‘I was in a terrible alternate world': The tragic guitarist who rejuvenated Noughties indie-rock
Noel Gallagher may not have appreciated how big a compliment he was paying Babyshambles when he described the chaotic early 2000s indie band as the 'opposite of Oasis'. 'We were trying to make it big, and they are trying to make it small,' he said of a group intimately associated with the 'landfill indie' scene, and who are today mourning the death of their guitarist Patrick Walden at age 46.
Babyshambles were, as Gallagher intimated, best enjoyed in pokey clubs and dingy dive bars – where you could see the whites of their blood-shot eyes and lose yourself in their hedonistic energy.
But while they were regarded as the sole creative property of Pete Doherty, the troubled pied-piper of that decade's indie scene, it was Walden's dexterous and vulnerable musicianship that propelled hits such as Killamangiro and F--- Forever. He was also the member most uneasy in the spotlight, and they were never the same after he left in 2006, craving the privacy that he had to give up as a consequence of existing in the same orbit as the then outrageously famous Doherty.
Centred on Camden's warren of pubs, clubs and back alleys, the London indie circuit of the post-Britpop era was awash with hard drugs, and so it was no surprise that Doherty and Walden were united by more than musical chemistry. When Doherty formed Babyshambles in 2003, having been fired from his previous band, The Libertines, due to his unhinged behaviour, his substance abuse moved up a level – and Walden was with him all the way. For instance, when the guitarist failed to show up for a Guardian interview in November 2005, it was hinted that he couldn't leave the house because he owed his drug dealers money.
Walden was born in Islington, north London, in 1978. He first encountered drugs at boarding school in Surrey and started using heroin at the age of 18. In Doherty, he had a natural bedfellow – a fiercely creative spirit likewise in the throes of addiction. 'Pete is really charming, and I felt he had a romantic idea of drugs,' he would say. 'We would write songs for days on end with minimal sleep, propped up with heroin and crack. We wrote songs so easily together. Creativity was pouring out of him.'
But if a mess off-stage, under the spotlight, Walden's guitar playing was visceral and propulsive. It is a testament to his talent that he so effortlessly replaced Doherty's Libertines foil and musical soul-mate, Carl Barât. If anything, Babyshambles were a more complete package than the early version of The Libertines. Doherty's sensitive vocals and his William Blake-inspired lyrics made them famous, but it was Walden's guitar that held the whole thing together.
Unfortunately, not even a guitarist of his talents could compensate for Doherty's increasing unpredictability. Drugs were the unofficial theme of the group's 2005 debut, Down in Albion (which was produced by The Clash's Mick Jones) – a song called Pipedown was not a plea to lower your voice but rather a cry for help from Doherty, who rarely left the house without his crack pipe.
That dependency doomed Babyshambles even as they were building momentum. A show at London's Astoria in December 2004 ended in a riot after the group failed to show following a two-hour delay.
With 2am beckoning, the sell-out audience took their frustration out on the venue. 'The curtains were torn down, drinks were thrown, the drum kit was smashed and essentially the entire contents of the stage were destroyed,' an eyewitness told the NME at the time. 'The security forced the kids back to the other side of the barrier.'
Six months later, they blasted themselves in the foot a second time after doing the impossible and scandalising even Oasis with their bad behaviour. Babyshambles were famously set to support the Britpop heroes on a tour across the UK, only for Doherty to become marooned in America, where he was celebrating the birthday of his then-girlfriend, Kate Moss. Having missed the opening date in Southampton, they were unceremoniously fired by the Gallaghers.
However, even at the height of their notoriety (and peak of their bad behaviour), they were still an amazing live band. When I saw them play in Dublin in September 2006 – several months after Walden's departure – they put in a tight and polished performance, topped off with an unplanned cameo by The Pogues' Shane MacGowan, whom Doherty had spotted in the crowd and then called up for a song. The set ended with Killamangiro – minus Walden's guitar but with supermodel Moss popping out from the wings to sing backing vocals.
Life after Babyshambles was tough for Walden, who felt he needed to get away from Doherty for the good of his health. He was persuaded to come back in 2007 on the proviso that the tour bus would be drug-free. When that proved not to be the case, he dropped out again.
