Biffy Clyro: Cultural Sons of Scotland (2022) Movie Script
1
[SIMON] There's a trust level
amongst us that we just, you
can't find anywhere else.
It just comes from having been
through everything together.
[LAUGHING] Record this?!
[BEN] We never had these massive
ambitions when we started out at
all.
We were just this weird rock
band that were trying to piss
people off.
[JAMES] We never took advice
from anybody.
We just put our hoods up and
turned and faced the back.
We just kept goin.
[SIMON] But when it comes to
just what makes us, us and what
makes us unique,
It's got a lot to do with
this part of the world.
[BEN] It stands for "Big
Imagination For Feeling Young
'Cause Life Yearns Real
Optimism".
That's what it stands
for. That's an acronym.
-What does BIFFY CLYRO mean?
-What does it mean?
It's what's keeping us alive.
It made me realize, "This is
something we haven't done!"
[JAMES] Just being our own wee
gaffe, no adults around.
It can remind me of how much
I need this personally.
That's a good place to
be after 20 years.
It really feels like you've got
a wee secret at that point.
A wee secret that the world
doesn't know about.
It's by far the most grassroots
thing we've done.
One new idea was, "Woah this
is great this is new!
-"I don't know what this is but
it's gonna be a treat!"
- Justify your reasons
Now it is my turn
[BEN] The three of us in this
bloody dairy farm.
It's a whole rebirth
that's started again.
[JAMES] I don't even know if the
label knew we were making
an album at first.
It was literally making music
for the sake of making music
'cause we love it.
It felt like we were kids again.
-Hello!
-Hello mate how you doin?
-How you doin?
-Not bad not bad!
-Yeah.
-Givin the old bit a
race as well.
Thanks for coming to Bonaire, my
part of the world.
If you do a wee full 180 there
you'll see a beautiful view of
the coast.
And uh yeah this is where
I was born and raised.
It's very much a part of my
identity and the identity of
the band I guess.
[SIMON] This is like the first
year we haven't travelled in
probably 21 years.
We've always been on the move
and I've found that inspiring
for years
and I've been scared of
stopping. In case it stops the
inspiration,
but actually this last year
I've felt just as inspired.
After the shock of the
initial lockdown.
You know and just being able to
do things like this, have a day
to go do the beach.
I don't think I've
ever done this.
Finally after 20 years we've
made a record in Ayrshire.
You know it's like our first
top to bottom Scottish record.
I'll be sitting on the left
side, you'll be sitting on the
right
Dying to share our problems,
make everything alright
Then I see a darkness, you
see the blinding light
-BIFFY fucking CLYRO
-BIFFY CLYRO!
-It's BIFFY CLYRO!
-Born the BIFF!
-BIFFY CLYRO!
[Crowd chanting "BIFFY"]
You're not the lucky one
You're not the lucky one
[APPLAUSE]
Hello gentlemen. Interrogation
time is it? Interrogation time.
It's gonna get hot
in here. [LAUGHS]
Check my hair.
[LAUGHING]
Simon interview, take one!
[INTERVIEWER] So, cast your mind
back mate.
It's 2019. You're recording 'A
Celebration of Endings' over in
LA.
What are your memories of that
time out in the basking
sunshine of Los Angeles?
It now feels like a long time
ago. 2019 it feels... like a
different mind almost.
I think back to that time,
life was a lot easier.
You know we were just there
making our music in LA like
we've done
so many times before.
It feels like a kind of natural
place for us to be.
[SIMON] For us it's always been
quite an important part to kind
of go as far away from home,
and feel like we're in a part
of the world where anything is
possible.
You know writing the songs and
everything and the essence
and the soul of the music is
very Scottish.
But when I'm making a record
with Ben and James as well,
we don't want to feel
those limitations.
[BEN] Over in LA in North
America you can definitely dream
big and nobody checks you for
it.
You know when you're making a
record you wanna shoot for the
stars so
LA's a good place to do that.
[JAMES] When the band's in the
studio and we get the songs to a
point where we're happy
that's true elation. Like
nobody can touch you at that
point.
Living together like the Brady
Bunch in a house is really a
huge part of it for me.
It's really a big part of the
comradery of giving you that
fighting spirit.
That you're all in it together.
Doo doo doo
They're never gonna
hear that coming!
-No I mean, two choruses are
always better than one.
-They're never gonna hear that--
We create the worst bike
gang that LA's ever seen.
Us and our little
push bikes. [LAUGHS]
-Like three wee guys from the
west coast of Scotland.
-Yeah!
And we're kind of over there
living our dreams.
Those are the moments that I
really cherish the most.
-What's sporty!
[LAUGHTER]
[BEN] It's a wonderful part of
the world, great studios.
Back to us having a really
good time recording again.
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
-That was amazing!
- Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
We've worked so hard on this
album, we come home and,
and we're ultimately very proud
of it, we think you know it's
our best work to date.
So excited to let
people hear it.
And then COVID hits, and the
whole complexion of the world
changes.
[SIMON] Like everyone else I
mean it really messed us up.
You know with everything
stopping and I don't think
there's a soul on the planet
that hasn't felt it.
For us timing-wise with the
album it was really awkward
because
we literally had just announced
the album was gonna come out in
like May.
I think it was May. But it was
like, "This isn't gonna happen."
It was physically impossible
to make it happen.
[JAMES] Every bit of our energy
and focus has gone into this
thing that is now
to all intents and purposes
taken away from us.
[SIMON] I really struggled in
the aftermath of not putting it
out.
I suddenly started to think
like, "Is music even important?"
Is anyone gonna want to
stand in a field again?
Or a venue to watch music when
we're dealing with so much shit.
[JAMES] You're off the hampster
wheel and you're not doing what
it is you love to do,
so it was really a kind of a
bit of an existential crisis.
What are we doing? What am I
doing? What is life about?
[SIMON] If I don't have
something activating and
engaging my brain
then that's when I kinda start
to go into a spiral.
I felt like I was a bike,
gaping wind in my, my mind.
Not to be overly dramatic, but
my soul, I just felt, I felt
empty.
Yeah, it was a little dark and
had to find something
to focus on basically
becasue if you've got nothing
at the end of the tunnel then
its kinda what's the
point type thing.
It seems crazy to
sit here and moan about
that sort of thing happening
when I'm lucky enough to be
in this amazing band and
have this amazing life,
but, I mean, yeah, it's all
relative. It was hard.
As much as its been
really tough,
it's probably reinforced
who we are as a band
and as friends more
than ever because
actually when you rip
everything else away,
that's what we enjoy. That's
what makes us who we are.
But it was really hard
to rememeber that.
[JAMES] I mean life is often
about compromises.
When it comes down
to the choice of
not puttin' the record out at
all because we can't tour
or get the music out there,
people can enjoy it.
Music's about helping
you through life.
Everyone was stuck at
home for a year so.
In some ways you could say we
had a captive audience, you
know?
Hello everybody. Thanks so much
for taking 'A Celebration of
Endings'
to number one in the offical
album chart. Oh, yeah!
We miss you guys loads. We're
very proud of this record.
Thanks for listening.
We love you. Miss you.
We are Biffy Clyro and
we'll see you soon.
[SIMON] The week fo the album
release we wanted to do like a
performance
from Glasgow, you know
as close as we can get
to playing together as a band
so that we felt some semblance
of normalcy.
Anyone that knows the band
knows what history we have in
that room.
It's just an incredible place.
[SIMON] Without that show I
wouldn't even feel like
I necessarilly released
an album you know?
It's like you pull the catapult
back and you're ready,
but you're tensed. You're
stress there,
until you let go of that it
doesn't come to fruition.
[JAMES] I think we took a
negative situation and really
turned it positive.
[SIMON] Just tryin' to
appreciate they're actually live
stream the camera.
That's the fans when you're
right there when you're
performing in that moment.
I've been punching rainbows
since '79
It's self preservation
baby, I'm scorched earth
you're hearts and minds
Fuck everybody, woo!
[JAMES] I actually feel that the
badlands show was one of the
best things
we ever did. I say that
kind of bashfully,
but that is one of the
things I'm proudest of.
Well done everybody.
[SIMON] I started making a bunch
of music after the album came
out.
The album came out in August
and in September I knew I
needed to,
even though I didn't feel very
creative, I knew I needed to
have a sense of purpose
because it all built up
and then the album is out and
then it was like, what now?
[BEN] Simon just writes all the
time, you know, he's always got
songs.
So I think what started
this, maybe like
this is a kind of wee B
sides album type thing.
It's now become a whole
different beast.
One new idea was whoa, this
is great, this is new.
I don't know what this is but
it's going to be a treat.
I know it's going to work
because the exitements there in
that new
terrain. You've opened up a
new landscape to yourself.
We just had to record them, but,
what do you do when
you're restricted?
You can't travel. You
can't go anywhere.
I don't even know if the label
knew we were making an album at
first.
You know, we were just
doing our own thing.
It really feels like you've got
a wee secret at that point.
A wee secret that the world
doesn't know about.
[BEN] You've got rolling fields
over here. On a nice day like
this
it's beautiful to come
here and look at this.
It's quite inspiring.
I'm sure you'll agree.
And hopefully we'll
bump into a farmer.
And you will not understand a
word these guys are sayin'.
This is deep Ayrshire.
Fantastic. Oh, here
we go. Some friends.
Alright there, how
you doing? Oh, no.
-Bit skitish. Bit skitish today.
-[CAMERAMAN] Not a fan of the
last album maybe.
No no, they don't like
the new stuff.
It's... They're older fans.
You're a biggin' You
are a biggin. Nah.
I'm not feeling pally
today. Almost.
Oh Jesus, covered in slobber.
Fuck that.
[BEN] It's been an eye opener. I
realized how good at recording
we can get.
You can be on a farm with an
outhouse toilet and no running
water
and still make a great
album. That's great.
[SIMON] We are on a farm. We are
in a working farm.
It's a dairy farm. You know, we
hear the dairy trucks arrive.
The cows are next door.
It's weird because when people
hear we were making a record
here,
even just like family and
things, they go, "Oooo."
You know and that was quite
exciting for me because
it made me realize this is
something we haven't done.
