The Cribs - Live In Manchester
[Manchester Academy 2]

Maybe it is fear of not wanting to be dubbed a scenester that sends the pit into ruptures upon on hearing the first notes of 'Mirror Kissers', as the Wakefield woe bashers of The Cribs connect with the crowd right from the off.

The three Jarman brothers are in their usually exuberant mood, treating us to the delights of 'Direction', driven from the thudding base of Ross' ardent and controlled percussion, matching the sound of the thudding feet on the arena floor.

The bones of punk are hung out to dry on a clothesline of catchy indie riffs that holds together the Sham 69 and football chant crossover vocals in I''m Alright Me', to make for a boozy Friday night anthem to get lost in. A yearning old offering 'The Lights Went Out', gave us all a chance to have a must needed rest and sing along to a yearning pop pearl.

The night concludes with the dual vocal approached 'The Wrong Way To Be', incorporating a mish-mash of throaty cries from Ryan, punctuated by the ardent spoken vocals of Gary. The latter brother mounted the drum rack towards the end of the song, to pelt out rabid beats and finish a buoyant evening of rock rehabilitation.