Live Review: Biffy Clyro + Manchester Orchestra + Pulled Apart by Horses
‘Mon the Biffy!
Biffy Clyro + Manchester Orchestra + Pulled Apart by Horses @ Academy, Birmingham, 09-11-09
Life for the three men who make up Biffy Clyro must be pretty good right now; a new album out that has already garnered considerable praise from across the music press and a sold-out Birmingham Academy to help celebrate. All this coming off the back of a two-year period that has seen them explode from Scottish cult heroes to global rock stars and score their first top five single with the epic ‘Mountains’, and yes, life must be very good indeed.
Starting us off are Brit fourpiece Pulled Apart by Horses, whose beefy riffs and shouted vocals certainly do a good job of warming up the early comers. They hold the crowd’s attentions with a confident, loud and polished performance that wins them plenty of new fans. This could be a band worth keeping an eye on.
Second up in an evening of somewhat odd band names is Manchester Orchestra, who, naturally, are a rock band from America. Their set is nothing short of mesmerising; the fivesome blend the grunge stylings of Nirvana with a wonderful experimental side that results in a collection of intelligent songs that effortlessly blend quiet moments of soulful intruige with crushing, wall of noise riffs that shake you to the core. In a word – brilliant.
Onto the headliners, and there was no doubt this was going to be a great gig; this tour is a perfect celebration of the Biffy Clyro journey, and their setlist to understand how they have got to the level they now hold. Launching into Golden Rule from the new Only Revolutions album, the room is treated to Biffy at their best – frantic energy, catchy choruses and then wham! a stupendous, stomping ending. From then on it’s one great song after another at lightning speed, as the band are confident enough to mix brand new material such as Bubbles and Born on a Horse with more established numbers like Who’s Got a Match?, Machines and the wonderful Saturday Superhouse.
While the band working as a unit on stage are a sight to behold by themselves, the real star of the show is undoubtedly singer/guitarist Simon Neil, who puts in a frenetic shift covering most of the stage and contorting himself into what look like very uncomfortbale shapes while still hammering out his clever riffs. Seeing Neil live, you really appreciate what a talented singer he is as well as being an unconventional but stunning guitarist. The band take their leave after their crowd-friendly new single The Captain, before returning for an encore of older material that keeps the hardcore happy and then sending everyone into delerium with Mountains. Biffy Clyro are a great live band, possibly one of the best of the generation, and are fully deserving of their success. If they keep up this form the sky really is the limit for these three friends from Ayrshire.
Full Biffy Clyro setlist: Golden Rule/Living Is A Problem/Whole Child Ago/Bubbles/Who’s Got A Match?/9/15’s/57/Born On A Horse/Get F*cked Stud/Machines/Now I’m Everyone/Cloud Of Stink/Justboy/Love Has A Diameter/Jaggy Snake/God & Satan/Glitter & Trauma/Liberate The Illiterate/Saturday Superhouse/The Captain//Joy. Discovery. Invention/Semi-Mental/As Dust Dances/Mountains.
Photography: Dave Musson Photography
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Cool photos!!