The Clause @ O2 Academy: ‘The Show we Dreamed of as Kids’

The Clause, supported by The Lilacs and The Kairos, performed at the O2 Academy, Birmingham, on the final night of the ‘Victim of a Casual Thing’ 2025 UK Tour.

Looming over Bristol Street, a swelling queue of expectant gig goers stretched from the door of the O2 Academy, wrapping around the curves of the Pagoda island roundabout and the surrounding street. The final performance of The Clause’s 2025 UK tour for debut album ‘Victim of a Casual Thing’ was imminent, showcasing an all-star lineup or rising names in indie rock supporting the band’s hometown headliner and grande finale to the year.

First to the stage were The Kairos. The Liverpudlian 4-piece came out the gates swinging, their brand of gritty, indie-pop rock was a natural compliment to the music of The Clause. The blend between powerful lead vocals and the dynamic backing vocals chorus commanded the room. Their energetic baselines and drums had the crowd moving from the start.

Second support ‘The Lilacs’ continued the rising energy. Having made a name for themselves with their debut single ‘Vicarage Road’ in 2019, the band have honed their craft across stages up and down the country, playing Isle of Wight festival in 2021. Reminiscent of Two Door Cinema Club, Vistas, and Circa Waves, the enigmatic indie rock band engaged the crowd with their lively, upbeat tempo, and punchy rhythms. What began as a festive atmosphere morphed into something more like a summertime festival. Previously playing alongside The Clause, the crowd clearly remembered them, bouncing off the walls, with people climbing on shoulders and dancing.

A highlight of their set was their rendition of ‘Grace’, introduced with a tribute to Sam’s (lead guitarist) mom’s battle with cancer. ‘Grace’ began in the guise of a ballad, moving into bouncing, offbeat cymbal crashes and a blur of juxtaposing melancholic indie musings and crowd euphoria. The 4 blue walls of the O2 Academy fell away, and the room was transformed, with the sea of dancing bodies on shoulders creating a scene more like a headline set at Glastonbury. The high continued, with The Lilacs closing out their set with a highly anticipated rendition of ‘Vicarage Road’.

The anticipation in the room was amplified by the tense, cinematic intro and strobing lights. The members of The Clause and supporting musicians appeared from the smoke, playing much of their debut album, with a mix of fan favourite tracks, brought to life on stage.

Ready to rise to Pearce Macca’s (singer) challenge of ‘a sing song’, the crowd chanted back every word throughout the night. While ‘Victim of a Casual Thing’ has only been out for 2 months, you’d have though it had been out for years with the way the crowd knew each song like the back of their hand. To quote the band themselves, the room was ‘electric’.

The Clause broke up their set of hard hitting indie rock with ‘Never Ending Affair’ - a skippy, summer end-of-things anthem. The conversational and confessional writing continued with Exception, a soft rock track that lands between the likes of Aerosmith’s ‘I Don’t Wanna Miss A Thing’ and Paramore’s ‘The Only Exception’. The lull in tempo could not be confused for a lull in energy however, with the crowd swaying and singing with the same passion they had for every other track.

In a brief interlude between tracks, The Clause took a moment to express their awe and gratitude for the crowd, telling stories of how the band met, their first performance in Digbeth, and their combined dreaming of making it someday. It was clear just how much this headliner meant to the band, performing in front of 3000 people in their hometown. Pearce Macca recounted how the band ‘used to walk past this building going to practice and we used to joke one day we’ll get there’.

‘I haven’t got any words to say, we started this band as 12 year old kids, happened to find each other this one time, and f*cking look at us now’

The highlight of the main setlist came during ‘Where Are You Now’, a song written in the wake of loss by a teenage Pearce Macca. A sea of flashlights from the crowd lit the room with a soft glow, the audience singing through the verses with the band.

The Clause pulled the energy back up with their closing track, ‘Don’t Blink’, all about Birmingham. If you were in any doubt about the band’s passion for their hometown, take it straight from them: ‘maybe it is a f*cking shit hole, but it’s our shit hole, and we’re proud of it!’ The crowd gave The Clause all they had left to give, breaking out into pockets of dancing, chanting, waving and jumping.

‘Wherever we go from here, this city, this place is our home and you are our people’

Determined to go out with a bang, The Clause returned for an encore, bookended with equally as cinematic an entrance as they opened the gig. The night ended (truly this time) with ‘Weekend Millionaire’, ‘Sixteen’, and ‘In My Element’, complete with an appearance by Santa, who got in the crowd to join in with the final number.

‘I don’t ever wanna leave [], but all things must pass. Birmingham we are The F*cking Clause! Thank you for making our stupid little dream come true, this band is as much yours as it is ours, but for now we are The Clause this is our city goodnight’

Fans of Oasis, The Courtneers, and Catfish and the Bottlemen looking for an arena atmosphere from an act with Brummie pride can only wish they’d known about The Clause sooner.