Monstergroove 2003
10 April 2003
Mean Fiddler, London
Tonight`s gig comes under the moniker of Monstergroove 2003 and also featured Spiritu who we unfortunately arrived too late to see.

I hadn`t heard anything by Dozer but based on this performance they may be worth checking out on CD. Whilst hardly original this Swedish four-piece are good at what they do. What they do falls somewhere neither as slow as Kyuss nor as fast as Fu Manchu, but between the two. That means fat greasy grooves a plenty. Fredrik Nordin combines the role of vocalist and second guitar and his on stage persona is reminiscent of Josh Homme from Queens Of The Stone Age. Meanwhile, to his right, Tommi Holappa performs the main guitar duties and his use of a slide worked particularly well. Dozer left tonight with a number of new converts.

I had seen Spiritual Beggars numerous times but tonight was to be the first since the departure of man mountain singer/bassist Spice. Spice left such large shoes to fill that two men now cover his role, being JB from Grand Magus on vocals and Roger Nilsson of The Quill on bass. The first recorded offering from this new look line-up, On Fire, didn`t quite do it for me, lacking the groove of the previous material and the same could be said of the live experience.

Spiritual Beggars, seem to have shifted on a decade from the 70s to the 80s and are heading in more of a traditional heavy metal direction both musically and visually. It`s like watching a completely different band, particularly as the previously fuzzy haired Ludwig Witt has shaved his head and looks like some kind of hooligan battering his drums.

Opening with two songs from the latest album, it`s not until Monster Astronauts and it`s monster riffs that a groove kicks in. My own personal preference for the older material runs through the whole set, it just seems to have more life and is also better received. Blind Mountain from second album Another Way To Shine is the oldest material played today and the best in my opinion.

With Mike Amott understandably focusing more on the fast rising Arch Enemy and most of the members of the current line-up playing for other bands, Spiritual Beggars seems very much to be a side-project now. Whilst understanding it`s early days with this line-up, they don`t appear to have fully gelled yet, which may be reflected on the DVD and live album they were recording material for tonight. I`d like to check this line-up out again with more experience under their belt, however with Amott back concentrating with Arch Enemy it`s unlikely to be soon.

Spiritual Beggars Set List:
Beneath The Skin / Fool`s Gold / Monster Astronauts / Angel Of Betrayal / Young Man, Old Soul / Blind Mountain / Mantra / Wonderful World / Killing Time / Euphoria

I have to admit my bias as I love Clutch. The band are impossible to categorise and although they arose from a more hardcore background, jam and stoner are regularly thrown at them but neither of these stick. You`d be hard pressed to find a tighter live band, Clutch playing a ridiculous number of gigs per annum and each one different to the last. It`s this point that keeps me coming back for more as you never know what to expect. Back in August last year at The Garage, Clutch chose to pack the set out with the more aggressive earlier material but tonight they select better known material.

Opening with Sinkemlow, the crowd immediately join in with the Alleluia! refrain. Then it`s heads down for some Pure Rock Fury. We`re also treated to some new material tonight which continues the high standards of Clutch material to date.

Neil Fallon is one of the most unique singers around in terms of vocal style and infectious stage persona with his mad eyes and cheeky grin. His lyrics tell stories of bizarre characters and events and there is currently talk of a book based upon these. Jean-Paul Gaster has a Jon Bonham 70s style to his drumming and locks in tightly with bassist Dan Maines. Meanwhile Tim Sult effortless reels off riff after riff.

Brazenhead sees the addition for one night only of Per from Spiritual Beggars on keyboards for an interesting rendition. Clutch do breed incredibly loyal and avid fans, I should know, and recordings of this will be like gold dust amongst the Clutch faithful.

I find myself singing along out loud to Red Horse Rainbows, though I haven`t a clue what one is and why "only they can save us" nor what the rest of this frankly barking song is about, but who cares it, ROCKS! As usual the relentless Impetus closes the set, sending the pit wild and everyone home with smiles on their faces. So it`s off to buy another stylish Clutch t-shirt and to wait impatiently for their return.

Clutch Set List:
Sinkemlow / Pure Rock Fury / Texan Book Of The Dead / Burning (new song) / The Soapmakers / Open Up The Border / Brazenhead / Big News I / Big News II / Alkaline (new song) / A Shogun Named Marcus / The House That Peterbilt / Red Horse Rainbows / Impetus