Biffy Clyro: Mon the Biffy

Simon Neil - Biffy Clyro

Monday night gigs are strange affairs; they’re quite a rare occurrence – indeed a fair number of bars and pubs are shut every Monday in Brisbane – and yet they bring out the most devoted and passionate fans. It’s a different vibe to a more typical Thursday, Friday or Saturday night show when there are usually more scenesters, fair-weather fans and hangers-on in the crowd on a normal night out. So whilst The Zoo was maybe only a third full for tonight’s visit of Biffy Clyro – a bit of a surprise considering that their latest album, ‘Puzzle’, reached #2 in the UK album charts and they are the Saturday night headlining act on the John Peel Stage at Glastonbury in June – there was a really great and friendly atmosphere.

In addition to the rare occurrence of a Monday night gig, there was also the even rarer occasion of a cold Zoo, a venue renown for its unbearable summer temperatures, with the gig happening on what was being predicted as the coldest April night in Brisbane in 25 years. However, a cold night in Brisbane is obviously a veritable heatwave in Scotland, with singer/guitarist Simon and drummer Ben both playing the whole of their set shirtless.

Most reviews/interviews of the band tend to include a comparison to Nirvana, but other than the fact they’re a 3-piece, play rock and rock hard there’s not much in their sound that has an obvious grunge influence. There are, however, much more obvious prog tendencies in their sound; it’s a lot more intricate than band like Nirvana and more in common with someone like Tool or even Rush.

Latest Dew Process signings Yves Klein Blue supported and were ok, if maybe a little lightweight as support band for a band like Biffy Clyro. Can’t help but feeling that they’ve got too much of that Libertines, slightly jazz minor 7th thing going on a lot of their songs and that it sounds far too 2002 to make an impact in 2008. They were pretty tight though, so time will tell.

A few more photos on flickr.

Biffy Clyro
Simon Neil - Biffy Clyro

Simon Neil - Biffy Clyro

Ben Johnston - Biffy Clyro

Yves Klein Blue
Yves Klein Blue

Yves Klein Blue

Yves Klein Blue

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