LESS than 24 hours removed from the trio gliding onto the stage at Leeds Festival, Biffy Clyro are once again preparing to gaze out in front of expectant eyes and ears. However, this is no ordinary show for them.
A glorious homecoming, the culmination of a lifetime of grafting or a disillusioning disappointment for hardcore fans that have charted the band’s steady climb up the ranks to the perch which they now rule the arena-rock roost from.
These are the thoughts that must’ve been barrelling around the minds of Simon Neil and brothers James and Ben Johnston as they waited in the wings, patiently building the massive crowd’s excitement to the level of sheer fever pitch.
Promptly bounding at just after 9pm, the first strains of “Wolves Of Winter” send ripples of unrestrained energy through the crowd as they prepare for a two hour exercise in big choruses, ingenious sonic shifts and no-nonsense stage craft.
The inspirational lyrics of the aforementioned track seem as though they’ve been lifted straight from Biffy’s personal ethos and manifesto; the tactics which propelled a madcap, eccentric and unfazed band to heights that no one would’ve feasibly predicted.
The dramatics of Puzzle favourite ‘Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies’ are befitting of such a grand and monumental event whilst their admirably diverse sound is demonstrated by tracks such as ‘Sounds Like Balloons’ and a ferocious version of early career highlight “57” which was blasted out to the crowd with precision yet at whirlwind speed.
A notable change from what has became the norm in their sets, the heartrending ‘Folding Stars’ is performed with all members in tow as opposed to leaving Simon to bare his soul on his own but continues to ring with the kind of poignancy which allows the track to resonate with every member of the audience.
Biffy deliver a delectable selection of hits towards the end of the show’s first hour following a dalliance with the depths of their new record by performing ‘In The Name Of The Wee Man’, dishing out the chaotic ‘Who’s Got A Match?’ and the aggressively poppy ‘Bubbles.’
One of the telling moments of the set was the performance of Ellipsis single ‘Howl’ which immediately followed the one-two punch of beloved songs and the rapturous response which it received, demonstrating that their pedigree for creating unorthodox but nonetheless catchy numbers remains wholly undiminished.
An emotion-filled ‘Black Chandelier’ and the puerile riffs of “That Golden Rule” keep energy levels high before the band downs tools to allow the frontman to leave both old devotees and new school converts in awe of one of the band’s most touching compositions.
Stellar versions of ‘Mountains’ and the subversive ‘On A Bang’ which greet the crowd following the solo sermon are a near perfect exemplification of the dichotomy which has been the cornerstone of Biffy’s sound; the balance between delicacy and immediacy which they’ve slowly transformed into an art in itself since The Vertigo Of Bliss.
Bringing the main body of the set to an emphatic close, the band flit between classic fare such as the always impressive ‘9/15ths’ and the crossover hit ‘Many Of Horror” alongside the rousing “Animal Style” from their most recent record.
As the final moments of ‘The Captain’ rain down upon the transfixed audience, any fears or apprehension that Simon and co may have had about the hyperbole which has surrounded this show on Scottish soil being too great to meet expectations are well and truly dispelled.
The ardent fans are left floored by the techno based intro of Infinity Land classic ‘Glitter And Trauma’ as the encore begins, its rampaging riffs and growling vocals likely leaving a few newer additions to the Biff’s legion of followers in slightly wary territory.
The appetites of those that have been there from day one quelled, the band round things off with the massive singalong that is unlikely anthem ‘God And Satan’ before ‘Stingin’ Belle’ brings the set to a celebratory climax as fireworks engulf the sky and the crowd leaves braying for more.
Five words: bring on The SSE Hydro.
Photography by Cameron James Brisbane.
