Tonight, Cardiff Castle is very full – sold out, in fact – with Scottish rock titans Biffy Clyro back in town for their second show this year. The first, at the Arena back in January, was also fully booked, and some bands in this position would settle for a rehash, but not Biffy.
Tonight’s set is a different production (gone are the white sheets, everything’s a bit more red) and a different setlist altogether. And it’s brilliant. Starting with The Captain, that opening “woo!” reverberates around the castle walls with a mighty rumble, before the heavy delight of That Golden Rule rips furiously from the stage as frontman Simon Neil conducts the madness in a denim kilt.
In comparison to January’s show, there’s a lot less of latest album Futique and much more of Biffy’s greatest hits, with a few deep cuts thrown in for the hardcores. Who’s Got A Match? sees Neil brandishing an actual flamethrower, before abandoning it a minute later (“That’s enough of that dangerous shit”). There are flames all around the stage to keep that fire burning, in any event.
A shoutout to the Cardiff Barfly, once adjacent to the castle and the location of Biffy’s first Welsh gigs, introduces Justboy – “an old song! We used to play it right fucking there!” Biblical, from 2013, is pure magic, its “woah”s distinctly hair-raising and spinetingling. “We have such a deep connection to Wales,” says Neil, before kicking off Space. “This is such a special place.” Likewise, this is a special band.
The whole band gathers around a mic to deliver the a cappella There’s No Such Man As Crasp, which serves as the intro to its parent song There’s No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake – a longstanding fan favourite (drummer Ben Johnston told me recently that fans’ appetite for it outweighs theirs for playing it) with additional pyro included. After Mountains finishes the main set, Neil returns with his acoustic guitar for Machines – dedicated to bassist James Johnston, who remains absent for health reasons with Naomi Macleod his substitute.
“Cardiff! You guys have been fucking amazing tonight,” says Neil, before Many Of Horror finishes the set. “This has been a very special night. And we are BIFFY FUCKIN’ CLYRO!” A special evening with Scotland’s favourite band.
Biffy Clyro, Cardiff Castle, Thurs 30 July
words JOSHUA WILLIAMS photos JON HERRON
