Biffy Clyro enter Cardiff Castle
Images provided by Rhodes Media
The Biff’ stormed Cardiff Castle last night with a Trojan horse of support acts including Humour and English Teacher. It was my first time at the venue, and what a place it is. The castle grounds were bathed in an incredible sunset on a thankfully cool evening, surrounded by high walls topped with crenellations. The courtyard is split halfway into a chilled seating area and the main arena, complete with two bars and multiple food vendors. I’m genuinely impressed, I’d happily see anyone here.
This show was part of the TK Maxx presents Depot Live summer series, which has seen huge names land in the castle grounds: Katy Perry, David Byrne, Bastille, Mika, and Ethel Cain, to name a few. Biffy Clyro already visited Cardiff earlier this year with a sold‑out show at the Utilita Arena as part of their Futique Tour. I’ll never stop being amazed by Biffy’s performances. The lighting alone was some of the most incredible I’ve ever seen at a live show, paired with a setlist that pulled from across their entire discography. They delivered a massive 24 songs. 25 if you include “Erghen Diado,” which remains one of the most atmospheric ways to build anticipation before they hit the stage.
Images provided by Rhodes Media
Biffy are undoubtedly one of those bands who are simply better live, which you love to see. The lighting is mesmerising, the stage presence is unmatched, and the three‑tiered stage gives Simon Neil room to roam alongside the violinists, who were moved about for key moments. The screens cycled through glitter, rain, album artwork, text overlays, glitch effects at one point showing nothing but album art with no close‑ups of the band at all which really made everyone focus on the stage and environment which was actually a great thing to see.
Simon and the crew opened with their current tour starter, “The Captain,” a perfect warm‑up for the crowd with its powerful riff and communal “Woah”s. The lights were already going wild as they moved into “That Golden Rule.” Simon shouted “Come on Cardiff!” in his thick Scottish accent, mentioning how much Wales means to the band and shouting out friends they’ve known for twenty years. “Who’s Got a Match?” brought one of the night’s standout moments as Neil whipped out a flamethrower for the intro, picking it up again during the chorus before laughing and declaring, “That’s enough of that dangerous sht!”. “Space” was another highlight, with the violinists brought to the front a lovely touch that showcased their importance to the track.
Other major moments included “Hunting Season,” which came with brilliant pyrotechnics, and “Hunger in Your Haunt,” where Simon ran into a guitar issue. A stagehand sprinted out mid song without hestitation and if you weren’t watching closely, you’d never have noticed, as Neil was somehow still playing the guitar! A true testament to the quality and experience of the band.
The main set closed with “Mountains,” with Simon climbing to the top tier of the stage before everything dropped to black. The crowd demanded more, and they got it. I didn’t expect the show to run past 22:30, but the encore was unmissable. “Wolves of Winter” kicked off the encore. We knew we were in for a treat for the final few songs. This was followed by crowd favourites “Bubbles” and “Many of Horror.” which is always their set closer, understandably. Before the final track, Simon thanked everyone for coming and delivered the iconic line with a cheeky grin: “We are Biffy fcking Clyro.”. It was a faultless set that travelled through their entire discography, and the crescendo of “Cop Syrup” is something every Biffy fan needs to experience live at least once.
