Written by Pippa Dale
Birmingham-based band The Clause established their place as one of the indie-greats of 2025, as their debut album Victim of a Casual Thing, released on the 24th of October 2025, cemented itself at #1 on the Official Independent Albums chart and #19 on the Official Albums chart after its’ anticipated release. So, it’s no wonder the 4 brummie boys put on a mega show to match the magnitude of the album’s sound and success, as they drew their UK tour to a close in their hometown, to their biggest crowd yet.
19th of December 2025: this night to remember was kicked off with their massive Track 1: Nothing’s as it seems – met with immediate cheers and every word sung whole-heartedly by the crowd as they moshed and jumped as one. There was no stopping there – the band jumped straight into the electric riff of Tell me what you want. That’s one of the many things The Clause don’t shy away from – a monster of a guitar riff. One that vibrates in your body and is impossible not to move to. Pumping through banger after banger, revisiting old favourites such as Electric, Hate the player and Fake it. And some of the best tunes off their new album, such as White lifelines, Elisha and Fever Dream. And even in songs that took it down a notch, the atmosphere only intensified with emotional deep cuts like Exception: a ballad of love and fear, and the emotional 2018 track Where are you now? Every word was echoed by the crowd as it was sung with every ounce of frontman Pearce Macca’s voice, intertwined perfectly with the acoustic guitar and heavenly lights. It was impossible not to be moved by the beauty of the show.
Their skill and ability to create a cohesive and exciting but moving and memorable show puts them up there as one of the greatest live acts of 2025. The show was outstanding: from the setlist, to the jaw-dropping, perfectly synced light show, to the way none of the boys missed a single beat established how hard they have worked to master their craft, and that this will not be the last we hear of them. I for one can’t wait to see what 2026 has instore for The Clause.
I looked out on the crowd of all ages and their energy radiated. That was the wonderful thing evident at this gig – The Clause are uniting generations with their music; you look out to the crowd and it’s just thousands of strangers from all walks of life having fun and making memories together. Their differences aside, no hate or solitude. The music is all that matters as soon as the lights go down. And, in modern times of divide, music is one thing that unites us all – and in that room the sense of union was tangible. Those 4 boys who picked up some instruments in a school music room did something as magical as that.
It is a full circle moment, going back to their roots to close their tour, you might say, except packing out the renown 02 Academy and playing to their largest crowd to date is leaps and jumps from their humble beginnings in ‘The Rainbow Rooms’, the band’s front man recalls, during a particularly poignant moment of reflection and gratitude in the show. He tells the audience, on this momentous night, how him and his band mates used to walk past this iconic venue on their way to practice, and dream of ‘One day…’ How far they have come because here they are now, in a venue the likes of Franz Ferdinand, Dua lipa and Stormzy have headlined. With years of music, thrown pints and memories engrained into its’ walls and floors, the boys left their mark and ticked this dream venue off their bucket list, and it’s only up from here.
But, no matter what, this very night will no doubt go down as a huge milestone in their career. This wasn’t just another show on their tour – it was a homage to how far they’ve come, a way to thank their fans and to not forget where they started out. After ups and downs and times where hope was slim and hurdles scattered the long winding road, this inspirational band built themselves up independently and have proved that they are more than worthy of every accolade they receive. It was emotional to see the audience of 3000+ cheer and whistle in support throughout, as the boys gratitude rang out just as loud as the music itself: the room-shaking bass from Jonny Fyffe, the tantalising guitar riffs from Liam Deakin, the roof-blowing drum fills from Niall Fennel and the heartfelt, relatable but punchy lyrics from Pearce Macca, singing on behalf of the people as much as for the people.
This sense of realism and raw truth from Macca was especially notable during tracks such as Don’t Blink: the nostalgic yet joyous sound that Pearce tells the pumped-up crowd mid-show is ‘about our hometown’. It was an ineffable feeling, hearing that song in the very place it all began, sharing it with one another, knowing we were all part of that dream coming true and part of ‘the biggest night in Clause history.’
Their pride was commendable and infectious for their hometown, neatly put by the front man himself during the show: ‘People like to talk about Birmingham a lot from the outside and say it’s a bit of a sh*thole or whatever. And you know what, maybe it is a f*cking sh*thole but it’s our sh*thole and we’re f*cking proud of it’.
As the crowd’s energy still radiated through the encore, the bittersweetness sank in as their last tune Element began. The electrifying, ear-worm of a riff was sung enthusiastically by the crowd, and the band left it all out on the stage for this special final number, closing off this momentous show and unforgettable year for the band. The massive track, re-released on their album after its initial release in 2019, stands as arguably their most definitive song – it’s trademark sound combines everything that they are as a band, and all about just having a good time. The track has become a signifier of how far they’ve come, how they have endured the challenging industry and not compromised their art, or who they are and are still going strong with no sign of stopping.
As they took their bows and blew kisses of gratitude to the crowd you could see their exchanged looks screaming ‘We made it’. It was impossible to not fall in love with this band. The sense of awe and wonder still hasn’t worn off. What an incredible night.
So, all that’s left to answer is Pearce’s question from their track Weekend Millionaire: ‘What’s your definition of cool?’ I say – The Clause.
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