Babyshambles formed in 2004 when frontman Pete Doherty was booted from his former group, The Libertines, for overindulgence in the rockstar lifestyle. Still, there is no denying Doherty's talent in writing poetic lyrics and frenzied rock songs. Doherty joined forces with guitarist Patrick Walden, bassist Drew McConnell, and drummer Gemma Clarke and Babyshambles were born. The group released their self-titled debut single in 2004, which garnered a good deal of attention in the U.K. and launched a nation-wide tour. The tour was cut short due to Doherty's destructive lifestyle and its hindrance of his ability to perform at a high level. In the wake of the cancelled tour and in the midst of further tumult, Clarke left the band in 2005 and was replaced by Adam Ficek.Babyshambles joined up with producer Mick Jones, who had collaborated previously with Doherty and the Libertines, to work on their debut album. In the meantime, the group released the single "Fuck Forever" to tide their fans over while they completed the record. Down in Albion was released in the U.K. in the fall of 2005 and the band launched an ill-fated tour in support of it, on which more gigs were cancelled than played.The group fought through further incidents regarding Doherty's rowdy behavior and eventually released their second full-length LP, Shotter's Nation, in 2006. The album was more focused and seemed to signal that the band was turning the page on their turbulent days. In 2008, the group released a live album that was recorded in 2007 at the SECC Arena in Glasgow. The performance exhibited how good the group really is when Doherty gets it together enough to play a show and demonstrated the loyalty of the groups fan base.