The Cribs are one of those bands that you cannot be into casually. Born out of a fiercely independent ethos, the Jarman brothers have gathered a legion of devotees who ascribe to their every word, singing along to every note of every riff, making fanzines in their name & travelling across the country for their tours; I should know, because for many years, I have counted myself amongst that group. They are indie sleaze survivors, one of the few bands to have escaped the dreaded “Landfill” label, risen out of the mid-billing festival dross with their legacy & dignity intact to release their ninth studio album, Selling A Vibe. Tonight, they play one of two album launch shows at Rough Trade East, a haven for Shoreditch’s hungry record collectors, & the air of excitement in the room is tangible & electric. This is the first time I’ve seen the Wakefield trio since their 24/7 Rockstar Shit tour in 2018, two albums & a fierce legal battle for the rights to their music later, they are still as strong as ever, & my anticipation is at fever pitch.
Although tonight is a night to celebrate their new album, they launch into the show with the opening two tracks off their era-defining 2007 record Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever. A buoyant ‘Our Bovine Public’ kicks off proceedings, before immediately launching into ‘Girls Like Mystery’, getting the arms in the air and “whoah-oh”s a plenty. It’s often typical of an instore for newer songs to get a more muted reception than the crowd-pleasers, & whilst this is definitely the case here, there’s not an aura of boredom, more of appreciation. The die-hards are obviously singing along to new cuts ‘A Point Too Hard to Make’ and ‘Summer Of Seizures’, and the choruses are naturally so catchy that those of us further towards the back pick them up as well, but what’s surprising is how well the newer tracks translate to the set.
“Introducing Pavarotti to the stage!” Ryan Jarman jokes as they play their shockingly operatic cut ‘You’ll Tell Me Anything’, even minus the iconic tenor, you have a sense of scope balanced out with the brothers’ natural charisma. Gary & Ryan joke to each other about the indie scene they accidentally became figureheads of; “we wanted to write 60s girl group music!” they say, & with each immaculately written song, you absolutely see the vision. ‘Leather Jacket Love Song’ and audience request ‘What About Me’ are as Wakefield Motown as anything you’ll ever hear. “You have to make something you want to exist in the world”, Gary earnestly tells us, “we wanted to be our own favourite band, and you know what, we are our favourite band”.
It’s this defiant sense of DIY punk spirit & self-belief that has steered The Cribs throughout their career and warmed their way into the hearts of thousands. The all-too-brief set ends on a rousing ‘Men’s Needs’, & we all leave with records in hands, hearts on sleeves & yearning for more. If this is a teaser of their upcoming UK shows, The Cribs are in a very good place indeed. Selling a vibe? We’re all buying it.