He struggled with addiction for years afterwards. In 2010, he was found guilty of receiving stolen goods and drug possession in Sutton in south London after a security guard spotted him acting 'suspiciously' in a pharmacy.
The court heard that he suffered from depression and had developed a dependency on methadone. Later, he turned to legal highs – but, if anything, they had an even more serious impact on his mental health. 'With the new drugs, there was no line between fantasy and reality. I was in a terrible alternate world. The sky would be playing songs at me, spelling out my name. I was so petrified,' he said in 2017.
As Walden fought his battles, Doherty moved to France, started a family and walked away from drugs. Having reconciled with Barât, in 2024 The Libertines put out perhaps their best album yet, All Quiet on the Eastern Esplanade, followed this year by an acclaimed Doherty solo LP.
When promoting his new projects, Doherty was asked about the possibility of a Babyshambles tour to mark the 20th anniversary of Down in Albion. He said a reunion was 'on the cards' – but with Walden's premature death, the Babyshambles story has surely reached its tragic endpoint.
Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Prince of Wales celebrates 43rd birthday with new puppy picture
The Prince of Wales has marked his 43rd birthday in a picture with his dog Orla and three of her puppies. The photograph, taken by the Princess of Wales, was shared by Kensington Palace on William's birthday on Saturday, with the caption: 'Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies!' One of the chocolate cocker spaniel puppies is being stroked by the Prince of Wales while their mother Orla is behind him. The Prince and Princess of Wales have had Orla since 2020, after their first dog together Lupo, also a cocker spaniel – which they were given as a wedding present from Kate's brother James Middleton – died unexpectedly. Orla gave birth to four puppies last month and the photograph was taken in Windsor on a sunny day earlier in June. It appears to be a quieter birthday for the Prince of Wales than last year, when he took Prince George and Princess Charlotte to see Taylor Swift at Wembley stadium. Happy birthday! Love C, G, C, L, Orla and the puppies! 🐾 — The Prince and Princess of Wales (@KensingtonRoyal) June 21, 2025 William had faced a challenging 12 months in the lead-up to turning 42, with both Kate and his father the King diagnosed with cancer. In the week of his birthday this year, the Prince of Wales joined the King and Queen at Royal Ascot on Wednesday. His wife missed the event for the second successive year and was said to have been disappointed not to join her family at the famous sporting and social event in Berkshire. The King and Queen were back at Ascot Racecourse on Saturday and watched the races from the royal box, while Princess Eugenie and her husband Jack Brooksbank were spotted in the parade ring. On Thursday, the Prince of Wales was in Norwich with Earthshot Prize council member Cate Blanchett to see the hi-tech work of one of the 2023 prize finalists. The pair donned lab coats to see how Colorifix, an eco-friendly textile dye company, makes its products. William admitted he needed a 'layman's version' of the scientific explanations and later apologised to staff for 'all the stupid questions'.
Yahoo
2 hours ago
- Yahoo
Is there a post credit scene in 28 Years Later?
The newest sequel in the 28 Days Later franchise hit theaters on Friday, with audiences heading to see what the rage virus had done to the United Kingdom in the nearly three decades since it began. The story picks up with Spike (Alfie Williams) and his dad (Aaron Taylor-Johnson) heading onto the mainland from the safety of their island refuge for a coming-of-age hunting trip. Warning: Spoilers for follow! Eventually Spike and his mother Isla (the wonderful Jodie Comer) go on a search for a doctor (Ralph Fiennes) that can hopefully help her migraines and bouts of confusion. They, of course, run into a lot of trouble with hordes of infected and a particularly difficult Alpha (the more evolved and stronger infected). After finding Dr. Kelson, Spike has to come to grips with grief and death in a new way, and he decides to stay out on the mainland to learn more about himself. So, is there a post-credit scene in 28 Years Later? The short answer is no, you can leave when the credits start to roll. The longer answer is that there should have been one. Director Danny Boyle and writer Alex Garland ended the movie with a bizarre scene that involves track-suited, karate fighting killers in blond wigs, led by ringleader Jimmy Crystal (Jack O'Connell). It's a deep cut reference to disgraced British television host Jimmy Savile, but it's also a drastic tonal shift from the rest of the movie. The newest movie is actually the launching point for a hopeful new trilogy, starting with 28 Years Later and continuing with the January 2026 release of 28 Years Later: The Bone Temple. Since the final scene seems to be more of a lead-in to that follow up film, it would have been less of a vibe shift had it followed a wave of credits. This article originally appeared on For The Win: Is there a post credit scene in 28 Years Later?
