The Libertines

Regardless of their motivation for reforming, there is something undeniably exciting about seeing The Libertines in their fully reunited form this evening.

As much a soap opera as a band, the gang of four who hit The Forum's stage this evening do so with the ghosts of a thousand fights and tabloid headlines behind them - knowing full well that they owe it to their die hard audience to be recapture and animate something special tonight. In previous years, this level of expectation would have led to an inevitable downfall - a drunken scrap or one of Doherty's bi-monthly arrests, however the stars are seemingly aligned for the band tonight with everything seeming to go without hitch.

Pete Doherty and Carl Barat made a career out of romanticising the ordinary and whilst it would be easy to do the same here it would also be dishonest. The Libertines put in a rasping and breathless performance this evening but it is one the relies as much on this generations love of instant nostalgia as it does to the heart swelling songs, every last one inextricably linked to moments and episodes in each of the audiences individual lives. Nobody here is expecting a musically tight performance or to hear a stunning vocal performance, in fact it's actually surprising that the band sound really good together. What people are here for is to continue the drama and take the story of one of rock n' roll's most infuriating but irresistible couples off pause for another anarchic evening.

Things kick off as if they never ended with 'Horrorshow', 'Vertigo' and a rioutous 'The Delaney' causing the capacity crowd to surge forwards - arms flailing and heads banging. Famed (or should that be framed?) for creating iconic images at every juncture tonight is no exception. With a cameraman on stage Pete n' Carl are soon sharing the same microphone and exchanging longing glances as the flashbulbs blink and capture the moment for a lifetime. As the band progress through their short recorded catalogue the heat rises, quenched only by a perpetual sea of tossed lager heading stage wards. The band's lacklustre second album is dwelt on perhaps for too long with 'The Ha Ha Wall' and 'Campaign Of Hate' bringing the ramshackle riot tone of the evening down to more of a plod, however the sweet 'What Katie Did' saves things from stumbling entirely.

If anything, the fact that tonight's highlights come solely from Up The Bracket shows just how important Pete Doherty was and always will be to The Libertines. It's impossible to ignore his many misadventures but, putting them to one side, he remains a charismatic front man and the only one able to lead the way into sticky indie dance floor classics like 'Don't Look Back Into The Sun'. With Pete'n'Carl flirting between their fret boards whilst Gary Powell and John Hassall provide the rhythm it's almost possible to forget just what The Libertines went through in their scandal-ridden career. All of the murky drama is brought home however in the opening seconds of 'Can't Stand Me Now'. Laying the bands whole relationship on the line, Doherty sings the line "Little boy kicked out at the world, the world kicked back a lot fucking harder" with a genuine sense of remorse. The feeling that this 2010 reunion is as much about rectifying past wrongs as it is, undoubtedly, about money is a hard one to shake based on tonight's performance.

This one off gig (ahead of two pocket lining mega-shows at Reading and Leeds Festival) ends in suitably trashy fashion with 'Time For Heroes' rolling into 'Up The Bracket', the career for seeing 'What A Waster' and final call to arms that is 'I Get Along'.

Rumours of a full reunion will surface and resonate for a while now but if the band have any sense they will admit that this week is the perfect full stop at the end of a battle damaged but beautiful career for The Libertines. For a band who represented a romantic dream to millions of teens across the country their time has well and truly gone but as kiss offs go, tonight couldn't have been much sweeter.