The Cribs - Birmingham Carling Academy 05.10.07

*This review was written for a Cribs website, if you're not familiar with the band a more detailed review of their latest album is further down this page*

Ah, Brum Academy, The Cribs’ favourite venue in the country according to them, though I’m not quite sure why. Maybe it’s the big sweeping balcony full of people who’ll throw empty glasses at you when you stage dive – even when you’re in the band. Maybe it’s the happy-go-lucky bouncers who put an X on your hand when you come over the top, yet turn a blind eye when your arm ends up looking like a game of noughts and crosses. Maybe it’s the fact that every single Cribs show there is fucking awesome.

Launching into Our Bovine Public like it’s their last three minutes on earth the band look possessed by the whole atmosphere. The kids have shown some mega appreciation to the fantastic Bobby Conn and Pavilion but this is what they’re after, and the energy that bounces back and forth from stage to pit is tremendous.

Gary reminds us that new single Don't You Wanna Be Relevant is "the one with the video where we look like the Archies", a comment which flies straight over the heads of the under 25 year olds in the audience but is nonetheless very accurate.

Ryan’s taking his t-shirt off, which to me signals he’s coming into the crowd, This he does, managing to kick me square in the head in the melee. (If you’re reading this Ryan I’ll settle out of court). The jeans are ripped in half, the shoes come off and the next thing I see Ryan is being passed back to the waiting security guards who carry him away. Someone helpfully yells ‘Shit, he’s dead!’, but thankfully just knocked out.

Moments later the band re-appear. Gary says ‘Thanks for raping my brother’. They did play something at this point but I can’t remember what due to a) beer and b) the aforementioned kick in the head. Ryan comes to Gary’s mic to sing a sweet rendition of Shoot The Poets and finally retreats, to Casualty probably.

As the lights come up someone is trying to persuade a roadie to give him Ryan’s forgotten t-shirt, like it’s the Shroud of Turin. And now we all know why this is The Cribs’ favourite venue