‘Mon the Biff’: Why Biffy Clyro are still one of the best live bands around
The Kilmarnock three-piece were once again on top form in Cardiff
It was a chilly, damp November Monday night in Cardiff. It was not the sort of evening where you want to be outside for too long. Luckily for me, I was spending it inside the Cardiff International Arena. Biffy Clyro topped the bill as they called in at the Welsh capital as part of their 2022 autumn tour. In just under two hours they reminded all inside the arena why, even after over 25 years as a band, they are still one of the best in the business when it comes to live performances.
I’ve had the fortunate opportunity of seeing Biffy Clyro live three times now, and this was my first taste of the band in an arena. The band from Kilmarnock didn’t disappoint- not that I ever thought they would.
Biffy are one of those bands that you can never tire from watching. I mean that in the sense you can never get bored of watching live- watching them live does tend to leave you exasperated and searching for breath. The energy and passion from each member of the trip gives you plenty to shout about and assures that you get your money’s worth. That is one thing about a live Biffy show- they’ll never leave you short changed.
During this voyage through their discography in Cardiff, Biffy journeyed through several stages of their history. One album in particular which had a good run out was ‘Only Revolutions’ which had no less than seven tracks performed. ‘God & Satan’ and ‘Many of Horror’ were personal standouts amongst a setlist that was near enough perfection for a Biffy set.
‘Who’s got a match?’ into ‘Black Chandelier as early as the fourth and fifth track of the night was a special move from the band, and demonstrated the change in pace brought about by Biffy’s classics. The ever significant ‘Machines’, played acoustically by just Simon Neil and his guitar, was every bit as powerful as the first time I heard it live back in 2017.
Biffy Clyro are a band synonymous with fiery, powerful live displays. I wait with baited breath for their next tour as, although they continue to create fantastic new music, they never fail to miss out the classics which have made the band one of the most recognisable in world music.
The Biffy story is far from done, but for those of you into passionate, slightly sweaty rock music then Biffy are a band you are probably already familiar with. If not, there’s still time to both sit down and listen to the hours of music created by them and also sit and wait patiently for the next tour/ festival appearance. Trust me, I’ll be joining you.