[JAMES] We first went there 15
years ago, it was,
it was a very different place.
We got the overalls
on and we got to DIY
[BEN] Grafted everyday to build
this amazing dias
and to create this living
room space as well
we could hang out in and
also make a kitchen,
which I tiled. My first
ever tiling job.
[JAMES] It's not any better
soundproofed than it was so
I think the neighbors
are still like...
I hope they like our music,
because, if they don't, then
it's been a long 15 years.
[LAUGHS]
Adam Noble was our obvious
choice. He's a wonderful
producer.
[JAMES] Adam feels a part of the
gang
so he doesn't need a lot of
convincing to get involved
and that's something
we're so lucky with.
[SIMON] Fortunately we got a
fantastic relationship
and he trusts us as
a band so he knows
even if what we're attempting
is the most insane thing
everybody knows that
there's purpose to it
and there's a concept behind it.
It's exotic that.
You know, he laughs so much.
When he starts laughing
really hard,
you know that's when you've
done the right thing.
[SIMON] Churd has been my guitar
tech for 15 or 16 years.
He's one of the sweetest humans
you could meet. I mean we've
grown up together you know.
We remember Churd
when he was 21.
He was a classic rock
guy on tour. You know.
Churd! Churd! Churd!
Churd! Churd! Churd!
He's just a saint is Churd.
He'll work and work
and never complain.
[JAMES] We're dear dear friends.
You know these are--
If you wanna see me cry
let's keep talking
because these are people that we
love. We've got a strong
connection.
We've lived our best moments
and our darkest moments
together.
[SIMON] But the challenge was
definitely can we record
a proper record and
not a low-fi record.
Not like a dusty sounding record
but like somthing that makes
everyone proud and it blows
even 'A Celebration of
Endings' out the water.
That's part of the plan.
Just feel it building
up for that last one.
[JAMES] First day of recording
we spent really quite a lot of
time
making sure we got all the
little hums and all the pops
that you get down the vocal
mics and things like that
and we're just getting
ready to do bass.
I looked at the computer
and it's like duf, duf.
All these spikes coming from
the bass channel and we're like
the sessions over. What we
gotta do?
A ticking noise in the audio
and it was the electric fence
to try and keep sheep in their
bloody pen.
So we had to get the farmer to
turn off the electric fence.
[SIMON] Even though we were
entering this fight with one
hand tied behind our back
it didn't mean we were wanting
to do any less damage.
It's still a, a hell of a fist.
I feel very cool comin' in here
today with this sunshine.
[TALKING OVER EACH OTHER]
I talk a good game. I try and
get it in every record.
It doesn't often make it, but
there's a couple of songs
in this that are, that have
real sound scaping moments
that I think I can get away
with my rudimental skills.
Oh yeah, I just went and made
Last of the Mohicans there.
[SIMON] First song 'Dum Dum' was
the key song on that album.
[JAMES] The song almost whispers
its way into life.
It really starts so subtly.
It's unlike any bit of music
we've recorded before.
It puts you off the scent.
It makes you think the
album's going to be
a completely different piece
than what you hear.
The fact that that felt alien
to what we normally do
actually was the first
meaningful song on this record.
This is how we fuck it from
the start
This is how we fuck it from
the start
Cool.
Yep.
Alright. Good luck Benny.
[JAMES] I think 'A Hunger In
Your Haunt' is a little more
classic Biffy.
It's mostly
guitar based and drums.
It's just agro. Getiin'
in your face.
Brought you in. We've enticed
you into our world and now
you're gonna get one of those.
I think that's the wake up
call we're all looking for.
My mind is crying out for
stimulation
It's been dark a while so
where's the fucking dawn?
[SIMON] 'Hunger In Your Haunt'
is about finding that fire
inside yourself
during a tough time to find a
reason to get up in the morning,
to find that purpose
and I think musically,
especially after 'Dum
Dum', it has that
straight to the point. It's
pure purpose that song.
Yeah, I like that.
Could I add an extra...
in this verse?
-Yeah.
-One guitar doing that,
I think it might be nice to just
have one more.
Yeah.
It's got some progy stabs and
Simon's screamin' his lungs out.
It's just a quality Biffy
track, that one for me.
[SIMON] There's some things in
feel of what we do as a 3 piece
band
that it's like this is who
we are this identity.
A hunger in your haunt
Are you taking pleasure in
this storm?
Brace yourself, here's a slap
across your jaw
Can you find any hunger in
your haunt?
[JAMES] Well now that I've done
my bass I should probably
-go on to a bit of milking.
-Yeah haha!
We're in there making a racket,
making our noise... and there's
people out here
doing real work. [LAUGHING]
This is uh, David,
head of operations.
He writes all the songs, he
tells us what to play.
[LAUGHING]
Oh I thought you were going to
say head of operations just
in the farm.
-Oh no no no.
-When the shit hits the fan I've
gotta deal with it.
-[CAMERAMAN] Yeah that's it! Uh
oh.
-It doesn't stay.
-[BEN] This is cool!
-[JAMES] It's not that fucking
cool!
-Oh that's good! It...
-What?
-Oh, it swivels!
-It's got steadycam.
[JAMES] What's the story man?
[BEN] The story is...
glory right now
'cause we are on top
of the silos tower.
-[JAMES] Hey we're on the
Simon, look at that!
-Yeah!
Yo yo! [LAUGHING]
-You're very high.
-[JAMES] Yeah I know. He's a
tiny wee dot man! So far away!
Being here we've kind of
stripped away a lot of the
extraneous things that come
with recording and I think
here it's much simpler.
There's a different
feeling of accomplishment I
think because we've got
our hands a little bit dirtier
doing it and there's no
everyday distractions in
-life at the moment. So it's
really nice
-Yeah.
to have this
something to focus on.
We can just hunker down in
our wee world here and...
[JAMES] The last few weeks
being here together, the
comradery, the vibe is really
equal importance to the
music at this stage.
And I always find that when
things in life don't come that
easy you appreciate them
-a little bit more.
-[BEN] Yeah.
[UNINTELLIGIBLE CONVERSATION]
Bit of a panic you know,
running about the supermarket.
[LAUGHS]
[CAMERAMAN] Not usually the
most important thing when
making an album.
Not usually, not for the
drummer, but, this is a
different album man.
You know Ben took on all the
cooking with Churd for like,
two months.
[BEN] Yeah, I was jumping
between drum machines and the
stove trying to make dinner.
And James is basically, he was
the engineer backing up the
producer, Adam Noble
If there's limitations to it
practically, we'll figure that
out.
[LAUGHS] What fuckin fuck is
that?
[JAMES] But as long as you can
come up with the idea and have
the spark
the feeling amongst us is that
we can make this work.
[PLAYING SYNTH] Yeah man, haha.
[JAMES] So we're gonna give you
a little run down of dinner,
right Churds?
Nice bit of salmon, we've got a
medley of summer vegetables.
We're gonna eat well,
we're gonna eat well.
We only started even having
people in here that weren't
myself, Ben and James
probably two years ago because
it's such a sacred place for us
and it was
all about keeping the vibe
right. Because that's what we
cherish
so much about this place
is this place is fun.
This is like a kind of
clubhouse forest to make our
music.
Ooh
Oh, no!
Just did the job that Ben half
did. [LAUGHTER]
At one time we were on holiday
in France, bizzarely watching
snooker.
And they're all going 'Allie
McManus! Allie McManus!'
So Alan McManus is uh,
is my favorite player. Is this
the 'making of the making of'?
[SIMON] this is the making of
the making of the making of...
the making of.
I don't actually know what's
happening anymore! [LAUGHING]
[SIMON] Oh fuckin hell it's the
11th wall is down! Yes!
[SIMON] Do you remember
where we got them?
[BEN] All of them I believe
have been thrown on stage,
right, there or gigs.
-[BEN] Um there's half of
Souttar. And half uh, Poland.
-[SIMON] Right, okay.
-[SIMON] That's Scotland and
Poland together.
[JAMES AND SIMON] Together at
last!
[BEN] And there we've got
Portugal, and this is amazing
look at the drawing on this!
I have no idea how they've done
this, but the likeness is
just uncanny.
-[SIMON] It's pretty hot.
-It's pretty hot, just three
bored dudes.
I mean we've been having a bit
of a laugh but genuinely it is
so nice to have the support.
-To have the memories of these
people. You know?
-[BEN] Yeah.
[SIMON] As much as we felt
isolated last year as everyone
did, putting these things up
and the nice messages we've got
from all over the world really
helped us be like,
"You know there's people
out there that care."
[SIMON] I pour a lot of myself,
my vulnerabilities into the
songs
which at a point can take its
toll. But seeing
people listen to
your music in the right way I
feel very lucky
that the people that dig our
band really care about the
music the same way that we do.
[ENGINEER] Would that work in
the chorus?
Yeah, let me try that in the
chorus absolutely!
[SIMON] Satisfaction even in
your darkest moment writing a
really
sad song can still end up
bringing you joy.
There's like a full circle that
happens in that and that's why
I keep making music.
Yes, nice one ain't it.
-Aya! Little motherfuckin
prick!
-Ah yeah that sounded good.
-So delicate!
-Aaaargh! Yeah!
-[JAMES] Here we are!
-[BEN] Oooh!
-This is so peaceful man!
-Nice innit?
I kind of want to take a trip
up to that farm sometime.
Don't know what they
do up there.
-Have we been?
-I wanna know
what rock band's up there.
[JAMES] I think we get the best
of both worlds with the
travelling that we do.
And then we have the
grounding... of home.
And the attitude of the people
at home I think that's really
important
to your... mental wellbeing.
I think 'cause we're in a job
where people often celebrate
your success it's nice
to come to a place where no-one
really gives a shit. [LAUGHING]
And that suits us just fine.
You can't go wrong with that eh?
We've been pretty much
everywhere in the world.
And that's helped get me,
contextualize why this place is
important to me.
And why it's really important
to our band.
[BEN] This is the longest we've
been home since we were
actually
kids 'cause we've been touring
since.
As you get older you do have
this appreciation for where you
come from
and how it has affected you as
a person. How it's made you who
you are.
