Clutch @ Bar Bloc, 20 January

Clutch successfully grafts its big sound to the small stage of Bar Bloc. Chaos ensues...

Live Review by Jason Morton | 24 Jan 2012

It's two hours before Clutch take the stage and Bloc's atmosphere already runs thick with alcohol and sweat. Eavesdropping suggests that some fans waited since noon for this free, secret gig at close-quarters; simple observation says they passed the time with a few cans. It's packed too tight to put a plastic pint to your lips, and the anticipation's so palpable that the crowd erupts at any slight movement onstage. Careful with that mic, indeed.

Neil Fallon and his men apparently sense this, and the cathartic blast-beat intro of The Mob Goes Wild sets long hair slinging and the crowd surges forward. But it's not just the manically paced tunes that get the elbows thrown – from the moody stoner-rock staple Spacegrass to the Delta blues-inflected Electric Worry, the floorboards feel less reliable with every passing cut.

A deadly medley from the band's eponymous 1995 breakout album (including the blistering assault of Animal Farm, wisely followed by the funk-heavy Big News II), prove Clutch can still channel the old days to fit a smaller venue. Then again, given Fallon's demand that we take some steps back to avoid abject chaos, there's a feeling that the audience don't entirely appreciate the confines of the environment, particularly when two fights break out and some ass-hat makes an ill-advised attempt at crowdsurfing. But it's not enough to tarnish this rare treat from the Maryland veterans.

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