BODIES surge towards the stage and become a mass of limbs, pint after pint of £4 lager is hurled through the air, and just for a moment the Libertines are transported back in time 15 years.

Despite not being remotely beside the seaside, the Libertines brought their Tiddly Om Pom Pom tour to Warrington fairly last minute having been forced to cancel a show in Blackpool.

The pre-gig atmosphere in the Parr Hall had been fairly sedate, aside from the odd ‘lad’ trying and failing to reach the toilets after overindulging said beers, but the opening strains of Time for Heroes spark a riot worthy of that which the song is written about.

Just as it had in 2002, the good ship Albion sails on a sea of Carlsberg and an ardent fan base.

Much of the early set is comprised of tracks from 2015’s Anthems for Doomed Youth, the Libertines’ first release in 11 years.

During that time there had been fallouts, breakups, ever-persistent rumours of Pete Doherty and Carl Barat’s bromance being reignited and finally, reunions.

And while this opening may leave the fan of a certain vintage yearning for the nostalgia of Boys in the Band, Can’t Stand Me Now and Vertigo that this reunion was built upon, these classics are all in the post.

Impromptu crowd choruses of ‘oh Jeremy Corbyn’ – which have followed the band ever since the Labour leader joined them onstage during their gig at Tranmere Rovers’ Prenton Park earlier this summer – erupt whilst a stage hand attempts to recover a mic stand Pete had tossed into the crowd.

What Katie Did sees Carl climb into the crowd to serenade them, while a stage invader grabs Pete and kisses him square on the lips.

Pete and Carl return, after a lengthy gap, for an a cappella encore before being re-joined by drummer Gary Powell and bassist John Hassall for a closing salvo of Music When the Lights Go Out, What a Waster and Don’t Look Back into the Sun.

Just when you think they’re done – and indeed a large portion of the crowd make to the exits – the Libertines swap instruments (Pete on bass, Carl on drums, Gary on vocals and John on piano) for a cover of the Stone Roses’ I Wanna Be Adored, perhaps in tribute to one of the Parr Hall’s greatest nights five years earlier.

It might not have been quite up there with the day that Warrington was at the very centre of the music world’s attention, but Pete, Carl and co create memories that will not be forgotten in a long time.

Pictures by Lee Harman of WArrington Music.