[JAMES] The more we've
travelled over the years, the
connection becomes stronger.
The more time you spend away,
the Scottishness is deep within
us.
I wouldn't be comfortable being
so vulnerable in my songs or...
or kind of defenseless if they
didn't come from this part of
the world.
[JAMES] We've come back home.
We've come back home to
glorious Kilmarnock.
-Kind of where it all started
for us really.
-Yeah.
-In the garage.
-In the garage.
-The parents' garage.
-Tight 8PM cutoff.
[BEN] Yeah, if it got to 8:01,
the door got shut.
-Can't go over.
-Stop, that's it, 8:01.
And these other neighbors
that hate us.
Persona non grata right here!
Watch your head tall man!
Amps everywhere! It was
like, one in one out.
-A bit of a clusterfuck.
-It really was.
-To play some over the years.
Biffy gigs. Oh my god.
-Wow.
-There's a really old one from
the paper.
-Oh when we played the...
So that's us playing a battle
of bands. It's gone yellow.
[JAMES] We didn't have very
many plans but we did take it
seriously.
Practice was about
getting better.
Just that feeling when you all
come together and you just make
that beautiful
harmony, you make that noise.
There's just nothing really
like it.
You filming aye?
How we doin?
Welcome to Kilmarnock!
-There's star walks further
down town.
-[LAUGHTER]
Where they have all the famous
people. It goes on for miles.
[CAMERAMAN] Haha,
a handsome man!
-Fuckin shivers.
-I know haha!
A couple of venues in this
square half mile that we played
loads when we were younger.
Typical you know like that's-
like you find the couple of
pubs nearby that let you
-in underage with your
fake ID.
-Yeah.
Basically it was whoever had
sideburns
would be the first
one walkin up like,
"Hey man I've got sideburns I'm
quite obviously legal!" and
then they'd be like,
-"Alright, in ya come."
-Yeah.
But it's just about getting
your pals down to watch the
show.
It's just about playing music
with your friends and we've
never taken it for granted.
And I think if your roots are
different than ours are then
maybe you would take some
things for granted.
Taa daaa!
-[JAMES] Is that what you were
expecting?
-[SIMON] Is that not gorgeous?
Is that not gorgeous?
This is BIFFY CLYRO.
[IMMITATES DRUMMING RHYTHM]
[SIMON] So this is the venue
that one of our very first
shows...
So I broke a string, it was
literally like SOS sorry
everyone.
Just need to drive home to get
a spare string, so that's what
we did.
There was a 15 minute
delay in the gig.
"We're gonna take
"a 5 minute break for 10
minutes. See you in 15!" That
was--
flung that out there
and I'll never forget that.
What a line! It's not my line.
And then yeah we went out and
literally I changed the guitar
string
-in front of the whole crowd
and then we carried on.
-And that's that.
But you know that's the spirit
of things when you start as a
proper DIY band.
You know like, get in a van,
make your own gigs happen.
Print your own flyers and shit.
-That's what happens.
-Yup.
-Absolutely.
You don't want things to come
too easy to you you know?
Oh it would've been nice though!
[LAUGHING]
[BEN] I mean it was terrifying.
I remember being so scared.
So rigid and not moving. Like
that not even breaking a sweat.
But hooked, absolutely hooked,
it was just the most amazing
feeling.
[JAMES] We just kept going.
More often than not
we were unpopular.
People asking for Oasis people
asking for... anything but what
we were doing.
We didn't change! We did not
change, we just put our hoods up
and turned and faced the back.
[SIMON] I don't know it it was
just arrogance or confidence.
Or whether it was
self preservation.
You know like, hey, we're not
gonna engage so therefore if
people aren't into it
then we can-- well we didn't
want you to like our band!
And that was kind of
our badge of honor.
And here we are approaching
what used to be...
-Arlington Birdies.
-Right here?
-Yeah, yeah that's it.
[OVERLAPPING AGREEMENT]
It's super gone!
But this is where we played, I
think it was on the 3rd set of
the night.
-It was your birthday though?
-It was our birthday, our 18th
birthday.
And the owner came over said,
"You guys better turn this down
it's getting too loud!"
And Simon being the young
defiant man that he was like,
"Yeah, very good!" Duh nuh nuh!
Turned it up. [LAUGHING]
-And uh, I think there were
a few choice words.
-I'll never forget it,
"Do not make a cunt of me young
man."
[LAUGHING]
Which in essence is making a
cunt of yourself, saying that
to an 18 year old child.
-You paid 60 quid to hire
out- I know!
-Exactly!
"Do you want your 60 quid or
not?!"
[OVERLAPPING TALKING/LAUGHING]
[SIMON] It's nice to be able to
honor these places which have
allowed us
to then make our ridiculous
new album.
You know like 2 miles that
way, it's fuckin' brilliant!
You know with that it's like,
you couldn't make that up.
[JAMES] In terms of where we're
from being a part of who we
are, it's undeniable.
Probably a slight chip
on our shoulder.
Probably a slight underdog
mentality.
[SIMON] Lookin back I'm so glad
that myself Ben and James kind
of stood alone
in our small towns because...
It gave us a strength and this
identity and this gang mentality
that we wouldn't have
had otherwise.
[BEN] Quite a big lable actually
came up to see us play and after
the showcase
he kind of said the deal hinged
on us changing the name.
And so we were like "nope."
[JAMES] Even if it means you
think we're going to fail.
That's out choice to make. And
if we do fail, we'll go down
fightin'.
[BEN] So we kinda turned down
this record deal to keep the
name BIFFY CLYRO.
Oh god that sounds so
stupid. It's true.
No, sticking to your
guns is a good thing.
And trying to see your vision
out, and that's what we did.
We kept the silly name and it's
haunted us ever since.
[SYNTH PLAYING]
This is fun stuff!
[LAUGHING]
Listen to this, we're making
music and we're breaking music
today.
[SIMON] Recent BIFFY records
electronics play a much bigger
part you know.
For years I would just put
loads of guitars on the record
and actually
sometimes I find that putting a
weird electronic sound or
something can actually
make a song heavier. It can
just take your mind somewhere
else dynamically.
It's really opened up the
sonics of where the songs end
up.
You never diminish any
more
I think that's just what
it needs, I swear!
It's always gonna have the
identity of who we are.
I think as soon as Ben plays
drums, James plays bass and I
sing on it you know,
then it's gonna sound like our
band. But we wanna kind of
present it in like
almost a different part of the
world each time. Like a
different geography.
Terrain's probably the best way
to do it, a different terrain.
[REPEATING ONE SYNTH NOTE]
[LAUGHING]
Yeah, you'll hear some funny
sounds on this record, that's
for sure.
[LAUGHING]
[BENDING SYNTH NOTE OUT OF KEY]
We can do that!
We are trolls
In this universe
we're trolls
Happy just to torch shit
There's a real vibe to it you
know there's something about
this. It's kind of quite cocky.
Or gallus as we'd
say in Scotland.
That's now why we came here
That's not what this is for
It just immediately makes you
feel a bit seasick, that song.
...find an answer
I just love it. I love the
feeling of, "Woah, I feel a bit
woozy here."
I think this song just feels
beautifully woozy.
In the symphony of God
Trying to get that balance of
something that's really quite
oppressively dark
the thought behind that humans
are errors in the history of
God.
We often do that when the songs
have the darkest lyrics, the
actual melodies are quite light.
...Eager to explore
Even if I dream
a little dream
That's an important part of
what we do I think is that Yin
and Yang and really kind of
make people go "oh that's an
upbeat song" oh no it's
actually not
it's really dark or vice
versa you know I love it.
Errors in the history of God
[SIMON] It took me longer to
miss the gigs than I thought it
would during lockdown.
We tour, we play well over
100 shows every year,
so sometimes the last thing you
wanna do is go to a venue.
But when you do go to a venue
and those lights go down before
the band comes on that's what I
live for.
And I try and remember that
when we're prepping for a gig.
That moment of "this is about
to happen" that's the magic.
[UNINTELLIGABLE]
"What's tonight gonna hold?"
You know and the band has that
as well I think.
Even as a fan when you're
there you do wonder...
"How good's this gonna be?" But
your excitement level soars.
And that's how I feel when
we're about to play it's like
you wanna
reach the stars
you wanna reach the sky.
But the bands I like, and the
music that we make, I just want
people to care.
[JAMES] Being one person's
favorite band as opposed to 10
peoples' fifth favorite band.
That was the mantra early on.
[BEN] We were just young kids
we were in hoodies and just
playing some really abrasive
music. Just wanted to make a
racket.
And ruffle some feathers
I guess.
[SIMON] We're now at James'
house. We're gonna show you a
version of the van
we used to tour in back in
the day. For like 5 or 6 years
James and Ben
used to drive us around
in a camper van.
James bought like a replica of
it, but this is rock and roll.
If you can spend four weeks in
a van with your two best
friends
and have the time of your life
stay in that band! Stay in that
van!
And keep fucking doing it!
-Back to early 2000's over here
with this bad boy!
-I know!
-How are ya man? Feeling
alright?
-How ya doin? Yeah,
-feeling alright thanks man.
-Good to see you man.
-Is it weird? Is it nice
being in there?
-It is nice.
-Hey if we tour this van would
be alright!
-Ha, I know!
-Cup of tea sir?
-[OVERLAPPING TALKING]
Hey, cup of coffee sir?
[BEN] I still don't know where
all the people went and all
the gear went.
I guess we were a little
bit smaller then?
[SIMON] For us it was always
like having a great time in the
moment.
'Cause it just felt like we
were a gang from this part of
the world exploring the UK.
Turning up, 3 normal folk, and
we'd go in and try to make as
big of a fuckin' impact
and splash as possible, and
there's such an innocence and a
purity to that I think.
-And I don't think we've
ever lost that.
-If it came down to
it now, and
we had to get into the van,
the three of us
and bunch of gear I would-- I'd
carry the gear,
and I know the boys feel the
same way and it's a really nice
-place to be.
-We'll be happy
for James to carry the gear.
-[OVERLAPPING TALKKING]
-Definitely be alright with
James carrying the gear.
