When this show was first announced almost a year ago, it promised Clutch's self titled album being played in full. After a number of months, it was then changed to a regular show with no explanation. Speculation was rife that the shows weren't selling particularly well. I've no idea how true this was but it isn't borne out judging by the turnout tonight which ends up being extremely healthy.
Norwegians Bokassa open up proceedings tonight. They play riff heavy biker rock which has Queens Of The Stone Age stoner rock riffs played with the drive and energy of Mõtõrhead along with a punk rock attitude similar to compatriots The Good, The Bad And The Zugly. Both the singer and drummer are wearing Liverpool football shirts which never goes down well in these parts but the singer owns it with an 'I don't care' attitude. 'Garden Of Heathen' has a fair amount of melody in the chorus. 'Everyone Fails In The End' is a driving and hard rocking blast of punk rock. Singer Jørn Kaarstad has a fair bit of personality and he claims that he can't understand what the hecklers are shouting before cheekily adding that he would just ignore them anyway. Slower song 'Wrath Is Love' has a nice meaty riff with yobbish vocals on the verse and some lovely vocal interplay on the anthemic chorus. They stick to the stoner punk blueprint as they have an arsenal of big riffs which are all played with a punk energy. Jørn's vocals are rough hewn but well suited to the music, and he does show some versatility with some lovely melodic touches. They come across like a more riff heavy Turbonegro. They exit to 'You'll Never Walk Alone' but despite this, they get a pretty decent reception from the half full Academy.
1000mods open with 'Electric Carve' which is a kicking slice of heavy boogie rock. It's a super, high energy start. 'Road To Burn' is slower stoner rock reminiscent of Kyuss which has an extremely powerful, hypnotic groove. The lead guitar is a bit overpowering on the verse but this is a minor quibble. 'Götzen Hammer' is gnarly metal in the vein of Mastodon and is much more visceral. The switch of styles works well and every track makes an impression. The fuzz driven stoner punk of 'Speedhead' is full of energy and attitude. Dani G. on vocals and bass is a fairly laid back presence but provides a solid foundation. Both guitarists are excellent, particularly Giorgos T. who unleashes a number of wild and barely controlled solos. 'Low' takes us back into Kyuss territory which, after a gentle start, sounds like one of 'Sky Valley's uptempo numbers and is muscular and undeniable. Every track packs a real punch. The drummer Labros G. is great, hard hitting yet quite instinctive in his playing style too. 'Overthrown' is punchy, dynamic doom like vintage Sabbath. The end section sounds uncannily like 'Children Of The Grave' but it is played with such gusto that it hardly matters. Who cares about originality when they rock this hard? The show is momentarily paused due to an incident in the crowd but I can't tell what is happening. The closing track, 'Vidage' is a little half hearted, sounding like Fu Manchu or Karma To Burn style desert rock. It is probably too laid back for a set closer and is a bit anti-climatic but overall, they are a revelation, especially considering that I've never been that impressed when listening to their studio output.
It's pretty full by the time Clutch take to the stage. The riffs of the first couple of tracks are heavy enough but there seems to be a bit of a disconnect and they're not really doing it for me. I seem to be in the minority though. Neil Fallon seems in fine form with his usual rock and roll preacher shtick. The slow and dirty blues of 'Slaughter Beach' and the funky 'Worm Drink' are both enjoyable. Tim Sult and Dan Maines are understated presences, keeping their heads down as they lay down their grooves. Tim also has a pretty neat shirt on, although I am a sucker for a nice checked shirt! Everything they play at this stage is good but rarely thrilling. The band seem content to play tracks which please themselves rather than the audience, although plenty of the crowd are enjoying tracks such as 'Escape From The Prison Planet'. It is a rather understated first half, being rather light on out and out bangers. 'Spacegrass' is similar but its Monster Magnet style trippy space rock is powerful and compelling. The bass line is rather fine, and the crowd absolutely love it. The uptempo, driving rock of 'The Mob Goes Wild' definitely raises the energy levels. As I look around, I can see the level of devotion felt by much of the audience. The bluesy '(In The Wake Of) The Swollen Goat' stunts the momentum before the rock solid riffing of the stellar 'X-Ray Visions' raises the excitement levels again. The rousing 'Firebirds' is great too. The show is really getting going now but this definitely raises questions about the pacing of the show. A new song sounds impressive with its hard, driving rhythm. Neil dons a guitar for the slow burning southern blues of 'The Regulator'. The dense and dynamic hellfire blues of 'Burning Beard' is excellent and Neil is in his element with his rock and roll sermonising.
There are a few minutes wait before the band reappear for an encore as Neil explains that the backstage bathroom is really far away. The shitkicking ZZ boogie of 'Electric Worry' is a killer encore. A charged cover of Creedence Clearwater Revival's 'Fortunate Son' closes the show. Clutch are clearly a great band but questionable song choices and pacing issues make this a good show with moments of greatness rather than great.
Clutch ***
1000mods ****
Bokassa ****
No comments:
Post a Comment