' This tune exchanges grit for groove creation in both the vocals and the instrumental element. A cleaner Pete Doherty, in more ways than one, appears to be a future trend. A nostalgic and momentum building return to The Libertines' territory of 'Time For Heroes' highlights the influence of Mick Jones on Pete’s career, and the fun pop pearl of 'What Katy Did' loses none of its zap. However, it is one of their own songs, 'Down In Albion,' that receives the biggest participation and shows Doherty at his lyrical loosest. 'Fuck Forever' is a natural finale and it is needed after a lengthy wait for the encore, but this merely stirs up more enthusiasm. If the guys can bottle up the freshness and adventure shown tonight, then the cynics' feeding frenzy will be as short-lived as the English cricketers’ revival of Ashes past. DAVE ADAIR