[SIMON] They're the moments when
you realize if you really wanna
be doing what you're doing
-and you're surrounded by people
you like, because
-Yeah.
if it means spending 20
hours in a van
-to play that show we'll fuckin
do it.
-Absolutely.
And if it's not worth it to you
then
hang up your guitar or
your laptop
or your fuckin USB key.
[LAUGHING]
Or log out of fuckin' tech talk.
[JAMES] It's a reminder to
keep things kind of simple.
Because it's not much different
to what we were doing then to
now.
It's still getting together to
play music in front of
strangers.
You're with your best mate and
your brother and you're kicking
ass.
Your in the country
and scaring folk.
[SCREAMING]
Thank you.
[SIMON] In early tours we didn't
always play with our shirts off.
Now after each show, you did
maybe 29 shows in 30 days, so
our-
we would just fling our gig
shows out the back of the van
and literally after like a week
we had like a chewing gum...
Massive chewing gum ball of
t-shirts that were just salty
and horrible discolored.
-It's your favorite t-shirt as
well 'cause you've been onstage.
-You think
-"I'm wearing my cool t-shirt!"
-Yeah, I wear my
cool t-shirt and then
-you go home and you've got
no bloody clothes left.
-So that's why
-we started...
-We started playing with our
shirts off.
It's a bit ridiculous going on
stage in front of 10,000 people
anyway.
And I think stripping away any
kind of armor that you use in
everyday life
is, it's just you're totally
free, you've got nothing else
to hide behind.
-It's just you and your
fucking mind and your brothers
-Yeah.
And we've ended up playing some
sh- we've played gigs in the
Arctic Circle.
Up in northern Norway,
up in Tromso.
It was minus four degrees
and we were like, "Why did we
decide to do this again?"
But see once you start playing
it doesn't fuckin matter
so you get in that headspace.
But there has been a few times
where we've been like "This is
a really bad idea."
Just a terrible one.
[LAUGHING]
Basically we're on the road
and you're going off the road
like "this is not too bad" and
then suddenly
[VOCALISING] [BEN] Oh my God!
-And then at the end you're like
"turn turn turn!"
-Turn! Turn!
-And you fly off like Fast and
the Furious and land like--
-Boom.
Listen to the sound back on.
-Land on in the back of the
plane!
-Exactly! You've seen the
movie I'm talking about!
-Like "woah!"
And they just land!
Yeah! [METRONOME CLICKING]
Yeah okay.
Yeah that makes sense but
without the [SNARE HITS] yeah.
Yeah!
Great. Well done.
Alright.
[PLAYING SYNTH]
[SIMON] I really wanted to have
a big long intro and I
thought...
'Separate Missions'? This
is the song for it.
[JAMES] It's another flavor
for the band.
The Cure were a band that
we all referenced.
They just start and they motor
along or gallop and they're
setting a scene for ages.
[SIMON] This one's a lot closer
lyrically to what 'Celebration
of Endings' was about.
Ironically even though the
music is all new it's kind of
about those
deteriorating relationships
and how we've ended up
on separate paths and
separate missions.
Well you kept your word but
you lost every part of me
[BEN] We just sit on a groove
for ages and it's kind of
keyboard driven as well.
We just sit on this
beautiful riff.
[JAMES] I love the sound of
this, I think it's such a new
sound for the band.
When you're in the studio it's
like for a week you'll be like
"this isn't workin this isn't
workin!" and then you make one
change
and you're like "it's
workin!"
And that's the beautiy of music
'cause I was so excited with
the whole song
and then this bridge
sucks and I'm like.
You're like "no it can be
perfect it can be perfect" and
then it just happens one day.
"That's it! It was always
meant to be like that!"
Listen to the sound of the
promises broken
Silence comes around 'cause
you reap what you sow
We're still trying to peel back
the layers of the onion and
find some new fruit.
You won't diminish anymore
Just- don't wanna talk about
it. Don't wanna talk about it.
[LAUGHING]
[OVERLAPPING TALKING]
All these golden, double gold
record and platinum- like
honestly
just not talk about that.
-It's a musical reflection-
-[SIMON] It's an eagle room!
-It's an eagle room, let's-
-It's an eagle room! It's an
eagle room!
Yeah I mean that's what I've
been calling it is the eagle
room
and that's why the
blinds stay down.
Just displaying them all in a--
It's just a bit of a hangup.
-And they end up stuck in a
cupboard.
-The sheer amount of
them isn't it? That's why.
It's almost like it's a nice
memory run
to go "look at how
amazing we are!"
It's almost like motivation
to move forward.
And we take great pride in the
art that we choose you know.
And for us it always has to
just be- harmonize with the
music inside.
If there is no correlation then
you're missing a trick.
Artwork should be not even an
extension of it, it should be
part of it.
[JAMES] Songs are always about
a time and a place.
You know, mentally what you're
going through, what we're going
through.
And I think that's why it's
important that you join those
thoughts up.
[SIMON] That's a picture from
our old practice room, and the
3 fuckin gumballs right there.
-They were the pictures we
approved.
-I know! Third album!
[SIMON] There were 6,000 limited
edition copies of this.
So I decided like a pure fool.
That I was gonna personally
write a line of lyrics for
every single one.
So I wrote 6,000 lines of
lyrics while making this record
and it was...
It was a pleasure to do.
Ahhhh
Ahhhh
Waaahhh
Waaahhh
[SIMON] For the first 10 years
of being in this band
I didn't really appreciate that
the voice was a muscle.
You know when I was in
my teens and early 20s,
my voice would recover
like that you know.
I could scream myself all
night, wake up the next day
and sing like an angel still,
or my version of an angel.
I bet you didn't know
I bet you didn't care
Denial ain't forever but
the truth's hidden there
somewhere
Mentally, it helps
me get in the mode.
This is part of my process
now. It helps me gear up,
helps my adrenaline start to
pump and my blood kinda flows
in the right way to my throat.
This is my ideal if I could do
my vocal warmup like this
every single day I would be as
happy as a pig in shit.
[VOCALISING]
I think I was on LSD
state of mind man.
The slow-mo chorus and here
messing like this is a good
chorus.
I could hardly believe in
When he didn't
hit the ground
The fatigue started showing
And the doubt could be heard
But he had no fear, he
was best of the worst
Let me, let me do
that last line.
Yep. Yep. Let me do that
last line brother.
And the doubt could be heard
But he rode into eternity,
forever the best of the worst
We rise
Yeah.
Thanks. Good.
[SIMON] This album is like
defined by the fact that we made
it in a farm
you know and it's sonically,
you can hear the farm.
Clear that the big fucking bit.
[BEN] I just went 'round the
farm smashing things with sticks
and sampling cows making noises.
What do you do with
the drum sticks?
Yeah!
[UNINTELLIGABLE]
And then I take all the samples
back, put them into our drum
machine and make a loop.
I think that'll be good.
We'll make it a subscription
service so you get new farm
sounds every month.
Fucking brilliant.
I think being as well,
you can spend a day
experimenting and it maybe
doesn't lead somewhere
but you don't feel that you've
lost a day just quite so much.
All electrical
That's why I say when people
start a band, it's so important
that you get on
because technical proficiency
you can make up for
but you can't learn
to always get on
and you can't learn to have
fun. That's a chemistry thing.
That is some of the best music
we have ever fucking made.
[LAUGHTER]
[BEN] Today we're getting our
traditional album band tattoos,
which we've been gettin' since
2001 I think was the first time
we got one. This guy here. Hands
on the wheel.
And we've been getting tattoos
pretty much every album ever
since.
I kind fo think of it as you
know people get tattoos of
loved ones
names on them. I guess
that's to signify that
you're going to love them until
the end of your life.
That's how important
this band is to us.
-Yo yo. How we doing? Good,
good.
-Good.
These paperclips are from an
artist called Richard McGuire.
I just love this because it
kinda describes myself, Ben and
James.
These are paperclips keepin'
everything together
and, yeah, this long
as being a band
I think it's important to
celebrate the fact that we do
keep things together.
Yeah. Sure.
Who's next? Who's brave?
Okay.
That was really quick.
It's always a realyl nice
way to comemerate
such an important
part of our lives.
Just to have it there forever.
There's just no better feeling.
One. Two. One, two, three, four.
[SIMON] Brings me joy. It
brings me joy as soon as I hear
that song start.
Witch's Cup is almost
like a showtune or
somethin' from a
movie soundtrack.
I still can't put my
finger on what it is.
We're drinking from
the witch's cup
[BEN] This is like a crazy
carnival song. It really is.
It's like you've taken
acid at a carnival,
but it's mixed with a lullaby.
That's the thing. It also
sounds a bit like a lullaby,
which I think is beautiful.
Death of an original
Shows the genius of Simon
because to write a lullaby is a
fucking difficult thing to do.
To all the adorded, there's
just before and after
It makes me feel good
to hear it and play it
and I don't know if I would've
been brave enough
to work in this song again
if I was thinking about how
we would present it live.
Give this up
If I can even see
it or feel it
'Cause oh, I just hope when we
go
One of the songs where if we
could've we would have had a
massive
brass band but we ended up
having to sort of do synth
brass,
but musically it does
make you feel good.
I won't deceive at all
Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, where
to begin?
'Cause I'm scared to believe
it
Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh,
can you dare believe it all
We journey through this big
great day where the song
completely changes again
and the rocks pool and
is this the same song?
Not necissarily a lot of Biffy
songs make me wanna smile
and that one does, so I hope it
does for people when they
listen to it too.
Believe it
-Do gangs. We're doing--
-Gangalang.
-The baddest gang in town.
We're near the end of the
record and we start ganging.
-Ganging style.
-Wish you were here. Sort of
wish you were here isn't it.
Wish we had a bigger gang.
I wish we had a smaller gang.
Smmooooahhh
Smmooooahhh
I think ben and I being twins,
we have to in some ways extend
the same courtesy to Simon.
It has to be a brotherhood.
The three of us.
Woahhhhh
I've known the boys from when
they were 7 and they're twins
so we're almost like a 2 piece
in that regaurd because
Ben and James and are so close.
Being twins in the band
has kind of forced
us and Simon to get
closer as well.
