Nottingham's naff one-way system and a wobbly sat-nav takes us away from the venue, and by the time we alight from a hastily parked motor, we can hear the rumblings of the band inside – Lionize, below, are in the house, and partway through what appears to be a 'hook 'em all' set.
With new opus Jetway Soundtrack to plug they've hitched a lift on
Clutch's travelling machine.
That their music is easily identifiable with
Clutch fans is no accident – the aforementioned album is out via
Clutch's own Weathermaker Music label.
The deliberate dub-out of penultimate track Sea of Tranquility is a breeze, and the crowd love it just as much as some of the harder-edged, bluesy, fuelled deliveries.
It's a cracking, long overdue live introduction.
What can we tell you about
Clutch's Rock City return?
If we were to say that it was nothing out of the ordinary for the Maryland quartet, we might sound a little less than complimentary.
But if you've seen the groove-tastic, riff-heavy maestros at work previously, you'll know that
Clutch live is a sight – and sound – to behold.
'If you are gonna do it, do it live on stage, or don't do it at all...' Fallon will roar later in a line from Earth Rocker, and
Clutch practice what they preach.
While on the subject of preaching, a stomp-footed Fallon in full flow is akin to a passionate believer, and you can bet that his holy house would be packed to the rafters with worshippers.
And oh, how it would rock!
Just as Rock City is doing tonight, with the faithful out en masse and buying into the
Clutch class.
Electric Worry is a tidy introduction for an audience hungry to hear the goods.
An up-beat and riff-rockin' introduction, it quickly begins to sate large appetites that have been worked up.
“Let's have a rock and roll party,” Neil invites and demands in equal part to an attentive audience eager to indulge.
One Eye Dollar – a long time set closer – has been fiddled with and is now seated early in the set.
It seems pretty comfortable too.
“My beard loves you too honey,” Neil retorts as one girl shares her adoration for his whiskers from the floor.
“...and my beard is single!”
Fallon is a funny guy, but he's a whole load more clever – and the lyricisms say so, coming thick and fast with numbers including current album moments Cyborg Bette and Crucial Velocity, keeping an audience on their toes.
Sea of Destruction airs, as the audience airs its desires: “Thank you for your feedback and input,” Fallon says, with a warm sarcasm, before the band leads to Profits of Doom.
These past few years have seen
Clutch's relentless dedication and hard work pay off, and more 20 years into their career, the band are reaching more folks than ever before.
Proof that if you keep at it you can break through to the other side, without compromising your ideals.
Consequently, there is a portion of this evening's audience viewing the spectacle for the first time - watching Tim Sult handle the guitar with typical intricacy, and taking in Dan Maines and his funky fret-ted delivery that is taut and terrific...as ever.
Watching from the balcony tonight is a bonus: The furiously locked in, jazz-fuelled beat checking of Jean Paul-Gaster is always apparent on the ear, but it is a thrill to watch the master at play with his tools.
These days the stages they occupy may be bigger, but the intimacy of a
Clutch show remains.
They
naturally slide a large portion of the new opus into the early evening set, but they step back in time too, of course, Animal Farm for one, and Pure Rock Fury (from the album by the same name), which remains suitably fiery and leads into set finisher, the feisty, hard Earth Rocker.
A brief step away from the stage, just enough for the crowd to go suitably wild, then the band return for the triple delivery encore – Gone Cold, The Face and The Wolf Man Kindly Requests...
If this was a sermon, and Fallon a preacher, you'd be making a retiring collection on your way out.
Instead, converts old and new can show their appreciation at the merchandise stall before scuttling away into the Saturday night air, ears ringing, musical needs catered for and memories made.
It's business as usual, then, and business is good.
What can we tell you about Clutch's Rock City return?
If we were to say that it was nothing out of the ordinary for the Maryland quartet, we might sound a little less than complimentary.
But if you've seen the groove-tastic, riff-heavy maestros at work previously, you'll know that Clutch live is a sight – and sound – to behold.
'If you are gonna do it, do it live on stage, or don't do it at all...' Fallon will roar later in a line from Earth Rocker, and Clutch practice what they preach.
While on the subject of preaching, a stomp-footed Fallon in full flow is akin to a passionate believer, and you can bet that his holy house would be packed to the rafters with worshippers.
And oh, how it would rock!
Just as Rock City is doing tonight, with the faithful out en masse and buying into the Clutch class.
Electric Worry is a tidy introduction for an audience hungry to hear the goods.
An up-beat and riff-rockin' introduction, it quickly begins to sate large appetites that have been worked up.
“Let's have a rock and roll party,” Neil invites and demands in equal part to an attentive audience eager to indulge.
One Eye Dollar – a long time set closer – has been fiddled with and is now seated early in the set.
It seems pretty comfortable too.
“My beard loves you too honey,” Neil retorts as one girl shares her adoration for his whiskers from the floor.
“...and my beard is single!”
Fallon is a funny guy, but he's a whole load more clever – and the lyricisms say so, coming thick and fast with numbers including current album moments Cyborg Bette and Crucial Velocity, keeping an audience on their toes.
Sea of Destruction airs, as the audience airs its desires: “Thank you for your feedback and input,” Fallon says, with a warm sarcasm, before the band leads to Profits of Doom.
These past few years have seen Clutch's relentless dedication and hard work pay off, and more 20 years into their career, the band are reaching more folks than ever before.
Proof that if you keep at it you can break through to the other side, without compromising your ideals.
Consequently, there is a portion of this evening's audience viewing the spectacle for the first time - watching Tim Sult handle the guitar with typical intricacy, and taking in Dan Maines and his funky fret-ted delivery that is taut and terrific...as ever.
Watching from the balcony tonight is a bonus: The furiously locked in, jazz-fuelled beat checking of Jean Paul-Gaster is always apparent on the ear, but it is a thrill to watch the master at play with his tools.
These days the stages they occupy may be bigger, but the intimacy of a Clutch show remains.
They naturally slide a large portion of the new opus into the early evening set, but they step back in time too, of course, Animal Farm for one, and Pure Rock Fury (from the album by the same name), which remains suitably fiery and leads into set finisher, the feisty, hard Earth Rocker.
A brief step away from the stage, just enough for the crowd to go suitably wild, then the band return for the triple delivery encore – Gone Cold, The Face and The Wolf Man Kindly Requests...
If this was a sermon, and Fallon a preacher, you'd be making a retiring collection on your way out.
Instead, converts old and new can show their appreciation at the merchandise stall before scuttling away into the Saturday night air, ears ringing, musical needs catered for and memories made.
It's business as usual, then, and business is good.
