Wednesday September 29th - The Cribs live at Asylum

As ways to celebrate Freshers’ Week go, this was a great one! Launching straight into a gutsy, unflinching rendition of “We Were Aborted”, The Cribs, three brothers from Wakefield and their new recruit, ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr, laid it all on the line from the very beginning.  

Following up with the anthemic “Hey Scenesters”, the punk-laden indie group already had the fans sweating, crowd-surfers pouring overhead and assorted footwear flying through the air. However, the crowd’s enthusiasm was matched every last inch by the band’s energetic performance as The Cribs ripped through the majority of their new album, “Ignore The Ignorant”, and their older hits with “I’m A Realist” and “Men’s Needs” provoking a particularly chaotic response. 

The Jarman brothers were on top form. Ryan and Gary were faultless and their younger brother Ross’s drumming tireless as tune after tune he displayed his acrobatic prowess, clambering all over his drum kit mid-song until he ended the set by smashing one of his cymbals to pieces on the stage floor. Gone are the days of The Cribs being that little bit out of tune or slightly out of time. The band that played the HUU were sharp and precise whilst still maintaining the in-your-face, all or nothing style they are so well known for. It would be easy to attribute The Cribs’ growth to their new member, the iconic Johnny Marr. However, this progression had already begun with the release of their last album, “Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever”, and even Marr himself insists he couldn’t teach The Cribs anything because there was nothing to teach. Their development as a band was inevitable and sounds as effortless as the self-assured coolness that clearly comes so natural to them. Instead, Marr’s contribution is a succession of haunting, distinctive guitar lines that blend seamlessly with the group’s sound and lend some refinement to Ryan’s individual style.

If you listen for Marr’s influence in The Cribs music it’s easy enough to identify, but have no doubt, they are still very much the same band who released their self-titled debut in 2004, and with a live performance from that band comes a guarantee - punch, energy and pure, sweaty chaos.