It’s another one of those nights where the gig-going public of Montreal is spoiled for choice. In and around the city, there are shows by Scorpions, Yes, Rodriguez, and, erm, Katy Perry. Lots of competition for tonight’s headliners at Bar Le Ritz, The Cribs, then.
By the time they take to the stage, it’s evident that moving the show from Theatre Fairmount to Bar Le Ritz was a wise one; even at this point, the venue is only around half full. No matter, though; it just means that those of us who chose The Cribs get a way smaller, more intimate show than the rest of North America will get on this tour (confirmed by bassist Gary Jarman afterwards, that this is definitely one of the smallest!)!
Clearly, The Cribs are not fazed by the sparse crowd as the three Jarman siblings (twins Ryan and Gary and younger brother Ross) barrel right into Our Bovine Public from the awesome 2007 ‘Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever’ record. Gary soon proclaims “its good to be back in Montreal, we’re The Cribs from Wakefield! We have a new record and this is off it!” before igniting a flurry of pogo-ing with new song Rainbow Ridge; whatever the crowd may be lacking in volume, they are more than making up for in enthusiasm. On I’m A Realist, Gary drops back from the mic entirely to let the crowd sing the “WOAHHHHH” parts, giving Bar Le Ritz almost a stadium feel!
Ryan grinds his guitar into the mic to screeching effect to lead into the classic Hey Scenesters!, which keeps up the energy and the singing of the crowd, before announcing afterwards that he’s in a state of anaphylactic shock (which apparently lasts the entire set, speaking to Ryan afterwards, following an allergic reaction from a drink right before they hit the stage!), and isn’t sure what he’ll do if he collapses. You and me both – that’s not the kind of stage banter you’re used to hearing! Thankfully, this never materializes!
After the screeching riffs of Another Number, with notes so high that Ryan’s hands almost touch together on the fret board, and standout new song Burning For No-One, Gary informs us that Montreal was one of the first places he fantasized about living in when he was younger (which is unsurprisingly met with a chorus of cheers). After In Your Palace, drummer Ross whips down a white projector screen at the back of the stage, upon which the narrator of the spoken word verse parts of Be Safe is beamed, in conjunction with Ryan and Gary chipping in the vocals for the chorus, which looks immensely cool in a tiny venue like this!
Broken Arrow and Pink Snow book-end the classic Men’s Needs to close out the show after just over an hour. No encore, but the brothers are all out meeting the crowd within a few minutes, despite Ryan still not being over his allergic reaction! Despite a career spanning 7 albums, around 15 years, and a stint with Johnny Marr as part of the band (yes, THE Johnny Marr, from The Smiths), they’re still a humble, appreciative bunch of guys, clearly enjoying what they do. And tonight, so did we – a lot. A brilliant return to Montreal for The Cribs, and certainly nobody left Bar Le Ritz tonight disappointed with the gig they chose!
Setlist
Our Bovine Public
Come On, Be a No-One
Rainbow Ridge
I’m a Realist
Hey Scenesters!
Different Angle
What Have You Done For Me?
Another Number
Burning For No-One
In Your Palace
Be Safe
Mirror Kissers
Broken Arrow
Men’s Needs
Pink Snow
Review & photos – Simon Williams
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