The Cribs @ Billboard,Melbourne (17/02/10)

Sat 20th Feb, 2010 in Gig Reviews

After opening with We Were Aborted, The Cribs kicked proceedings into gear with indie rock anthem Hey Scenesters! – a suitable hello to the crowd tightly packing the venue.

The UK outfit offered an incredible live performance. Their songs are pop enough to catch you on a snappy hook but still retain that all-important rock respectability. The Cribs are no transient indie rock sensation. They play haunting verse after distressed chorus without setting a foot wrong.

Twins Ryan and Gary Jarman deliver vocals with arresting intensity, their voices often melding together indistinguishably, while younger brother Ross treats his drum kit to a generous beating. The addition of Johnny Marr (former The Smiths guitarist) to the lineup further solidifies this band’s status as a highly reputable act.

Onstage, Marr is all class. Casually holding his guitar outstretched towards the audience, peering quizzically at his own strings and blowing kisses into the adoring crowd during the aptly titled Mirror Kissers, he retains an air of casual brilliance while the Jarman brothers are spectacularly volatile with energy.

The Cribs are relentless. Consistent in howling, smashing vigour, the only dip in energy came during Save Your Secrets, and that was intentional. The song was played in dedication to the late Australian guitar hero Rowland S. Howard and proved a poignant note for the night.

The band last toured Australia in 2006 and did not visit us koala hugging outback dwellers after the release of their third album Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever in 2007 so there was some catching up to do and their set was not solely filled with songs from their latest offering Ignore The Ignorant – there was a mix of new, old and even older.

As a testament to the consistency of this band, new tracks such as Hari Kari, Cheat on Me and Ignore The Ignorant were received with the same crowd enthusiasm as older favourites Direction, Another Number and I’ve Tried Everything.

Be Safe proved a highlight of the night. As the boys were shadowed in low light, behind them was projected a backdrop video recording of visually and verbally eccentric Lee Ranaldo (Sonic Youth guitarist) providing his poetic spoken-word guest soliloquy. The simple concept of subdued instrumentalism coupled with the abstract imagery of Ranaldo’s monotone speech added to the surreal propaganda feel of watching a giant face wax political, or semi-crazed political. Astounding.

Men’s Needs and Mirror Kissers were definite crowd favourites, the latter explosive with its gunshot drum interlude like a missile attack and furious guitars scratched like attacking a hideous itch.

The Cribs ended their set with City of Bugs, a song twisted with soft verses and heavy instrumental breaks, culminating to a close of distorted guitar noise with Ross standing on top of his drum set, bashing at the cymbals, Ryan kneeling over in a musical trance and a room full of very satisfied Aussies.

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