Crocodiles
The Crib’s Support comes from San Diego’s Crocodiles tonight
and boy, do they bring the decibels!!!
The band’s front man, Brandon Welchez. seems to be a bundle of nervous energy on
their opener. And whilst their Echo & The Bunnymen meets The Horrors
grooves are in full swing, this leaves you
wondering whether the bottle of red that’s half empty might just blow
this. Not a bit of it!
Welchez swiftly slots back into the effortlessly cool of the
rest of the band and delivers some fuzzed up Spitiualized-esque guitars which
is fantastically loud. The gentle swaying of the crowd this creates becomes
hypnotic by the end of their set.
Their new offering ‘Endless Flowers’ has been met with
plaudits across the board and with a live show this good, one feels greatness
beckoning.
The Cribs
This gig has been 7 years in the making. In 2005, TT was all
set to head for the Mean Fiddler to belt out the newly released New Fellas. However,
Tuesday 6th December 2005 proved to be a stupidly freezing night to
go footy training and, pop goes the weasel shaped hamstring and TT temporarily
lost the ability to stand up!!! But fret not, tickets for their May gig at the
Astoria made their way in to TT’s grubby hands. Only a slipped disc could
prevent TT from going… TT didn’t go!
Therefore, nothing will stop Traveller’s Tunes attending the
Troxy tonight and what a gig it is! There are a lot of people here tonight
approaching 30, something Ross and Gary have done in their time off. Among this
lot, one thing is noted and muttered repeatedly. The way they haven’t
compromised and essentially, never joined in the bollox of being the Next Big Thing
or the biggest band in the land that so many are sucked in and spat out the
other side for. This statement is more powerful to people at this age as music
ceases to be new and the bullshit can be smelled a mile off.
The Cribs live at the Troxy are great. It’s as simple as
that. They smash through a Greatest Hits set as if their lives depend on it,
most likely their souls. One of the great things about them is the way that everything
is not perfect, even after 8years together. Some of the notes are missed but
the tightness of the brothers allows the songs to still sound fresh, as if they are being made up on the spot.
‘Hey Scenester’s’ is TT’s highlight of the set but as a
friend duly notes on the way home, it’s because ‘you bought the single when it
came out and then got injured like a tart’. Nevertheless the crowd is bouncing
and the brothers snarl their way through the chorus with the cheap and nasty
growl that makes them so loveable.
If fans thought they were a dirty punk band with their
hearts nailed to the independent cross already…. well, new album ‘In The Belly
of the Brazen Bull’ takes it to a new level (especially live). ‘Chi Town’ is
greeted with as much love as the rare outing of ‘Baby Don’t Sweat’. Where the
hunger comes from is baffling as this is a ferocious tune and the thousand
strong moshing is testament to that. Especially the black converse trainer
which did the rounds…
One thing must be noted about The Cribs though. Ryan Jarman,
wow. Let’s make it clear, The Cribs are a great band but Ryan is something
else. He sums up the struggle of life when he is on stage. He clearly loves
being a Crib but can’t hide his burning desire to be an individual. This is not
just because of his bedraggled jeans and insane haircut, but it’s all part of
it. There were plenty of kids in the crowd tonight. One couldn’t help but hope
that they are moved enough by their current single ‘C’mon Be A No One’ to be
the next punk rock singer with an unflinching ability to be yourself.
Setlist
Glitters Like Gold
I’m A Realist
We Were Aborted
Hey Scenesters!
Anna
Come On Be A No
One
Back To The
Bolt-Hole
Don’t Believe In
Me
Mirror Kissers
Confident Men
North Of England /
It Was Only Love
Baby Don’t Sweat
Another Number
Jaded Youth
Cheat On Me
Be Safe
Chi Town
Men’s Needs
City Of Bugs
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