Carl Barât joined The Molotovs on stage in London to perform The Libertines‘ ‘What A Waster’ over the weekend. Watch the footage below.
The live collaboration took place at the end of the sibling punk duo’s sold-out show at the O2 Forum Kentish Town on Saturday night (September 26). It came five years after the band supported The Libertines at the same venue in 2021.
Barât assisted Issey (bass/vocals) and Mathew Cartlidge (guitar/vocals) on a rendition of Pete Doherty and co’s 2002 debut single, which appeared on The Libs’ first album ‘Up The Bracket’.
The cover closed The Molotovs’ 21-song set at their second consecutive night in Kentish Town, following their first performance on Friday (September 25), per Setlist.FM.
“This is not the first time we’ve played this place – and I don’t mean yesterday,” Issey told the crowd on Saturday. “It was back in December 2021, supporting none other than The Libertines.
“So here we are now, 600 gigs later – a better slot than just when doors open. We’ve got you lot to thank for following us on this journey. So, thank you very much. This isn’t the final destination; this is only a step along the way.”
Mathew then introduced Barât to the stage, before the band launched into a raucous version of ‘What A Waster’. Check out the fan-shot footage here:
Barât said in a statement: “The Molotovs are a true force for good for music today. Years busking on every street corner in the city – and supporting some of the finest acts around – to selling out two forums on their own, they’ve managed to carve their path the old school way.”
He added: “I wish them hearty congratulations and continued greatness.”
The guitarist and singer first met the band when they were young teenagers getting ready to busk in the rain near The Libertines’ Albion Rooms hotel in Margate.
Writing on Instagram after their double-header in the capital, The Molotovs wrote: “London, we can’t thank you enough. Two nights now engraved.”
The pair of gigs in Kentish Town formed part of the duo’s current UK and Ireland headline tour, which concludes with shows in Belfast and Dublin later this week (find any remaining tickets here).
Later this year, The Molotovs will support Razorlight on their ‘America’ 20th anniversary UK and Ireland tour.
The Molotovs’ second studio album, ‘Welcome To Urbia’, is due for release on April 9, 2027. It’ll follow on from their UK Number Three debut, ‘Wasted On Youth’, which arrived this January.
They recently previewed the forthcoming record with the “moody and driving” single ‘Urbia’.
Speaking to NME about their first LP at the start of 2026, Mathew explained: “The album is a bit of a youth manifesto. An attitude of the youth, and it’s trying to inspire young people to change their environment.
“I can only write about what I see in my environment. I can’t write about Mars like David Bowie. I’m not that imaginative yet, or maybe the drugs haven’t come yet.”
Meanwhile, The Molotovs opened King’s Cross Summer Sounds series in London last month with a free, David Bowie-inspired show.
Last year, Carl Barât joined Suki Waterhouse on stage at the O2 Forum Kentish Town for a live cover of The Libertines’ ‘Can’t Stand Me Now’. More recently, he appeared in the all-star choir that contributed to the ‘Help(2)’ charity album for War Child.
