Babyshambles gig a homecoming, Doherty says

Doherty said it was a chance to "get inside" the songs again, in a different way

Babyshambles frontman Pete Doherty has said it's going to be "a joy" to get inside his old songs and sing them in a different way, as the band returns to the stage after more than a decade away.

The band perform on Thursday at hmv Empire Coventry, in a tour that coincides with the 20th anniversary of their album Down in Albion.

Doherty, who lives in Normandy, said it was more than a reunion, it was "unfinished business".

He described it as a "homecoming" after he lived and went to school in nearby Bedworth, Warwickshire, adding: "My heart's always here and my business is too, because my long-time friend and manager, Jai Stanley, lives in Bedworth – I met him when we were at school."

The pair went on to start an independent record label, Strap Originals, which is based in the town.

Doherty said it was a chance to return to the songs without the chaos of earlier years

Speaking before the gig, he said: "It's been 15 years, maybe a little bit less, since any of these songs were played."

He said: "I think it's just time to give these songs another airing."

The star achieved fame with the Libertines in the 2000s, but became notorious after his drug addiction led to breakups with the band and numerous arrests.

Doherty said: "It basically imploded. No-one actually remembers how or why, but obviously there were some well-discussed reasons – everybody knows that side of things."

He said: "To approach the music with a slightly clearer head, and just to get in and celebrate the songs without all of that carnage… it's going to work out well for all of us."

He said they would be approaching the music with "less tension and general anxiety, less violence, less time spent in police cells".

Doherty said some people enjoyed the chaos, but added: "It just gets to the point where you don't need it, and it's not sustainable anyway."

He said: "It's great to be able to get on that stage and get inside these songs again and sing them in a different way – without that high-octane desolation and desperation which I had, which was fine because it fuelled the writing of the songs and it fuelled those early performances.

"They're good songs too.

"They're strong, beautiful songs with ace melodies and lyrics and I think now and again it's all right to play them properly, which I'm not sure we did that often….

"We're just getting inside them and belting them out and it's a joy."