Following their surprise spot at Glastonbury last week, The Libertines returned with a second live gig in days, headlining the second day of Poland’s Open’er Festival.
Relaxed and mellow backstage, Doherty and Barat showed no signs of the strains that appeared in their relationship back in 2004, resulting in the hit Can’t Stand Me Now and the eventual split that year. Both embraced and joked as they took in the picturesque setting at Gdynia-Kosakowo airport.
Watching on from the front row during their set was Polish supermodel Anja Rubik, mirroring nostalgic days gone by when the band was in their prime and Kate Moss was always a whisker away.
It was this nostalgia that got the 80,000-strong crowd whipped into frenzy as the two shared microphones with fans lapping up classics from their previous albums Up The Bracket and The Libertines, but songs from their September release LP Anthems For Doomed Youth were met with a more muted response.
New anthemic single Gunga Din was followed by You’re My Waterloo – which Doherty and Barat wrote some time ago but which features on the new record – is a classic love song with a dreamy ska-inspired sound.
Riotous Horrorshow, Time For Heroes, Can’t Stand Me Now and What Katie Did are triumphant set-savers while Tell the King and Music When The Lights Go Out still bring melodic sincerity, showing that the Albion sails on course again.
As the set closes with the victorious Don’t Look Back into The Sun, a stunning purple and blue haze pours over the expansive arena and provided the poetic backdrop that makes Doherty such a cult figure.
The Libertines were followed by Major Lazer who lived up to Poland’s expectations, with Diplo zorbing across the audience. The set featured a host of tracks from new album Peace is the Mission including the crowd favourite Lean On. The trio even made the whole crowd to take their tops off and throw them in the air during energetic and electric set. Cue a lot of topless revellers.
Also playing at yesterday’s second day of Open’er festival were Tom Odell, Faithless, Enter Shikarii, Django Django and Eagles of Death Metal, amongst others.
Over the next three days, the festival will see The Libertines, Major Lazer, Kasabian, Mumford & Sons, Faithless, D’Angelo, Django Django, Disclosure, Flume, Tom Odell, Hozier and Years and Years perform on the Polish coast.
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