The Clockworks at Green Door Store, Brighton: Gig review

Cobbled floors, a curtain for a door and a lack of lighting fed into the DIY punk ethos of the band’s show and gave vocals back to the dying voice that shouts that punk rock will never die.

Former Creations Records manager McGee infamously signed Oasis and Primal Scream back in the day, so when he began promoting this Galway four-piece on Instagram three years ago, many did not question the 62-year-old’s latest tip for future stardom.

McGee’s words were clearly gospel to many, the Green Door Store was a sea of middle-aged men with Liam Gallagher and Paul Weller haircuts and Fred Perry polos, a change for the usual younger student crowd seen most nights by the train station venue.

Those in attendance were expecting the best and by and large, they got it.

The enthusiasm and vigour of The Clockworks was evident for all to see, guitarist Sean Connelly whipped out crunchy riffs to start songs such as Endgame, Bills and Pills and Moses, whose energy was matched by the rest of the band as blasted the audience away with their short, sharp, to-the point tunes.

Frontman James McGregor may not be much of a talker or showman, but he pulled the crowd in with his desperate, raw vocal, hitting the right emotional chord on the politically-heavy tunes of The Future Is Not What It Was and Can I Speak to a Manager?.

Noel Gallagher once said about the brilliance of a band’s beginning: “There is this magical moment at the start of your trip, and it only lasts for about six months until you become wealthy. It’s when you’re wearing the same clothes as your audience and you’re in the same circumstances.

“So it’s a moment of truth. You’re not a rock star. You’re in a rock band but you’ve not yet got the supermodel and the drug habit and all that. You’re just a fucking guy with a guitar.”

This idea feels relatable when James shyly admits to the Brighton crowd that Money (I Don't Wanna Hear It) centres on the struggles of waiting for a monthly payday.

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The audience inherit this theme, as it most likely resonates with them in the current climate, the four men on stage are no different to them, creating a concrete connection between the two groups.

By the time the band finished with the popular Enough Is Never Enough, they were met with a thunderous ovation from the crowd, McGee was right, these boys having something special.