I think it would be weird if
you had such a tight connection
between just 2 and there's 1
person who's not involved in
that.
Brace yourself, here's
a slap across the jaw
Can you find any hunger
in your haunt
A hunger in your haunt
[LAUGHING]
We've been through our toughest
moments in life together.
There's just no doubt about it.
The things happened in the past
we never ran away from. You
know, we never ran away from
each other.
-Get in here boys.
-Get down!
-We're nearly there.
-Last couple days getting these
vocals.
The cherry on top of the ice
cream on top.
This is the shit on
top of the cherry.
If you don't like each other,
respect each other, that ain't
going to last, you know.
[JAMES] Everyone should join a
band. See if you get a chance
to go and join a band
with your brothers
or your sisters.
People who you consider to
be a brother or a sister.
That's probably the best years
you'll ever have in your life.
Denier, yeah this song actually
started as a bit of a
folk song. It was a bit
of an acoustic song
[BEN] And then Si he was like,
right,
let's rip up the notebook on
this one. Let's change this song
and it's just become this
fucking juggernaut.
Ben's drumming on it is, it's
so dynamite. It's so relentless.
Draped like her dress on the
floor a different shade of blue
I hope you don't choke
It's a hell of a lot
of fun to play.
I can't wait to get that
one on the stage.
It's going to be
a great one live.
You broke your own rules
Watchign Ben like and animal
and watchign Simon singing
I'm like they're
my fucking boys.
I need somebody to love
I need somebody to care for
and it's you
It's always been you
It's like a slab of guitars and
keyboards and bass and drums.
It's probably the least subtle
song on the record.
Of course, you didn't know, of
course, you didn't care
Denial ain't forever 'cause
the truth's hidden there
somewhere
[SIMON] You don't get this
at a normal studio.
Fucking delivery blocked
the way in.
Two can play that game Jack.
Final day. Turning the cameras
on you.
Are you feeling positive?
Feeling good?
It's always weird. It's a
weird sensation, um, happy
that we're almost there. I'm
terrified that we're almost
there.
There's always a big
gaping chasm, chasm
in my life once we finish a
record, so I'm anticipating
that a little bit.
But I'm really proud
of what we've made.
You know, I think, I don't
think any other place in the
world
at any other time in our lives
we couldn't have made this
record
so it feels very much now and I
just can't wait for everybody
to hear it but yeah
I'm fucking charred.
Ready for a week off
mother fucker.
Hey. Hi!
Roads were busy. Everybody in
the world is out of the house.
Enjoying the sunshine.
What a day! What a day!
It's become as important as 'A
Celebration of Endings',
but yet couldnt have existed
without 'A Celebration of
Endings'.
To be making that
record at home,
one of the best times we've
ever had as a band.
I feel slightly tearful
even thinking about it.
I think being forced
to stay at home
gave us this kind of
new love for it.
It's a beautiful thing.
[BEN] The three of us in
this dairy farm.
It's remarkable that we've made
this record in these
circumstances.
I'm just, I'm really
full of pride.
Together into the unknown
[OVERTAKING]
Yeah, that's dynamite!
[SIMON] If I bring in a tune and
the boys smile or the boys love
it,
that's where my joy
comes from you know.
It comes from us creating
things together.
We don't need all the
bells and whistles
for us to be fullfilled
and happy.
We just have to be making
music together
and have that vibe in a room
and that's what keeps
our hearts beating.
It was litrally making music for
for the sake of making
music cause we love it.
It really felt pure. It felt
like we were kids again.
Ba ba ba bom.
[SIMON] Barbecue in the Scottish
sun.
Just the right amount of great
and just a lovely way to end a
record.
It's Ben and James' birthday
in a couple of days
so I got them a couple
of cool presents.
Finally we can celebrate.
-Big boys.
-Oh my God.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday
to you
Happy birthday Ben and James
-Yo!
Happy birthday to you
-Woo! Woo!
-Make a wish!
-Yeah!
-Hip hip, hurray!
Hip hip, hurray!
Hip hip, hurray!
-Get in folks. Step back.
-Woah!
-I gotta clean something!
-That is so beautiful!
-Woah!
-Look at that!
-Oh Simon, thanks so much.
A work of art man.
-Pleasure!
Fucking brilliant!
-Thanks so much for ...
-Happy birthday boys.
-Well done. Well done.
-Cheers! Cheers!
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[SIMON] Everything we normally
do points towards a live show
you know.
One satisfying aspect is always
when I first hear the songs
come together like wow I still
can't believe it when I hear
things happen like wow!
The conclusion of that is
when we play on the stage.
[JAMES] Just about the most
important, the highest moment
you get.
The most out of body experience
you feel you're elevating.
not much else in life can
get you to that place.
[BEN] Ther'es certainly no
better place than Glasgow to be
getting back at it.
So many lovely memories from
playing there before.
Even as kids kinda kickin'
about because the love is real
and it's going to be loud.
I just can't wait. I
cannot wait for that.
Step out to the unknown
I'll catch you on the way
down
Aim high, look out below
We're on our way together into
the unknown
[JAMES] I believe it's going to
be the first show in Glasgow.
The first outdoor show, so it
feels like quite a lot of
responsibility.
[SIMON] We're less than 20
minutes away from where we'll
play to 35,000 people.
This is where we made our new
record, 10 miles away.
It's where we live, where we
grew up, there's something
really beautiful
in this moment in time. It's
such a questioning period of
time for everyone.
It's happening in our
part of the world.
[BEN] It's not just going to be
emotional for us, but for the
fans as well you know
that everyone's been cooped up.
Just to get to put a smile on
their faces
is going to mean
the world to us.
[SIMON] I can't wait to feel
that sense of joy
and that sense of we're back.
You know we've made it
back here together.
[BEN] It's gonna be a seminal
moment.
It's a whole rebirth.
It's starting again.
I hope we can do it.
[JAMES] We can power the country
for a year off that one night
casue there's going to
be a lot of energy.
I really can't wait to feel it.
[BEN] I'm already nervous
thinking about it.
Without a doubt there's going
to be a lot of nerves.
I'll be lucky to have steady
legs. I think I'll be like
Bambi on ice.
[SIMON] Taking my nerves, my
anxiety and try to put it into
the purpose and the power and
the passion of the show, you
know.
[JAMES] Just try not to
brakedown in the first 5
minutes.
Just could be floods of emotion.
-Woo!
-Yeah, I love you boy.
[BEN] It will be super emotional
when we finally get on a stage.
We've missed it so much.
[CHEERING]
That'll be the moment where it
could go one of two ways.
It'll either be really emotional
or it will be like let's go.
[BEN] We never had these massive
ambitions when we started out
at all.
We were just this weird rock
band tryin' to piss people off.
There's a weird look Simon will
give me sometimes that says all
that.
Just one look that says, "Yeah,
we're doing this. This is
actually happening."
You just about made me
cry because I guess
it's everything. It's everything
in our life. It's everything
that we focused on.
Everything else in your
life feels like its
got to fit around this.
Don't you waste your life
[SIMON] It feels like it has
kinda come full circle.
Its a shame it takes something
so dramatic and tramatic
for it to happen but
I'm really pleased
that we are reconnecting
with where we started.
[JAMES] So much has changed, but
yet so much hasn't.
It's still just us in a room
tryin' to make each other deaf.
This only further hit home
how much we fucking love
and need to do what we do.
It couldn't mean more.
Is that a good way to put it?
It couldn't mean more to me.
[SIMON] In the same part the
world is our home our very first
song as we were making
this record and there's
something really pure about that
and you know what, we're having
as much fun as we ever have.
I think we're better than
we ever have been so
long may it continue Jack.
We are Biffy fucking Clyro!!
Creative burns, creative
burns, creative burns in a dick
show
Cultural sons, cultural sons,
cultural sons of Scotland
Spread by a whirl, spread by a
whirl, spread by a whirlygig so
Goddamn you all, you bastard
sons
Forgiveness is gone, you're
hanging on
Cradled that heart, my
sister's son
Forgive me father, I have
sinned
Forgive me father cause
I've carried all these sins
Up hills and down in holes,
it's where I've always been
Business is done,
our business is done
They ask, so I made them burn
but I saw the sun
Forgive me father cause
I've carried all these sins
Up hills and down in holes,
it's where I've always been
Business is done,
our business is done
They ask, so I made them burn
but I saw the sun
[SIMON] There's a trust level
amongst us that we just, you
can't find anywhere else.
It just comes from having been
through everything together.
[LAUGHING] Record this?!
[BEN] We never had these massive
ambitions when we started out at
all.
We were just this weird rock
band that were trying to piss
people off.
[JAMES] We never took advice
from anybody.
We just put our hoods up and
turned and faced the back.
We just kept goin.
[SIMON] But when it comes to
just what makes us, us and what
makes us unique,
It's got a lot to do with
this part of the world.
[BEN] It stands for "Big
Imagination For Feeling Young
'Cause Life Yearns Real
Optimism".
That's what it stands
for. That's an acronym.
-What does BIFFY CLYRO mean?
-What does it mean?
It's what's keeping us alive.
It made me realize, "This is
something we haven't done!"
[JAMES] Just being our own wee
gaffe, no adults around.
It can remind me of how much
I need this personally.
That's a good place to
be after 20 years.
It really feels like you've got
a wee secret at that point.
A wee secret that the world
doesn't know about.
It's by far the most grassroots
thing we've done.
One new idea was, "Woah this
is great this is new!
-"I don't know what this is but
it's gonna be a treat!"
- Justify your reasons
Now it is my turn
[BEN] The three of us in this
bloody dairy farm.
It's a whole rebirth
that's started again.
[JAMES] I don't even know if the
label knew we were making
an album at first.
It was literally making music
for the sake of making music
'cause we love it.
It felt like we were kids again.
-Hello!
-Hello mate how you doin?
-How you doin?
-Not bad not bad!
-Yeah.
-Givin the old bit a
race as well.
Thanks for coming to Bonaire, my
part of the world.
If you do a wee full 180 there
you'll see a beautiful view of
the coast.
And uh yeah this is where
I was born and raised.
It's very much a part of my
identity and the identity of
the band I guess.
