Babyshambles

Formed during spring 2004 amid the Libertines' disintegration, Babyshambles became Pete Doherty's primary outlet for his poetic yet turbulent brand of rock after his expulsion from the Libertines amid mounting drug problems and unpredictable conduct. The group issued its debut self-titled 7" in April 2004, and by summer had stabilized around Doherty, guitarist Patrick Walden, bassist Drew McConnell, and drummer Gemma Clarke. Autumn brought relative stability through a sold-out U.K. tour and the arrival of the follow-up single Killamangiro on Rough Trade, the Libertines' erstwhile label. Stability proved fleeting, however, as December cancellations and aborted performances triggered by Doherty's inability to take the stage culminated in a riot at the London Astoria. Early 2005 saw Clarke exit, with Adam Ficek installed behind the kit.

Even as the group navigated persistent upheaval—including Doherty's arrest on charges of assaulting and blackmailing documentarian Max Carlish, which were ultimately dropped that spring—Babyshambles entered the studio for its debut album. Reuniting with former Libertines producer Mick Jones, the band tracked material across spring and summer 2005, unveiling the teaser single Fuck Forever in August. Down in Albion reached U.K. stores that autumn, after which Babyshambles hit the road, though nearly as many dates were scrapped as completed. Doherty's legal entanglements persisted, encompassing a January 2006 detention on suspicion of vehicle theft and Class A drug possession plus three separate arrests within a single day, leaving the band's future perpetually uncertain. The album surfaced in the U.S. that spring, followed by The Blinding EP in autumn 2006. Shotter's Nation, Babyshambles' inaugural EMI/Parlophone release, emerged the next autumn, marked by cleaner production values and tighter songcraft.

Following a European tour supporting Shotter's Nation that was repeatedly disrupted by Doherty's incarceration, he issued the solo set Grace/Wastelands in 2009 and began pursuing acting roles. The Libertines staged a well-received reunion in 2010 that included appearances at Reading and Leeds. With Babyshambles on hiatus, Adam Ficek left to concentrate on Roses Kings Castles, prompting Danny Goffey, formerly of Supergrass, to assume drumming duties. Early 2013 found the band reconvening with producer Stephen Street to cut its third album. Stereophonics drummer Jamie Morrison joined the lineup, and Sequel to the Prequel appeared in September 2013. The Libertines regrouped once more in 2014 for sold-out performances at London's Hyde Park and Alexandra Palace, spurring work on a new album slated for 2015.