Smittens - Oldham Library, Oldham, 3/10/2010

  by Dixie Ernill

published: 6 / 10 / 2010

intro

As part of the new 'Get It Loud in Libraries' initiative, Dixie Ernill watches Sheffield-based band play a superb set iof sixties and C-86 influenced indie pop at Oldham Library

Sunday night in Oldham Library. Even though I don't live a million miles from Oldham, I never thought I'd find myself spending a Sunday night in Oldham Library. But, courtesy of the new 'Get It Loud in Libraries' initiative and the opportunity to see the Crookes perform a superb set of songs that tick all the right boxes marked Postcard Records, the Smiths, sixties pop and C-86, I am more than happy to spend my evening sipping free shop local orange in a plastic cup stood behind neatly packed book shelves. But before the Crookes take to the 'stage', local band the Fayre offer up some ska tinged pop and an interesting poet tries to convince us that God is a Mancunian. Not dismayed by the fact that they do not buy into this notion (courtesy of not being from Manchester themselves) or by the fact that the audience is made up mainly young teenagers probably witnessing their first gig, the Crookes leave nothing in the locker in serving up an energetic set that is drawn mainly from current EP, 'Dreams of Another Day'. Tongue-in-cheek ditty 'Mrs Porter' may be a low key opening number, but the glorious 'Chorus of Fools' that follows, complete with singer George Waite and guitarists Dan Hopewell and Alex Saunders dancing round like a cross between the Shadows and the Beatles certainly sets the tone for the rest of the evening. Wonderful renditions of jangling debut single, 'A Collier's Wife' and its B-side, 'By the Seine', highlight the band as a modern day Housemartins with better vocals, while the slower 'Somewhere Over the Bus Stop' has a knowing nod to both band admirer Richard Hawley and the impressive Stockton outfit Young Rebel Set. There are further examples of the band's ability to write water-tight indie-pop singles that would have easily taken pride of place alongside the Chesterfields on Bristol's Subway records back in the late 80's in the shape of 'Bloodshot Days' and 'Backstreet Lovers'. Final track 'Yes, Yes, We're Magicians', in which the audience are all too happy to click their fingers along to, is a fitting end to a stunning gig. Hats off to the library for putting on such an event, their only failing being siting the 'stage' in the children's section rather than in the middle of romantic fiction, which is more the ideal setting for the Crookes' music.

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