Biffy Clyro
Bash street kids: Biffy Clyro? Sounds like a character from a vintage issue of The Beano, or perhaps one of Biggles's chums: "I say, Biffy, old chap, watch out for that Fokker coming up your starboard side!" But Biffy Clyro are actually a three-piece outfit from the west of Scotland who remain coy about the origin of their name. They wanted an ambiguous name, one that wouldn't give any clues to what the band sound like. So, if Biffy-rock is your bag, then check these guys out - they've been nominated Best British Band at the Kerrang! awards, and their third album, Infinity Land, is in the shops now. The band's idiosyncratic sound encapsulates everything from punk to prog to metal to male voice choir, via such oddly-titled tunes as Glitter and Trauma, There's No Such Thing as a Jaggy Snake and The Kids from Kibble and the Fist of Light.
Biff bang pow: It all kicked off in the mid-1990s, when teenagers Simon Neil and drummer Ben Johnston got together and formed a band called Screwfish. In the beginning, the boys just wanted to sound like their heroes, Nirvana and Guns N' Roses. But when Ben's twin brother James joined up on bass, the trio started to find their own sound, even studying audio engineering in Glasgow just to get the right electronic edge. All three Biffs share vocal duties, and cite such diverse influences as Fugazi, Red House Painters, Ben Folds Five, Helmet and Stevie Wonder. They also confess to a liking for Canadian prog-rock trio Rush. They released their début single, Iname, in 1999, followed by an EP entitled thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow, and were soon signed to Beggar's Banquet. The Biffs have taken the stealth approach to success, letting their fanbase build slowly over three albums, numerous singles, and exhaustive touring.
In record time: Biffy Clyro might favour the slow-burn method for building a career, but when it comes to recording, the trio don't waste studio time. They recorded their second album, The Vertigo of Bliss, in a single day in Great Linford Manor studios. That left them a whole week to kill, so they spent the remainder of their studio time on the PlayStation. The album's eye-catching cover, by Italian comic artist Milo Manara, features a comely young maiden pleasuring herself manually - you wouldn't see that in The Beano or The Hotspur.
Packing a punch: Biffy Clyro are out on tour (again!) and they'll be doing five dates around Ireland starting on December 1st (check Ticket listings for details). "The people that have heard us seem to love us," says Simon. "And that's the important thing: there's still so many more out there who'll potentially feel the same way. But our only real ambition is to be our own favourite band, and I think we're succeeding."
