Live Review: The Cribs

Having played at the 5000-capacity Brixton Academy, one of London's most iconic venues, it's both strange and a delight to see The Cribs grace the intimate hollows of the Crown & Anchor; a venue that holds about 250. They've always prided themselves on their punk attitude, so playing in a small SA dive plays true to the attitude began it all in Wakefield, England back in 2002.

With seven albums under their belt, the three Jarman brothers - Ross (drums), Ryan (guitar, vocals), Gary (bass, vocals) - are back on Australian soil to promote their latest LP, 24-7 Rock Star Shit. It's an album that almost never was - the three brothers initially went into the studio to record an EP. But things were going so well in the studio with producer Steve Albini that there were enough tracks for a full album.

Kicking off with Our Bovine Public, the brothers thrashed through their 16-year existence in 60 minutes flat. They've been in close touch with their abrasive side for a while now and tonight was no exception. The Crown & Anchor is a cosy stage and getting intimate with the crowd is part of the job. The Friday night audience was up for a big night; shouting every word back, pints aloft, offering the band beers and even invading the stage (although the drink offers weren't appreciated).

Tonight they flew through their catchy catalogue with the likes of Hey Scenesters!, What About Me, Mirror Kissers and Men's Needs before finishing with a thunderous version of Pink Snow - over the course of an hour, it became evident that behind their guitar thrash the three brothers are basically a pop group. It's great to see a band that doesn't need to use the first few songs to warm up, they are ready to hit the ground running as soon as they set foot on the stage. True to form, they never played an encore. Thanks to the music gods for The Cribs.