Music: Doherty banned from headlining festival

Paul Lewis
The Guardian

Wednesday August 20 2008

· Police obtain court order amid public safety fears
· Babyshambles singer ‘furious’ over decision

Pete Doherty has been blocked from performing at a music festival amid fears his band would “gee up” the crowd into a dangerous frenzy.

The decision came after police asked an intelligence officer to research Doherty’s band, Babyshambles, who were booked to headline Moonfest festival in Westbury, Wiltshire, next week. They concluded that the band’s tendency to “speed up and then slow down the music” could create a “whirlpool effect” and spark disorder.

Lawyers acting on behalf of Wiltshire police convinced magistrates to provide a closure order for the festival on the night the band were scheduled to perform.

John Green, Moonfest’s organiser, said he was “livid” at the decision and accused police of waging a vendetta against Doherty, who lives locally.

But Superintendent Paul Williams said the ban was designed to preserve public safety. “Experts are telling us that the profile of fans that follow Pete Doherty and Babyshambles is volatile and they can easily be whipped up into a frenzy, whereas the profile of someone that would follow around Cliff Richard or Bucks Fizz, for example, is completely different.”

Williams said “other organisation changes” at the festival meant security provisions were no longer adequate.

Police were alerted to the potential perils of a Doherty performance, Williams said, after learning about his solo performance at the Royal Albert Hall last month. Some fans mounted the stage and police were called, but no arrests were made.

Chief Superintendent Julian Kirby, the divisional commander, told Wiltshire’s Gazette and Herald: “We carried out an analysis of what Pete Doherty and his band does. What he does as part of his routine is to gee up the crowd. “They speed up and then slow down the music and create a whirlpool effect in the crowd. They [the crowd] all get geed up and then they start fighting.”

Those present at north Wiltshire magistrates on Monday on behalf of police included a barrister, an acting chief inspector and an “industry expert”. It took the court a day to reach its decision to support the force’s application, which Green contested. It is believed to be the first court to issue section 160 of the Licensing Act (2003) to stop an act performing.

Green said the revocation had cut the festival a day short. He said Doherty was “absolutely devastated and furious”. He added: “He’s very kindly offered a free gig for everyone who has bought a ticket and won’t be able to see him.”

Green said police had offered him a deal during a pause in court proceedings to allow the night to go ahead if he agreed to spend more on security and removed Doherty from the lineup but he refused the “offer”. “They told me privately they hate the fact he lives in Wiltshire and they don’t want him on their patch,” he said.

Williams denied his force had offered a deal or had anything against the singer. He had never heard Doherty’s music, he said. “Public safety is our primary concern.”

wtf: basically they are saying they can and are closing down a gig becuase a few people might jump on stage! I really cant believe a court in Britain, and the EU, which are supoossed to be liberal democracy’s can get away with this!I think when the police do things like this they just make themselves look ridiculous.