Biffy Clyro effortlessly ace their biggest headline show to date in London's Finsbury Park. So where do they go next?!
“Thanks for being here for the Biffy show,” says Simon Neil during the kind of summer evening that songs are written about.
While these words from Biffy Clyro’s leader are delivered as casually as it’s possible to when being stared at by 45,000 faces, the fact he describes this as the Biffy show is significant.
‘It’s all come down to this’, the marketing for this outdoor affair has been telling us for months, pitching it very much as the culmination of the Kilmarnock band’s career to date – of their 10 albums, of shows in toilet venues and stadiums alike, of brotherhood and the hardest of graft.
Thankfully, Biffy Clyro are one of the few bands that can match that incredible weight and poignancy, as well as the ability to tempt an excellent support bill of four bands – two of which could arguably play a show of this scale under their own banner one day. And given that we’re on a site where a slice of pizza with the texture and nutritional value of the paper plate it sits on costs £9.50, getting so much bang for your buck elsewhere is appreciated.
Openers Wavves are certainly cool customers, though perhaps lose sight of the fact they’re playing under the shade of this stage’s awning to several thousand people roasting in peak temperatures. As such, they understandably don’t elicit the most energetic response, though the excellent So Long and Green Eyes come pretty close.
Putting it kindly, Marmozets’ appearance is seriously compromised. With technical gremlins from the off meaning the Bingley band’s in-ears aren’t working, drummer Josh MacIntyre can’t hear his click, and the sound out front keeps cutting out, it’s a borderline disastrous showing. Nevertheless, they put a brave face on it, with pregnant singer Becca Bottomley reiterating what a special day this is to be a part of and powering through like the dynamo she’s always been.
There are no such issues for Don Broco, who give Finsbury Park an absolute hiding. While on record, tracks from this year’s Nightmare Tripping are on the busy side, in the live environment, Cellophane and Hype Man sound absolutely colossal.
The Bedford lads are in a buoyant mood – despite being a band for some 20 years and “pretty much” becoming one thanks to Biffy Clyro’s influence according to frontman Rob Damiani, they’ve somehow never played a show with the Scots, so this is a big deal. Thankfully, the circle-pits during Pretty are similarly sizeable, as are the singalongs for Gumshield and Bruce Willis, courtesy of what Rob describes as “one of the loudest crowds of the summer.”
“I want to get every single one of you warmed up,” says Conor Mason at the beginning of Nothing But Thieves’ 14-song set. The frontman is certainly true to his word from a vocal standpoint, with anyone attempting to emulate his extraordinary singing during Amsterdam and I’m Not Made By Design, discovering notes they didn’t know they could hit before.
NBT’s strength has always come from their songs, which marry a pop sensibility to rock dynamics, and the skill with which they recreate them live, rather than their minimal stagecraft, and so it proves once again today. And while Stray Dogs – the title track from their forthcoming fifth album receiving its live debut today – and Evolution suggest an equally successful future for the Essex boys, this is a performance that feels rigid compared to Don Broco’s more fluid turn. The massive crowd they draw, however, suggests it’s not a sticking point for anyone.
If Biffy Clyro’s headline set is indeed the culmination of their life’s work – and let’s face it, can that really be the case for any show taking place outside their native Scotland? – then they’ve certainly brought all the right ingredients with them.
Their setlist touches upon nine of their 10 studio albums tonight, though a snippet of Questions And Answers in the midst of Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies ensures 2003’s The Vertigo Of Bliss isn’t left out completely.
We also get the trademark juxtaposition of the straightforwardly accessible (Biblical, Hunting Season, Space) and the wild swings that have always characterised Biffy’s career (the a capella There’s No Such Thing As Crasp sung by the extended touring version of the band bathed in white light, straight into the lurching, venomous There’s No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake).
Elsewhere there are the treats to be had, such as Booooom, Blast & Ruin getting a rare airing, supposedly for the first time since 2017. And there’s a perverse and unadulterated joy in Cop Syrup affording us the opportunity to screech ‘Fuck everybody’ while standing in a park surrounded by our fellow man. Rarely has the intersection of misanthropy and pageantry been so enjoyable. Most unexpected of all, though, is an appearance from Stranger Things’ Vecna, actor and musician Jamie Campbell Bower, who adds his captivating croon to Machines.
Let’s face it, when it comes to Biffy, love is what makes this all work. Love for the craft that’s nourished them for 30 years. Love for the fans that helped write this seemingly impossible success story. And, first and foremost, love for one another.
Unlike their show at The O2 in January, however, the absence of James Johnston isn’t referenced. The bassist, who stepped away from the band to address his mental health and addiction issues, continues to be ably deputised by Naomi Macleod from Simon’s other band, Empire State Bastard, although some might find it surprising that during this ascent to the top of the mountain his name isn’t mentioned.
They shouldn’t be surprised, though, as this band’s bond is their own. Plus, James is present in every moment, in every note, and in the face of his twin brother, drummer Ben. This accomplishment is as much James’ as his bandmates’. As a fan, you just wish he could be here to share it, as it’s a momentous night full of spectacle and soul, confetti and tears, pyro and passion.
“We’re ‘monnin’... we’re ‘monnin’,” Simon replies to the cries of “‘Mon The Biff” throughout, as if racing to keep up with demand. It’s what’s got Biffy Clyro to where they are today. Who knows where the ‘monnin’ will take them next. Suffice to say, wherever it is, we’ll be there and we won’t be disappointed.
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