Birmingham quartet The Clause embarked on their highly anticipated tour to promote their latest offering, the Weekend Millionaire EP. After tirelessly touring the UK over the past couple of years, they stopped off in Southampton to deliver an electrifying performance. We were lucky enough to catch their show at the Engine Rooms in Southampton on a freezing Thursday night.
First up on the bill is Auden, a five-piece Southampton indie band from a fantastic community of local bands that perfectly capture the essence of youthful British rock. Delivering an eclectic handful of tracks, drawing influences from indie, alternative and post-punk circles. They have been creating quite a buzz across the south coast since forming during lockdown and treated the audience to a variety of cuts such as fairy lights, and Critical Lies off of 2023’s Leave the Noise and Hear your Voice EP. Due to their catchy guitar melodies and upbeat rhythms, they have previously been recognised by BBC Introducing and we hope to see much more of them in the coming year with their new track Doctor due to be released very very soon.
Keeping the night going strong, the second opener of the night is none other than Sunderland-based musician Tom A Smith, who kicks off his set off with energetic singles What! And Little Bits, showcasing his vibrant stage presence and rich vocals. He introduces newest addition to his back catalogue I Don’t Want You To Have To Remember Me For Longer Than You Ever Knew Me which he mentions was written with and features Swim School’s Alice Johnson and states that its the best song he has written to date. With an electrifying guitar solo and driving drum beat, the anthem is sure to become a staple in all our new playlists. He then announces he is releasing brand new seasonal number This Christmas Time, to which he jokes “Sorry it’s not December” and we are treated to the track’s melancholic guitar riffs and twinkling synths. The set is completed when he gets the crowd singing along to dance-worthy track Never Good Enough. Drawing from his wealth of experience and showing real confidence despite his young age, Tom A Smith is one to watch and we are looking forward to what he has in store for 2025.
Primed for the main act the audience holds their breath in anticipation and immense rumbling fills the venue followed by sound effects that echo throughout the room, met with cheers and applause from the audience. As they emerge and strut across the stage, they launch into the powerful rock ballad Fake It and the stage is bathed with vividly-coloured lights. Their return to Southampton absolutely does not disappoint.
A surge of energy reverberates across the room and the power remains for the entire set. You can hear the perfect blend of influences from across the decades with their own unique spin and they deal out hit after hit to a riotous audience. Drawing from their inspiration of classic indie purveyors from from when they were growing up and first decided to start making music, frontman Pearce Macca commands the stage with an abundance of confidence and charisma that rallies the crowd with the rest of the band on top form, the crashing drums, powerful bass and driving guitar riffs blend together and everyone in the audience watches in amazement. The band storm through big-hitters Electric with an atmosphere to match the sentiment, the magnetic riffs of Never Ending Affair and epic singalong choruses of I Don’t Care. Then the band hits pause with a change of pace, moment of connection with the audience with Forever Young played with passionate dedication, prompting the crowd to sway along and fan-favourite Where Are You Now? when the venue is filled with a sea of flashlights. As a celebration of their brand new EP, the title track Weekend Millionaire sets the crowd ablaze again, combining exuberant guitar riffs and synth-infused melodies effortlessly. The band’s chemistry is evident, having all known each other since they were at school and the love they all have for music is beautifully contagious.
Their set is a whirlwind, an incredible live performance from the Brummie band, made possible by cutting their teeth coming up through grassroots venues to an ever-growing fanbase.
To bring the gig over, out and through the roof, the band begins groovy disco anthem In My Element, and a pit opens up, the band prompting the crowd to erupt, with groups of fans belting the words out with their arms around each other jumping up and and down and dancing the night away. Despite the absence of a debut album thus far, The Clause continue to release music of indie-rock perfection that will ensure that when the album does finally arrive, it certainly will be a triumphant day for guitar music.
So, you’ll want to catch them finishing up the year supporting The Lottery Winners in Manchester or at a handful of festival appearances next summer, either way, be sure to see this unstoppable band in smaller venues before they start selling out stadiums.
Words by Katie McLellan-Salisbury
