By Will Bateman (WillBateman6611)
Electric Ballroom – 12/02/15
After over 10-years The Cribs have become a staple of the UK live gig circuit, an institution. A consistent level of sweaty, raucous performances, specifically wherever they can in small, intimate venues. Any fan worth their salt will have likely witnessed their brand of anarchic Wakefield punk a good handful of times, with a high chance of crowd surfing, mosh-related cuts and bruises and the occasional chance of a stage invasion.
The Electric Ballroom is no different, other than their taking the opportunity to properly welcome a healthy number of new tunes from the upcoming ‘For All My Sisters’ to the set list. Some of the fresher tracks inevitably miss the mark, though only due to a lack of familiarity rather than quality. ‘An Ivory Hand’ brings the pace down momentarily after fan favourite opener ‘Mirror Kisses’ expectantly revs the eagerly waiting crowd into a frenzy. Ryan does his best to coax the most out of the crowd when introducing new tracks, at one point explaining the riff of upcoming ‘Different Angle’ and encouraging a mosh-pit before delving in.
Others however fit seamlessly into the Jarman’s outstanding back catalogue including ‘Summer of Chances’, ‘Finally Free’ and recent release ‘Burning For No One’. Specifically mid-set highlight ‘Pink Snow’, a slow-burning intro exploding into a real Cribs-esque detonation of distortion from Ryan’s guitar shows real promise from the upcoming album with echoes of the larger, more complex sound found in 2012’s ‘In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull’. As expected by now, whether a heavier lean towards gritty punk or a more accessible pop sound, the Cribs always translate to the stage with the same volatility they have become known and loved for.
It’s business as usual for the most part. Gary, Ryan and Ross effortlessly throw past hits to the audience like they were nothing- ‘Our Bovine Public’, ‘Martell’, ‘I’m a Realist’, ‘Come On Be a No One’, ‘Hey Scenesters’, and giving in to the incessant chants (beginning before they even take to the stage) for ‘Another Number’ earlier than usual. With a collection as extensive and powerful as theirs to choose from a good deal of essentials are always missed out, but no one can be left wanting more after a set list this complete, coupled with a performance as this ferociously committed. Gary leaves the stage promising more to come, concluding “I miss you already”. And after this long you know he means every word.
