Biffy Clyro - London Highbury Garage - 16/7/02
3/5
By: Andy Willson
Fast-forward to Xmas day. You're sitting there with the family, having dinner, and, soon enough, it's time to pull out the crackers; you open yours and, following the delight of learning that you've won yourself your own plastic hair-grip, you then find the joke written on a small piece of paper:
'What do you get if you cross a biro with Cliff Richard?'
Biffy Clyro, naturally - also, allegedly, where tonight's stars' band-name originated from, as chosen from when these boys were still at school.
Yet, despite such a distracting tale, these three wild Scotsmen, with undomesticated hair to match, really know how to shake the room. Squeezed tightly on a bill between rowdy newcomers Kinesis and Hell is for Heroes in a packed Garage, Biffy Clyro treat their following to what they know best, hardly veering off the path marked 'Hard Rock Heaven - Five Miles Left'.
Somewhat blatantly, their set is brandished mainly from their greatly overlooked debut album, 'Blackened Sky', using the tried, tested (and successful) quiet harmonies, then mental/madness/thrashing routine. Main frontman - for all three get their own chance at throwing together some vocal-exercises during the course of the evening - Simon Neil, consistently growls like a grizzly over fuzzy guitars and pounding drums for a thrilling forty-five buzzworthy minutes, the greatest cheer of the night reserved for prior single, '27', most people's original introduction to the noisy buggers.
Notable throughout the entire course of the occasion, actually, is the audience itself: comprised of predominantly chipper, keen and eager teenagers willing to throw themselves about in the same vein as bananas splattered against a solid, brick wall, cheers of heart-warming adoration are thrown forth to the stage, with a loyalty and fan-solidarity last seen in the 70s when confused women found tragic boy-band Bay City Rollers to be of sexual relevance. Thus, pleasingly, as the band soars through the likes of new 45 'Joy.Discovery.Invention', it's only right that it's rewarded with a cheer fit for a location larger than tonight's specific premises.
Reminiscent of Nirvana? Bearing tones of Seafood? As growlingly raucous as Motorhead? They sure are, and bearing in mind that BC have spent the last year touring furiously, with this much effort exerted each and every night, then things in good time should start to pay off for them... Admittedly, it won't be everyone's cup of tea - but there are plenty around the UK now that are, evidently, ready to have multiple refills of Biffy Clyro's unique Earl Grey.
Artists in this article: Biffy Clyro
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