Good things come to those who wait” is a saying almost synonymous with artists who have had to remain patient for their moment in the spotlight. For Birmingham indie-rock band The Clause, they’ve had to wait more than a decade for their moment to be flying high in the sunshine. Their long awaited debut album ‘Victim of a Casual Thing’, released in October last year to commercial fanfare, earning a UK Top 20 and the Number 1 Independent Album in the UK. That’s right, these boys have had to do it all on their own, which in itself is a mightily impressive feat. The group are now on their victory lap celebrating this monumental achievement, having sold out their hometown headline show at the O2 Academy in Birmingham last year as part of their tour. Tonight was a minor homecoming, with Coventry being just 20 minutes from the big city, and it was a truly spectacular evening for everyone there.
The first support of the night, The Ansells, packed a whole lot of punch that filled up the room. Whether it was the infectious choruses or the bass that was certainly turned up to eleven, the smiles and grins on the band’s faces highlighted just how much fun they had altogether on stage, and the tunes backed it up very well. Tonight’s second support, Keyside, were as every bit anthemic as they were tight-knit and cohesive as a live group. Packed with a glorious Scouse accent, frontman Dani-Lee Parker is hard not to like, with him and his acoustic guitar being a match made in heaven. The rest of the group do brilliantly to elevate Dan’s talent, while having opportunities to shine for themselves. There is certainly a bright future ahead for these four.
Walking on stage to their debut album’s prologue, the buzz and excitement in the sold out room is palpable, amplified further by the projections of ‘Victim of a Casual Thing’ on the wall behind them. Walking on stage to a rapturous cheer, the band transitioned seamlessly into the opening track of the album, ‘Nothing’s As It Seems’, beginning the 70 minute set in an electrifying manner. Frontman Pearce Macca immediately begins the show in fine form, his live vocals even stronger than they sound on record. The rest of the band get their moment in the spotlight throughout the beginning of the show – bassist Jonny Fyffe’s bass solo before the outro of ‘Tell Me What You Want’ is every bit as captivating as it is truly epic, while guitarist Liam Deakin has the crowd initiating his riffs during ‘White Lifelines’. The show remained electric and exhilarating as the aptly titled ‘Electric’ followed along, with the band certainly matching the energy of the audience.
The impressive thing about The Clause was how they were able to channel a variety of emotions and moods, and still achieve the same effect. Pearce asks for a big sing along to ‘Never Ending Affair’ while also asking for fans on shoulders during ‘Exception’ – the latter track has all the staples to become an indie classic in a decade’s time, and made a Friday night in April feel like a summer’s day on a massive festival field. Across the last decade of being a band, they have amassed a truly dedicated fanbase who have stuck with them through the thick and thin, no better highlighted than through the chants of “Up the fucking Clause!!” after every other song. Perhaps the repetition and call and response of the line “none of this will ever make sense to me” on their track ‘Fever Dream’ epitomises this the best. Through all the adversity and challenges they have faced, including a global pandemic, The Clause have come out on the other side stronger than ever.
‘Don’t Blink’, which is the closing track to their album, was a fitting song to play in Coventry, as the track reflects on the band’s upbringing in the West Midlands, something that many of the young-faced in the crowd would relate to. The heartwarming ‘Where Are You Now?’ reminisces on the past and losing loved ones, which at times had the crowd singing louder than Pearce on stage! ‘Weekend Millionaire’ was supposed to be the penultimate song of the set, but as a treat, the band threw in one of their older tracks ‘Sixteen’ into the setlist, much to the delightful surprise of those in attendance who have been fans for as long as that song has existed. To close the set, there was only one pick they could’ve made: the song that started it all, ‘In My Element’. Complete with dramatic instrumental breaks and giant mosh pits, there was a pure cathartic energy released into the room at this moment. If there’s any group of secondary school friends that deserve all the success they’ve had to work for, it’s The Clause. A band who have more than grown into their sound and found their way in this industry, they won’t just be flying high in the sunshine. They’ll be aiming for the stars.