[SIMON] This is like the first
year we haven't travelled in
probably 21 years.
We've always been on the move
and I've found that inspiring
for years
and I've been scared of
stopping. In case it stops the
inspiration,
but actually this last year
I've felt just as inspired.
After the shock of the
initial lockdown.
You know and just being able to
do things like this, have a day
to go do the beach.
I don't think I've
ever done this.
Finally after 20 years we've
made a record in Ayrshire.
You know it's like our first
top to bottom Scottish record.
I'll be sitting on the left
side, you'll be sitting on the
right
Dying to share our problems,
make everything alright
Then I see a darkness, you
see the blinding light
-BIFFY fucking CLYRO
-BIFFY CLYRO!
-It's BIFFY CLYRO!
-Born the BIFF!
-BIFFY CLYRO!
[Crowd chanting "BIFFY"]
You're not the lucky one
You're not the lucky one
[APPLAUSE]
Hello gentlemen. Interrogation
time is it? Interrogation time.
It's gonna get hot
in here. [LAUGHS]
Check my hair.
[LAUGHING]
Simon interview, take one!
[INTERVIEWER] So, cast your mind
back mate.
It's 2019. You're recording 'A
Celebration of Endings' over in
LA.
What are your memories of that
time out in the basking
sunshine of Los Angeles?
It now feels like a long time
ago. 2019 it feels... like a
different mind almost.
I think back to that time,
life was a lot easier.
You know we were just there
making our music in LA like
we've done
so many times before.
It feels like a kind of natural
place for us to be.
[SIMON] For us it's always been
quite an important part to kind
of go as far away from home,
and feel like we're in a part
of the world where anything is
possible.
You know writing the songs and
everything and the essence
and the soul of the music is
very Scottish.
But when I'm making a record
with Ben and James as well,
we don't want to feel
those limitations.
[BEN] Over in LA in North
America you can definitely dream
big and nobody checks you for
it.
You know when you're making a
record you wanna shoot for the
stars so
LA's a good place to do that.
[JAMES] When the band's in the
studio and we get the songs to a
point where we're happy
that's true elation. Like
nobody can touch you at that
point.
Living together like the Brady
Bunch in a house is really a
huge part of it for me.
It's really a big part of the
comradery of giving you that
fighting spirit.
That you're all in it together.
Doo doo doo
They're never gonna
hear that coming!
-No I mean, two choruses are
always better than one.
-They're never gonna hear that--
We create the worst bike
gang that LA's ever seen.
Us and our little
push bikes. [LAUGHS]
-Like three wee guys from the
west coast of Scotland.
-Yeah!
And we're kind of over there
living our dreams.
Those are the moments that I
really cherish the most.
-What's sporty!
[LAUGHTER]
[BEN] It's a wonderful part of
the world, great studios.
Back to us having a really
good time recording again.
Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
-That was amazing!
- Hey hey hey
Hey hey hey
We've worked so hard on this
album, we come home and,
and we're ultimately very proud
of it, we think you know it's
our best work to date.
So excited to let
people hear it.
And then COVID hits, and the
whole complexion of the world
changes.
[SIMON] Like everyone else I
mean it really messed us up.
You know with everything
stopping and I don't think
there's a soul on the planet
that hasn't felt it.
For us timing-wise with the
album it was really awkward
because
we literally had just announced
the album was gonna come out in
like May.
I think it was May. But it was
like, "This isn't gonna happen."
It was physically impossible
to make it happen.
[JAMES] Every bit of our energy
and focus has gone into this
thing that is now
to all intents and purposes
taken away from us.
[SIMON] I really struggled in
the aftermath of not putting it
out.
I suddenly started to think
like, "Is music even important?"
Is anyone gonna want to
stand in a field again?
Or a venue to watch music when
we're dealing with so much shit.
[JAMES] You're off the hampster
wheel and you're not doing what
it is you love to do,
so it was really a kind of a
bit of an existential crisis.
What are we doing? What am I
doing? What is life about?
[SIMON] If I don't have
something activating and
engaging my brain
then that's when I kinda start
to go into a spiral.
I felt like I was a bike,
gaping wind in my, my mind.
Not to be overly dramatic, but
my soul, I just felt, I felt
empty.
Yeah, it was a little dark and
had to find something
to focus on basically
becasue if you've got nothing
at the end of the tunnel then
its kinda what's the
point type thing.
It seems crazy to
sit here and moan about
that sort of thing happening
when I'm lucky enough to be
in this amazing band and
have this amazing life,
but, I mean, yeah, it's all
relative. It was hard.
As much as its been
really tough,
it's probably reinforced
who we are as a band
and as friends more
than ever because
actually when you rip
everything else away,
that's what we enjoy. That's
what makes us who we are.
But it was really hard
to rememeber that.
[JAMES] I mean life is often
about compromises.
When it comes down
to the choice of
not puttin' the record out at
all because we can't tour
or get the music out there,
people can enjoy it.
Music's about helping
you through life.
Everyone was stuck at
home for a year so.
In some ways you could say we
had a captive audience, you
know?
Hello everybody. Thanks so much
for taking 'A Celebration of
Endings'
to number one in the offical
album chart. Oh, yeah!
We miss you guys loads. We're
very proud of this record.
Thanks for listening.
We love you. Miss you.
We are Biffy Clyro and
we'll see you soon.
[SIMON] The week fo the album
release we wanted to do like a
performance
from Glasgow, you know
as close as we can get
to playing together as a band
so that we felt some semblance
of normalcy.
Anyone that knows the band
knows what history we have in
that room.
It's just an incredible place.
[SIMON] Without that show I
wouldn't even feel like
I necessarilly released
an album you know?
It's like you pull the catapult
back and you're ready,
but you're tensed. You're
stress there,
until you let go of that it
doesn't come to fruition.
[JAMES] I think we took a
negative situation and really
turned it positive.
[SIMON] Just tryin' to
appreciate they're actually live
stream the camera.
That's the fans when you're
right there when you're
performing in that moment.
I've been punching rainbows
since '79
It's self preservation
baby, I'm scorched earth
you're hearts and minds
Fuck everybody, woo!
[JAMES] I actually feel that the
badlands show was one of the
best things
we ever did. I say that
kind of bashfully,
but that is one of the
things I'm proudest of.
Well done everybody.
[SIMON] I started making a bunch
of music after the album came
out.
The album came out in August
and in September I knew I
needed to,
even though I didn't feel very
creative, I knew I needed to
have a sense of purpose
because it all built up
and then the album is out and
then it was like, what now?
[BEN] Simon just writes all the
time, you know, he's always got
songs.
So I think what started
this, maybe like
this is a kind of wee B
sides album type thing.
It's now become a whole
different beast.
One new idea was whoa, this
is great, this is new.
I don't know what this is but
it's going to be a treat.
I know it's going to work
because the exitements there in
that new
terrain. You've opened up a
new landscape to yourself.
We just had to record them, but,
what do you do when
you're restricted?
You can't travel. You
can't go anywhere.
I don't even know if the label
knew we were making an album at
first.
You know, we were just
doing our own thing.
It really feels like you've got
a wee secret at that point.
A wee secret that the world
doesn't know about.
[BEN] You've got rolling fields
over here. On a nice day like
this
it's beautiful to come
here and look at this.
It's quite inspiring.
I'm sure you'll agree.
And hopefully we'll
bump into a farmer.
And you will not understand a
word these guys are sayin'.
This is deep Ayrshire.
Fantastic. Oh, here
we go. Some friends.
Alright there, how
you doing? Oh, no.
-Bit skitish. Bit skitish today.
-[CAMERAMAN] Not a fan of the
last album maybe.
No no, they don't like
the new stuff.
It's... They're older fans.
You're a biggin' You
are a biggin. Nah.
I'm not feeling pally
today. Almost.
Oh Jesus, covered in slobber.
Fuck that.
[BEN] It's been an eye opener. I
realized how good at recording
we can get.
You can be on a farm with an
outhouse toilet and no running
water
and still make a great
album. That's great.
[SIMON] We are on a farm. We are
in a working farm.
It's a dairy farm. You know, we
hear the dairy trucks arrive.
The cows are next door.
It's weird because when people
hear we were making a record
here,
even just like family and
things, they go, "Oooo."
You know and that was quite
exciting for me because
it made me realize this is
something we haven't done.
[JAMES] We first went there 15
years ago, it was,
it was a very different place.
We got the overalls
on and we got to DIY
[BEN] Grafted everyday to build
this amazing dias
and to create this living
room space as well
we could hang out in and
also make a kitchen,
which I tiled. My first
ever tiling job.
[JAMES] It's not any better
soundproofed than it was so
I think the neighbors
are still like...
I hope they like our music,
because, if they don't, then
it's been a long 15 years.
[LAUGHS]
Adam Noble was our obvious
choice. He's a wonderful
producer.
[JAMES] Adam feels a part of the
gang
so he doesn't need a lot of
convincing to get involved
and that's something
we're so lucky with.
[SIMON] Fortunately we got a
fantastic relationship
and he trusts us as
a band so he knows
even if what we're attempting
is the most insane thing
everybody knows that
there's purpose to it
and there's a concept behind it.
It's exotic that.
You know, he laughs so much.
When he starts laughing
really hard,
you know that's when you've
done the right thing.
[SIMON] Churd has been my guitar
tech for 15 or 16 years.
He's one of the sweetest humans
you could meet. I mean we've
grown up together you know.
We remember Churd
when he was 21.
He was a classic rock
guy on tour. You know.
Churd! Churd! Churd!
Churd! Churd! Churd!
He's just a saint is Churd.
He'll work and work
and never complain.
[JAMES] We're dear dear friends.
You know these are--
If you wanna see me cry
let's keep talking
because these are people that we
love. We've got a strong
connection.
We've lived our best moments
and our darkest moments
together.
[SIMON] But the challenge was
definitely can we record
a proper record and
not a low-fi record.
Not like a dusty sounding record
but like somthing that makes
everyone proud and it blows
even 'A Celebration of
Endings' out the water.
That's part of the plan.
Just feel it building
up for that last one.
[JAMES] First day of recording
we spent really quite a lot of
time
making sure we got all the
little hums and all the pops
that you get down the vocal
mics and things like that
and we're just getting
ready to do bass.
