Babyshambles refers to a set of recordings by United Kingdom rock and roll band, The Libertines, and to a separate band formed by singer and guitarist, Pete Doherty.

• The Babyshambles Sessions is a set of songs recorded by The Libertines while in New York. The singer and guitarist Carl Barat left before completion of the tapes, which were intended for the second album, in disgust at the drugged-up hangers-on who surrounded Peter. Bassist John Hassall also lent a hand, playing the bassline on one song, The Man Who Would Be King. It is thought that Barat played drums on some tracks. Peter then gave the tapes to a fan who, at Peter's request (a fact he later denied), made the tracks available to the band's hardcore fans over the internet. A 3-CD set of these sessions can also often be found for sale on internet auction sites such as eBay and can also be downloaded for free at andrewkendall.com. Several of the tracks that feature on the sessions were later recorded and included on The Libertines' second studio album.

• Baby Shambles is a separate band formed by Pete Doherty to which he began devoting more time following his temporary ejection from The Libertines stemming from Doherty's refusal to quit drugs after three separate attempts at rehab.

Baby Shambles original line-up included along with Pete Doherty, Patrick Walden on guitar, Gemma Clarke on drums and Drew Mcconnell on bass.

During the months of September and October 04, Baby Shambles embarked on a tour of the UK finishing with two shows at the London Scala. Despite critical response to these tour dates (some claim they were only touring so Peter could obtain money for drugs), all shows sold out immediately and all but one went ahead as planned. Their follow up single to 'Baby Shambles' is called 'Killamangiro' and was released on 29 November and reached #8 in the UK charts in its first week. The band continued to tour in December, although not always reliably. A widely-reported riot at the London Astoria was started after the band failed to show.

In January 2005, Gemma Clarke quit the band, citing disagreements with the management. She has been replaced with Adem Ficek. In February things went worse for the band as Doherty was arrested, because he was accused for assaulting a man in Islington hotel. Although he denied this, he was put in jail, because he couldn't pay £150,000 for his bail on time. Magistrates imposed a range of bail conditions on Doherty including a curfew between 22:00 and 7:00, except when he attends a drug rehabilitation centre. He was told he would not be able to leave his home without being accompanied by a security firm.

External links

• Babyshambles.net The official Baby Shambles site, also including the Books of Albion (Pete Doherty's extensive diaries) and numerous mp3s and videos, on some of which Pete Doherty collaborates with Dot Allison formerly of One Dove .

• andrewkendall.com London music photographer's web site featuring a gallery[1] containing many pictures of The Libertines, Pete Doherty and Babyshambles.