The Cribs Review

Review of The Cribs at The Leadmill Sheffield on 22 February 2015

Despite packing out the main stage on Devonshire Green for Tramlines 2014, The Cribs took on a smaller, but by no means tamer, crowd at The Leadmill on Sunday February 22. Within their 13 year career, the band informed us, “this is the first time we’ve ever headlined Leadmill…  That’s a bit fucked up isn’t it? Well, better late than never!” halfway through a knockout set filled with early hits, old favourites and a few newbies.

Highlights included a beautifully stripped back ‘It Was Only Love’ as well as ‘Another  Number’ – one the crowd had eagerly been chanting the riff for long before the band’s appearance on stage. The heavier 'Men’s Needs' and 'City Of Bugs' ended the night with a raucous display of arms in the air, crowd surfing and the obligatory “Yooorrrkkkshiiiree” chants that tend to go along with any gig bringing a successful local(ish) band back to smaller confines.

With a colossal back catalogue containing pop punk anthems galore, The Cribs could easily bypass the Steel City for bigger stages and brighter lights. Yet as Ryan Jarman gushes “I don’t like to kiss the crowd’s arse but I did personally ask for Sheffield to be on the tour.”

One of the great things about The Cribs is that regardless of top of the bill bookings at festivals and an ever growing fan base, they stick to their roots and choose to play the intimate gigs that they thrive on – and all with the same wonderfully shambolic raw rock and roll energy that they introduced onto the scene just over a decade ago.

Words: Rachel Heward

Photos: Dean Stead

For more live music reviews Sheffield head here.