Since the release of Puzzle, Biffy Clyro’s ability to write to please the mainstream can’t be questioned with a string of tracks placing in the top 40. Tonight they brought their flawless live performance to Leeds.

First up were Then Thickens, a suitable choice with their mellow indie sound, receiving a great reception from the crowd. 9pm approached and the cheers of ‘Mon the Biff’ increased, a popular option for homemade t-shirt designs too infact.  Stingin’ Belle from upcoming album Opposites got it’s live debut as the opener followed by The Captain. Whilst frontman Simon Neil doesn’t spend a lot of time interacting with the crowd, the groups performance is near perfect, they are a brilliant live band. Looking around the venue, the sheer delight on faces of many fans only enforces the how great this trio are in person. They cover an array of songs from all 5 of their studio albums, naturally the biggest cheers go to the biggest sellers. Many Of Horror induced a mass sing a long, the voices of the crowd echoing round the room. Ending on That Golden Rule, they didn’t leave their audience chanting their name long before re-appearing for a 3 song encore. Finishing on Mountains, the crowd singing back almost drowned out the band, their enthusiasm for the group was evident throughout the gig.

As the smiling faces filter out, there is no doubt that they have just seen an excellent live band; no frills or over the top stage imagery, a night focussed on the music; something that unfortunately isn’t so common in the mainstream world. No doubt Biffy will be around for a long while yet.

Photo courtesy of Ed Fielding.

Laura Woodhead