Love Is Deaf As Well As Blind
Article published: Sunday, November 16th 2008
Doherty is idolised by his fans and crucified by the media. On Thursday 13th November 08 Manchester Mule went to see him play at the Ritz and find out what all the fuss is about.
I arrived to the gig quite late. The support bands had played, and people waited in hope for their hero. So many times before he had failed to show – would this be the case today? People had gathered from all over the North West. This, it seemed, was the place to be seen. At ten past ten, the atmosphere now getting a little tense, he finally arrived on stage. The half-smoked cigarettes were discarded outside, the queue at the bar was abandoned with and without drinks, and all rushed inside to join the heaving mass in the middle screaming and chanting. Their idol had arrived.
The fans tried hard at first to sing along (ironic considering Doherty had to check his lyrics sheet half way through a stop start rendition of Albion), but by the end of the second song the majority of the crowd had quietened down. Most talked amongst themselves, and the bars and smoking area filled up once more.
Disappointment
The gig was, it has to be said, a disappointment. Either Doherty’s guitar was out of tune, or his singing was, and he drifted in and out of time as though drifting in and out of consciousness. The occasion seemed more about the spectacle than talent, the fun being in the guessing game before he started – will he turn up?, how fucked will he be?, will he last a whole gig? Once he started to play, the fun was over. Some even seemed disappointed he had turned up (they must have seen him play live before).
I asked a few people what they thought of the gig. One fan kept telling me it was about the lyrics. This seemed a shame to me, as I couldn’t tell what the fuck he was singing about… it was often slurred, forgotten, or mumbled. I did, however, make out the words to one song, the only song he sang with any enthusiasm. This was "fucked for ever". Like most people there, I thought yes you probably will be and he had obviously resigned himself to this fact. This song also garnered the best response from the audience who, unlike Pete, sang every word.
Another fan likened Doherty to the Rolling Stones. As they are consummate professionals who play sell-out dates in stadiums all over the world, I was not convinced by the comparison. He also said Pete was the only true rock and roller of his generation. I couldn’t think of anyone his age who was a rock and roll star, though that may say more about rock and roll than anything else. It’s good for performers to have that rock and roll edge, of course – people love it – but at the same time you have to deliver the goods on stage, otherwise you’re just a smack-head with a guitar.
A third fan told me he though Doherty was genuine and that the media just hates him. (Was this reason enough to idolise some one and pay good money to watch them, I wondered?). But does the media really hate him? Or do they just write crap reviews about crap gigs, at which his loving fans take offence? Let’s face it without the coverage he gets, he’d probably be busking for his £20 bag of powder.
Messiah
Doherty stumbled through the set with a short break in the middle (we can presume it wasn’t a a coffee break). I wish he had given it up then and not returned for a tiresome second half. Thankfully, after a an hour or so, the charade was over, and the lonely looking Doherty left the stage, throwing his poor suffering guitar into the crowd on his way (what a waste, he could get at least twenty quid for it in cash converters). A frantic scrum ensued, punches were thrown and shoes were lost. For about half an hour, what became the night’s main event rumbled as people scrapped for a piece of their hero. Every few minutes some one would emerge with a piece of the guitar and hold it aloft for all to see. I’m sure I heard them shout follow the strings! no, follow the neck!. At one point some one even held up a shoe – clearly not Doherty’s, though people still followed it out of the arena. A new sect in the church of Doherty was born. Give me pop idol any day. At least some of them can sing.
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