The Cribs’ credentials skyrocketed recently when ex-Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr decided to join the band.

Until then, the Jarman brothers’ biggest claim to fame had been that guitarist Ryan was dating Kate Nash — now they’re big enough to sell out the 2,350-capacity Forum.

Marr’s sophisticated arpeggios added an extra melodic dimension to We Share The Same Skies, the standout track of their fabulous fourth album, Ignore The Ignorant.

In truth, however, the post-Marr Cribs sound very similar to the pre-Marr version: tub-thumping
beats care of younger brother Ross and gloriously unhinged vocals from twin frontmen Ryan and Gary.

It’s a simple formula — and one that over the course of the evening became a tad two-dimensional — but the Wakefield boys remain an immensely likeable live act.

We Can No Longer Cheat You, dedicated to “the old-school Cribs fans in the audience”, was raw and riotous punk-rock of the highest order. Elsewhere, Hari Kari had lyrics as spiky as its guitars, while Men’s Needs was played out under more strobe lighting than a night at the Ministry of Sound.

While the Cribs kept the chat to a minimum, and didn’t appear to feel the need for an encore, they packed more grit and guts into their 90-minute set than most bands manage in a lifetime.