Biffy Clyro - Norwich UEA
Scotrock beasts tear it up in Norwich.
As statements of intent go, Biffy Clyro's entrance onto the UEA stage is a pretty strong one. Without a word of "hello", they launch straight into 'That Golden Rule' and 'Living is a Problem Because Everything Dies', smothering the riotous crowd in a wall of sound that could fill this venue twice over. It's clear from this high-octane start that the band are on fire, proving themselves as the kings of staccato: Simon Neil and James Johnston twisting and jerking across the UEA stage while Ben Johnston hammers his drum kit from the comfort of his riser.
What follows next is an exhilarating set of older classics, recent smash hits and the introduction of tracks from their latest offering, 'Only Revolutions'. Onstage banter is kept to a minimum, but when you've an arsenal of hits this strong, why waste time with idle chit-chat? The band let the music do the talking and command the room, backed by an impressive light show befitting of far grander stages than this.
Though newer tracks such as ‘Bubbles’ and ‘God and Satan’ are met more with inquisitive ears than a rabid response, it's surely only time before these become staples of their set. However with the trio blasting out the likes of ‘Saturday Superhouse’ and ‘Semi Mental', or older tracks like ‘Justboy’, the crowd match the energy levels set by the band and welcome each song like old friends.
Not content with merely bursting eardrums, it’s amazing how much noise can be made from three shy Scotsmen. Pre and post encore closers ‘The Captain’ and ‘Mountains’ sound, quite frankly, massive. Stripped of their piano and orchestral backing they sound as emphatic as ever, once again being greeted by a mass sing-along from the sell-out crowd. Before leaving the stage, Neil states that it feels like their 107th trip to Norwich and that it "gets better each time". Whether it's genuine or not is irrelevent - there's little doubt here that Norwich can't wait for the 108th.
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