Biffy Clyro - a must-see this summer

triplew.me’s Calvin Houlison recently was lucky enough to see the ‘Biff in Sydney, Australia at the famous Metro Theater in Sydney....

Scottish rock trio Biffy Clyro have been making waves of late, thanks in no small part to the success of last year’s acclaimed release, the Garth Richardson (otherwise known as G-G-Garth) produced ‘Only Revolutions’.  This firebrand outfit’s unique take on power rock has certainly caught the attention of not only the music team at triplew.me, but music fans and press the world over.

After steadily building a fan-base over five albums and coming a long way from modest beginnings in Ayrshire, Scotland way back in 1995, the band are hardly an overnight phenomenon.  Previous efforts established the band’s talent for fusing driving rock sounds with the uniquely offbeat and quirky.

The band’s breakthrough moment came with their fourth album, 2007’s ‘Puzzle’ which was released to widespread acclaim.  The album spawned the recognizable tunes ‘Who’s Got A Match’ and ‘Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies’ and saw the band cement their thunderous live reputation in front of a rapidly expanding audience.

‘Only Revolutions’ has built on the musical advances of ‘Puzzle’, adding layers of orchestral treatment and streamlining the band’s more offbeat tendencies into more cohesive, tightly worked songs. The result?  A true monster of an album, arguably the band’s most accomplished yet sonically adventurous effort to date. The success of ‘Only Revolutions’, coupled on a relentless touring schedule and a reputation as a perennial festival favorite, has capped off what has been one hell of a year for the three lads from Scotland.

Live, the band’s already blistering set has been bolstered by the addition of new favorites such as ‘The Captain’, ‘That Golden Rule’ and ‘Many of Horror’ for its latest shows. The complex string and horn arrangements of the album may have been stripped back for the stage but the result is no less sonically imposing.

The wall of sound produced by Simon Neil’s guitar is awe-inspiring, leaving this reviewer wondering if there weren’t another five guitarists hidden backstage somewhere. The relentless drumming of Ben Johnston and twin brother James’ driving bass underpin the band’s performances to devastating effect. On the back of shows like this, it is pretty clear that this is a group which is musically at the top of its game.

At the time of writing the band had just completed a blockbuster set at BBC Radio 1’s Big Weekend festival, held in the town of Bangor in North Wales, U. K. Making this more impressive is the fact that the band had flown halfway around the world after a whirlwind Australian tour wrapping up just three days earlier, scheduled to make up for previously canceled shows in the country.

Just another week in the life of the rock ’n roll juggernaut that is Biffy Clyro, coming soon to a corner of the globe near you!

Full setlist (taken from setlist.fm):

‘Only  Revolutions’ is out now through 14^th Floor Records.  Going to any festivals this summer? Expect this - but live!

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