The Cribs

The Cribs are from West Yorkshire; they are three lads ready to tear rock a new arsehole.

The secret of good story telling, it is said, is a good beginning. The Cribs debut could not have been on a more auspicious occasion, three brothers - Gary, Ryan and Ross - playing to the toughest audience - the family- at a New Year’s party. Twins, Gary and Ryan, had been given their first guitars that Christmas, Ross hammed it up with a make-shift kit. Gary and Ryan were nine and Ross five years old; the year was 1989.

“I guess you could say we’ve been playing for years.” explains Ryan. “I’ve got tapes of us playing Ramones stuff when we were kids. We are pretty tight as a band, and as a gang. Because we are brothers, we don’t have to deal with all the shit that goes down within other bands. There are no musical differences: we all listened to the same records when we were growing up. And there is no problem with egos. Sure, each of us can be a dick at times but at the end of the day we are family and that is never going to change.”

The Cribs possess a very English pop sensibility. As Gary explains, “We’re from a small town in England and I think there is no real way of escaping our roots. And why would you want to when we've had the Beatles, the Pistols and the Smiths? They are three of the best bands, ever.”

Yet the Cribs will also confess that there is American influence impacting on their sound. Ryan continues, “A lot of my favourite bands are from the US. Calvin Johnson and Bobby Conn are our gods. We have played with them both and there is a mutual appreciation. But one thing is certain- there is not a cat in hell's chance that Gary, Ryan or I are going to act like we come from over there.”

It is noted that the aforementioned Mr Conn was so infatuated by the Cribs that he invited them to spend time at his house in Chicago where he recorded and produced their earliest recordings. Indeed, it his version of "Tri'elle" on the LP that appears on the record.

Late last year The Cribs signed to the highly regarded Wichita label. The debut album was recorded at East London’s now legendary Toerag Studios with the band producing. The sessions were completed in eight days with some chemical assistance. It is glorious.

Side note: DiS writer Colin went to college the same time as one of them and saw them play Marilyn Manson covers at the Ossett Battle Of The Bands.

(Photo by: Carmel McNamara)

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