Birmingham’s music scene is brimming with talent and one of its most exciting exports recently ventured North, to Sheffield, for a headline show at Café Totem.
The Clause are the latest band from the Brummie production line and despite having just six tracks to their name on streaming services, they have begun drawing attention from all corners of the country.
The four-piece ooze confidence as soon as they take to the stage, with a slick style and assured demeanour.That confidence was channelled into the performance, which was delivered with infectious energy as they breathed fresh air into a sweaty room.
Frontman Pierce McMenamin’s voice is built for big stages and was perfectly complimented by the backing vocals of bassist Johnny Fyffe.
Energy is injected into Café Totem by the band’s first single, ‘Shut Me Out’, which is given a new lease of life on stage, as is the excellently self-scrutinising ‘Sixteen’.
Unreleased ‘Hate The Player’ is a highlight, whetting the appetite for the eventual arrival of the funk-tinged anthemic number. A “surprise at the end” is promised by McMenamin, and a surprise is indeed provided as the band transition into ABBA’s ‘Gimme! Gimme! Gimme!’.
The cover provided further evidence of the fact that The Clause are anything but run-of-the-mill. The set is even slowed down at one point by the sobering ‘Where Are You Now’, an acoustic ballad that showcases a softer side to the groove rock prodigies.
Style and genre is played with throughout, and ‘Viva la Revolution’ introduces a fuzzy synth sound, which is combined with gritty guitar and their trademark rock bite.
Bluntness underpins many of the band’s tracks, and ‘Comedown Conversations’ is an honest anthem for the youth that is received well by a crowd that is mostly static, but undoubtedly invested.
Fan favourite ‘In My Element’ delivers punchy riffs aplenty and a bass-driven funk interlude, prompting the biggest sing-along of the evening to round off a stellar set.
It didn’t take long to realise why the band have been so hotly tipped for stardom. Despite bringing together influences from a variety of decades and genres, they retained a distinguishable sound and identity that appears destined to grace arenas.
Their rise has so far been meteoric, and it’s hard to imagine that the four-piece won’t continue on an upwards trajectory.
The Clause’s latest single, ‘In My Element’, is out now.
Image: Pomona
