It’s astonishing to see how far a British band can progress in just a few years. It only feels a minor year ago I was watching them in the Great Hall and supporting Muse but time has flown and with that Biffy have acquired a huge fan base of all sorts as this sell out show proves.
An early start as City and Colour open up at 7.15pm. It doesn’t take long before Dallas Green’s hypnotic vocals echo across the near empty hall. Their set works on par with the venue filling up – the fuller it becomes the more interesting City and Colour get ending their strikingly surprising set and leaving us in a rather chilled state ready for Biffy.
8.30pm on the mark and here comes frontman Simon, alone and greeting us with ‘Different People’ off their recent album Opposites.
As the curtain drops the set takes a moment to take in – a tree represents the cover of Opposites and fuels with various colours for various moods throughout their impressive two hour set. Giant screens also grace the entire backdrop switching from the band to lyrics, montages, hypnotic shapes and effects. It must of a been a risky task to take on such a thrilling set idea but it’s paid off and only enhances the bands performance.
Their ferocity shows throughout the set as they mix old and new songs and get the crowd bouncing to hits like ‘Bubbles’ where everyone from the centre to the bar are jumping. Raving ensues with hit ‘Glitter and Trauma’ as stage hands come on and wave around some strobes.
Most the night has felt quite sedated as most wave their drinks, have a laugh and sing back but it’s enchanting when the entire floor sings back over the band.
Just short of two hours, 20 plus songs, Biffy’s bare chests must be raw from the performance by now but before they say goodbye the arena cries respectfully “mon the biff” and we’re serenaded to an encore. The gig ends with ‘Mountains’ and frontman Simon cries out “Diolch yn fawr” as he connects once more with the crowd – it feels intimate and grateful. Biffy fucking Clyro, true performers.
9/10
