Pete Doherty Rocks Glastonbury Sans Babyshambles
Pete Doherty was left to go it alone tonight.
Hours after his band Babyshambles decided to skip their Friday night appearance at Britain’s Glastonbury Festival, the troubled rocker took the stage alone at midnight, putting to rest reports that Doherty was ready to pack it in in 2008.
The unexpected acoustic solo performance occurred a night after Babyshambles canceled their Thursday show at Norway’s Hove Festival.
The band’s website, however, still offers a list of upcoming concert dates, restarting July 4 at the Rock Werchter festival in Belgium, so it’s unclear whether Doherty’s really as tired of it all as the Norwegian news site VG Nett is reporting.
Taking over Babyshambles’ headlining spot on Glastonbury’s Park Stage were Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand, who briefly announced on their website Thursday: “Friday night. Glastonbury. Park Stage. 10pm. x x x x.”
Doherty, meanwhile, played a nine-song set, including two Libertines songs”What Katy Did” and “Music When the Lights Go Outbefore dedicating Babyshambles’ “Albion” to former fellow Libertine Carl Barât, who was playing his first solo show at Glastonbury this year.
The Libertines freed themselves of each other’s company in 2004.
Before the festival kicked off, Barât told Britain’s Daily Star that he didn’t want to make too much of him and Doherty being in the same place at the same time.
“I’d like to check out Pete’s set if it doesn’t clash with mine, but at the same time I don’t feel well enough to deal with all the attention that might come to me,” he said. “If the fans spotted me, they would probably want us to get up on stage.”
The somehow-still-rockin’ Doherty recently served 29 days in jail for probation violation after he used unspecified drugs and missed a meeting with his probation officer when he was supposed to be on his best behavior after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis, ketamine, crack cocaine and heroin in October.
Glastonbury Rocks Without Doherty, Babyshambles
Just as Amy Winehouse is easing back onto the scene, Britain’s other tortured artist of the moment may be headed for the shadows.
Pete Doherty and his band Babyshambles, who were scheduled to play tonight at the Glastonbury Festival, not only skipped their appearance at the English jamfest but have reportedly pulled the plug on the rest of their 2008 gigs, as well.
The move came a night after Babyshambles canceled their Thursday show at Norway’s Hove Festival.
The band’s website, however, still offers a list of upcoming concert dates, restarting July 4 at the Rock Werchter festival in Belgium, so it’s unclear whether Doherty’s really as tired of it all as the Norwegian news site VG Nett is reporting.
Taking over Babyshambles’ headlining spot on Glastonbury’s Park Stage were Scottish rockers Franz Ferdinand, who briefly announced on their website Thursday: “Friday night. Glastonbury. Park Stage. 10pm. x x x x.”
If nothing else, Doherty’s latest career move spares his former Libertines mate Carl Barât, who’s playing his first solo show at Glastonbury, the awkwardness of a public reunion.
“I’d like to check out Pete’s set if it doesn’t clash with mine, but at the same time I don’t feel well enough to deal with all the attention that might come to me,” Barât told Britain’s Daily Star. “If the fans spotted me, they would probably want us to get up on stage.”
The Libertines freed themselves of each other’s company in 2004.
The somehow-still-rockin’ Doherty recently served 29 days in jail for probation violation after he used unspecified drugs and missed a meeting with his probation officer when he was supposed to be on his best behavior after pleading guilty to possession of cannabis, ketamine, crack cocaine and heroin in October.
Amy Winehouse Leaves Clinic, Lights Up
Amy Winehouse Leaves Clinic, Lights Up
After undergoing treatment for the past few days, Amy Winehouse was spotted leaving her exclusive London rehab center on Monday (June 23) - quickly lighting up a cigarette before hitting the shops to pick up a few items.
Suffering from a nasty chest infection, it’s rumored that the 24-year-old “Rehab” singer is leaving to prepare for Nelson Mandela’s birthday celebrations and Glastonbury.
Meanwhile, as previously reported by , Amy’s dad spoke to press about her medical state, telling: “With smoking the crack cocaine and the cigarettes her lungs are all gunked up. There are nodules around the chest and dark marks. She’s got 70 percent lung capacity.”
“When we got to the hospital a room was ready. Several doctors came in and checked to make sure she didn’t need any emergency treatment. They put her on a drip straight away because she was dehydrated. She said, ‘Don’t worry about me, dad. I know I’ve got to stop taking drugs now.’”
“She’s got emphysema. It’s in its early stages, but had it gone on for another month they painted a very vivid picture of her sitting there like an old person with a mask on her face struggling to breathe.”
Winehouse Dad’s Overblown Diagnosis
Turns out Amy Winehouse’s pop is the one blowing a little smoke these days.
The singer’s rep is saying that the 24-year-old Brit does not have emphysema, as her father told Britain’s Sunday Mirror over the weekend.
Rather, she has “early signs of what could lead to emphysema,” rep Tracey Miller said Monday.
Mitch Winehouse was only speaking “out of his concern for her” when he told the press that his little girl was suffering through the early stages of the chronic respiratory disease.
Winehouse was hospitalized last Monday after fainting outside her London home and remained on bed rest throughout the week while doctors performed various tests to identify the cause of her collapse.
“With smoking the crack cocaine and the cigarettes her lungs are all gunked up,” the Grammy winner’s dad told the Mirror. “There are nodules around the chest and dark marks. She’s got 70 percent lung capacity.
“To think this could be my beautiful 24-year-old daughter’s life is preposterous. But if drugs mean more to her than breathing properly, then so be it. But the doctors have told her if she goes back to smoking drugs it won’t just ruin her voice, it will kill her. It’s been a tough week.”
But apparently there’s hopeand Mitch Winehouse seems to be looking on the bright side now.
“Amy really hasn’t got emphysema, there’s traces of emphysema,” he told BBC Radio 1 today, downgrading his earlier remarks. “Obviously, if she doesn’t quit smoking, it’s going to get worse, like everyone else…with patience, her lungs will recover completely.”
“With no more inhalation of smoke of any kind, she’s going to be absolutely fine.”
The elder Winehouse also maintained that, barring any unforeseen complications, his daughter will be able to perform at this weekend’s Glastonbury Festival, as well as at Nelson Mandela’s 90th birthday celebration Friday.