Indie rock ICONS The Cribs rocked the boat at Thekla, Bristol, on tour celebrating the release of ‘Selling A Vibe’ – their ninth studio album.
Words & photos by Jack Hill | Jan 16, 2025
The Wakefield based Jarman brothers took to the stage at a sold out intimate gig inside Bristols legendary floating venue. This show was one of many that marked a new chapter for the band, celebrating the release of their ninth studio album ‘Selling A Vibe’ and performing new songs in smaller settings. These shows being a part of the iconic Rough Trade Records out-store album launch series, amongst a handful of meet and greets and record store signings. The new album released just days earlier on January 9th, as eager fans got to experience The Cribs first full length record since 2020’s ‘Night Network’. The album has already received critical acclaim post-launch, being praised by fans and critics alike and is currently sitting at #2 in the UK’s album charts as of writing. Will The Cribs beat out boy band Blue to make it to the top spot?
Having seen The Cribs countless times over the last decade and beyond, I knew fans were letting themselves in for an exciting night of incredible music aboard Thekla. Seeing them perform at big venues and at iconic festivals in the UK such as Glastonbury, Reading and more recently 2024’s Live At Leeds, this was a nice change of pace from the larger encounters. Any time The Cribs perform anywhere, it’s always a high energy experience that can differ each time due to the bands vast catalogue and evolving sound throughout the years. Always a great time, always a smashing performance from the Jarman brothers. The Cribs have a loyal following and these small album launch shows showcased this as usual. I shared a pre-gig pint with a few of these devoted fans I had stumbled across in a pub opposite the venue. One had drove all the way down from Leeds just to see this gig. Inside the venue, another group of people said they had travelled from Scotland and took time off work to follow the band across their multiple album launch tour dates. Anticipation for the long awaited return of The Cribs was evident to see amongst the fanbase.
As the band walked on stage the boat was rammed. Hip to hip chaos. The brothers belted through a setlist which combined a mixture of nostalgic classics and new freshly pressed album tracks. They began by thumping out ‘Our Bovine Public’ and continued into ‘Girls Like Mystery’. Next came the albums title track ‘Selling A Vibe’, which was met with incredibly warm reception. ‘Things You Should Be Knowing’ from their very first album made an appearance for the first time I’ve heard it live. New track ‘A Point Too Hard To Make’ rung around the venue after. ‘Another Number’ and ‘Martell’ followed. The groovy upbeat ‘Never The Same’ from the new record had people dancing around like mad. My personal favourite. ‘You Were Always The One’ was the song that was played when the brothers asked for a crowd request. Next came ‘Glitters Like Gold’ and ‘You’ll Tell Me Anything’ from the new record. Gary remarked that this is their mums favourite from the new bunch of tracks. Cult classic ‘Leather Jacket Love Song’ was emotionally bellowed by Ryan next. The melodic powerhouse single ‘Summer Seizures’ from the new record was to be the penultimate offering. Finally, the bands biggest hit ‘Men’s Needs’ was met with an enthusiastic sing-along and applause, as the brothers left stage.
The energy aboard Thekla was immense. The Cribs delivered an eclectic set to remember for eager fans who were among the first to hear several numbers from the new record live. This wasn’t merely a celebration of a new album, it was a reminder of what makes the band so significant and enduring. 22 years of incredible music that continues to be adored by generations of fans. Now that the dust has settled from the album launch celebration, The Cribs are gearing up for their headline tour which begins in March. The band will play a full tour with support across the UK, Europe and America. As well as having major UK festival appearances this summer. We look forward to seeing The Cribs again this year and hope to see ‘Selling A Vibe’ hit #1!
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