Live Review – The Cribs (O2 Academy Liverpool 23/10/15)

Since the early 2000s, The Cribs have presented a raw sound that has yet to be reproduced by any other band. They create honest and whole-hearted records and follow them with live performances to match. Friday night in Liverpool was one of them that entirely explained their longevity and refusal to fall away like so many of their counterparts. They have, this year, released an album that some rank as their best (including Ross and Gary, according to Vice this week).
They fire through their first few songs, ‘I’m A Realist’ is in there at number two followed by For All My Sisters’ ‘Different Angle’. The intensity of their work on stage is matched in the crowd and at no point does it ever fade, in fact it only grows as bodies begin to tumble over the barriers, surfing to ‘We Were Aborted’ from 2009’s Ignore The Ignorant. There was time to catch breath and an opportunity to show the appreciation of the brothers’, more so than for coming down, but for making what was always a tough choice between hometown lads The Wombats elsewhere in the city and rising stars Blossoms in Manchester. Ross of course assures those in attendance that they’ve made the right choice before answering their call for ‘Another Number’ by way of that memorable riff. It replaced ‘You Were Always The One’ before newbie ‘Summer Of Chances’. Contrary to the initial set-list (below), both ‘You’re Gonna Lose Us’ and ‘Don’t You Wanna Be Relevant’ got a look-in.
The most impressive of the new songs came two-thirds of the way in, ‘Diamond Girl’ prompted more mayhem on the floor and Ryan falls to the canvas, glaring up at brother Gary before springing back up in time for the monologue that accompanies ‘Be Safe’. It is one of their finest works, and gets better every time. Much like the band themselves, each time they seem to come back with a new hunger and desire to make the very most from their unique talent as a three. They’re not the rockstars we come to expect from a band that have such a cult following, but that to a certain extent is exactly why.
“I’ll never forget how all this become-” rips out of ‘Our Bovine Public’ before ‘Shoot The Poets’ graces the night to leave nothing to be desired. It is beautiful and no less, standing out as the only moment of still observation from the crowd in absolute admiration. The penultimate track was ‘Men’s Needs’, one of their most popular to date and justifiably so. And the last sound to come from their latest album fitted in as the last track on Friday night, ‘Pink Snow’ and its’ dynamics bring the show to a close in spectacular fashion – the band leave the stage with almost every ounce of effort utilised to form a faultless performance and one that recognises The Cribs as a band that nobody should go without ever seeing. In many ways, they are the complete live package.