Clutch

Clutch play The Academy, Dublin, on 25 May 2026, bringing the groove-loaded rock that has driven the Maryland quartet since the early 1990s. Neil Fallon’s talk-sung delivery and sharp storytelling sit over Tim Sult’s thick, circular riffs, while Dan Maines and Jean‑Paul Gaster lock a heavy, swinging pocket. The band’s blend of hard, stoner and blues rock has been refined across a long run of records, from Transnational Speedway League and the self‑titled album to Blast Tyrant and Robot Hive/Exodus, then Earth Rocker, Psychic Warfare and Sunrise on Slaughter Beach. On stage, songs tighten and loosen in equal measure: compact hooks open into jam-born detours, codas stretch, grooves shift, and the ensemble snaps back on the one. The set typically roams their catalogue, recent cuts rubbing shoulders with long‑standing staples and the occasional curveball cover, with that dry sense of humor threaded through the lyrics. A night built on riffs, pulse and the band’s long-honed chemistry.