Live Review : Clutch + 1000mods + Bokassa @ Academy, Manchester on December 19th 2025

Clutch have happily given us a Christmas treat, delivering their bluesy heavy-rock metal to a packed Manchester Academy. They always serve up a fantastic live show with their unique and infectious performance and endless catalogue of songs. Tonight they’ve also brought the brilliant Greek rockers 1000mods and unhinged Norwegian stoner-punks Bokassa along for the ride!

Bokassa only take thirty seconds to remind us why they’re such an odd, compelling proposition. On paper they’re every bit Norwegian stoner-punk, but in practice they’re a Frankenstein’s monster of hardcore bite, metal crunch, and punk‑rock swagger. Their set opens with a riff that could have been lifted from a lost Comeback Kid B‑side - tight, melodic, and built for a room bigger than this. But all of a sudden they immediately pivot into something far gnarlier. The melodies and vocals are reminiscent of Therapy? and a guitar sound that screams serration, with a dry, abrasive midrange that effortlessly cuts through. Meanwhile, the rhythm section keeps everything anchored in a stomping, almost Beatsteaks style bounce.

What strikes me most is how deliberately they shift gears. One track leans into an anthemic, almost pop‑punk chorus, the next is a riff‑driven slab of stoner metal that wouldn’t feel out of place on a Janus Stark track. They’re not the tightest band of the night, there are moments where the transitions feel a touch rushed and the vocal phrasing occasionally fights the groove, but they’re never dull. Bokassa operate on instinct rather than precision, and while that means the set occasionally wobbles, it also means it feels alive. They’re a spark plug, and tonight they do exactly what a first support should do, and jolt the room awake.

1000mods, however, don’t so much jolt the room as seize it by the throat. From the moment they hit the first overdriven chord, it’s obvious they’re playing with assured authority. Their tone is enormously thick, warm, and saturated to the point of collapse, yet somehow still articulate. It’s the kind of sound that suggests they’ve spent years obsessing over valve biasing and pedal stacking, and it pays off. The opening track is pure stoner rock, but with a grungy undercurrent that immediately sets them apart. The vocals hover somewhere between Chris Cornell’s soulful roar and Kurt Cobain’s ragged edge, giving the songs a melodic centre that many bands in this genre lack.

By the second track, they’re leaning harder into the heavy rock side of their identity, and the riffs start to take on a Clutch‑like swagger with big, rolling, blues‑inflected patterns that feel built for movement. But then the third song arrives, and suddenly they’re channelling Mastodon’s muscular complexity. The drummer, in particular, is a revelation - he shifts from loose, desert‑rock swing to tight, almost tech‑metal subdivisions without ever losing the pocket. His ghost notes and cymbal accents are so precise they almost feel studio‑crafted, yet the performance is completely organic. The guitarist, meanwhile, peppers the set with bluesy solos that cut through the mix with surprising clarity. There’s a confidence to the phrasing with long bends, tasteful vibrato, and a refusal to overplay that elevates the material. And the band’s stagecraft is impeccable. They don’t talk much, but they don’t need to. Their presence is commanding, their pacing deliberate, and their dynamic control far beyond what you usually get from a main support in Academy One. It’s rare to see an undercard band not just hold the room but reshape it, and 1000mods do exactly that.

Then Clutch take the stage, and everything shifts again. There’s a reason they’re one of the most consistently revered live acts in heavy music, and tonight they prove it with almost casual ease. The moment Neil Fallon steps up to the mic, he’s transformed - part preacher, part carnival barker, part blues‑soaked prophet. His delivery is theatrical without ever tipping into parody, and his control over the room is absolute. Every gesture, every barked command, every lyrical flourish feels deliberate. Musically, Clutch are in frighteningly tight form and in particular the rhythm section is a masterclass in restraint and groove. Paul Gaster’s drumming is all about feel, sitting deep in the pocket, playing with micro‑timing in a way that makes even mid‑tempo songs feel like they’re pulling the crowd forward. Dan Maines’ bass tone is thick but never muddy, locking perfectly with Gaster to create that unmistakable Clutch swing.

The set leans heavily into their blues‑rock mid‑tempo catalogue, and while part of me craves a few more tempo shifts, the band make the slower burn work. Tracks unfold like sermons - steady, hypnotic, and heavy in a way that has nothing to do with speed. When they finally unleash ‘X‑Ray Visions’, the room erupts. It’s the one moment where the band abandon the simmer and go straight for the boil, and the contrast makes it hit even harder. Every riff feels like it’s being delivered directly into your soul. Clutch don’t rely on theatrics or production tricks, because they know they can rely on craft, chemistry, and groove. And tonight, they’re dialled in so tightly it feels like the whole room is vibrating at their frequency.

Check the “In The Flesh” page for more photos!
Clutch + 1000mods + Bokassa