Biffy Clyro
Live at Leeds Festival 2007 on Sunday, 26th August 2007
Mute Math - The Carling Stage
The New Orleans quartet are perhaps only known thus far as recently re-doing the Transformers theme and for their excellent video to "Typical" which has attracted over 1 million views on Youtube. That will soon change with more performances like this. Coming on like Soulwax meets The Stone Roses meets Kasabian the band sure know how to get people moving with a collection of songs that get heads rocking and toes tapping. Vocalist Paul Meany jumps around the stage with his keytar as bassist Roy helps out drummer Darren King with additional splashes of percussion. Meany's energetic display has him vaulting over his keyboard before laying atop it whilst still playing before King abandons his kit to use his sticks on the keyboard's hard plastic to pound out a rhythmic beat. He then clambers upon the keyboard with his floor tom beating the shell, rims and skin with his sticks as Meany pounds what is left of the kit with huge mallets and guitarist Greg Hill uses his pedalboard to create a sweeping soundscape. It's a percussive display the Kodo drummers would be proud of and it receives strong applause from the growing crowd. After re-assembling the drum kit for a final song Mute Math promptly destroy it again with a cacophonous end to one of the performances of the weekend.
Micky P Kerr & The Dudes - Topman Unsigned Stage
Love him or hate him you can't deny that Mr Kerr is a born entertainer. Even his detractors must succumb at some point to his affable charm and dry wit. There's a huge crowd to see him at the Unsigned Stage and he doesn't disappoint launching into "I Like Drinking" which brings cheers and shouts from all those desperately trying to get drunk on lukewarm Carling. Switching between the comedy hip hop of "Banned For Life" and the sweet beauty of "Where It's At", Kerr caters for all comers with keyboardist Steve Diamond adding a sprinkle of magic with some delightful work on the fake ivories and vocalist Bex's rich voice providing a charming counterpoint to Kerr's 40 a day rasp. Closing with a cover of 2Unlimited's "No Limit" the crowd can't claim to be anything but entertained.
The Young Knives - Radio 1 / NME Stage
It's tough for three pieces to really fill out a large stage and whilst The Young Knives may have managed to ignite smaller stages on their way here and have delivered a good album of pop songs they just don't seem to cut it in front of an almost full tent this afternoon. There's nothing particularly bad about the set, but there's nothing to really excite about it either which simply makes for a rather dull 40 minutes until "She's Attracted To" finally gets people moving about and singing along. It seems that a large portion of people are just using the set as a chance to get a good vantage point for the following Pigeon Detectives set.
The Pigeon Detectives - Radio 1 / NME Stage
After packing out The Carling Stage last year the Rothwell boys up the ante once more with people queuing for 30 metres or so outside of the packed Radio1 / NME tent. Recent heavy airplay of course has helped massively but the band show how it's all deserved and do their best to ensure they won't just be the flavour of the month. The solid drumming of Jimmi Naylor lays the foundation upon which The Pigeon Detectives craft their memorable pop songs, with their sing-a-long choruses that the crowd shout out at the top of their voices. Matt Bowman works the stage like he's been doing it for years, never stopping for breath other than to offer genuine thanks for the support from those gathered that has propelled them here so quickly. Closing with "I'm Not Sorry" the band finish a triumphant set that will surely see them in an evening main stage slot next year.
Biffy Clyro - Radio 1 / NME Stage
The Scotsmen give a masterclass in how huge three piece bands can sound. Right from the off Biffy build a massive wall of sound as the bare chested Simon Neil howls out vocals as he wrenches the tunes out of his guitar. James and Ben Johnston's harmonies add thick texture to the crunching rock songs as the band rock hard through a set of non stop quality tunes. The use of dynamic is impeccable as the band shift seamlessly from a hush to an eruption of sound, taking the crowd with them in a whirlwind of power and melody. "Living Is A Problem Because Everything Dies" is rollercoaster of triumphant rock that nearly unleashes the huge tent from its shackles. "Machines" shows that the band are more than just a powerhouse act with its delicacy and grace giving everyone chance to catch their breath. Overall it has to be a strong contender for the performance of the weekend, the heaving crowd going wild for each tune and the whole place buzzing with an energy and excitement. Unquestionably the Ayreshire gents will soon find themselves headlining the main stage and tearing that to pieces as well with another magnificent display.
- www.biffyclyro.com
- www.thepigeondetectives.com
- www.theyoungknives.com
- www.mickypkerr.co.uk
- www.myspace.com/mutemath
