The Tivoli is one of Brisbane's prettiest venues. Old-world mirrors and carpet abound, and two levels of viewing pleasure face a large, imposing stage.
Into that setting walk ex-Australian, now UK based outfit Calling All Cars who are supporting Biffy Clyro on their tour. The band waste no time punching out a fast-paced set of indie inspired loud rock. It's somewhat entrancing and people seem to want to jump but they're not really moving much just yet. Almost every band has a great sound on the Tivoli stage but Calling All Cars make it their own, bringing Australia back from Bristol and warming the crowd for Biffy Clyro's entrance. They're a class act and it seems as if they've only just begun playing when suddenly the show is over and the interlude before the main event intrudes for a time.
As expected the dead-tree Biffy backdrop stands expectantly behind the instruments. Across the venue the crowd extends into the merchant area, unusual for this venue. Scottish traditionals wafting from the house PA do not prepare the people for what comes next.
Lights flash and Biffy Clyro hit the stage. They're sometimes touted as something of an indie-influenced act but from the first note it's clear this is punk powered by Scottish force. They've grown beards and balls since last time. Jumping, posing in classic rock stances then jumping some more, the Biffy boys have adrenalin to burn. To add to the attraction, when they stop playing speak, the soft Scottish accent is adorable. For those who enjoy sweaty, tattooed, bearded, shirtless men jumping about on a stage, this performance is for you. They're heavier than expected, and every girl as well as half the guys are just a bit too excited already.
The show moves into a swing rock track bordering on 50s slow rock - except it's a typically Biffy song, one long anthem urging the crowd to sing along. Sporting a huge Sansamp driven bass sound and thunderous drums, the next couple of songs continue the big, anthemic theme.
"Somebody help me sing" Simon Neil calls to the audience. "...woaahhh " they reply, along with the rest of the band.
Influences are arguable but there are definitely traces of Foo Fighters, Everclear, and Queens of the Stone Age, as well as all your favourite happy hardcore acts. The difference here is that every song has a chorus ready to be sung to by a crowd, and the vocals are clean with clever harmonies. This is one of the friendliest and fan filled crowds I've seen in a long time; almost every track appears to be a crowd favourite, and if they weren't already impressed enough there's onstage strobe action to woo the most nonchalant light show lover.
Suddenly it's midway in and the crowd are chanting requests. A clean guitar introduces the next piece and everybody cheers. It's a softer, darker track that soon enough breaks into off bigger beats and pop punk vocal stylings. A further spate of high-energy enthusiasm is followed by the appearance of an acoustic guitar and the very familiar chorus lyric "this ain't a miracle". The crowd doesn't miss a cue. They're clapping a beat and singing along to every word. It isn't long before "Black Chandelier" comes out and everyone gets even crazier than before. Bizarrely for a large venue some microphone feedback bleeds across the crowd halfway through a song. Someone's getting a talking-to for that but the band are unphased.
Across the entire set, Biffy Clyro's performance is super tight, highly energetic, covered in lights and sweat, very dynamic, and finally in the simplest of terms, wildly entertaining. Their songs are saturated with hooky "woaahhh"s and crunchy distorted guitar. Their love for what they do is obvious. Every word, every beat, every sweaty move is full of passion and their audience responds with nothing less than adoration.
Naturally the set closes out with a fan fuelled encore and nobody is disappointed. It feels as if the cheering will never stop, but like all great things, the show is over far too soon and a very friendly audience begin their journey home. The time has come to tell tales of how Biffy Clyro tugged Brisbane's heart strings and filled the Tivoli with vibrant Scottish energy, bringing new meaning to the phrase "bring back the Biff".
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