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What Clutch DON’T do is a big show. The stage was simple in the extreme; no riser for the drums, and an amp or two each for the stringed instruments. The lights went down, and one by one they walked, acknowledged the crowd, and picked up their instruments. Neil Fallon was the last to take the stage, and with a few words to the crowd we were off, and evening worship began. Why all the religious metaphors? Well, this was my first time seeing Clutch, and the the first thing that came to mind as soon as they appeared was that Fallon was like some kind of inspirational preacher. His intensity, and ability to look deep into the eyes of anyone he chose and make them feel as if the band were playing for them and them alone, was extraordinary. Opening with “DC Sound Attack” (major cowbell from Fallon), and surging into “The House That Peterbilt” and “Spirit of ’76”, there was precious little time to draw breath. No need for long speeches or introductions, just a wall of music from four masters of the art. The sound was superb in a venue that often struggles, and wherever I found myself, I could hear every nuance. In terms of stagecraft, it is all about Fallon. Dan Maines and Jean-Paul Gaster have mastered the art of making it look easy whilst bringing forth huge rhythms that combine funk and driving blues. Tim Sult, meanwhile, took occasional spotlight time for a solo or two, but otherwise was content just adding to the waves of sound. Fighting our way back into the crowd after our three in the pit, it was impossible to find a sight line the place was so packed, so even at 6’3″, I had to be content with the aural experience of the rest of the set. Every night the setlist at a Clutch show is different, so every song comes as a surprise, which is refreshing in the days of setlist websites and spoilers. With such a massive back catalogue, there are more than enough reasons not to need to play new and unknown songs, which kept the energy levels very high in the crowd. However, we were treated to “Gimme The Keys”, “Emily Dickinson” and “Hot Bottom Feeder” from “Book Of Bad Decisions” towards the middle of the set, along with encores “A Good Fire” and “Weird Times”. When the O2 is busy, it is hard to get to the bar or take a comfort break, but for the entire set the door security could have gone home, such was the devotion to the cause shown by the crowd. Last night was the first UK date of the tour. If there are any tickets around for a venue near you, I strongly suggest taking your entire works Christmas party and seeing how many of them Fallon can convert. Music this good can never have too many disciples! Review and photos: Rob Wilkins [gallery type='flickr' user_id='132278830@N06' view='photosets' photoset_id='72157703324566851' media='photos' columns='3' tag_mode='any' sort='date-posted-desc' per_page='53' layout='square' caption='title' thumb_size='s' main_size='z' ]]]>
