Clutch and the Fumes rock the Zoo
Words: Rosanna Mosely
Friday February 19
Clutch - photo courtesy of http://www.myspace.com/clutchband
Waiting in line to get into a concert and everyone was impatiently keen. You could hear the bands warming up through the walls, teasing us. It was Friday night, it was the Zoo, it was the Fumes and Clutch and it was looking to be a good night out. The Zoo always reliable had provided all the essentials; good set up, good crowd, great atmosphere and of course the bands.
The Fumes are an Aussie duo classed as a mix of alternative rock and blues. Having only heard a few of their songs I was impressed by how easily I was drawn in by the fast paced beat and fun character of theirs songs backed up by a strong rock sound. The riffs were sometimes smooth sometimes sharp but always interesting and always lively and met with some sweet drum work. They were thick and full with crunchy tones and nothing lacking. I always love when a duo shows that two people is more than enough for a rock band, especially when they do it live.
The main event was Clutch: a well established American rock band that’s been touring Australia with their 9th album ‘Strange Cousins from the West’. Since forming in 1990 the band has ventured through many music styles from metal and punk through to funk and most recently gaining some blues influence, all of which gave them a broad sound so that most music lovers could find something that appealed to them.
They started their set of with some smooth and funky blues before the singer got the crowd going with some hard rock like Mice and Men. They took us back to the basics of good honest rock with the riffs of 50 000 Unstoppable Watts. The vocals were raw and unpretentious which worked well with the hard-hitting lyrics and marching drum beat of Abraham Lincoln. Clutch pulled of some classic rock, bringing in some blues and metal to keep it interesting. Their music dominated the room and left no fan unsatisfied.
It did indeed turn out to be a good night.