WARRINGTON fans of hit indie rock band The Cribs were among hundreds of people who travelled from all over the UK to be at a one-off gig at a Golden Square record store.
The festival favourites, who have performed to huge crowds at Glastonbury, Leeds and Reading, gave an exclusive performance and record signing at Head in Golden Square shopping centre on Tuesday evening following the release of their sixth album the day before.
The Cribs fan, Gareth Jones, of Grappenhall, was with his girlfriend Anna Corrall and more than 200 music lovers who turned out to watch the band play new numbers from their latest album, plus previous hits.
Gareth said: “I saw the poster outside the shop and was so dumbfounded I went in to ask if it was true. I mean this band play massive stadiums, I never expected to see them live in our local shopping centre.”
His enthusiasm was echoed by Jamie Boyle, his friend Chris Holleran and Chris’s young son Joseph Holleran, two in June, who were also overjoyed to see the band in their favourite store.
“It’s fantastic,” said Chris. “We’ve followed them for a few years, so it’s great to have them play right on our doorstep.”
The Cribs, which is made up of twin brothers Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross, are no strangers to Glastonbury either, having headlined on its John Peel stage, as well as being regulars at Reading and Leeds Festivals, T in the Park and mega stadiums all around the globe.
They have just returned to the UK after touring the USA and, with their new album, For All My Sisters, just being released, it’s been a busy few months.
Singer and bassist, Gary Jarman, said they were happy to find time out for the in-store gig.
He said: “We’re not really a small venue band. We love giant rock stadiums. That’s where we’re at home. But we also like these in-store gigs, as they’re a bit different. We’re never quite sure who will turn out but there’s always a good vibe and it’s good to help out local record stores whenever we can.”
Gary’s younger brother, drummer Ross Jarman, added: “It’s our first visit to Warrington as a band, though I’ve been once before a long time ago when I did some DJ-ing. Today the set up has been great, with a proper stage and sound system.”
Head Store Manager Dave Rafter, said: “For us to have a band as big as The Cribs play in our store is a real coup and we hope to do more stuff like this in future. We’ve got Record Store Day coming up on April 18 with some more live bands. So customers should keep a lookout on the website or pop in and ask about what’s coming up.”
Golden Square Centre Director, Ian Cox, said the gig was great news for Golden Square and Warrington. He said: “It’s good for the centre as it’s another reason for customers to come here, but it’s also a fantastic boost for the town. Having a band this big agree to drop in to play live really puts us on the map.”
