Why Soundwave Was Another Level For Biffy Clyro

Touring Israel was “educational”, playing shows in Russia was “eye-opening”, but the best time Simon Neil has had on the road this year was when Biffy Clyro visited us for Soundwave 2014. The Scottish alt-rock trio have done the US Warped Tour before, but Neil jokes it was “almost like a prisoners version” of Soundwave for “people that have been bad in another life”. Australia’s favourite travelling circus of heavy was another level for the group.

The frontman admits he pinched himself when he saw the line-up Biffy Clyro were a part of; astounding when you consider this is a band that have headlined Reading/Leeds Festival, one of the most important music events in the world. “It’s the only festival I’ve ever been at that I’ve not been able to see all the bands I wanted to,” Neil remarks.

He found new mates in Troy Sanders of Mastodon and Lee Spielman from Trash Talk – “bands that we wouldn’t necessarily tour with” – and calls the entire experience “life affirming”; an event designed for “lifers” where music is everything.

“It’s such a special festival – you can feel it from the people,” he smiles. “I was fortunate, [I met] Dave [Brockie] from Gwar before he passed away, and I got a picture of me pretending to suck his warty cock, and it’s things like that, God rest his soul, that make it such a great thing – like, when would I ever get to hang out with the guy from Gwar? Why would he ever want to get his picture taken with me? And just weird things like that, that’s what makes it special.”

The 12pm starts saw Neil and his bandmates shed a few kilos, though. “I’m a sweating maniac anyway, but to put three Scottish boys and a pair of Englishmen in that heat – it took us a couple of gigs to get acclimatised,” he chuckles, referencing the five-piece form Biffy tour as these days. “But that’s what makes it feel like a bit more of a holiday for us – we’re getting a suntan as well as playing a rock’n’roll show.”

The downside of the Soundwave beast, however, is time constraints for bands on early in the day. Thirty minutes to work through six records was as difficult to navigate for Biffy Clyro as it was for us to accept; that’s why Neil is adamant that on these headline dates they’ll be putting everything they have into their shows, with plans to push the two-hour mark and explore as much of their varied catalogue as possible.

“It’s a real big deal for us this time, because every other time we’ve come to Australia [for our own tour] there’s only been like three week’s notice. On this trip we’re going to Perth, we’re getting to meet people properly, it’s really exciting. We’ve always had so many sides to our band, and I feel like each side is as important as the next, [so] it’s such a thrill to be able to show people the development of our [music].

“Those [old] songs are still such a [big] part of who we are, even though when we play them, like we play There’s No Such Thing As A Jaggy Snake and I can see some people in the crowd having a right fright, like, ‘What the fuck are they doing? I want to hear Many Of Horror!’

“But I think a song like ...Jaggy Snake is the best example of a weird prog metal song that we could ever write, and I’m so proud of it, and that’s why we will play it in September. But it’s nice to play that and then a song like Opposite, which is placid and really soothing almost. And I love that. I’m sure some old-school Biffy fans will think, ‘Oh, they don’t scream anymore,’ but we’ve done that, [and] to me that’s what’s most exciting about our band; that we can do something different and aggressive and then something that’s uber-pop.”

And even though they mightn’t be as shouty as they once were, Biffy Clyro can’t deny the energy still coursing through their veins, with Neil providing first impressions on a follow-up to last year’s double-album opus, Opposites.

“Our next record is going to be back to a heavy rock record; it’s still going to have big tunes but it won’t be as lush,” he reveals. “And it will almost bring us back around – not quite full circle, but back to that intense sound of a guitar, bass and drums. And playing songs like ...Jaggy Snake and Joy.Discovery.Invention and Glitter And Trauma; that’s still in our blood, and that does feed back into the new songs.”