Crib Notes: A Brief History of The Cribs, Ahead of Hong Kong Gig

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Who would’ve tipped the enduring creative miracle that is The Cribs? Emerging in the early noughties, they were easy to lump in with a growing wave of forgettable UK guitar music that became derogatorily known as “landfill indie.” Often interchangeable, almost exclusively jangly/edgy guitar posers who invariably had a band name beginning The… — from the majesty of the  The Libertines, The Arctic Monkeys and The Kooks to the less-regal also-rans like The Maccabees, The Fratellis and The Ting Tings. For that, we can probably all blame The Strokes.

Yet it was the race to find the UK’s answer to The Strokes that saw these three brothers — yes, Gary, Ryan and Ross Jarman are true blood relations — hurriedly anointed. The result was The Cribs’ gloriously DIY yet infectiously hummable 2004 self-titled debut album, and the angular bite of its superior follow-up The New Fellas (2005). A move to a major label birthed their commercial peak with the slicker Men’s Needs, Women’s Needs, Whatever (2006), notable for both breakthrough “Men’s Needs”, and The Cribs’ most powerfully artistic statement — the slow-build spoken word masterpiece “Be Safe,” featuring poetry read by Sonic Youth’s Lee Ranaldo. Johnny Marr’s decision to join the band for fourth album Ignore the Ignorant (2009) might say as much about The Smiths guitarists’ own restless nature as it does The Cribs, but such a high-profile endorsement fast-tracked the band to legendary status.

Five more albums have followed, and it’s remarkable how powerful, potent and consistent their output has remained — the ironic, back-to-basics blast of 24-7 Rockstar Shit a particular treat. Unconcerned with any pressure to modify or modernise, last year’s ninth outing Selling A Vibe is as raw and razor-focused as anything they’ve recorded, cribbing (ahem) melodies cheekily from past glories without ever feeling like a tired retread.

The Cribs have a longtime connection with Hong Kong. They headlined Clockenflap in 2011, returned to Kitec in 2013, and last performed in 2018, when they were supported by local shoegaze exports Lucid Express — then known as Thud — whose lead singer Kim has called The Cribs her favourite band.