CLUTCH AT NEW HAVEN, CT – 10/11/2015

October 11, 2015

It is hard to review bands when you are a newly converted fan and hardly know the complete discography of the band, but I decided to attempt when given the chance to shoot Clutch on a Sunday night at the world famous Toad’s Place in New Haven.

I was in awe. Having been to so many shows there over the years, Blue Oyster Cult, Joan Jett, Motorhead, Bang Tango, Enuff Z Nuff just to name a few. Now Clutch can be added to that list. Clutch has hit the road in support of their album “Psychic Warfare” with The Shrine and Corrosion of Conformity supporting them. It was bound to be a great night!

Clutch came to the stage to a very loud crowd and started into “X Ray Visions” then into “Firebirds” showcasing their latest opus, then ripped into “Crucial Velocity”, “Cyborg Bette”,“Burning Beard” and “The Elephant Riders” before returning to “Psychic Warfare for the next couple of songs, two favorites off of it were next “A Quick Death in Texas” and “Sucker for the Witch”

Neil Fallon is the lead singer and occasional guitar player, I say that because not every song they played tonite he didn’t play guitar, and of course didn’t start till after I stopped shooting. I think he has one of the most distinctive singing voices around and it fits. Jean-Paul Gaster is their drummer, his playing was off the chart. Dan Maines is their bassist, I am not sure how to describe his playing, he didn’t lose a beat but to be honest I prefer a more animated musician, last but not least is Tim Sult. Tim is the guitarist and he was really enjoyable to watch and listen to him play, another under rated player.

Neil was all over the stage, fists pumping, hands swinging, the energy he showed was extraordinary. Another gem off their new album was next, “Our Lady of Electric Light” then a block of older material, “Earth Rocker”,”Pure Rock Fury”; and “The Mob Goes Wild” The crowd was eating it up like they hadn’t been feed in a week, yelling out the words along with Neil.

Closing up the set for the night, were two more songs off the new album, “Your Love is Incarceration” and one I really was happy to hear live, “Son of Virginia” My mind was blown with this performance.

They weren’t off the stage for very long when the chanting crowd brought them back for more. An encore set starting with “The Face”, “DC Sound Attack” and closing with “Electric Worry and One Eye Dollar”.

Clutch put on a great show, a frontman who really puts a lot of energy into his performance and a band that sounds fantastic a band that is tight as hell. They shocked me that evening, not only better then I was expecting, but almost the entire new album was played, not just two or three tracks like most other bands with ten or more albums out there. I recommend catching these guys live as they tour the U.S. for the next couple of weeks, after a couple of weeks in Europe they return for some more in the U.S. in December and then off to the Land Down Under.

Catch them now, not much longer and I doubt they will be playing places like Toad’s Place.