Biffier than thou

The amount of times I here ‘Mon The Biffy’ tonight, if stretched in font 10
end to end would circum navigate the world 6.5 times. Fact.
Is their a limit to the amount of times a band is medically able to tour? If
there is pray for Biffy Clyro as they play way too many shows for their own
good. This tour, tentatively in promotion of new single ‘Only One Word
Springs To Mind’, is another biggy from one of the most credible UK bands
doing the rounds at the moment. It seems as if they don’t really need an
excuse to tour anymore anyway, in house conversations must go something like
- “oh look it’s the 10th Sunday after Pentecost? Right here we go again
lads.“ Now that’s grafting.

Truth is Biffy really do deserve all the recent plaudits from media and fans
alike, after so many years in the wilderness it turns out diversifying their
sound and upping the weirdness factor actually progressed their careers, go
figure. Ah yes it’s the age old tale of the hare and the tortoise re-written
for the modern day UK rock chronicles. While Hundred Reasons and Hell Is For
Heroes rushed out of the blocks and had big selling debut albums but were
then unceremoniously dropped earlier this year, Biffy Clyro have kept
plugging away, playing the toilets of the British Isles, building up a vast
fan base and releasing ever advancing, more challenging albums and finally
they’re approaching the finishing line. To add extra irony to the saga it’s
the very same Hell Is For Heroes that are supporting tonight. It’s a
touching tale of how hard work, determination and sacrifice can pay off.
Stay in school kids.

So then, Leeds Met. it is, definite proof Biffy have stepped it up a notch
after playing the Cockpit in September? or a one off? They’ve sold this
place out easily so it looks unlikely they’ll be disappearing any time soon,
unluckily for anyone that hasn’t witnessed them in full flow in a more
intimate setting but tonight Biffy Clyro prove they can rock with the best
of them no matter what the setting,
Formed from the ashes of hardcore mob Will Haven , er, hardcore mob
Ghostride have the relatively tame task of warming an already pumped crowd
up. But seriously, hardcore thrashing on a Biffy bill? It’s not the best of
choices. They aren't that bad in reality. Very grimy in a ‘we haven't
cleaned behind the toilet in 25 years’ kinda way and equally as unpleasant
to look at (sorry, I didn’t have a chance to smell them but I assume
similar), They chug away incessantly with the vocals just this side of
screamed and there is enough melody there to be bearable but after 3 songs
it’s fair to say I've had enough and retreat to the bar.

Do people still care about Hell Is For Heroes? You bet your left testicle
they do. A very dishevelled looking Justin Schlossberg has to be in with a
shot of winning most intense and self harming frontman around at the moment
(as well as vocalist with hardest to spell surname which he’s won 3 years
running and has a meticulously polished trophy on his mantelpiece to that
effect). Kicking off with comeback song ‘Kamichi’ its a set of superb
numbers which go to prove how vital HIFH are. I almost wish this was a
co-headlining show as Hell Is For Heroes are just superb in whatever format
you find them. ‘Retreat’ is the only sorely missed absentee but
‘Nightvision’ and ‘I Can Climb Mountains’ are as immense as ever and the
crowd lap it up in a big way. The new songs in some respects pale in
comparison (case in point ’Models For The Programme’) but hopefully that’s
just down to the fact their growers. HIFH deserve to be back on top of the
pile in 2005, check them out headlining in April.

It’s time for the purveyors of the anti-overnight success Biffy Clyro then.
Do you like pretentious band introductions? Then you’ll love Biffy, 5 odd
minutes of rumbling and lighting effects that even Space Mountain couldn’t
top are the preview to a stonking ‘Glitter and Trauma’ where not pogo-ing
would result in premature death. It’s just not an option for a long while.
It’s amazing just how many amazing hits Biffy Clyro have in their arsenal,
at least 3 huge classics from each of their 3 albums plus a supporting cast
of many more extremely strong tunes. Tonight's setlist turns out to be a tad
toooo long though (as a sprint to the train station ensured following
completion), it could have been condensed slightly more but maybe Simon Neil
and the Johnston Brothers are saying a big thanks to all the diehard (of
which their are many) fans here in Leeds tonight by playing such a
substantial amount of material. On top of that it appears lead vocalist
Simon is enjoying it more tonight than he has previous, my last Biffy
experience in September for example I believed was a much more lacklustre
display than tonight's excellent display. Highlights are impossible to
trace but the usual suspects of ‘Justboy’ and ‘Ideal Height’ are never going
to be less than exquisite. Everything a show should be, great music, great
atmosphere, great band.

A notch has indeed been risen but will this be the last stop of Biffys road
to domination or have they got more in the bag? If you’re a Biffy Clyro fan,
I don’t think you need me to answer that.

9/10
Luke_Ramsden_