Photo Credit: James Mirfield
Words: Evie Johnson
One of the most promising and exciting indie bands around honoured the stages of Liverpool on Thursday night, as Birmingham band, The Clause, brought thunderous sounds and an electrifying atmosphere to an incredible crowd in Hangar 34.
Setting the night’s tone were Liverpudlian indie rock band The Balla, and Preston upcomers The Cases. Both introduced what was to come later in the night, as dedicated fans chanted back even unreleased lyrics, and those unknown will have definitely taken note of the performances prior to the main act. I don’t think I’ll be able to get “du du du du, up The Cases” out of my head for a long time.
From the second The Clause stepped onto the stage, the chaos of the night began. The crowd surged forward in cheers to the opening notes of ‘Nothing’s As It Seems’, and the band’s energy took the venue by storm.
The Clause are an indie-rock band who have recently become a staple in the scene, off the back of their acclaimed debut ‘Victim of a Casual Thing’. The Birmingham four-piece played Liverpool towards the end of the second leg of the album tour, and off the back of a headline set of Bridlington Spa’s This Feeling By The Sea. The high of that truly persisted into a crowded Thursday night on the Baltic, as the band arrived with feverous enthusiasm and exhilarating passion.
The energy continued in the first half in crowd favourites such as ‘White Lifelines’, and peaked in an atmospheric ‘Electric’ effortlessly flowing into ‘Pop Culture’. Some songs in the opening half of the set were little under a year old, but still had committed fans moshing and chanting back lyrics regardless.
The set followed with a more toned down, acoustic mid-way point, with songs like ‘Never Ending Affair’ and ‘Exception’ showing a more emotional side to the band, yet still having that classic sound The Clause have become so popular for.
A highlight of the night had to be the band’s 2025 hits ‘I Don’t Care’ and ‘Elisha’, which had crowds singing back riffs and bouncing with no cares in the world. The four-piece perfectly reciprocated this energy, and fed off the crowd’s enthusiasm as the second-half of the night continued.
Arguably the biggest songs of the boys’ careers concluded the set, as ‘Where Are You Now?’ and ‘In My Element’ created the loudest buzz in the venue. The Clause did their job that night, leaving dedicated fans screaming for more, yet still exceeding expectations through the exhilarating performance they had put on.
Hangar 34 was the perfect location for them on Thursday night, as the venue’s ample room showcased the continual mosh pits of a roaring crowd, yet still having all the space for generations to come together to celebrate the Birmingham indie rockers. The Clause continue their indie rock intensity and high-energy sets with headline slots for some of the most well-known festivals, including Sheffield’s Tramlines and Portsmouth’s Victorious Festival.
Taped Magazine 