BIFFY CLYRO // OPEN AIR THEATRE, SCARBOROUGH
BIFFY CLYRO STUN A YORKSHIRE AUDIENCE WITH THEIR FIRST GIG OF 2019 - NEW SONGS & HAIRCUTS - BUT THE SAME FIREY PERFORMANCE ‘MON THE BIFF’
BIFFY CLYRO - SCARBOROUGH OPEN AIR THEATRE © JOHN HAYHURST
★★★★★ (5/5)
Biffy Clyro always make a point at some point in each show of announcing we are Biffy F#cking Clyro, while it always gets a big cheer from the crowd and will stay part of the show I do wonder if it’s now redundant. Who doesn’t know who they are? If you know anything about music in this country then you should know that Biffy are one of, if not the best, homegrown live acts.
I suspect before this show the band read their Caesar, Veni, Vedi, Vici, because to say they blew Scarborough away last night feels like an understatement. At one point one of the band apologised for their being rusty (it was their first show in a year). If this was a rusty Biffy, then any other band who saw this gig last night would have been sitting there in trepidation of what’s to come. I’m sure there may have been the odd technical error or not quite perfect note, I, and the rest of the totally enraptured crowd didn’t notice any of it. Looking round the sheer joy of the crowd’s faces showed just how good Biffy are.
This was my first time at this venue, maybe I got lucky with my seat, but the acoustics were excellent, I’m not sure they could have been any better. The view was tremendous, and the general atmosphere couldn’t have been any better. I would definitely go to another gig at Scarborough Open Air Theatre.
There were two support acts, Fatherson, who are decent live band who opened the show well and got the crowd going and GhostPoet, the latter was an interesting choice as a support for Biffy Clyro. I suspect he knew this was not his audience, but he didn’t let that stop him, he produced a visceral, intense and brooding set which, for me, was excellent. Anyone in the crowd with an open mind could not help but be impressed.
At times it felt like Mezzanine era Massive Attack and Tricky had gotten together and given birth to this immense talent. The only thing that’s stopped me continuously streaming his music since has been the need to listen to Biffy Clyro to relive what, for me, was the best gig I’ve seen this year so far.
We knew Biffy could put on a good show, this was way above being a good show. From the moment they walked out onto the stage they took control of the venue, the crowd and the night. From the first song to the encore every song was brilliantly executed, the engagement with the crowd could not have been better and the atmosphere created will live long in my memory. As a fellow Ayrshireman I could not have been prouder or more impressed by the band.
The pyrotechnics, the shoots of flame, the sound, the traditional stripping to the waist on a, at times, horrible night, even the misunderstanding of what the crowd were chanting when the Yorkshire chant started (a tradition at gigs in Yorkshire but I think the band thought they were chanting something ruder to start ending with a t and not re), none of if threw this band off their stride.
I have a few more gigs arranged for this year, I will be amazed if any of them live up to this gig. Biffy Clyro are a truly great live band with brilliant songs (Many of Horror to close the main set will live long in my memory) and just a joy to go see. If you haven’t already stop missing out. While they are in this form there are very few bands that can lay a hand on them.
SETLIST: | BIFFY CLYRO : OPEN AIR THEATRE, SCARBOROUGH - 14.06.2019
Balance, Not Symmetry
Living Is a Problem Because Everything Dies
Howl
The Captain
God & Satan
Mountains
Different People
Born on a Horse
Bubbles
Who’s Got a Match
Sunrise
Re-Arrange
Black Chandelier
Wolves of Winter
Biblical
57
Adored
9/15ths
Animal Style
That Golden Rule
Many of Horror
ENCORE:
Machines
Stingin’ Belle