What Became Of The Likely Lads?

The cause of most excitement for music fans on the announcement of the Reading and Leeds festival line-up this year wasn't the vulgar splurge of dated, American nu metal bands that plagued the promotional poster. Nor was it the prospect of seeing an overweight Axl Rose flaunting his delusional ego around a stage, tarnishing the legacy of a truly great rock n' roll band that stirred up festival fervour in April. No, what delighted and excited real music fans around the globe most was that arguably the greatest British band of recent years were to reform for these two nights after five years of separation.

With only two albums and a few singles released in their short lived yet beautifully volatile existence, The Libertines managed to resurrect the British indie/punk/rock scene as well as embed themselves so powerfully in the hearts of so many that those five years (since their official termination in December 2004) have been torturous to Libertines fans to such a proportion that the only comparable human emotion would to be to imagine being Tiger Woods enduring a week of monogamy. Actually probably not as difficult as that, but that is certainly how it would have felt for Carl Barat and Pete Doherty, the creative duo at the forefront of The Libertines, whose unbreakable bond and talent for lyrics and melody have meant they have not been unduly compared to Lennon and McCartney.

And so after a press conference and (apparently) impromptu performance at the Boogaloo bar in London, it seems the Libertines are back to their ragged, simmering best and that Pete and Carl are once again, as John Hassall The Libertines bassist quipped, "sharing underpants".

Can we expect some new music from the band too? Certainly. Not only has Pete suggested that they will be working on a few new numbers but whenever Carl and Pete are together, music seems to flourish as an inevitable product of their creative connection.

Some will question wether a festival spot in front of thousands of people will really play to the band's strengths for their comeback gig. After all, The Libertines most memorable gigs have been in front of 50 sweating, squirming fans crammed to the beams in pokey rock n' roll venues in London such as Filthy Mcnasty's and the Camden Monarch. There is a possibility that the four will skulk onto stage like moles in the sunshine and that their energy will evaporate into the blue summer skies or be wasted on the red bull and pizza guzzling Limp Bizkit fans. I doubt it. After the experience of big festivals Carl and Pete will have gained fronting the Dirty Pretty Things and the Babyshambles respectively, The Libertines will be back better than ever and the combination of the much loved songs, the emotion of the reunion and the refreshed passion and vigour of the band will ensure a festival stopping performance. Fred Durst and his cronies should be prepared.

There is of course the definite possibility that either Carl or Pete (more likely) won't turn up at all, however.