Music

Libertines Reunite for Reading and Leeds

March 29, 2010

Guns n’ Roses, Arcade Fire and Blink-182 have been recruited to headline this year’s Reading and Leeds Festivals, but the big news for the August 27-29th U.K. events is the reunion of the Libertines, who will perform together for the first time since their breakup six years ago. Weezer, Paramore, Modest Mouse, Queens of the Stone Age, LCD Soundsystem and Phoenix will also rock both Reading and Leeds in 2010. Tickets are available now at the Reading and Leeds sites.

The Libertines only released two albums, 2002’s Up the Bracket and 2004’s The Libertines, but the group quickly ascended to become one of the biggest bands in Britain thanks to their Clash-style rock and the notoriety of their guitarist Pete Doherty. A rift between Doherty and co-frontman Carl Barat led to the band dissolving in 2004. Doherty — when not getting in trouble with drugs or the law (he was just arrested again last week) — went on to perform with Babyshambles and embark on his own solo career, while Barat formed Dirty Pretty Things. Still, a Libertines reunion always seemed inevitable (if the price was right), as just last May three of the group’s four members — Doherty, Barat and drummer Gary Powell — performed six Libertines songs onstage following a Babyshambles show. Up the Bracket recently appeared on Rolling Stone‘s list of the 100 Best Albums of the 2000s.

Guns n’ Roses, who will hit up multiple European festivals this summer, is set to headline the Friday, August 27th performances at Reading and close out Leeds on Sunday, August 29th. Arcade Fire, who have the Libertines on their bill at both shows, will headline the opening day of the Leeds Festival and play Reading’s second night. Blink-182 will play second night of Leeds and the final night of Reading. The rest of the lineup the days Blink-182 perform seems more suited to a Bamboozle here in the States: Weezer, Paramore, Cypress Hill, Limp Bizkit and All Time Low.