I looked at the computer
and it's like duf, duf.
All these spikes coming from
the bass channel and we're like
the sessions over. What we
gotta do?
A ticking noise in the audio
and it was the electric fence
to try and keep sheep in their
bloody pen.
So we had to get the farmer to
turn off the electric fence.
[SIMON] Even though we were
entering this fight with one
hand tied behind our back
it didn't mean we were wanting
to do any less damage.
It's still a, a hell of a fist.
I feel very cool comin' in here
today with this sunshine.
[TALKING OVER EACH OTHER]
I talk a good game. I try and
get it in every record.
It doesn't often make it, but
there's a couple of songs
in this that are, that have
real sound scaping moments
that I think I can get away
with my rudimental skills.
Oh yeah, I just went and made
Last of the Mohicans there.
[SIMON] First song 'Dum Dum' was
the key song on that album.
[JAMES] The song almost whispers
its way into life.
It really starts so subtly.
It's unlike any bit of music
we've recorded before.
It puts you off the scent.
It makes you think the
album's going to be
a completely different piece
than what you hear.
The fact that that felt alien
to what we normally do
actually was the first
meaningful song on this record.
This is how we fuck it from
the start
This is how we fuck it from
the start
Cool.
Yep.
Alright. Good luck Benny.
[JAMES] I think 'A Hunger In
Your Haunt' is a little more
classic Biffy.
It's mostly
guitar based and drums.
It's just agro. Getiin'
in your face.
Brought you in. We've enticed
you into our world and now
you're gonna get one of those.
I think that's the wake up
call we're all looking for.
My mind is crying out for
stimulation
It's been dark a while so
where's the fucking dawn?
[SIMON] 'Hunger In Your Haunt'
is about finding that fire
inside yourself
during a tough time to find a
reason to get up in the morning,
to find that purpose
and I think musically,
especially after 'Dum
Dum', it has that
straight to the point. It's
pure purpose that song.
Yeah, I like that.
Could I add an extra...
in this verse?
-Yeah.
-One guitar doing that,
I think it might be nice to just
have one more.
Yeah.
It's got some progy stabs and
Simon's screamin' his lungs out.
It's just a quality Biffy
track, that one for me.
[SIMON] There's some things in
feel of what we do as a 3 piece
band
that it's like this is who
we are this identity.
A hunger in your haunt
Are you taking pleasure in
this storm?
Brace yourself, here's a slap
across your jaw
Can you find any hunger in
your haunt?
[JAMES] Well now that I've done
my bass I should probably
-go on to a bit of milking.
-Yeah haha!
We're in there making a racket,
making our noise... and there's
people out here
doing real work. [LAUGHING]
This is uh, David,
head of operations.
He writes all the songs, he
tells us what to play.
[LAUGHING]
Oh I thought you were going to
say head of operations just
in the farm.
-Oh no no no.
-When the shit hits the fan I've
gotta deal with it.
-[CAMERAMAN] Yeah that's it! Uh
oh.
-It doesn't stay.
-[BEN] This is cool!
-[JAMES] It's not that fucking
cool!
-Oh that's good! It...
-What?
-Oh, it swivels!
-It's got steadycam.
[JAMES] What's the story man?
[BEN] The story is...
glory right now
'cause we are on top
of the silos tower.
-[JAMES] Hey we're on the
Simon, look at that!
-Yeah!
Yo yo! [LAUGHING]
-You're very high.
-[JAMES] Yeah I know. He's a
tiny wee dot man! So far away!
Being here we've kind of
stripped away a lot of the
extraneous things that come
with recording and I think
here it's much simpler.
There's a different
feeling of accomplishment I
think because we've got
our hands a little bit dirtier
doing it and there's no
everyday distractions in
-life at the moment. So it's
really nice
-Yeah.
to have this
something to focus on.
We can just hunker down in
our wee world here and...
[JAMES] The last few weeks
being here together, the
comradery, the vibe is really
equal importance to the
music at this stage.
And I always find that when
things in life don't come that
easy you appreciate them
-a little bit more.
-[BEN] Yeah.
[UNINTELLIGIBLE CONVERSATION]
Bit of a panic you know,
running about the supermarket.
[LAUGHS]
[CAMERAMAN] Not usually the
most important thing when
making an album.
Not usually, not for the
drummer, but, this is a
different album man.
You know Ben took on all the
cooking with Churd for like,
two months.
[BEN] Yeah, I was jumping
between drum machines and the
stove trying to make dinner.
And James is basically, he was
the engineer backing up the
producer, Adam Noble
If there's limitations to it
practically, we'll figure that
out.
[LAUGHS] What fuckin fuck is
that?
[JAMES] But as long as you can
come up with the idea and have
the spark
the feeling amongst us is that
we can make this work.
[PLAYING SYNTH] Yeah man, haha.
[JAMES] So we're gonna give you
a little run down of dinner,
right Churds?
Nice bit of salmon, we've got a
medley of summer vegetables.
We're gonna eat well,
we're gonna eat well.
We only started even having
people in here that weren't
myself, Ben and James
probably two years ago because
it's such a sacred place for us
and it was
all about keeping the vibe
right. Because that's what we
cherish
so much about this place
is this place is fun.
This is like a kind of
clubhouse forest to make our
music.
Ooh
Oh, no!
Just did the job that Ben half
did. [LAUGHTER]
At one time we were on holiday
in France, bizzarely watching
snooker.
And they're all going 'Allie
McManus! Allie McManus!'
So Alan McManus is uh,
is my favorite player. Is this
the 'making of the making of'?
[SIMON] this is the making of
the making of the making of...
the making of.
I don't actually know what's
happening anymore! [LAUGHING]
[SIMON] Oh fuckin hell it's the
11th wall is down! Yes!
[SIMON] Do you remember
where we got them?
[BEN] All of them I believe
have been thrown on stage,
right, there or gigs.
-[BEN] Um there's half of
Souttar. And half uh, Poland.
-[SIMON] Right, okay.
-[SIMON] That's Scotland and
Poland together.
[JAMES AND SIMON] Together at
last!
[BEN] And there we've got
Portugal, and this is amazing
look at the drawing on this!
I have no idea how they've done
this, but the likeness is
just uncanny.
-[SIMON] It's pretty hot.
-It's pretty hot, just three
bored dudes.
I mean we've been having a bit
of a laugh but genuinely it is
so nice to have the support.
-To have the memories of these
people. You know?
-[BEN] Yeah.
[SIMON] As much as we felt
isolated last year as everyone
did, putting these things up
and the nice messages we've got
from all over the world really
helped us be like,
"You know there's people
out there that care."
[SIMON] I pour a lot of myself,
my vulnerabilities into the
songs
which at a point can take its
toll. But seeing
people listen to
your music in the right way I
feel very lucky
that the people that dig our
band really care about the
music the same way that we do.
[ENGINEER] Would that work in
the chorus?
Yeah, let me try that in the
chorus absolutely!
[SIMON] Satisfaction even in
your darkest moment writing a
really
sad song can still end up
bringing you joy.
There's like a full circle that
happens in that and that's why
I keep making music.
Yes, nice one ain't it.
-Aya! Little motherfuckin
prick!
-Ah yeah that sounded good.
-So delicate!
-Aaaargh! Yeah!
-[JAMES] Here we are!
-[BEN] Oooh!
-This is so peaceful man!
-Nice innit?
I kind of want to take a trip
up to that farm sometime.
Don't know what they
do up there.
-Have we been?
-I wanna know
what rock band's up there.
[JAMES] I think we get the best
of both worlds with the
travelling that we do.
And then we have the
grounding... of home.
And the attitude of the people
at home I think that's really
important
to your... mental wellbeing.
I think 'cause we're in a job
where people often celebrate
your success it's nice
to come to a place where no-one
really gives a shit. [LAUGHING]
And that suits us just fine.
You can't go wrong with that eh?
We've been pretty much
everywhere in the world.
And that's helped get me,
contextualize why this place is
important to me.
And why it's really important
to our band.
[BEN] This is the longest we've
been home since we were
actually
kids 'cause we've been touring
since.
As you get older you do have
this appreciation for where you
come from
and how it has affected you as
a person. How it's made you who
you are.
[JAMES] The more we've
travelled over the years, the
connection becomes stronger.
The more time you spend away,
the Scottishness is deep within
us.
I wouldn't be comfortable being
so vulnerable in my songs or...
or kind of defenseless if they
didn't come from this part of
the world.
[JAMES] We've come back home.
We've come back home to
glorious Kilmarnock.
-Kind of where it all started
for us really.
-Yeah.
-In the garage.
-In the garage.
-The parents' garage.
-Tight 8PM cutoff.
[BEN] Yeah, if it got to 8:01,
the door got shut.
-Can't go over.
-Stop, that's it, 8:01.
And these other neighbors
that hate us.
Persona non grata right here!
Watch your head tall man!
Amps everywhere! It was
like, one in one out.
-A bit of a clusterfuck.
-It really was.
-To play some over the years.
Biffy gigs. Oh my god.
-Wow.
-There's a really old one from
the paper.
-Oh when we played the...
So that's us playing a battle
of bands. It's gone yellow.
[JAMES] We didn't have very
many plans but we did take it
seriously.
Practice was about
getting better.
Just that feeling when you all
come together and you just make
that beautiful
harmony, you make that noise.
There's just nothing really
like it.
You filming aye?
How we doin?
Welcome to Kilmarnock!
-There's star walks further
down town.
-[LAUGHTER]
Where they have all the famous
people. It goes on for miles.
[CAMERAMAN] Haha,
a handsome man!
-Fuckin shivers.
-I know haha!
A couple of venues in this
square half mile that we played
loads when we were younger.
Typical you know like that's-
like you find the couple of
pubs nearby that let you
-in underage with your
fake ID.
-Yeah.
Basically it was whoever had
sideburns
would be the first
one walkin up like,
"Hey man I've got sideburns I'm
quite obviously legal!" and
then they'd be like,
-"Alright, in ya come."
-Yeah.
But it's just about getting
your pals down to watch the
show.
