Live Review: Biffy Clyro

Their current merch items read "Biffy Fucking Clyro" and there's a "Mon The Biff!"chant as the drum tech does his thing preparing for Biffy Clyro to hit the stage. Strangely there's no music playing over the venue sound system, which leads to a weird lack of vibe. Finally, the house lights dim and we're treated to a choral intro.

Biffy Clyro arrive on stage, the three core members - Simon Neil, James and Ben Johnston - already shirtless and clearly meaning business. They all stand motionless while this intro plays out, simmering, before cranking full throttle into Wolves Of Winter. Ben Johnston's galloping drum patterns are immediately arresting, it's a full-on riff onslaught and Biffy Clyro are a force of nature. "We have achieved so much more than you possibly thought we could" - what a strong opening statement!  

What follows is a lot of pummelling relentlessness and you can tell these guys have been playing music together for over 20 years - the band couldn't be tighter, their fluctuating time signatures and stop-start sections always dead-on. Bookending additional touring members - guitarist/pianist Richard Ingram and guitarist/backing vocalist Mike Vennart - are a bit in the dark in terms of lighting design, but they're no less enthusiastic with their rock posturing throughout.

Neil sports the baggiest of black pants and teases us with the Enter Sandman riff. The frontman's guitar is strapped on high and he often leans into his mic stand when not singing, forehead pressed into mic. There are a lot of Scottish flags in the house to acknowledge this band's homeland and enthusiastic "oh-woah!" singalongs fill the theatre. Punters go nuts when Neil announces Bubbles and this song demonstrates Biffy Clyro's pop side with carnivalesque riffs and melodic choruses. Black Chandelier continues on this theme.

Re-Arrange brings it down a notch - a Biffy Clyro love song. Medicine is also heartfelt in its delivery. Mountains signals crowd-surf o'clock to punctuate voracious singalongs: "I am the mountain/I am the sea!" Then it's pogo central during Animal Style. There's No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake, with its riff that sounds like a playground taunt, is a demonstration of their instrumental prowess.  

Talk about one extreme to the other! Biffy Clyro ballad Many Of Horror (When We Collide) with its chorus of, "When you hit me, hit me hard," closes the main set with screechalongs all the way to the back of the venue and even those seated in booths are punching the air.

Neil kicks off the band's encore solo under a single spotlight, resembling hot Jesus while singing Machines before he's joined on stage by his band for closer Stingin' Belle. It's all so effortless and this Scottish clan of musical thoroughbreds are just about as versatile as they come.