It is a Monday, so it must be another gig in Bristol. Tonight is my final trip across the bridge in 2025 to a city that has provided the backdrop to many excellent shows this year. Still reeling from the power of Orange Goblin at Electric Bristol the night before, my destination for this last run is the Beacon, rapidly becoming my favourite venue in the city, which is hosting Clutch, 1000mods and Bokassa.
Clutch – 1000mods – Bokassa
Bristol Beacon – 15 December 2025
Words And Photography: Paul Hutchings
Like their UK peers the night before, Clutch are in the 30+ years club. Their climb has been steady, and for me, tonight is a chance to see them play their biggest show in this area in their career.
I have lost count of the number of times I have seen this band, but fondly recall early club shows at the legendary TJs in Newport, seeing them open for GWAR at Pontypridd Muni, headlining the Temples Festival, and grabbing moments of their Bloodstock debut when they clashed with my buddies King Kraken.
There was some doubt about whether this show would even go ahead following the cancellation of their Paris gig two nights earlier, but thankfully for the 2,000 people packed into the Beacon, all is good.
The lights drop, and the strains of We Need Money emerge from the speakers. The crowd are hyped and sing along. It is a funky intro that raises the heart rate, allowing the band to saunter on to their positions.
The stage is stripped back, a huge Clutch banner behind Jean Paul Gaister’s kit, the only real evidence of the band’s standing. Guitarist Tim Sult and bassist Dan Maine’s pedal boards are far back from the edge of the stage, and the duo hardly move throughout the set.
Let’s hope they are not relying on this to get their steps in.
As the trio roll through the Wasted instrumental intro, the lights swing into action. They may be sparse on-stage decoration, but the light show is masterful throughout and enhances their setlist, which is drawn from a selection of their discography.
Despite promises of their self-titled Clutch album being played in full, the closest we get to that is Walking In The Great Shining Path Of The Monster Trucks from 1993’s debut, Transnational Speedway League: Anthems, Anecdotes and Undeniable Truths, to give it the full title.
It is Blast Tyrant that does the heavy lifting tonight, and that is alright with me, for it is probably my favourite album. Five tracks, including the rarely heard Worm Drink and the always carnage-inducing The Mob Goes Wild, make me and many others very happy.
Enter the ringmaster. Neil Fallon. He is clearly under the weather, explaining he has a head cold, and that requires relentless visits to the side of the stage for water.
But Neil Fallon on a bad day is better than 95% of frontmen on a good one. He simply commands the audience, pacing back and fore restlessly, and whilst he has not got quite the energy that would normally see him winding the crowd higher, his sheer presence is enough to prompt some albeit scrappy pit action.
The pace is intense, as they fly through the set. The opening duo are drawn from the latest record Sunrise On Slaughter Beach, Nosferatu Madre and Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone), although the biggest treat is the airing of two new songs, which Neil thanks us for bearing with. Both sound great, although Green Skull shades Colorado Fuel And Iron for me.
An hour after they arrive, they have hit the end of the main set with an extended Cypress Grove. They exit before a double encore of Electric Worry and Burning Beard wraps another great Clutch show.
Musically, they have never been tighter. Tonight, Neil is less vibrant than usual, but this does not detract from a masterful performance by one of the best in the business.
Bokassa
“I get a bit distracted when I drink,” laughs Jørn Kaarstad, “and I’ve been drinking today.”
Such is the humour of the Norwegian band’s frontman that rambling monologues about eating salt ‘n’ pepper chicken seem normal. But this band is no joke, and whilst I am not going to say much about Lars Ulrich and his day job, there is no denying that Bokassa did open for Metallica in 2019 and should be bigger than they are today.
For us, that is a bonus as we get a band who have a confident swagger as they thunder through Garden Of Heathen. Although there are plenty of gaps in the room, those who have made the early effort are rewarded by a solid show.
Alongside Kaarstad, drummer Olav Dowkes and Ole Vistnes (bass, backup vocals) provide the cohesive unit that rip through a fine 30 minutes.
Worth checking out when they come back to headline shows, this set demonstrated why the Norwegians continue to pick up fans at every show.
1000mods
Following the humour of Bokassa is not easy, but Greece’s 1000mods are in no mood to let anyone forget their set. They are not keen on speaking between songs, a few words of thanks being about the sum of their interaction. But when you can pummel the audience with such punishing riffs, so what!
There is a definite Sabbath tinge to tracks like Overthrown, which echo songs like Under The Sun, and judging by the nodding heads around the rapidly filling room, 1000mods are going down well.
Thick riffs echo as the band put their heads down and concentrate on their thunderous delivery. It is a richly delivered set which covers the span of their nearly 20-year career. Beaming smiles finally arrive during closing song Vidage, leaving a pleasing ringing in the ears as the final product of their efforts.
