The Clause: from school band to playing 'dream' arena

Liam Deakin (left) and Pearce Macca said playing Birmingham's O2 Academy next month is going to a "big, big night" for The Clause and their fans

A band with three members who met as 12-year-old schoolboys in the West Midlands are to play their "dream" venue as they celebrate the success of their debut album.

The Clause's Victim Of A Casual Thing hit eighth place in the official UK album charts - above stars such as Sabrina Carpenter and Elton John. It is now in 19th place and also tops the Independent Albums Chart.

Guitarist Liam Deakin, 26, said the past few days had "been one big blur" as the album's success sunk in.

Frontman Pearce Macca, also 26, added the album tour took in notable venues, but they were particularly excited to headline Birmingham's O2 Academy, which had been an early ambition.

Macca said the tour, which kicks off in Brighton on 13 November, was the band's biggest so far.

"We are playing some venues that we never thought we would play up and down the country. The main one of those being the Academy in Birmingham," he said.

When the band started more than 10 years ago, it was "a little funny joke between us" that they would one day headline there, he said.

"And on the 19th December it's going to happen, right at the end of our debut album tour, which is probably a bit earlier than we thought it would happen, but it's going to be a dream."

'We were 12-year-old strangers'

Macca explained how he first met Niall Fennell, the band's drummer, and bassist Jonny Fyffe at St Peter's Catholic School in Solihull.

"We were 12-year-old strangers, and we just happened to find each other one lunchtime," he said.

They met Deakin when they were aged 15 or 16, at a gig of the band Jaws.

"He joined the band after that, and we were just messing around for a couple of years, and it started to gather a bit of traction, and so we thought we might give it a proper crack," Macca said.

Deakin added they were "lucky enough to have a really great army of fans" who supported them.

"We haven't got any label or any kind of big management; it's just the result of four lads who have grown up together that have completely thrown their lives into it and seen what happens," he said.

The Clause has already had a series of sold-out tours and supported acts including James, The Lottery Winners and The K's.

The band has also played at big events, including the Isle of Wight Festival and Radio One's Big Weekend.

Deakin said their recent success "has been a bit wild".

"I don't think we kind of expected to be that far up the charts," he said.

"We were sitting at number eight in the UK album chart midweek. We were looking at the list of names, and it was like Taylor Swift, Olivia Dean, Elton John, Sabrina Carpenter - and us."

He added the O2 Academy gig was going to be a "big, big night" for the band and its fans.