Biffy Clyro have been my favourite band since I was old enough to truly choose a favourite band for myself. When I was around 13 I really got into them listening back on their older albums, particularly attaching myself to Puzzle which was probably my first real ‘favourite album’ too. As time has gone on their library of music has become tied to many memories and periods of my life so I can feel nostalgic and excited about them all at once.

I’ve now seen them live a ridiculous 7 times (and it gets better every single time). In the picture below you can see the quality of my phone camera improving as they did and as always my photos are taken with me at full stretch trying to take pictures as a periscope view of the stage, being small at gigs ain’t always easy. Biffy gigs are potentially some of the rowdiest crowds that I’ve been in but have fully thrown myself into the fun. I’ve been thrown around, squished, held off the ground by how tightly packed the crowd is. It’s intense but that’s half the fun when listening to music that energetic. Biffy are an incredible live band so everytime they tour anywhere near me I can’t resist getting a ticket to do it all over again.

It all started back in 2013 at the AECC in Aberdeen while they were on the Opposites Tour, this was my first real gig ever at 15 years old and I was right up at the barrier living my best life and practically dropping a cup size with the amount I was pushed forward during the gig. At the end of this one I was lucky enough to catch one of Ben’s drumsticks which I held onto for dear life. The following year I went to my first music festival and T in the Park‘s final year at the brilliant Ballado site which was the best weekend ever, topped off by Biffy headlining! The next time I saw them play was a unique one as they headlined the Concert in the Park during Edinburgh’s Hogmanay in 2015. What more could I want in my first year living in Edinburgh than to bring in the New Year listening to my favourite band?

Starting 2016 off listening to Biffy must have been a good omen because I then saw them again a few more times, maybe also because they released a new album, but whatever I had fun. In the summer I headed to Bellahouston Park with some pals to see them play Glasgow Summer Sessions which I loved. It was like being at a music festival but just for one day so you get all the fun with less of the dirtiness. I also caught them again in the AECC in Aberdeen on the Ellipses Tour which was brilliant. And in 2017 I caught another festival set from them at the brand new TRNSMT Festival in Glasgow (which was a replacement sister festival to Titp shutting down) this was a great set and they had super cool stage design for this one.

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And then the other day I hit the lucky number 7 at Usher Hall here in Edinburgh where the band played their MTV Unplugged set! This was certainly a unique experience to hear them play an entire show acoustic and to be sitting down whilst listening to them play. Completely different to every other gig of their I had attended but still very lovely in a different way. It meant that I was 100% comfortable and could actually see the stage which is once in a lifetime for me but it also lacked the hype and energy you get from jumping around in a crowd. Being all acoustic though, it mean that you could really hear and appreciate how brilliant Biffy Clyro are. Songwriting and musical skill is so on point, on top of being really freaking cool.

This band really mean a lot to me and have remained a consistent favourite in my life for almost a decade now. When I, the massive chicken, have considered getting a tattoo it has always been a Biffy reference that I’ve thought of but I am yet to find the right design for folding stars that doesn’t just look like basic shaded starts – if you know of anyone that could take a whack at it, let me know! I think I will always love Biffy Clyro because I have so many positive memories tied in with their music so long may they reign and keep making music and touring so I can see them again.