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Daily Mirror
Daily Mirror
Entertainment
Scarlett O'Toole

Scruffy Pete Doherty surprises fans with shock Libertines gig in Margate

The Libertines performed at a special outdoor show in Margate on Wednesday, with frontman Pete Doherty looking very different to his rock and roll heyday.

Pete, 43, performed at the Oval Bandstand with his co-frontman Carl Barat and left fans wanting more, with some people calling the gig a "huge success".

Taking to the small stage, Pete wore a white polka dot shirt and held his trousers up with tartan braces. He opted for a messy hairstyle and was seen rocking into the mic with Carl, 44.

Only a few hundred people had the chance to see the band, with locals hastily snapping up tickets after finding out about the intimate show earlier this week.

Pete Doherty looked very different from his success days (Frank Leppard/Triangle News)
Fans were loving the intimate gig (Frank Leppard/Triangle News)

Writing on Twitter, one fan said: "Really great to see this. Not only has Pete Doherty turned his life around (to the best of my knowledge at least) he is passionate about giving back to the community he now lives in."

Another wrote: "The Libertines at the Oval Bandstand Cliftonville today was a huge success."

A third fan said: "Can always rely on The Libs to turn up somewhere random and play - class this," while someone else tweeted: "Class. Exactly what the libertines are about."

Pete has come along way since the height of The Libertines success, During the peak of his career, the star's drug problem spiralled into a £200-a-day expense.

Pete shared the mic with Carl Barat (Frank Leppard/Triangle News)

In 2003, he was infamously kicked out of The Libertines after burgling the home of bandmate Carl, which landed him a six-month jail sentence.

Initially, the two band members fell out over the incident - but allegedly made up during the time he served behind bars. Pete's sentence was cut short at two months, although his sentence was originally three times longer.

Upon his release and rejoining of the band, he sought treatment for his drug action.

The following year, Pete was again asked to leave the band, but they emphasised their willingness to take him back once he had addressed his addiction issues.

Pete formed The Libertines in the late 1990s (PA)
Pete looks very different now (Guildford Titles)

The group disbanded with Doherty's departure at the end of 2004.

In September 2021, Pete announced his engagement with Katia de Vidas, marrying her two days later. The relationship appears to have helped him turn things around, ditching Class-A drugs for cheese on toast.

In an interview with The Sun, he explained: “I like Comté, Comté on toast. My guilty pleasure is sleeping.

“For years and years, I would stay up for five or six days and then I would sleep for 24 hours, so now I love sleep."

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