Franz Ferdinand to be Cribs surprise support

The Cribs are set to begin their Leeds residency at Brudenell Social Club tonight (December 19) and NME.COM can exclusively reveal the band will be joined by Franz Ferdinand.

The Wakefield trio will play their first album, ’The Cribs’, in full tonight – with their subsequent albums following tomorrow (20) and Friday (20).

However while the star support band had been kept quiet for a while, we can now confirm the Scottish art rockers will break from preparations for their third album to open the gig.

The two bands have a long connection, with The Cribs supporting Franz Ferdinand in the US last year, while the latter’s frontman Alex Kapranos produced the trio’s last album 'Man's Needs, Woman’s Needs, Whatever'.

After the three-night residency in aid of cystic fibrosis charities, The Cribs will have a very busy 2008 on the live front.

The band play the Shockwaves NME Awards Big Gig along with Manic Street Preachers, Kaiser Chiefs, Bloc Party and Klaxons on February 28 at the O2 Arena in London – get your tickets at NME.COM/biggig.

Before that they headline the Shockwaves NME Awards Tour 2008 at the following dates:

Belfast Mandela Hall (January 29)
Dublin Ambassador Theatre (30)
Glasgow Barrowland (February 1)
Manchester Academy (2)
Newcastle Carling Academy (3)
Lincoln Engine Shed (4)
Birmingham Carling Academy (6)
Liverpool University (7)
Leeds University (8, 9)
Sheffield Octagon (11)
Nottingham Rock City (12)
Norwich UEA (13)
Cambridge Corn Exchange (15)
Leicester University (16)
Oxford Carling Academy (17)
Bristol Carling Academy (19)
Cardiff University (20)
Portsmouth Pyramid (21)
London Brixton Academy (22)

To check ticket availability for the Shockwaves NME Awards Tour 2008 and get all the latest listings, go to NME.COM/GIGS now, or call 0871 230 1094.