The Cribs are back in Australia for the second time this year for their 10th anniversary tour, but it has been more than three years since they last performed in Melbourne.
Well known for their DIY ethic just as much as their lo-fi sound, the band of brothers were bestowed with the Outstanding Contribution To Music award by NME this year. Therefore, it was a rare opportunity to see a band of their calibre play at a 300 capacity venue. The anticipation was palpable.
The Pretty Littles started the night off and got the audience going with their energetic set. The highlight was the Melbourne rockers’ cover of the classic Elvis Presley hit, “Hound Dog”.
As KISS’ “God Gave Rock And Roll To You” blasted through the speakers, the Jarman brothers and their touring guitarist, Nine Black Alps’ David Jones, took to the stage. Ryan Jarman (vocals/guitar) did not waste any time, leaping into the crowd before opening their set with “Chi-Town”, setting the tone for the rest of the gig while a mosh party ensued.
The infectious guitar riffs during the intro to “I’m A Realist” whipped the punters into further frenzy. There were bodies floating over outstretched arms as the Wakefield three-piece launched into their career-spanning set.
For a band that has been around for more than 10 years, The Cribs did not display a hint of pretentiousness on stage. Ryan Jarman did most of the talking, thanking the fans for the enthusiasm on display between songs. He shared vocal duties with bassist and twin brother Gary Jarman, who managed to keep his focus when crowd-surfers were tearing into the edge of the stage. Youngest brother Ross Jarman was on point with his drumming, even when standing on his drum stool during “Mirror Kissers”.
Gems such as “The Lights Went Out” from their self-titled debut as well as “Martell” and “It Was Only Love” from The New Fellas made a rare appearance to the delight of the old school and hardcore fans in the audience.
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The indie rockers have come a long way since their joyous debut record, exploring different sounds while maintaining their penchant for arresting melodies, particularly evident in their performance of “Back To The Bolthole”, “Anna”, and “Glitters Like Gold” off their fifth album, In The Belly Of The Brazen Bull.
There was no shortage of hits either. The band’s back-to-back powerful renditions of the anthemic “Another Number”, “Be Safe” (complete with a projection of Lee Ranaldo’s spoken word piece) and “Hey Scenesters” escalated the already immense level of excitement.
Spontaneously, the brothers offered to take a request from the floor seeing as they had not been in Melbourne for a while. They asked for requests preferably from their first or second record. The Jarman brothers settled on the angsty “The Wrong Way To Be”, to which the audience sang and clapped along.
Ryan Jarman cemented his rock legend status as he dove into the crowd with his guitar during “Men’s Needs”.
“City Of Bugs” from Ignore The Ignorant was a fitting way to close the set. The song started off rather quietly before gradually building up a wall of noise as Gary Jarman played slide bass with a drumstick, Ross Jarman drummed furiously and Ryan Jarman held his guitar against his amp. Ross Jarman leapt into the mosh pit as his brothers exited the stage, leaving a trail of destruction and distortion behind.
The Cribs don’t do encores, so chants for more were unanswered. Nonetheless, the fans were left endeared by their shambolic charm and the raw energy they brought to their gig.
