Photo + Words: Olivia Macrae
Birmingham indie legends The Clause brought their Victim Of A Casual Thing tour to Glasgow’s stunning St Luke’s venue on 13th December.
Following the release of their debut album Victim Of A Casual Thing released on 24th October, they have since reached number 1 in the Independent Record charts as well as surpassing artists like Elton John and Sabrina Carpenter in the official UK album charts. The 4-piece, made up of Pearce, Liam, Johnny and Niall, have simply not stopped since the band’s formation in their teenage years, and are making waves across the UK indie and alternative rock music scene.
The Saturday night gig had a jam-packed line up, kicking off with local supporting band Heavy Weather followed by Liverpool quartet The Kairos. When I arrived to the venue I was met with an already buzzing crowd, with a pre-show playlist filled with lots of classic indie tunes and tracks by their musical inspirations Oasis. The Clause definitely know their audience – as the room was already singing at the top of their lungs before The Clause even entered the stage.
It only made sense for the first track on the setlist to also be the first single off the album – Nothing’s As It Seems. This was my second time catching The Clause live, and I can say that their stage presence, crowd energy, as well as fan loyalty has only grew since I saw them headline King Tut’s last year. The front row knew every lyric, even to the newer songs that have only been out for a couple of months.
Keeping the high energy alive were third and fifth setlist tracks Fake It and Electric. The crowd was absolutely loving these tunes – definitely an early standout moment in the set.
Album track Exception explored the toiling feelings of letting somebody in for the first time. In the lyrics: “love is a sport for the fools, but I’ll tell you the truth, my only exception is you” you can hear the mental back-and-forths in whether to pursue the person or hold back to prevent getting hurt.
The set also featured a brilliant cover of Pump Up The Jam by Technotronic which seamlessly transitioned into album track I Don’t Care. There was mosh pits for almost every song at this point in the set – especially in Don’t Blink and in encore tracks Weekend Millionaire and In My Element (crowd favourites).
Lead frontman Pearce chatted with the crowd intermittently throughout the set, saying they’ve been coming to play shows in Glasgow for years, including a gig at the now closed music venue Broadcast. There’s no doubt they will be playing the Barrowlands next – and I’ll be keen to see what’s next in store for The Clause in 2026.
Taped Magazine 