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Pete Doherty suffered panic attack ahead of London show, Libertines reveal

By | Published on Tuesday 15 September 2015

The Libertines

The Libertines have released a further statement on the last minute cancellation of two gigs last week, revealing the decision came after Pete Doherty suffered a “serious anxiety attack”.

As previously reported, the two shows in London and Manchester were postponed sometime after the first should have already begun. At around 11.30pm on Thursday night, a spokesperson for the band appeared on stage at Camden’s Electric Ballroom to announce that the show would not go ahead due to “a medical situation”.

In a statement on the band’s official website yesterday, they explained: “Peter suffered a serious anxiety attack during the hours leading up to the scheduled performance at the Electric Ballroom last Thursday. The ideal coping mechanism in this situation is to lock yourself away from the source of the anxiety and in this case he headed to a hotel near Coventry in the early hours of Friday morning, in order that he be close to friends in his support network”.

“The decision to cancel the show in Manchester did not come from Peter it was made by management, who felt it important to ensure Peter’s welfare is a priority in line with any other ongoing treatment”, they added. Having taken a little time away, Doherty was able to rejoin the band for a scheduled Berlin date and, the statement concludes, “the Albion sails on course”.

The band’s counsellor Dylan Kerr explained: “Anxiety is notoriously subtle and greatly prejudiced against and sometimes there are no obvious outward signs at all. It’s purely a psychological experience and the person must do whatever is necessary to arrest those feelings. It is a good thing that Peter is trying to live a normal life, as these are the reactions to stress that you’re taught to use in rehab – rather than shutting yourself away. Avoid the stress and resume some normality”.

Rescheduled dates for the cancelled shows are due to be announced later this week. For more information on anxiety and panic attacks and how to access treatment and support for them, read this Mind guide here.



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