Master craftsmen of groove rock CLUTCH have been honing their sound since they first formed in 1991. It was their second record, the eponymous “Clutch”, which saw them start to experiment more, blending more funk flavors with their stoner and blues influences, a sign of things to come.
Now, fans will have the chance to hear that record in full, as the band announces plans for an extensive European and North American tour which will see CLUTCH play the record in sequence and in its entirety. Production, staging, and lighting will be designed especially to enhance the vibe of this ground-breaking release. The band is excited to bring their plans for this unique show to fruition!
The 2025 European leg is as follows:
Nov. 24 – DK – Copenhagen – Store VEGA
Nov. 26 – FI – Helsinki – House Of Culture
Nov. 28 – SE – Stockholm – B-K
Nov. 29 – NO – Oslo – Rockefeller
Dec. 02 – DE – Hamburg – Grosse Freiheit 36
Dec. 03 – DE – Berlin – Festsaal Kreuzberg
Dec. 05 – HU – Budapest – Barba Negra
Dec. 06 – HR – Zagreb – Event centar Boćarski dom
Dec. 07 – DE – Munich – Backstage Werk
Dec. 08 – DE – Wiesbaden – Schlachthof
Dec. 10 – DE – Cologne – Live Music Hall
Dec. 11 – NL – Amsterdam – Paradiso
Dec. 12 – BE – Brussels – Ancienne Belgique
Dec. 13 – FR – Paris – Elysée Montmartre
Dec. 15 – GB – Bristol – Beacon
Dec. 17 – GB – Birmingham – O2 Academy
Dec. 18 – GB – Glasgow – O2 Academy
Dec. 19 – GB – Manchester – Academy
Dec. 20 – GB – London – Roundhouse
Tickets go on general sale Friday, November 22 at 10 a.m. local time from clutchmerch.com. Stay tuned for news about the North American leg to come.
Released by Atlantic Records back in May 1995, the self-titled album afforded CLUTCH their first mainstream exposure, and spawned a trilogy of psychedelic-tinged singles still much loved by fans today: “Big News”, “Spacegrass” and “Escape From The Prison Planet”.
In 2025, marking its 30th anniversary, Weathermaker will release this influential stoner classic on 180-gram vinyl. Full details are yet to be revealed.
CLUTCH has been writing new music on and off around its touring commitments, preparing for what will be the band’s fourteenth studio LP, the follow-up to 2022’s acclaimed “Sunrise On Slaughter Beach”. Although CLUTCH has confirmed it is working with producer Tom Dalgety once again, little else has been revealed so far including any expected timeline.
Singer Neil Fallon shared with Laughingmonkeymusic: “The thing is with being in a band, it’s a hive mind. It’d be one thing if you were the only person you had to answer to and you understood what kind of mood you’re in. Like, ‘I’m in a sour mood. I don’t wanna write music. Or ‘I’m in a great mood and I could bang out five songs.’ But when you’re dealing with personalities, particularly personalities that have been with each other for 30 years, you kind of have to wait for the stars to align. And we don’t wanna just put out a record for the sake of putting out a record. We wanna put out an awesome record, and if that takes longer than, let’s say, usual, then so be it.”
Fans keen for the latest titbits should sign up to CLUTCH‘s newsletter, News From The Doom Saloon, via their official web site. Its last instalment exclusively revealed two working titles for new songs: “Church Of The Mountain Wolf” and “Wild Kingdom”.
CLUTCH shares more in common with THE GRATEFUL DEAD, RUSH and THE ALLMAN BROTHERS than their heavy riffs and heady twists-of-phrase might suggest. Because like those bands, the supporters who adore CLUTCH are there for the experience, community, and authentic connection. To love CLUTCH is to feel a sense of ownership, membership, and belonging.
Seneca Valley High School classmates Neil Fallon (vocals),Tim Sult (guitar),Dan Maines (bass) and Jean-Paul Gaster (drums) share an unshakeable musical and personal bond now three decades strong. Shaped by the same region which birthed BAD BRAINS, MINOR THREAT and RITES OF SPRING, CLUTCH crafts hyper-literate and libertine jams informed by hardcore fury and fuzzy, athletic, stoner rock.
Live shows over the years include tours with SLAYER and SYSTEM OF A DOWN and more recent co-headlining treks with DROPKICK MURPHYS, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and MASTODON. Like SLAYER or IRON MAIDEN, CLUTCH outlasted rock bands anchored to “hit songs” and the pressure of replicating them. The foursome from Germantown, Maryland, isn’t bound by trends. Across thirteen studio albums and assorted releases since 1991, they’ve earned a reputation as one of the best around.