Clinic live at the Garrison

by Stacey Thompson | photos by Amelia Shaw

Walking into the dimly lit Garrison, one is greeted with a small stage and a room full of hipsters, and sprinkled with the odd rocker, all in waiting for the much anticipated Liverpool post punk revival band, Clinic.

Clinic graces the stage in medical scrubs and surgical masks, surrounded by stylized instruments producing the bizarre and ever appealing neo-psychedelia beats that appeal to this audience and many worldwide.  Playing old favourites as “Walking with Thee” from the 2002 album Walking with Thee, and “See Saw” from album Free Reign, sends the crowd into a dance frenzy.

A few songs were played from their new and upcoming album, Free Reign II, which the crowd took in by bobbing their heads back and forth to the beat. Lead vocals, Adrian ‘Ade’ Blackburn blew into a tube connected  to a plastic keyboard during a few songs, which drove the crowd wild, and brought on a playfulness to the music. Some were surprised to see band member Jonathan Hartley playing the clarinet for a few of the tracks.

For someone new to this band, it was refreshing to see a range of instruments to create this truly unique sound. While this style of music may not be everyone’s cup of tea, it is truly a mind blowing trip and one that should be checked out.