Gig Review: The Clause

The Clause were well and truly in their element in Birkenhead

The Clause played in a tiny venue in the Wirral but the band from Birmingham deserve to be playing in front of bigger crowds, and may well be on their way to doing so.

I only had to listen to a few seconds of In My Element before agreeing to go to this gig. Yes, the lyrics could have been written by a 14-year-old after winning a tournament on FIFA, but it does help make what is one of the catchiest songs I have ever heard even more of an earworm. And musically it is actually very good; the riff is genius. It’s got shades of Unbelievable by EMF, but made more interesting and heavier, with a stronger vocal melody on top of the guitar.

To me, aside from the lyrics (which do fit the purpose in a sense) it is the perfect indie rock song. It is also their best track by some distance, so it came as no surprise when we got a Clause ‘ten minute version’ of In My Element as an encore.

But that’s not to say the rest of the band’s songs are weak. Far from it. The whole catalogue is impressive, showcasing the versatility of lead singer Pearce Macca, the dancing basslines of Johnny Fyffe, and a collection of cleverly written hooks which are just so easy for a crowd to engage with.

If there were people in the crowd who weren’t familiar with the songs, they would have been able to sing along to most of them having heard the chorus once.

And that’s what you have: stripped down, indie rock music at its best.

The band have been playing together since they were in school and the tightness between each member’s playing is telling of that.

Their music never fails to excite, with its fast-paced power chords and aggressive melodies. Throughout there are themes of teenage nightlife and experiences, making the most of being young, being rebellious, etc. so there’s definitely inspiration from Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I’m Not. The target audience is clear.

Alongside Arctic Monkeys, there’s strong hints of Kasabian, as well as other bands of that ilk- Kaiser Chiefs, Oasis, Franz Ferdinand.

But then out of the blue you have a slow, acoustic number like Where Are You Now?, which completely stands out from the rest.

It has to be said that Pearce performed it way better live than he did on the slightly pitchy recording. It is a very emotional song, teetering on beautiful, which is not a word you’d consider using for anything else by The Clause. But it was probably one of the most enjoyable songs on the night and offered a throwback to those sad acoustic hits from the late 90s.

There may not have been many people there to see the gig but there was no lack of enjoyment. It wasn’t one for those who get icked easily in terms of crowd behavior. There were some interesting shapes thrown to say the least. There is clearly passionate support for this band, just maybe not in the quantity they deserve. However, they only have less than an hour’s worth of material out there, and it remains to be seen whether their popularity will grow once they release more music.

The songs are all strong, but to me only In My Element, Where Are You now, and Hate The Player, really stand out from the rest. To really hit that next level I think The Clause could do with thinking a bit more outside the box on some of their newer music and really focusing on nailing a truly unique sound.

Undoubtedly, they have the talent and the ability to write great songs. They’re also impressive live and know how to excite an audience.

If the band can produce an album full of songs that are all a similar level of quality to In My Element, it could turn massive.