Last week, The Libertines were scheduled to play a gig at London's Electric Ballroom when it was cancelled two hours after the band were due on stage, leaving many fans angry.
Their gig in Manchester the following day was also cancelled, with many speculating that the reason may be linked to a possible relapse of Pete Doherty's heroin addiction, which he had been successfully treated for in Thailand last year.
Now, the band - who have just released their third album, 'Anthems for Doomed Youth' - have released a statement alleging that the reason for the cancellations were because Doherty suffered a "serious anxiety attack" before the gig.
"Peter suffered a serious anxiety attack during the hours leading up to the scheduled performance at the Electric Ballroom last Thursday," it read. "The ideal coping mechanism in this situation is to lock yourself away from the source of the anxiety and in this case he headed to a hotel near Coventry in the early hours of Friday morning, in order that he be close to friends in his support network.
"The decision to cancel the show in Manchester did not come from Peter it was made by management, who felt it important to ensure Peter’s welfare is a priority in line with any other ongoing treatment. Obviously the time away from the spotlight enabled the band to meet their existing commitment in Berlin and the Albion sails on course… Look out for an announcement very soon regarding the rescheduled dates as The Libertines are keen to make it up to anyone who felt disappointed."
