Clutch // The Waterfront - 02.05.14
Often lazily tagged as a stoner rock band, it’s fair to say in 2014 they are simply a great rock ‘n’ roll band.
Following a sold out show in 2013, Clutch made a welcome return to The Waterfront barely 10 months later. This makes us extremely lucky because for my money, Clutch are one of the best bands around at the moment. Since releasing their first album back in 1993 they have slowly but surely built their following, whilst at the same time avoiding being pigeonholed into one genre. With their roots in the hardcore scene and often lazily tagged as a stoner rock band it’s fair to say in 2014 they are simply a great rock ‘n’ roll band, who self-release their music and tour the world constantly.
Coming onstage at the strangely early hour of 8:15pm, due to the club night which followed, they launched straight into the title track off their most recent album, 'Earth Rocker', featuring the line “if you’re going to do it, do it live onstage, or don’t do it all.” Yes indeed. This latest album has given them some of the best reviews of their career, and the fact that they play over half of it live suggests they are also rightly proud of it. One of the many great things about Clutch is how much they vary their set from night to night – no two are ever the same, so even though the set was similar to last year you are always guaranteed to hear something different.
It’s hard to pinpoint exactly what makes Clutch such a brilliant live band. Guitarist Tim Sult and bassist Dan Maines basically stand still, avoiding eye contact with the crowd and get on with their work. Jean Paul Gaster on drums however is a different matter altogether - truly this man is a master craftsman. He uses a small kit and takes an almost jazz approach to his playing, very much a case of less is more. Then there’s lead singer Neil Fallon, who basically has it all. Massive voice (singing, not shouting), firebrand preacher man vibe, humour, great lyrics and a wide-eyed intensity. He was on especially good form on this occasion, responding to the shouts from the crowd and enjoying the audience response.
The set stuck mostly to the past few albums (fine by me) although one thing that made this show unique was the playing of a brand new track 'Sidewinder' - a world premiere no less. After playing 'Mob Goes Wild' (we did) mid-set, proceedings took on a more intense edge. The keyboard player from support band Lionize also joined the band for a couple of tracks to recreate the Hammond organ used on the studio originals, a nice touch as some of those songs never get played these days. It also gave us the chance to enjoy a mass singalong to the snappily titled '10001110101'!
After the main set ended the band returned for the encores of 'Electric Worry' and 'One Eye Dollar' and sadly that was it. It felt very odd to find ourselves leaving the venue at 10pm, but having heard 19 songs in 90 minutes, we certainly weren’t short-changed. This is the fourth time I’ve seen Clutch live, and whilst it perhaps didn’t quite scale the epic heights of last year’s show, it will still prove to be one of 2014’s best live shows. I can only hope that when the next album is released Clutch will see fit to visit Norwich again.
Stuart Preston
