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Following the success of their fifth straight (and sixth overall) UK #1 album ‘Futique‘, Kilmarnock trio Biffy Clyro set out on a huge UK arena tour, bringing tracks from their new album to the big stage alongside fan favourites from their previous six albums for their first show in Nottingham since 2010.

Tunbridge Wells punk-duo Soft Play served as the main support on the evening. Their fourth album ‘Heavy Jelly‘ remains one of the most hard-hitting releases of the 2020’s and just 18 months since its unveiling, the two-piece are still riding the wave. An already packed arena welcomed Isaac and Laurie to the stage, some in attendance were well aware of what to expect, but many were in for a surprise. Kicking off with ‘Heavy Jelly‘ opener ‘All Things‘, the song builds up into an almighty brawl for both members, unleashing ungodly amounts of energy right from the off. Following up with ‘Mirror Muscles‘ and ‘Isaac Is Typing…‘, Isaac detailed the story behind ‘Fuck the Hi-Hat‘, then unleashing into the short but heavy hitting track. The Nottingham crowd were invested right from the off, as mosh pits took place for the majority of the performance. Their returning track ‘Punk’s Dead‘ continues to be a fan favourite, and the final track of their set ‘The Hunter‘ still hasn’t aged one bit.

No music was played to entertain the crowd during the changeover, instead, an eerie sound served as the background noise with white drapes covering the stage’s display for thirty minutes. As soon as darkness came, the Nottingham crowd roared with excitement, ready to welcome the Scottish rockers. The white curtain soon filled with silhouettes of the band in various positions, before being dropped as the intro of ‘A Little Love‘ kicked in. Further cheers were soon halted though as another set of drapes covered each band member, so the excitement continued to build for their grand revealing. ‘Hunting Season‘ followed and the band were now in the eyeline of the 10,000 capacity arena. The new material has already become clear favourites throughout the Biff’s fanbase, but it was the more popular golden oldie ‘That Golden Rule‘ that picked up the pace with its sheer ferocity.

Announced a few weeks prior to the tour was that bassist James Johnston would be absent from these shows to focus on his health. A vital member certainly missed but with Naomi Macleod substituted in for the tour, the chemistry between Simon Neil and long time touring member (and occasional album contributor) Mike Vennart on stage has shifted perfectly from their Empire State Bastard performances. Both Simon and Naomi would take up different positions throughout the stage’s layout, whether that was underneath the big screens on either side or making their way up the steps for a podium finish. Further fan favourites including ‘Tiny Indoor Fireworks‘ and ‘Biblical‘ kept the Nottingham crowds voices in tune, the latter, a much more elegant and beautiful choir like setting.

‘Opposites‘ opener ‘Different People‘ and single ‘Black Chandelier‘ maintained the more sombre approach to the Biffy sound, while ‘Mountains‘ serves as more of a festival like hit. Darkness loomed over the arena once again, this time for ‘Machines‘, which saw Simon, Naomi and Ben sit on the steps of the stage and deliver an emotional acoustic finale just in time for the encore. The band returned after a brief breather and picked up in the complete opposite to the previous song. ‘The Captain‘ kicked off the four track encore, and an extended ‘Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies‘ soon followed.

Simon and Mike’s energetic stage presence continues right until the very end, as ‘Bubbles‘ gave the audience one last time to unleash their energy in the mosh pit before ‘Many of Horror‘ concluded Biffy’s return to the city after a 15 year long overdue appearance.