Music / Reviews
Review: Clutch/1000Mods, Bristol Beacon
Despite conjuring up the unappetising prospect of multiple Paul Wellers, 1000Mods prove to be a grungy, garagey proposition, two parts Sabbath to one part Creedence Clearwater Revival.
Each song sounds different to the last, which is no bad thing, and they go down well with the Clutch audience. This is music that’s built for clubs, mind, so hopefully they’ll be back to blast our eardrums in a more appropriate setting.
“Hello, the Fleece and Firkin,” quips Neil Fallon, surveying the near-capacity crowd. Yep, Clutch sure have come a long way in the last two decades or so, virtually all of it under their own steam with little in the way of mainstream media support. Indeed, last time we saw the Maryland quartet in this very venue, in its former incarnation as The Hall That Dare Not Speak Its Name, was supporting Motorhead in 2006.
They haven’t released an album since 2022’s Sunrise on Slaughter Beach, so this is more of a festive victory romp through Clutch’s back catalogue, with a couple of new songs thrown in for good measure. Everyone who’s seen them before, which is most of those assembled tonight, knows what to expect: no frills hard rock presented with a minimum of ostentation.
Guitarist Tim Sult and bassist Dan Maines are fairly static figures, seemingly content for Fallon to carry the showmanship burden. This he does by prowling the full width of the stage like an Old Testament preacher. He’s a little hoarse tonight (“No Bohemian Rhapsody,” he jokes) but this actually suits much of the Clutch repertoire.
It’s a fan-pleasing, career-spanning set, stretching all the way back to their 1993 debut, Transnational Speedway League. The title track of Earth Rocker gets a suitable roar of appreciation and the two tracks played from 2015’s Psychic Warfare (A Quick Death in Texas, X-Ray Visions) remind us of what a fine lyricist Mr. Fallon is. The Mob Goes Wild also gets an appropriate reaction.
A swift encore includes the evergreen Electric Worry, after which the frontman no doubt goes off to soothe his vocal cords with lemon and honey. Let’s hope his voice survives until the end of this latest gruelling tour.
All pix by Mike Evans.
Read more: Bristol’s Month in Metal & Prog: December 2025
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