“So our record’s in the top ten,” said The Cribs’ Ryan Jarman in mock celebration, “Can you imagine that? The guy who wears this jacket has got a record in the top ten...”
The crowd laughed but no one could have thought it was that crazy. Yeah, the jacket was crap (old leather, red and cream, motorsport-style) but the Jarmans have just made one of the best albums of the year so far, with the help of a producer, Ric Ocasek, who has twice steered geek rock monoliths Weezer to multi-platinum success. So it’s no surprise that the band’s sixth album, For All My Sisters, is currently mixing it up with the likes of Kendrick Lamar and Sam Smith in the UK albums chart.
The band kicked off with the needle-riffed Different Angle and, in just under forty minutes, breezed through a set that drew heavily from their latest release.
An Ivory Hand, with its swinging rhythm, easy melody and crashing cymbals, saw the band settle into a confident stride, while album highlight Burning For No One received the biggest cheer of the night.
There was also time for a few old classics. Raw and energetic play-throughs of Another Number, Men’s Needs and Mirror Kissers were all met with rapturous applause and lots of polite, indie fan woooh’s and there was even a playful, hand-clapped rendition of It Was Only Love.
In between songs, twins Ryan and Gary took it in turns to address the crowd. “Hey, this is kind of like an audience with The Cribs,” said Gary at one point, hitting the nail right on the head. It did feel like that, all intimate and friendly and with plenty of mutual affection rolling back and forth between the band and the crowd.
After a few parting words -“cheers, Nottingham...we have the best fan base in the country, we love you!”- the band brought the set to a victorious end with the washed-out verses and feedback-heavy, moshpit chorus of Pink Snow.
Rough Trade felt like exactly the right stage for The Cribs. With bare bulbs hanging from the low ceiling, brick walls plastered with posters of underground legends like Sonic Youth and The Replacements and a very limited capacity, the venue strikes an easy note between taste and humility. The Cribs were in their element and afterwards, this being part of their special ‘In Store’ signing tour, the Jarmans came back out to sign merchandise and meet the audience. It struck me then that they’re are a bit of a one-off. Six albums in, the Wakefield trio have still got time for their fans.
And maybe that’s why, rather than super producers and in spite of crap jackets, The Cribs have an album in the top ten.
The Cribs played at Rough Trade on Wednesday 25 March 2015.
The Cribs' website
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