The Libertines are back – and armed with bangers!

In October, The Libertines released Run Run Run, their first single for the best part of a decade, and they caused more excitement with the announcement of a new album – All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade will find its way into record collections in March.

Speaking about the upcoming single, Carl Barât said: “It’s about being trapped, and trying to escape your dismal life, a bit like the man in Bukowski’s ‘Post Office’. The worst thing for The Libertines would be to get stuck in a ‘Run-run-run’ rut, constantly trying to relive our past.”
As for the forthcoming album?

“Our first record was born out of panic, and disbelief that we were actually allowed to be in a studio; the second was born of total strife and misery; the third was born of complexity; this one feels like we were all actually in the same place, at the same speed, and we really connected.”

Barât and co-frontman Pete Doherty began recording a little over a year ago in Jamaica, picking up with drummer Gary Powell and bassist John Hassall at the band’s own Albion Rooms studio in Margate.

To celebrate that impending release, The Libertines announced a small and decidedly intimate road trek, The Albionay Tour, and MK11 in Kiln Farm is one of the venues that bagged a show on January 25.

The highly-anticipated date sold-out almost immediately, but you’re not surprised about that.

“I feel like we’ve completed a cycle of some kind as a band, and finally now we can add these songs to the set list, because we’ve got some bangers in there,” said Pete, talking about the new album, “Now we’ve opened the hotel and used the studio ourselves and it’s all worked out—more Libertines records? I should hope so!”

Scottish trio High Fade visit on January 11, and this six-legged machine and its razor-sharp funk and disco has gained a heap of thumbs up from big names; everyone from Jack Black and Deep Purple’s Glenn Hughes to RATM’s Brad Wilk is a pretty cool roll call!

Edinburgh chaps Harry, Oliver and Calvin are cool cats whose musical tastes and experience span Barry White to Kiss, so lots of scope for experimentation there, then, and they make good use of the genres.

When there’s a dance floor, they want you on it, and they make light work of getting you on there, with their high tempo jazz and funk flavours.

“High Fade doesn’t work unless there’s a crowd, a dance floor and people that want to get down,” they say. Don’t let them down. That’s a long drive from the Royal Mile to play for us!

At the tail end of last year, the band returned home after sprinkling their magic on a decent sized tour of the US, so they are decidedly well-oiled and ready to impress.

For a truly ska-mendous time, you need to check in with stalwart players Bad Manners (Jan 26), who are well into their fourth decade and still pulling the punters en masse.

The Buster Bloodvessel fronted mob did call time on the band back in 1987, but they were back in play three years later to sate the public’s appetite and they’ve been at it ever since.

The band blew up the charts in the early ‘80s with much-loved tracks including Lip Up Fatty, Special Brew and Ne Ne Na Na Na Na Nu Nu, which will all get an airing.

Tickets to see the band boasting the man with the most famous tongue (after Gene Simmons) and his two-tone chums are £23.50. Silly on-stage antics and novelty ska favourites aplenty, and if that guitarist looks like a chip off the old block, it’s because he is; Buster’s son in now a fully fledged BM member.

For the full list of MK11 dates this month, check in at mk11kilnfarm.com