Photo Credit: Steve Gullick
Hailing from Wakefield in Yorkshire, The Cribs burst onto the indie scene in mid 2000’s. The band became famed for their frantic, sweat-infested (at times dangerous) live shows. The band of brothers, Ryan, Gary and Ross Jarman enjoyed huge popularity during the indie-sleaze scene of yesteryear. During this time the band were joined for an extended cameo by The Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr.
Currently they are in the midst of a tour around the UK and tonight they stop at Gorilla, an intimate venue in the heart of Manchester, nestled under the railway arches. There’s an anticipation among all attendees this evening that the show will be lively from the get go.
Luckily we were in time to catch the supporting act this evening – London five -piece, Ain’t. Influenced by a heavy medley of 90’s guitar music ranging from Smashing Pumpkins all the way through to Alex G, the band fuse all these elements in a large cauldron to unleash the sound they have today. Fronted by the alternatively dressed female vocalist Hanna Baker Darch the band begin the latest single, Long Short Round. Many of the songs in the set feature heavy bouts of industrial noise and distortion with Hanna’s vocals weaving their way through the musical landscape. Past singles; Teething and Jude make an appearance, however, the Mancunian crowd aren’t too forthcoming to the band’s set this evening. 6/10
The venue continues to become ever more compact in anticipation for The Cribs arrival on-stage this evening. A multi-coloured flashing Cribs sign adorns the back wall of the stage, incorporating the DIY approach that gained the band popularity during the millennium. Clearly not much has changed in terms of how The Cribs approach the live set up.
Kicking off with the cult classic, Our Bovine Public, the crowd greet the song with an almighty cheer. Ryan Jarmin seemed to struggle with the first number, however as the set has progressed especially on Girls Like Mystery he seems to ease into the performance and vocals improve. Not one for many words Ryan Jarmin exclaims; “Hey, we’re The Cribs from Wakefield, how’s it going?”.
Surprisingly early on the set the crowd are still subdued despite The Cribs’ best efforts to get the packed venue enthused. Hey Scenesters! from the 2005 album The New Fellas seems to wake the crowd at Gorilla somewhat. This being the first audience participation we have witnessed tonight. The high-octane energy is maintained during Girls Like Mystery, Another Number and a Point To Hard to Make.
In a nostalgic nod to the early days, Jarmin mentions that it’s quite nice to smell the sweat of a Manchester crowd. As the quartet launch into Selling a Vibe from the new record of the same name. Although, as ever, the performance is high -octane as only The Cribs know how, it’s clear the energy levels have depleted over the years as it doesn’t seem as chaotic as their younger years. Promoting the new album, the tracks performed in this intimate setting sound, tight, modern and more polished than the trademark DIY style The Cribs have built their name on.
The Cribs have delivered an energetic performance playing some of their most loved hits, and after two decades they still have a strong following of loyal fans. A no-nonsense performance from one of Yorkshire’s finest.
8/10
Written by: Ben Gilligan
