A recent trip to Barcelona meant I was fortunate to catch Pete Doherty in a small venue in the centre. Time Out published a small post relating to the gigs – One of British rock’s favourite bad boys has made it to 34 years of age and he’s stil with us. A miracle? Having lived such an extreme life for the last decade, with addictions and bad influences, you might think that Pete Doherty has been touched by lady luck – like other artists such as William Burroughs, for example, who lived at full throttle and died at a ripe old age. And when you least expect it, he’s back in town for a concert, one more to add to those he brought us years ago as the frontman of Babyshambles and The Libertines.

It’s been four years since Doherty has made a record – the last was 2009’s ‘Grace / Wastelands’, his first solo title – but that doesn’t mean he hasn’t been working. He’s put on exhibitions of paintings and made a film, and the rest of his time has been spent writing songs that he occasionally plays in small-format concerts with only some 300 tickets for sale. The songs reflect a serene and thoughtful maturity – preamble to the upcoming Babyshambles album, ‘Sequel to the Prequel’, slated for a September release – increasingly far from his irresponsible and self-destructive days. It will definitely be a night for privileged fans.

A joy to watch, in a great venue.