Cribs take Leeds by storm
EIGHT years ago three scruffy boys from Netherton staggered onto one of the smaller stages of the Leeds Festival holding their guitars and drumsticks.
The look, the attitude and the music may not have changed that much but the life of The Cribs definitely has since those first tentative steps.
This year is the sixth time the band has played Leeds Festival, working their way up from the smallest stage, right to the the top - something local bands Runaround Kids and Penguin, who both won places at the festival this year, should hope to replicate.
In many people's eyes they opened the doors and kick started the Wakefield music scene as young musicians saw it was possible to get on the industry.
We caught up with drummer Ross as he headed to the tourbus to Reading.
Ross, 25, said: "We won a Futuresound competition to play here the first time. We'd already had a bit of interest but It was kind of a breakthrough thing for us. It's amazing to play a big festival when you are only starting out.
"We even played the comedy stage once - it's great experience if you are a newer band.
"The first time we did the mainstage, I was so nervous. We'd just been playing in clubs and venues."
Despite performing at festivals in Chicago, Japan and Sweden this year, Leeds is still special to the band, who were playing their last gigs before taking a break.
Ross said: "When you are playing the main stage a couple of times a week you can get used to it, but coming back to Leeds is different, it's like coming home. This is where I came as a kid."
"Since Johnny joined the band it's been two years of non-stop gigs. We're going to take a bit of time out now.
"It's time to get off the road for a bit and just live. We don't get to spend much time at home.
"But it's weird, when I'm on the road it's always so busy I want to get back to Wakefield, but once I'm home again I want to be back on the road. It's Catch 22."
Now more used to playing to packed out arenas than their old haunts like now defunct Escobar, it's unlikely they'll be playing in Wakefield any time soon. But not if Ross has his way - he wants a new live music venue for the city.
He said: "I think the Council should buy the old ABC cinema and turn it into a live music venue. There isn't anywhere big enough anymore in Wakefield.
"We're forcing bands to play in Leeds now. Wakefield is getting bigger and bigger but we don't have anywhere for live music."
Ross is the only one in the band who still lives in his hometown. Ryan lives in London, Gary in Portland and Johnny in Manchester.
"Writing is a little different to how it was in the early days, when we'd all go down to Chickenley or to the Spring Time Studios on Chantry Brigde. Now Gary might bring an idea from Portland or Ryan from London and we all get together to work on it.
"But we spend that much time together on the road it's kinda nice to go your own way when you're at home."
Q Magazine once called The Cribs "the biggest cult band in the UK," which we can vouch for, after being inundated with letters for the boys to get one of the first 'Walk of Fame' stars in Wakefield. But their fans fierce loyalty isn't something the band take for granted.
Ross said: "There seems to be a difference with our fans, people get obsessed. We're not a band that's rammed down your throat, we've grown organically.
"When the fans found out about the Walk of Fame they got genuinely into it - they're very passionate.
"Wherever we go we get the Wakey chants. You can't escape it. I sometimes see stuff on the on the internet, that people have travelled to Wakefield just because of us, it's weird. Once I went to the Inns of Court and bumped into a girl who we'd met at a gig in New York. It's very flattering."
Email to a friend
Print this page
Looking for...
Featured advertisers
Jobs
Search for a job
Motors
Search for a car
Property
Search for a house
Weather for Wakefield
Saturday 26 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 9 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 17 mph
Wind direction: North east
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 10 C to 22 C
Wind Speed: 14 mph
Wind direction: East
