It was a sunny Wednesday in Brighton, along the beach swathes of people waited in eager anticipation in a fenced off area. I mingled amongst them, armed with a predictably overpriced lager and a worryingly dwindling supply of cigarettes. As part of The Great Escape’s spotlight shows, Pete Doherty was playing – enough cause to warrant the self-detriment – it was going to be a good gig.

Like a festival within a festival, there were heaps of different bands playing in tents around the site, and while this made it impossible to see all the acts, it did mean you could catch a listen from outside before you braved the stuffy, crowded gazebos. We saw a couple of great sounding bands leading up to Doherty’s gig – all being part of Strap-Originals, his eclectic record label.

Vona Vella were first up; an upbeat indie band with bright sounding guitars, heavy bass riffs and joint vocalists with a Fleetwood Mac style on stage tension. Broken up by light-hearted monologues from the talented vocalist Izzy Davis (“this song’s about someone you really like… but they’re kinda ugly”). Wailing guitars, chirpy bass and fast paced drumming accompanying the harmonizing vocals are all charming features of this up-and-coming indie rock quintet.

Moving to the main tent just in time for Warmduscher’s set – these guys were really cool. Driven by booming synths, powerful basslines and wild sound effects overlaid by the sunglasses-clad front man Craig Higgins commanding the crowd with conversational rapping delivered in a charismatic American twang. Strobe lights illuminated the crowd as they bounced to the bass and heavily distorted synthesisers. With the sound and the attitude, they should’ve been playing a much larger venue – which would’ve in turn prevented the odious people behind from feeling the need to constantly shimmy up against me. They were funky, heavy and energetic in equal measure. Write the name down, remember it.

Next up was the main event. Doherty was joined on stage by Mike Joyce of The Smiths making his first stage appearances in 22 years – you’d never have known the way he hit the drums for the opener ‘Killamangiro’. It was electric. Doherty is clearly at his best when joined by a full band on stage. Playing a mix of Babyshambles and his solo songs, Doherty is clearly at his best when joined by a full band on stage. Perhaps strangely he didn’t play any Libertines ones – too many ghosts? – although the brand-new songs off his album, and a couple of Smiths classics – Panic and How Soon is Now?  -more than made up for it.

Without a guitar in hand for most the show, he instead opted to twirl a cane or prance around the stage carelessly waving the mic in his signature fashion. His confident stage presence and ability to control the crowd was evident as he went through the bangers like ‘Fuck Forever’. While the songs of his brand-new album are definitely more hit or miss; it was interesting to hear him exploring new sounds and genres, bearing a clear country influence. With trumpets and a glockenspiel accompanying the songs, the man’s sound has clearly come a long way from the raw-garage rock sound of The Libertines. Bringing his happy, tail-wagging dog on stage at the end while the band did their bows – it was an adorable end to the night.