Posts Tagged ‘The Forum’

The Cribs really do exist in their own dimension. And if the rest of the world wants to ditz around with synths and listen to Spandau Ballet in an ‘ooh we’re so ironic and post-modern’, pseudo-futuristic fashion, then fuck ‘em. This band knows they’re out of step with the current musical climate. And you know what? It’s better this way. They relish that underdog position. Except, they’re not really underdogs. The venue is packed with rabid followers (plus the odd Smiths fan courtesy of new recruit Johnny Marr), all waiting to be launched onto a planet that exists according to the Jarman rulebook of unflinching indie ethics.

Upon entering the venue, you are handed a free Jeffrey Lewis comic of the band. Comet Gain kick things off with an endearing set of spunky oddball pop, punctuated by singer David Feck’s musings on turning The Forum into a giraffe sanctuary (well, it made sense at the time… sort of). This followed by the high energy show-tunes-for-indie-kids stylings of Adam Green, which gives us all a chance to wonder at the failure of ‘Emily’ to not become a multi-platinum selling hit. When The Cribs do hit the stage, it’s like a firecracker going off. ‘Hey Scenesters!’ gets pulses racing, while ‘Another Number’ remains as euphorically poignant as ever. But these songs are no longer all they’re about. The Cribs have evolved. Johnny Marr slots into the band with seamless ease and, some guitar wizardry on ‘Cheat On Me’ aside, doesn’t steal focus. His role is more that of enhancer – an extra weapon in the bands arsenal. Unobtrusive early song ‘Direction’ is transformed into a dizzying maelstrom. ‘Be Safe’ is like standing under a waterfall, guitars crashing deliriously around Lee Ranaldo’s (present tonight onscreen) deadpan of jumbled imagery. And new tracks, particularly the jagged machine-gun fire of ‘Hari Kari’, come with added muscle. All in all, it’s a defiant two fingers up to anyone who thought The Cribs were just a mediocre, uninventive guitar band with a few good riffs.

They play ‘Mens Needs’, and everyone goes suitably mental. But they end on new album highlight ‘City Of Bugs’. Growling and epic, edgily anthemic, they leave The Forum in no doubt that this is a band heading forward. And if you’re hankering after a bit of grit between guitar strings, they’re still the place to be. Defiantly so.

We have one pair of tickets for the Forum’s screening of All Tomorrow’s Parties followed by a performance by Les Savy Fav on Mon 26 October (tomorrow!).

“ALL TOMORROW’S PARTIES is described as “a rousing, kaleidoscopic celebration of the seaside indie-rock festival” (Time Out), and together with Les Savy Fav’s jaw dropping stage antics, audiences will experience what happens when experimental film and music collide in these one off special events.

ALL TOMORROW’S PARTIES is a kaleidoscopic journey into the parallel musical universe of the cult music festival of the same name. The film is a semi-found multi media bricolage shot by over two hundred filmmakers, fans and musicians over the festival’s recent history, with key contributions from co-director Jonathan Caouette (Tarnation) and cinematographer Vincent Moon (The Take Away Shows, Arcade Fire) and features amongst others: Belle And Sebastian, Grizzly Bear, Sonic Youth, Battles, Portishead, Daniel Johnston, Grinderman, David Cross, Animal Collective, The Boredoms, Les Savy Fav, Mogwai, Slint, Yeah Yeah Yeahs, The Gossip, GZA, Seasick Steve, Iggy and the Stooges, F**k Buttons, Shellac, Patti Smith and John Cooper Clark. The film is co-developed and financed by the Warp X partners, Film4, UK Film Council, EM Media and Screen Yorkshire.”

To win this pair of tickets, simply answer this question: which band’s song lends its name to the festival?

The first correct answer emailed to screen.play@london-student.net will win.