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Biffy Clyro

Date: 13/12/2008
Rating: *****

2008 has been a big, big year for Biffy Clyro. The Scottish trio have been riding high on the continued success of 2007's 'Puzzle' and more recently, single 'Mountains'. Having spent the last few weeks holed up on a farm demoing new tracks for album number 5, they have come out to play their last few shows of 2008 in the UK and Ireland before all those in Team Biffy go home for a well deserved Christmas break.

Tonight, the opening night on the tour, a 'warm-up', sees the band in Dunfermline's Alhambra Theatre, a gorgeous little venue which has been recently re-furbished and is quite a setting for tonight's rock'n'roll party.

Fellow West-Coast rockers Sucioperro open up proceedings, their edgy, but catchy songs go down well, and even the few who know of the band open up a few miniature mosh pits, and great each song emphatically. The majority however seem to be Sucio virgins, but show their appreciation all the same.

By the time Biffy take to the stage, the venue is swelling to bursting point. A giant white sheet masks the stage and the generous helpings of dry ice keep the view of the band limited to that of a few shadows. As the opening riff of 'Living Is A Problem...' begins and the lights flash along with the jagged rhythm, we can just about make out four other shadowy figures perched either side of Ben Johnston – a four piece string section. The anticipation in the crowd of what might happen tonight multiplies and as the huge chorus kicks in the stage is fully exposed and the sing along is deafening.

What stands out right from the start is how phenomenal the production is – lights, sound, effects – it's all perfect, it sounds huge... until, disaster strikes. During the closing moments of the opener the PA makes a loud cracking noise and then, nothing. A rather eerie, apprehensive silence comes over the audience, but fortunately the panic is quickly dispelled and the set continues with a further three tracks from 'Puzzle' in 'Saturday Superhouse', 'Get Fucked Stud' and 'Whole Child Ago' before crowd favourite 'Joy. Discovery. Invention' and the unexpected 'Ideal Height', '27', and 'Convex, Concave' (which is truly brilliant), are split by further 'Puzzle' tracks including the utterly outstanding '9/15th's' which is transformed with the addition of strings.
Simon Neil's solo rendition of 'Folding Stars' is gorgeous and emotional, as is the impressive 'Machines', complete with glockenspiel and cello.

Another worrying PA drop out during the opening verse of 'Justboy' threatens to kill off the gig far too early, but a bit of quick engineering and we’re off again, with the band picking up exactly where they left off.

Unsurprisingly, 'Mountains' receives the biggest cheer of the night from this mainly 'Puzzle' era audience, but it's the final track of the night that is definitely for the die-hards. The awesome 'Now The Action Is On Fire', the closing track from Biffy's second album, and arguably their best, 'The Vertigo Of Bliss'. Yet again the strings add another dimension we've not heard live on this track before and it's a brilliant, and fitting ending to an, almost, perfect night of rock. All that remains is for Simon Neil to throw away his guitar and launch himself into the crowd leaving the Johnston twins and their four new stage accomplices to finish things off.

Tonight's show was an utter triumph for the Ayrshire trio, and it's a testament to how far they've come since 'Puzzle' was launched 18 months ago. We now wait in anticipation of album number 5 and the direction this will take, given the diversity across the first 4 albums, it could be very interesting indeed. One thing will never be in doubt though, and that is that Biffy are unique, uniquely brilliant, and long may that continue.

‘Mon The Biffy!

Chris Leonard, Rock Louder
www.rocklouder.co.uk

Opening with the majestic ‘Living is a Problem’ it was clear from the start that this was going to be quite a gig. It’s not that Dunfermline fans don’t get many live gigs, indeed ITM? itself has been resident there for many a month. It’s just that when bands do make the effort to cross that little bridge to Fife-land and when they choose stunning venues like the Alhambra, then the crowd just can’t help but act that little bit grateful. Bouncing like loons and making the creaky balcony sag on every beat, it was certainly an opener the crowd won’t forget in a hurry. Heart in your mouth with every bass note, it did cross my mind that this was likely the loudest gig this venue had heard in over 40 years at least.

‘Less the Product’ eased us back into a false sense of security as did ‘Joy.Discovery.Invention’ with all its intricacies. Proving they did some hard graft for their ‘Puzzle’ album, and stretching themselves in their search for the highest quality they could produce, they have shown they can give just that. Sure, the die hard fans of yore from the good old days will look in vain for the stop-start shouts and the heavy metal endings, but when the string quartet stride onstage and sit alongside Ben like they were his secret weapon, the audience sit back and relax with admiration as the band manage to weave their magic whether fast or slow. In what turned out to be rather a lengthy show, with only a smattering of technical hitches, the crowd were treated to a good dose of acoustic tunes too, highlight of which was ‘Folding Stars’ – poignant and perfect as was their classic ‘Machines’. So beautiful in fact it prompted the couple in front to get engaged much to the delight of a whole balcony of well-wishers. Finishing the night with ‘Hope for an Angel’ Biffy remind us all how despite appearance and all new melodics and cuddles, they stick true to their guns (well, Simon’s at least) and their rock. Rounding off with a very impressive launch into the crowd much to the distress of the already distressed security, Simon is quite a force to be reckoned with. Much love Biff.

Karen Dorrat, Is This Music?
www.isthismusic.com

The Alhambra Theatre, Dunfermline

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