Digital Trends
2 hours ago
- Digital Trends
5 zombie movies like 28 Years Later
Danny Boyle and Alex Garland's new film, 28 Years Later, brought their iconic zombie franchise back to the spotlight. Centering on a new group of survivors long after the Rage virus that has devastated the United Kingdom, 28 Years Later sets up a sprawling and exhilarating tale of action and horror that will surely heighten people's appetite for good zombie movies. Thankfully, fans of the film can treat themselves to several similar zombie movies that have been released over the years. Given how popular the zombie subgenre has become, it can be a challenge for one to narrow down their viewing choices when there are so many options available. However, those who loved 28 Years Later should now have these five films at the top of their watchlist. Recommended Videos REC (2007) This Spanish horror film follows a reporter and her camera operator when they are quarantined inside a building where a virus is spreading, turning those inside into zombies. Similar to 28 Years Later and its shaky iPhone camerawork, REC presents its story with 'found footage' taken by one of the characters, making for an immersive and heart-pounding viewing experience. Though Boyle and Garland's new film is far less claustrophobic than REC, the latter also seems to incorporate a supernatural element into its terrifying depiction of the zombie apocalypse. REC is available to stream on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. Overlord (2018) This zombie movie begins with a group of U.S. soldiers who end up fighting for their lives in a dangerous land already ravaged by war: Nazi-occupied France. There, they discover the Third Reich conducting human experiments on villagers, turning them into savage members of the undead. Both Overlord and 28 Years Later feature a healthy dose of over-the-top gore and action to satisfy hardcore zombie fans, all while presenting the horrors of war and violence carried out by humans and zombies alike. Overlord is available to stream on Tubi, Amazon Prime Video, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. I Am Legend (2007) Loosely based on Richard Matheson's classic novel, I Am Legend centers around a scientist seeking to find a cure for a virus that has wiped out most of humanity and mutated the survivors into vampiric cannibals. Please note that the film's alternate ending, which was replaced with the one seen in theaters, is widely regarded as the canonical, superior conclusion. Like 28 Years Later and its predecessors, this modern adaptation of I Am Legend explores grief, loss, and humanity's potential for evil, with some characters appearing to act even worse than the zombies, making for an especially dark and thought-provoking narrative. I Am Legend is available to stream on Peacock, Amazon Prime Video, YouTube, Google Play, Apple TV, and Fandango at Home. Army of the Dead (2021) Army of the Dead follows a team of former mercenaries who try to rob a casino in Las Vegas years after a zombie plague has ravaged the city. Like 28 Years Later, director Zack Snyder's action-packed zombie film follows its heroes as they leave the comfort of their homes to explore a zombie-infested land. It also features different breeds of zombies, including the slow-walking shamblers and the quick, intelligent Alphas, adding different levels of terror and action to the story. Snyder's film even mirrors the fantasy-inspired aesthetic of 28 Years Later, with the Alpha zombie, Zeus, ruling over his undead army in the ruins of Las Vegas like a medieval king. Army of the Dead is available to stream on Netflix. 28 Days Later (2002) This is a fairly obvious choice, but fans of 28 Years Later should catch up on the film that started Boyle and Garland's whole horror franchise. Led by actor Cillian Murphy decades before Oppenheimer, 28 Days Later follows a man who wakes up from a coma in a post-apocalyptic London, where he is forced to survive against hordes of infected zombies and radical human survivors. 28 Days Later is known for popularizing super-fast zombies with the frenetic, frightening visuals replicated in the threequel. While 28 Years Later takes place long after the initial zombie outbreak, the original film also explores how people try to rebuild and maintain society while blurring the line that separates humans from the infected. 28 Days Later is available to stream on Pluto TV, Fandango at Home, Google Play, Apple TV, and Amazon Prime Video.
