Festivaler på Sørlandet

Review of the Peter Doherty Concert

How can one define the concept of ‘crowd atmosphere’? What makes an event memorable, and how does atmosphere build up and change from one situation to another? ‘Atmosphere’ can be defined as a mood created by an event or as a disposition of a particular time. A group of people is gathered around their object of desire – their idol or hero, and at a festival these objects of passion are many, changing (the same) persons’ behavior from Devil worshipping, candle lighting, hip hopping, head banging or flag waving.

What is interesting about a music festival is how the moods and atmosphere of a crowd is build up, depending on the object adored in the moment. Atmosphere it is often – in psychology – put to use as a persons temperament, but what happens in a larger crowd with a number of persons involved? A music performance can fulfill or disappoint one’s expectations. But a crowd’s moods also bear witness of the fact that one can be taken - or thrown - by the moment. Mixed up with expectations that intensify the moment, the Peter Doherty concert at the Roskilde festival 2009 is a good example of how crowd atmosphere is co-creating an event into a great musical experience.  

Not only the festival program 2009 but also the media in general had presented the former The Libertines front singer Peter Doherty as a rock star; using hard drugs, jet set partying in London, and lately spending some time at a rehabilitation clinic. As most rock stars should do in order to be real… Peter Doherty is building himself a legend, while spending time between cotton clouds and dreadful cold sweat.

The festivals’ Arena stage was packed on Sunday at 14.00 with a crowd waiting to see if their star would show up at all. And he did! Clearly under the influence but with rounder cheeks and a capability to play the guitar. His performance took its point of departure from his latest album; the folk, blues and jazz inspired Grace/Wastelands (2009) using many historical epochs to transgress a Zeitgeist of the 2009 Western World – which we are not really sure what is. It was a meaningful experience mainly due to his lyrics having a strong, epic storyline on everyday life combined with larger cultural ideas such as the Nation, Love and War and enriched by the tradition of English literature.

These stories reassured the audience that Peter Doherty had a strong musical reason to be there. And that it makes sense to pick him up every time he falls. And so the crowd did. Literary (almost) lifting him with applaud, laughter and appreciation of him being there.    

Peter Doherty’s greeting to the crowd was: Hello… Denmark! The pause made the crowd laugh and tune into an unpretentious star as relaxed as themselves after spending four days at the largest party in Denmark.  Due to his charm, foggy realness and not least his humorist tales of him loosing his luggage in Switzerland, now having to wear his managers sweaty T-shirt, made the crowd throw their hats, bras, and other items they thought they could spare up on stage.

Whether or not Peter Doherty had told his luggage story to everyone all through Europe I don’t know. But with him he had a candle; a flower pot; and a can of well shaken Carlsberg beer, which exploded as he opened it. These things were perhaps donations from friendly people or a psychological trick from his manager in order to cue Peter Doherty during the performance?

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