Clutch @ Amplifier (02/03/10)

Sat 6th Mar, 2010 in Gig Reviews

OriginalSin’s Gallery

Chances are, if you like one Clutch album you’ll like them all. And chances are if you like a Clutch album you would love them live. The uber-consistent heavy blues rock band from Maryland in the US have found a formula that works for them and are sticking to it. They tested this formula, once again to great success, at the Amplifier Bar on Monday night.

There’s also a good chance if you like Clutch you’d probably like The Devil Rides Out. The local supports admitted that Clutch had been a major influence on them and the evidence was undeniable. Groovy bluesiness strolled out the speakers and was pinned down by solid drumming. Brendan Ewing’s strained facial expressions betrayed his concentration as his sneakingly smooth basslines swam effortlessly under the breakwater of Andrew Ewing’s guitar work. Joey K extolled on classic blues themes like Hard Love (“because there ain’t no other kind”) and long roads down in a drogue somewhat reminiscent of the mellow side of The Birthday Party. The format of his delivery was less classic blues, though definitely bluesy at times the road down was considerably rocky and the pace varied from cruise control to doing us at a medium pace to unashamed balls out rock. Playing mostly new songs from their upcoming album they fairly filled the room, only to be foiled by the persistent void in the few metres just in front of the stage for much of their set. When they put on their heaviest rock boots for the probable highlight Slow Gun however even this often interminable void was filled and it was clear it would be a smooth transition to the headline act.

Continuing with their penchant for winning formulas Clutch began the night with the gentle opening notes of The Regulator with the majestically bearded Neil Fallon nearly crooning the opening verses. The trickling drumbeat and clean guitars of the intro used diabolically to maximise the impact of the oncoming freight-train that is the chorus, upon which Fallon unleashed the abominable gruffness in his throat which, surely, everyone knew was lurking behind that beard. It was in this fashion that Clutch would orchestrate the night, ebbing into the occasional blues jam then letting the heavy blues rock torrentially flow.

Although bassist Dan Maines and guitarist Tim Sult went about their business in business like fashion, seemingly trying to avoid eye contact throughout most of the songs, only affording the crowd the occasional knowing glance in response to applause after a musical section they were particularly pleased with; And although Jean-Paul Gaster seemed to be in a world of his own, eyes closed, euphoria written all over his face as he made his modestly sized drumkit speak volumes; Although the majority of the band were reserved in their delivery, they delivered it in a way that simply connected and severely rocked. And although the rest of the band were quite distant, Fallon made up for it with his relaxed banter between songs, commenting on the comparative coolth of the night compared to the heat they played in at the Soundwave festival the day before “we can at least smell each other tonight” and reacquainting himself with a “douchebag” who made himself known at their Soundwave set. Fallon politely admonished; “you’re not a douchebag, you’re just a dickhead”,all in good humour of course, before winding up a charge of 50,000 Unstoppable Watts.

Focusing about fifty percent of their set on their latest album, 2009’s Strange Cousins From the West, fifty percent on their extensive back catalogue and ten percent on making sure to rock, Clutch delivered a one hundred and ten percent live show, letting you know this is the forum in which they should be heard. The crowd gladly obliged to allow Fallon to “adjust his pants so that he may dance the good time dance” as the mob went wild for The Mob Goes Wild and got taken on a journey when Clutch indulged themselves and the audience in an extended musical section during Big News from their synonymous 1995 album. It’s been said many a time before but to no other band than Clutch does it apply more appropriately; The new songs blended seamlessly with the old and earned as much as a response as their established live staples. Although only a yearling tune, the crowd reacted to Struck Down as eagerly as a country pub to Kenny Rogers’ The Gambler.

They went off, they left the stage, the crowd chanted incomprehensibly “one more? encore?”, they came back, they asked what everyone wanted to hear, everyone said something different, some guy yelled in binary “one zero zero one!” (in reference to their Robot Hive/Exodus song 10001110101 -which they didn’t play). Fallon thanked the crowd for giving him so much choice and then they proceeded to blow everyone away with a three song encore, finally grooving everyone on out with Profits of Doom which someone probably yelled out. And then it was over. And all were left satisfied and slightly confused as they exited to the bobbly beats of Grandmaster Flash.

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