The Cribs bring their odd Northern selves to the country side and boy did they perform
First day and first band for those late awoke like myself; The Cribs failed to disappoint on their debut Glasto performance. I couldn't help but have high expectations of the Wakefield brothers, who find themselves continually praised by Northern stars Kaiser Chiefs- known to rarely abuse our trust of their musical knowledge. Conclusion? Applause all round me thinks.
Stepping on stage wearing pink t-shirts that didn't quite fit and oddly unfashionable skinny jeans, the boys weren't your conventional popular indie band. Fancy sunnies or stylish hats were not in sight, nor were model girlfriends and glittery suits- perhaps why the crowd took to them so much in the first place?
The Cribs are one of those bands that can attract any audience. The die hard three album fans who scream "I knew them first" at every gig they go to ( I admit to being a prime contender for this award), and the newcomers who appreciate that "Mans needs" is a good tune and bop along to the old material, beginning to get a sense of what all the fuss is about. Opening with 'Hey Scenesters', the Jarman's take a dig at all those in the crowd sporting the latest fashion, to look as though they fit in. Irony to the tee- well not so much at Glastonbury, but Reading or V would have been ideal. The rain caused a few problems as the mud thickened and made it difficult to dance your dirty socks off, but most of the crowd refused to let this faze them and gave the band the warm welcome they deserved.
It wasn't the biggest of audiences, but unlike the set of some acts, the crowd only grew as the gig progressed, as opposed to making people wish to leave. Old favourites like 'Another number' and 'Mirror Kisses' kept the spirits up as the rain began to pour down, and new hits 'MTV' and 'Man's needs' were as big a success.
The band finished with a routine crowd surf from Ryan, a big hit with the audience. Many came away with their CD wish list expanding to the two albums prior to the only one they knew the band had; most crowd members humming Cribs lyrics all the way to their next venue, which for most was a swarming tent to relieve themselves from the downpour. I felt almost proud of the boys, playing to Glastonbury and people actually saying- who were they, they were pretty good. A sense of motherly love perhaps? A fantastic start to my weekend of live music.