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Rock legends Biffy Clyro bring 20 years of hits and sing-a-long anthems to Birmingham for loud and proud night and brilliant show

Through 10 albums and 20 years of making hit after hit, Biffy Clyro have become well-known for their loud and mesmerising live shows.

By James Vukmirovic
Published

The band, which consists of guitarist Simon Neil and brothers Ben and James Johnston on drums and bass respectively, have a litany of huge songs at their disposal, from the fun sing-a-long of “Who’s got a match?” to the loud crunch of “Wolves of Winter” and the anthemic “The Captain”.

I’ve been a fan for a while but, for whatever reason, I’d never been to see the band in concert, apart from watching their excellent Glastonbury sets on TV over the years.

The pre-show curtain set the scene for the show
The pre-show curtain set the scene for the show

When I heard they were coming to Birmingham’s Utilita Arena as part of the Futique Tour, I decided it was time to take a seat and hear the Biff in live action for the first time, so I joined more than 15,000 people on the walk into the arena on Friday, January 16.

The light show was a big part of the show
The light show was a big part of the show

The tour comes following a troubled time for the band, with burnout issues and US visas being cancelled because of an admin error, as well as the more serious pull out of James Johnston due to addiction issues he said he wanted to prioritise dealing with.

In situations like this, a band can either go into its shell and block out the world or it can face up to problems, tackle them head-on and put on the best show they can.

Simon Neil was on form as front man and guitarist
Simon Neil was on form as front man and guitarist

The evening saw two bands on before Biffy Clyro, with cult Detroit collective The Armed up first as the arena filled. Without wanting to sound like my dad, it was a lot of noise and shouting for me, with some musical chops clearly demonstrated in there, but a bit much for me.

I had been told by a friend how good the second act Soft Play were and after they walked onto stage to the sounds of “All things bright and beautiful”, the two man band of drummer and vocalist Isaac Holman (lead vocals, drums) and guitarist Laurie Vincent put on a tremendous show.

Ben Johnston put in a great shift on drums
Ben Johnston put in a great shift on drums

The music was loud, proud and boisterous, the two had stage craft and a cheeky sense of fun and it amazed me how much noise two people can make. If they were trying to play Biffy Clyro off the stage, they made a pretty good go at it.

However, the main event soon hit the stage, with a rising melody of orchestral songs leading up to the familiar first chords of “A little love” and the start of nearly two hours of heavy and hard rocking from the Biff.

The Utilita Arena was awash with colour throughout the show
The Utilita Arena was awash with colour throughout the show

With fill-in bassist Naomi MacLeod and the band’s session guitarist Mike Vennart and pianist Richard "Gambler" Ingram at their side, Simon Neil and Ben Johnston showed no signs of tiredness, burnout or struggle as they pulled out hit after hit.

I’d actually forgotten how many great songs Biffy Clyro had (reminding me to get back on Spotify to devour the albums), from the bombast of “That golden rule” to the beauty of “Space” and the gentle rocker “Tiny Indoor Fireworks”.

More than 15,000 people were in attendance to see Biffy Clyro
More than 15,000 people were in attendance to see Biffy Clyro

With a slick light show and a stage that allowed the band to move around, the gig was one that got the crowd going, either through clapping along, singing to the many hits or just sitting in awe at the extraordinary drumming of Ben Johnston and the guitar fireworks of Simon Neil.

Speaking of Simon, he worked to include the crowd in every part of the show, offering thanks to everyone for coming out on a bleak January night and also sending out best wishes to James Johnston, saying the band was missing its third lung and calling him his brother in arms.

The ticker tape provides a fitting end to the show during Many of Horrors
The ticker tape provides a fitting end to the show during Many of Horrors

As well as the pyrotechnic hits, there were softer moments, including a lovely acoustic performance of Machines, before bringing the show to a triumphant close with the salvo of ‘The Captain’, “Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies“, “Bubbles” and the wonderful “Many of Horror”.

It was a night which showed the tremendous energy, power and resilience of the band and was a night for them to show off and for the fans to celebrate and sing along with all the hits. Long may the Biff continue to reign.

Setlist:

  • A Little Love

  • Hunting Season

  • That Golden Rule

  • Who's Got a Match?

  • Shot One

  • Space

  • Wolves of Winter

  • Tiny Indoor Fireworks

  • Goodbye

  • Friendshipping

  • Biblical

  • A Thousand and One

  • Different People

  • A Hunger in Your Haunt

  • Black Chandelier

  • Instant History

  • Mountains

  • Two People in Love

  • Machines

  • The Captain

  • Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies

  • Bubbles

  • Many of Horror