THE festive season got off to a riotous start this week as The Cribs returned to Glasgow for a highly anticipated four-night residency at the legendary King Tut’s. Organised to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the band’s first ever festive shows held in the Brudenell Social Club in Leeds, gigs that have since gone down as some of the best in the trio’s history, Cribsmas rolled up in Glasgow for the first time ever; much to the delight of their fervent Scottish fanbase.
A rare opportunity to catch the indie veterans in close quarters, the sold-out residencies tour which will also take them to Manchester’s Gorilla, London’s ULU and Leed’s Brudenell throughout the month of December, is perhaps one of the most ambitious tours the band have taken on having promised a different set each night. Even more exciting is the fact that it’s another milestone from where they can take stock of just how far they’ve come since first bursting onto the scene all those years ago. Over the course of four nights in Glasgow, they delve deep into the archives to play 55 different songs from each stage of their career; treating the crowd to everything from early demos to the frenzied, ramshackle anthems of yesteryear to big fan favourites from their breakthrough album Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever to the atmospheric slow-burners found on their later records.
A band who have had a remarkably consistent career, the unbelievable quality of material they have at their disposal shines brightly from the very opening night when they launch Cribsmas in truly thrilling fashion. For those that remember the early days, it’s a setlist of dreams. Opening with ‘The Watch Trick’, they fire through adrenaline-fuelled early cuts such as ‘The Lights Went Out,’ ‘I’m A Realist’, ‘Don’t You Wanne Be Relevant?’ and ‘Things You Should Be Knowing’. There’s barely time for breath as the crowd threaten to drown out every song in their collective voice, jumping along to every rampant beat and catchy guitar line as bodies tumble over the barrier.
Stirring slow-burner ‘Back To The Bolthole’ brings the pace down slightly while tracks from recent album 24-7 Rock Star Shit are met with an equally appreciative reaction. For the diehard fans, and there’s clearly a lot in the room, it’s all about seeing the rarities though. A band who have always embraced their imperfections and played by their own rules, they ask fans for requests throughout the night and duly oblige as they attempt to work their way through a live debut of ‘Melmac’ and b-side ‘Kind Words From The Broken Hearted’.
It’s no surprise to see old favourite ‘Mirror Kissers’ incite utter chaos while ‘Be Safe’ sees the whole room sing along in harmony with its iconic chorus. Unfortunately for us though, the first night of Cribsmas must come to an end; and it does so with a riotous rendition of their signature track ‘Men’s Needs’ before the seven-minute epic ‘Pink Snow’, the perfect closer with its quiet/loud dynamics.
Unlike many of their contemporaries, The Cribs are utterly unique in their ability to bring a raw, visceral energy to every show that they play. Over the years, they have managed to deliver album after album that have captured this live essence in abundance; and this is why they continue to attract a devout following wherever they go. A band who are able to capture the vital spirit of their early days while still looking forwards, it goes without saying that The Cribs are one very special band.
