Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton. Alfred and Harry Steptoe. Cartman and Kenny. Friction has long been the cement of serious relationships and the spur of many a creative partnership, but a fraction too much friction and, in place of a productive rub, there's plain trouble.
It might be overly romantic to cast Pete Doherty and Carl Barat's relationship in this light, but tension between the singer and guitarist of The Libertines has always run high, resulting in assorted public squabbles, spats and punch-ups, which have not only provided notoriety, but also the onstage chemistry crucial to the band's very being.
Sadly, it's a no-show for Doherty tonight. Another in a series, in fact, including the Libertines' European dates and a big show with The Coral five days previously. While extra staff have recently been rostered on at the rumour mill - no one knows where Doherty is; he's had a nervous breakdown; he's in rehab; the band are going to finish the tour without him, then break up - The Libertines soldier on gamely without their charismatic frontman. Bizarrely, no one here tonight seems to notice he's missing, although perhaps the clearly partisan crowd is simply rallying around the band in their time of greatest need.
Whatever. Tonight The Libs are taut, trim and (almost) terrific. In fact, with 21-year-old Yugoslavian roadie Nick Gavrilovic filling in on guitar and with Barat taking Doherty's place at the mic, they sound more focused and together than they ever have. Which is impressive, but somehow shockingly wrong. There's no shortage of energy, with the band charging through most of their 'Up the Bracket' LP - every song resembling an artful, if odd cobbling together of The Jam and Clash songbooks - at the rate of knots, but little excitement and none of their characteristic and crucial, onstage tension.
True, they sound far less enthralled by the prospect of The Strokes having a crack at skiffle, as 'Vertigo' frequently suggests, and more their own men than the slightly perverted, dysfunctional offspring of The Kinks ('Boys In The Band'), but their new professionalism - however accidental - is weighted with an enormous poignancy.
It's impossible not to hope that The Libs will ride out this storm quickly and that the clearly troubled Pete Doherty will soon return, mended and ready for a few more rounds of their curiously creative sparring. 'Time for Heroes', indeed.
