Remembering 2022 – Clutch // The Inspector Cluzo // Live Review // The Limelight I // Belfast

So this one has been in the diary for a very long time, never mind the pandemic, when Clutch announced their return to Belfast I eyeballed that date and made a mental mark to be there. 

Tonight’s the night I have my Clutch cherry popped! Don’t tell anyone, this will be our dirty little secret but I am ready to receive! I don’t know how at the ripe old age of 21 + a few years I have not yet managed to catch these guys when they have rolled through Belfast but somehow we have been like ships in the night. 

Up first is French duo The Insoector Cluzo, self-described as DIY Gascon Farmers these two have been tirelessly ripping it up across Europe for years now, living on the road with a remarkable number of live shows performed over 1100 in 65 countries and counting! With a new album due next year, they’re here to remind us that post pandemic they ain’t gone nowhere with their gnarly in your face, raw as fcuk and have an intensity that demands your full attention. 

The chemistry between the two is “C’est magnifique” from the moment they walked into the stage greeting the Belfast crowd – acknowledging those who made the journey down early to their crowd interaction from song to song, it’s a totally immersive experience and one that will win over the Belfast crowd tonight. Their sound is a bluesy garage rock vibe that resonates from the off. Their drummer  Phil Jourdain works beautiful intricate patterns as guitarist  Malcom Lacrouts slams out gnarly riffage to capture the imagination, the two are absolutely killer and I cannot recommend them enough should you get the opportunity to catch them live, either on the remaining date side the Clutch tour or in their solo ventures. These guys had the crowd eating out of the palm of their hands by the end of their set, the limelight was rocking to a bit of Gallic flair! Put your hands in the air for Inspector Cluzo! As they wrapped up their closing track somehow they manage to dismantle the drum kit while playing the most amazing finale and Belfast goes absolutely ape shit when it finally ends, what a performance what a crazy duo! 

After a blistering performance from Inspector Cluzo, Clutch will need to be on their A-game tonight, but the Maryland rockers have one of the best reputations in the business for their live shows, so I know Belfast is in for something special tonight. With twelve studio albums and a lifetime on the road honing their craft as one local music scene aficionado explained tonight Fallon is like a rock preacher of sorts, his sheer presence as a frontman is second to none and Clutch’s hefty sound just glued everything together when they hit the stage, live is what Clutch is all about. 

The stage is fairly sparse, a drum kit at the back, a 4×12 stage right and a bass cab stage left, and no monitors. Simplicity in itself, which makes a statement all of its own. Let the music do the talking, let’s do this. 

As the lights drop and the band set off with their own brand of magic I totally get it, what a sound and what a vibe they put out live! A funky infused track that lifts the energy in the room off the charts, Fallon spitting out vocals like RATM delivering them with precise accuracy as if delivering a sermon. With the bass thumping behind him and more wha-wha than you can shake a stick at in one song, you get why Clutch is such a multi-faceted band. Hard-hitting tracks with a soulful edge and melodic backbone it is complete escapism while they whip you away for two hours of sonic ecstasy! As expected they are tight as a tiger, bringing a lifetime of finess to the live stage whilst keeping their live performances as raw and visceral as they do, the room is absolutely packed with an army of dedicated fans who just love this band, the beer is flowing and the crowd are in fine form as dudes and dudette’s boogying their asses off to the groovy riffage. With a new album recently announced ‘Sunrise On Slaughter Beach’ and with a back catalogue from a sumptous twelve studio album collection and a beautiful thirty-year-plus career that has cemented Clutch as one of the finest live bands on the scene today.

The great news is for anyone who has not been lucky enough to catch the guys this time round you will have your opportunity once again at the end of the year when they tour in support of the new album, with a US tour kicking off in Sept/Oct and a few selected dates in the UK in November so get your hands on tickets now as they will go fast, the legion of Clutch fans looking a hit after two-plus years on the sideline will be enormous so sort it asap!

Photography: Wayne Donaldson // TWKOM

Sep 13 – Toronto, ON @ Rebel Sep 15 – Boston, MA @ House of Blues Sep 16 – New York, NY @ Palladium Times Square Sep 17 – Baltimore, MD @ Hammerjacks Sep 18 – Raleigh, NC @ The Ritz Sep 20 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Stage AE Sep 21 – Philadelphia, PA @ Franklin Music Hall Sep 23 – Louisville, KY @ Louder than Life* Sep 24 – Nashville, TN @ Marathon Music Works Sep 25 – Atlanta, GA @ The Eastern Sep 27 – Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues Sep 29 – Houston TX @ Warehouse Live Sep 30 – Dallas, TX @ The Factory in Deep Ellum Oct 01 – Oklahoma City, OK @ Diamond Ballroom Oct 02 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s Oct 04 – Phoenix, AZ @ Van Buren Oct 05 – Los Angeles, CA @ The Regent Oct 07 – Sacramento, CA @ Aftershock* Oct 08 – Boise, ID @ Knitting Factory Concert House Oct 09 – Portland, OR @ Roseland Theatre Oct 10 – Seattle, WA @ Showbox SODO Oct 12 – Salt Lake City, UT @ the Depot Oct 13 – Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium Oct 14 – Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theater Oct 15 – West Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom Oct 16 – Chicago, IL @ Concord Music Hall *Clutch only

Nov 11 – Glasgow, UK – 02 Academy Nov 12 – Newcastle, UK – 02 City Hall Nov 13 – Leeds, UK – 02 Academy Nov 15 – Exeter, UK – Great Hall Nov 16 – Brighton, UK – Brighton Dome Nov 18 – Hannover, GER – Capitol Nov 20 – Hamburg, GER – Markthalle Nov 22 – Berlin, GER – Huxley’s Neue Welt Nov 23 – Munich, GER – Neue Theaterfabrik Nov 24 – Wien, AT – Arena Nov 25 – Zagreb, CRO – Culture Factory Nov 26 – Milan, IT – Fabrique Dec 2 – Toulouse, FR – Le Bikini Dec 3 – Lyon, FR – Le Transbordeur Dec 5 – Zurich, CH – X-TRA Dec 6 – Stuttgart, GER – LKA Longhorn Dec 7 – Frankfurt, GER – Batschkapp Dec 9 – Cologne, GER – Live Music Hall Dec 10 – Paris, FR – Bataclan Dec 13 – Bristol, UK – 02 Academy Dec 14 – Birmingham, UK – 02 Academy Dec 15 – Manchester, UK – Manchester Academy Dec 16 – Nottingham, UK – Rock City Dec 17 – London, UK – The Roundhouse

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