Text by: Marcelo Gomes
Clutch returned to Brazil on the 18th. With a single show in São Paulo, the Americans performed at Fabrique Club to promote their latest album, Sunrise On Slaughter Beach (2022). The event also featured the band Fuzz Sagrado , and not even the cold night in the São Paulo capital deterred the fans who packed the venue.
With fans still arriving, Fuzz Sagrado took to the stage at Fabrique Club in São Paulo for a performance marked by psychedelic rock and stoner rock. The band, led by German Chris Peters , former member of the iconic Samsara Blues Experiment , delivered a setlist that blended new sounds with tributes to Peters' legacy.
The current lineup of Fuzz Sagrado features Brazilians Guilherme Bordin on bass and Lucas Fursy on drums, a combination that provided a solid and vibrant foundation for Peters' guitar and vocals. The band opened the show with "Center Of The Sun," a true ode to the stoner rock of Samsara Blues Experiment's album Long Distance Trip (2010). For those unfamiliar with the band, it was clear that the guitar solos recalled influences from Jimi Hendrix and Robin Trower , while the rhythm section channeled the weight and sonic density of bands like Black Sabbath .
The new compositions from their recent albums, A New Dimension (2022) and Luz e Sombra (2023), showcased Peters' ability to create hypnotic and immersive soundscapes, a characteristic that has made him a prominent name in the genre. The band's sound provides a true journey, but one that the audience apparently didn't fully embrace. The restrained reaction, limited to applause at the end of each song, didn't seem to faze the trio, who delivered what they set out to do over 40 minutes.
Shortly after, the wait for Clutch seemed endless. Those 50 minutes felt like an eternity, especially on a cold night with unnecessarily freezing air conditioning. Around 9:30 PM, the venue was quite full, which lessened the cold, but the delay in starting was questionable, especially for a weekday. However, everything changed when Neil Fallon (vocals), JP Gaster (drums), Dan Maines (bass), and Tim Sult (guitar) took the stage at Fabrique Club. The vibe of the place transformed completely.
The show began with “The Mob Goes Wild,” a perfect choice to warm up the crowd, who responded with an explosion of energy. Next, “Earth Rocker” kept the excitement high, with powerful riffs and an intense performance from vocalist Neil Fallon. “A Shogun Named Marcus” and “Sucker For The Witch” were other early highlights, demonstrating the band's skill in blending older sounds with recent compositions.
The fans reacted enthusiastically, shouting the band's name, and the guys didn't disappoint. Neil demonstrated versatility in "Cypress Groove," where he kept the rhythm playing his cowbell, and in "DC Sound Attack," when he took over the harmonica amidst the vocals. Not to mention that some songs also featured guitar. The audience was amazed to be able to experience all this after so long.
Browsing through their catalog, in “Slaughter Beach” and “Binge And Purge,” the quartet brought a darker, more introspective, yet no less energetic atmosphere. The band demonstrated their ability to create different moods throughout the show, keeping the audience constantly engaged.
During “Escape From The Prison Planet” and “Spacegrass,” longtime fans had the opportunity to relive classics that solidified the band's career in the 90s. Neil Fallon's limited interaction with the audience was compensated for by his unparalleled charisma and stage presence.
The first part of the show concluded with "The Regulator," one of the band's most beloved songs, which fans sang along to with fervor. After a break, the band returned for the highly anticipated encore with "Electric Worry," making the venue tremble with the energy of the crowd.
The show ended with “Fortunate Son,” a Creedence Clearwater Revival cover, leaving fans wanting more and confirming that Clutch remains one of the most authentic and vigorous rock bands today. The São Paulo performance proved the devotion of Brazilian fans and the band's ability to uplift their souls with a memorable performance.
Check out the photos taken by our contributor John Alves :
