Music review: Biffy Clyro, Big Top, Ingliston
Simon Neil and friends brought brought real festival headliner energy to the Big Top at Ingliston, writes David Pollock
Biffy Clyro, The Big Top at Ingliston, Edinburgh *****
“It was obvious when we walked onstage that this was going be one of those nights we won't want to end,” gasped Biffy Clyro’s Simon Neil, midway through a Saturday night set which had already left everyone inside the new Big Top tent at Ingliston breathless. The last of a fortnight of gigs at this new mini-festival site – held in what was once T in the Park’s Slam Tent – brought real festival headliner energy.
As if divine insistence were needed to emphasise how good a show this was, the heavens opened during the set, with floods of water streaming off the canvas just as Neil announced the next song: “This is Biblical!”
The Ayrshire trio – singer and guitarist Neil, bassist James Johnston and drummer Ben Johnston, all sweatily stripped to the waist as always – are one of those already-thrilling live propositions who always seem to be able to eke out just a little more energy from band and crowd when they’re playing on home turf. Theirs is a rock sound fit for stadiums, yet one which can also veer off pleasingly out-of-category.
The opening DumDum was a measured, icy piece of synth-rock. Wolves of Winter unfolded into an expansive, proggy trip, while Space landed back on earth with romantic, string-infused balladry. Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies built on serrated post-punk which sounded positively cataclysmic under canvas, and Bubbles began amid ragged, almost beat-pop melodies.
Of course, they also have an ever-growing array of true modern rock classics, including the melodic, emo Black Chandelier, and sky-scraping signature songs Mountains, The Captain and the closing Many of Horror. The latter, successfully recaptured from the infamy of its X-Factor cover, was roared along with by a capacity crowd.