Biffy Clyro
It’s been almost a year since the last time I saw Biffy Clyro, and it’s a complete understatement to say they have grown a little over the past 12 months.
I remember in 2006 they were playing a small gig venue in Preston, and now they are selling out the massive Manchester Academy One. No matter whether you’ve been a fan since the days of Blackened Sky or have just jumped on the Puzzle bandwagon, you know you’re always be welcomed into their army of ‘Team Biffy’ fans.
By the time I arrive at the gig, towards the end of People In Planes’ set (bloody public transport), the venue is already packed to the brim, and I really have to fight to the front, cider in one hand and phone in the other - as I try to locate my friends.
The main support comes from Scottish boys, Frightened Rabbit, who I have heard loads about over the past few months; with Twin Atlantic and Fightstar singing their praises; so needless to say I was pretty psyched to see them.
With a frontman who looks like Caleb Followill and the spitting image of Jarvis Cocker on Keyboards and Bass I was curious to see if they were more of a ‘all-star’ group than a bunch of Scottish rockers.
But from the first song, I can see just why everyone is banging on about them so much, their songs are catchy and ‘very Scottish’ - according to my friends - and you can’t help but dance around with you pint splashing everywhere.
It’s not very often that I go to a gig and find myself determined to go out and buy the support’s latest record, but these boys bloody made me want their entire back catalogue. Horrah!
No sooner had they vacated the stage, a net curtain went up and ‘Mon The Biffy’ rang out; I could hardly contain my excitement, I did about 3 toilet trips in the short break, only to find some kid throwing up in the sink. Nice.
No sooner had I got the sick smell out of my nose that Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies starts blasting out and I get my first peek at Ben Johnson (my unofficial future husband), and away we go.
The set is made up mainly of hits from Puzzle, with a couple from The Vertigo Of Bliss and Infinity Land thrown in for good measure.
Anyone who knows Biffy will know that Puzzle was written in the aftermath of Simon Neil’s mothers death; and Folding Stars was a song he vowed never to sing again live as it was too painful. Yet on Friday night we were treated to the most beautiful acoustic performance of that and Machines
It was a wonderfully moving few minutes and I doubt there was a dry eye in the room; as mysterious as Simon is, for those two songs, the whole room shard his grief and as we sung back every word; he knew he had made his mother proud.
As the hour and half set zoomed by, I found myself realising why these three guys are my favourite band on the planet; and even the fact that they didn’t play my two favourite songs; The Conversation Is and All The Way Down, I still left on a high, as though my Biffy addiction has been fulfilled once again.
For my friends who share a mutual love for Biffy it was the best way to spend a night together, if only one of our best friends had been there too; the night would have been perfect.