Babyshambles

Considering how often their concerts didn’t happen in their early days, it’s remarkable that Up The Shambles exists at all. Filmed back in September of 2004, it captures the band during their first UK tour, about a year before their debut album came out. This translates into a lot of lesser-known songs, including a couple from Doherty’s time in the Libertines, and a line-up that still included Gemma Clarke on drums. Doherty is actually in pretty good form, demonstrating some of the charisma that’s kept his music interesting while everything else about him is getting tiresome. Alas, nobody told the sound guys that they were filming the concert because the guitars are too loud and Doherty’s vocals are way too quiet, making for a very unsatisfying experience. The concert is pretty straightforward, apart from an acoustic set in the middle where Doherty is joined by One Dove’s Dot Allison, who takes lead on several songs and duets on others. These seven songs save the DVD from feeling like just an attempt to cash in on a band who have moved on dramatically since the concert was shot, showing another side of the ’shambles.