> Reviews > Reviews 2007 > The Cribs

Review by Rob.

Our first ever review from Wakefield, and its a sweaty one.

Escobars in the Merrie City of Wakefield is a strange venue. A mellow cafe bar by day where office workers relax with cappuccinos or a glass or 2 of vino, and a fully fledged indie rock venue by night, staying open until 4 at weekends. It also attracts some of the maddest and keenest fans in the country, and it is never a quiet night down there. It comprises one large main room with a bar at one end, and a tiny snug at the back where you can see chuff all. The stage which is really a raised lounge area takes up over half of the depth of the venue, and when you include the two large pillars at the front, I am sure some more shy and retiring members of bands could 'go missing' for a while whilst up there. Shy and retiring are not two words that immediately spring to mind when talking about the Cribs. The 3 Jarman brothers have been off radar for a while following sporadic and in truth patchy festival appearances last summer. The reason has been the writing of third album, 'Man's needs, Woman's needs, Whatever' in the states, the follow up the the excellent and underrated album, 'The New Fellas'. (If this lot were American they would be legends in the Pavement, Sonic Youth mould). Now emerging from their hibernation, they plan to inflict Escobars with most of the new stuff tonight, along with a few oldies. Question is, will the venue stand up to it?

Wakefield has a pretty healthy music scene at the moment. As well as tonight's headliners, The Blueskins are still kicking about and releasing new stuff, The Old House play some fine tuneful indie rock and there is also The Research. Tonight's support act have just announced a change of direction and in true Spinal Tap style announce to the audience this fact tonight. Unlike the Tap though, there is no Jazz Odessy, rather a more mellow 60's influenced pop style about them following on from their more traditional indie roots. They play several fine new songs with both male and female vocals and for me the most obvious comparison is the Magic Numbers, but they have also been listening to Mercury Rev intensely. Clearly very good at what they do, here is a band well worth seeing if you are into this kind of stuff.

Crowded would be the simplest way to describe the venue when the Cribs take the stage. Ecstatic would be another. Completely fucking mental would best describe the crowd's reaction when 'Somewhere in my heart' blasts out of the PA and the band amble on. (At least I think they ambled, I could see sod all). Opening with a new song is a confident move but the audience goes mad. Then only second song in they play 'Hey Scenesters' and its utter bedlam, as people go flying all over, though commendably no one breaks the no stagediving rule, this possibly being due to the very low ceiling. They air a good 8 or 9 new songs which to my ears seem like a progression along the lines of the 2 minute pop punch of one off single 'Your's gonna lose us' from last year. The most immediate seems to be 'Our Bovine Public' which is quirky yet infectious and sure to bother the charts if released as a single. Interspersing these are a shed load of old songs, 'Mirror Kisses', 'Martell', 'Direction' and 'I'm alright me' are all ace and seem to get better with time. Throughout the crowd goes wild and the band keep up the energy level by speeding through the set, (15 songs in under an hour). One thing the venue could use is some air con, even though it was cold outside, it was like a sauna in the pit in front of the stage. They finish with the double blast of early gem 'Another Number' and 'The Wrong way to be' with its rap bit in the middle performed by the audience tonight. Then its over, or is it. As a lot of the audience leaves for a bit of oxygen, Ryan Jarman takes the mike for a hilarious version of Chris de Burgh's 'Lady in Red'. What could in the wrong hands be a disaster it is superbly performed with just enough cheese topping and a will surely be coming to a b side near you. A wacky end to a great and sweaty gig, and we now await the new album with some degree of anticipation having heard this new stuff. Boys, its over to you.

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