It's just about playing music
with your friends and we've
never taken it for granted.
And I think if your roots are
different than ours are then
maybe you would take some
things for granted.
Taa daaa!
-[JAMES] Is that what you were
expecting?
-[SIMON] Is that not gorgeous?
Is that not gorgeous?
This is BIFFY CLYRO.
[IMMITATES DRUMMING RHYTHM]
[SIMON] So this is the venue
that one of our very first
shows...
So I broke a string, it was
literally like SOS sorry
everyone.
Just need to drive home to get
a spare string, so that's what
we did.
There was a 15 minute
delay in the gig.
"We're gonna take
"a 5 minute break for 10
minutes. See you in 15!" That
was--
flung that out there
and I'll never forget that.
What a line! It's not my line.
And then yeah we went out and
literally I changed the guitar
string
-in front of the whole crowd
and then we carried on.
-And that's that.
But you know that's the spirit
of things when you start as a
proper DIY band.
You know like, get in a van,
make your own gigs happen.
Print your own flyers and shit.
-That's what happens.
-Yup.
-Absolutely.
You don't want things to come
too easy to you you know?
Oh it would've been nice though!
[LAUGHING]
[BEN] I mean it was terrifying.
I remember being so scared.
So rigid and not moving. Like
that not even breaking a sweat.
But hooked, absolutely hooked,
it was just the most amazing
feeling.
[JAMES] We just kept going.
More often than not
we were unpopular.
People asking for Oasis people
asking for... anything but what
we were doing.
We didn't change! We did not
change, we just put our hoods up
and turned and faced the back.
[SIMON] I don't know it it was
just arrogance or confidence.
Or whether it was
self preservation.
You know like, hey, we're not
gonna engage so therefore if
people aren't into it
then we can-- well we didn't
want you to like our band!
And that was kind of
our badge of honor.
And here we are approaching
what used to be...
-Arlington Birdies.
-Right here?
-Yeah, yeah that's it.
[OVERLAPPING AGREEMENT]
It's super gone!
But this is where we played, I
think it was on the 3rd set of
the night.
-It was your birthday though?
-It was our birthday, our 18th
birthday.
And the owner came over said,
"You guys better turn this down
it's getting too loud!"
And Simon being the young
defiant man that he was like,
"Yeah, very good!" Duh nuh nuh!
Turned it up. [LAUGHING]
-And uh, I think there were
a few choice words.
-I'll never forget it,
"Do not make a cunt of me young
man."
[LAUGHING]
Which in essence is making a
cunt of yourself, saying that
to an 18 year old child.
-You paid 60 quid to hire
out- I know!
-Exactly!
"Do you want your 60 quid or
not?!"
[OVERLAPPING TALKING/LAUGHING]
[SIMON] It's nice to be able to
honor these places which have
allowed us
to then make our ridiculous
new album.
You know like 2 miles that
way, it's fuckin' brilliant!
You know with that it's like,
you couldn't make that up.
[JAMES] In terms of where we're
from being a part of who we
are, it's undeniable.
Probably a slight chip
on our shoulder.
Probably a slight underdog
mentality.
[SIMON] Lookin back I'm so glad
that myself Ben and James kind
of stood alone
in our small towns because...
It gave us a strength and this
identity and this gang mentality
that we wouldn't have
had otherwise.
[BEN] Quite a big lable actually
came up to see us play and after
the showcase
he kind of said the deal hinged
on us changing the name.
And so we were like "nope."
[JAMES] Even if it means you
think we're going to fail.
That's out choice to make. And
if we do fail, we'll go down
fightin'.
[BEN] So we kinda turned down
this record deal to keep the
name BIFFY CLYRO.
Oh god that sounds so
stupid. It's true.
No, sticking to your
guns is a good thing.
And trying to see your vision
out, and that's what we did.
We kept the silly name and it's
haunted us ever since.
[SYNTH PLAYING]
This is fun stuff!
[LAUGHING]
Listen to this, we're making
music and we're breaking music
today.
[SIMON] Recent BIFFY records
electronics play a much bigger
part you know.
For years I would just put
loads of guitars on the record
and actually
sometimes I find that putting a
weird electronic sound or
something can actually
make a song heavier. It can
just take your mind somewhere
else dynamically.
It's really opened up the
sonics of where the songs end
up.
You never diminish any
more
I think that's just what
it needs, I swear!
It's always gonna have the
identity of who we are.
I think as soon as Ben plays
drums, James plays bass and I
sing on it you know,
then it's gonna sound like our
band. But we wanna kind of
present it in like
almost a different part of the
world each time. Like a
different geography.
Terrain's probably the best way
to do it, a different terrain.
[REPEATING ONE SYNTH NOTE]
[LAUGHING]
Yeah, you'll hear some funny
sounds on this record, that's
for sure.
[LAUGHING]
[BENDING SYNTH NOTE OUT OF KEY]
We can do that!
We are trolls
In this universe
we're trolls
Happy just to torch shit
There's a real vibe to it you
know there's something about
this. It's kind of quite cocky.
Or gallus as we'd
say in Scotland.
That's now why we came here
That's not what this is for
It just immediately makes you
feel a bit seasick, that song.
...find an answer
I just love it. I love the
feeling of, "Woah, I feel a bit
woozy here."
I think this song just feels
beautifully woozy.
In the symphony of God
Trying to get that balance of
something that's really quite
oppressively dark
the thought behind that humans
are errors in the history of
God.
We often do that when the songs
have the darkest lyrics, the
actual melodies are quite light.
...Eager to explore
Even if I dream
a little dream
That's an important part of
what we do I think is that Yin
and Yang and really kind of
make people go "oh that's an
upbeat song" oh no it's
actually not
it's really dark or vice
versa you know I love it.
Errors in the history of God
[SIMON] It took me longer to
miss the gigs than I thought it
would during lockdown.
We tour, we play well over
100 shows every year,
so sometimes the last thing you
wanna do is go to a venue.
But when you do go to a venue
and those lights go down before
the band comes on that's what I
live for.
And I try and remember that
when we're prepping for a gig.
That moment of "this is about
to happen" that's the magic.
[UNINTELLIGABLE]
"What's tonight gonna hold?"
You know and the band has that
as well I think.
Even as a fan when you're
there you do wonder...
"How good's this gonna be?" But
your excitement level soars.
And that's how I feel when
we're about to play it's like
you wanna
reach the stars
you wanna reach the sky.
But the bands I like, and the
music that we make, I just want
people to care.
[JAMES] Being one person's
favorite band as opposed to 10
peoples' fifth favorite band.
That was the mantra early on.
[BEN] We were just young kids
we were in hoodies and just
playing some really abrasive
music. Just wanted to make a
racket.
And ruffle some feathers
I guess.
[SIMON] We're now at James'
house. We're gonna show you a
version of the van
we used to tour in back in
the day. For like 5 or 6 years
James and Ben
used to drive us around
in a camper van.
James bought like a replica of
it, but this is rock and roll.
If you can spend four weeks in
a van with your two best
friends
and have the time of your life
stay in that band! Stay in that
van!
And keep fucking doing it!
-Back to early 2000's over here
with this bad boy!
-I know!
-How are ya man? Feeling
alright?
-How ya doin? Yeah,
-feeling alright thanks man.
-Good to see you man.
-Is it weird? Is it nice
being in there?
-It is nice.
-Hey if we tour this van would
be alright!
-Ha, I know!
-Cup of tea sir?
-[OVERLAPPING TALKING]
Hey, cup of coffee sir?
[BEN] I still don't know where
all the people went and all
the gear went.
I guess we were a little
bit smaller then?
[SIMON] For us it was always
like having a great time in the
moment.
'Cause it just felt like we
were a gang from this part of
the world exploring the UK.
Turning up, 3 normal folk, and
we'd go in and try to make as
big of a fuckin' impact
and splash as possible, and
there's such an innocence and a
purity to that I think.
-And I don't think we've
ever lost that.
-If it came down to
it now, and
we had to get into the van,
the three of us
and bunch of gear I would-- I'd
carry the gear,
and I know the boys feel the
same way and it's a really nice
-place to be.
-We'll be happy
for James to carry the gear.
-[OVERLAPPING TALKKING]
-Definitely be alright with
James carrying the gear.
[SIMON] They're the moments when
you realize if you really wanna
be doing what you're doing
-and you're surrounded by people
you like, because
-Yeah.
if it means spending 20
hours in a van
-to play that show we'll fuckin
do it.
-Absolutely.
And if it's not worth it to you
then
hang up your guitar or
your laptop
or your fuckin USB key.
[LAUGHING]
Or log out of fuckin' tech talk.
[JAMES] It's a reminder to
keep things kind of simple.
Because it's not much different
to what we were doing then to
now.
It's still getting together to
play music in front of
strangers.
You're with your best mate and
your brother and you're kicking
ass.
Your in the country
and scaring folk.
[SCREAMING]
Thank you.
[SIMON] In early tours we didn't
always play with our shirts off.
Now after each show, you did
maybe 29 shows in 30 days, so
our-
we would just fling our gig
shows out the back of the van
and literally after like a week
we had like a chewing gum...
Massive chewing gum ball of
t-shirts that were just salty
and horrible discolored.
-It's your favorite t-shirt as
well 'cause you've been onstage.
-You think
-"I'm wearing my cool t-shirt!"
-Yeah, I wear my
cool t-shirt and then
-you go home and you've got
no bloody clothes left.
-So that's why
-we started...
-We started playing with our
shirts off.
It's a bit ridiculous going on
stage in front of 10,000 people
anyway.
And I think stripping away any
kind of armor that you use in
everyday life
is, it's just you're totally
free, you've got nothing else
to hide behind.
-It's just you and your
fucking mind and your brothers
-Yeah.
And we've ended up playing some
sh- we've played gigs in the
Arctic Circle.
Up in northern Norway,
up in Tromso.
It was minus four degrees
and we were like, "Why did we
decide to do this again?"
But see once you start playing
it doesn't fuckin matter
so you get in that headspace.
But there has been a few times
where we've been like "This is
a really bad idea."
Just a terrible one.
[LAUGHING]
Basically we're on the road
and you're going off the road
like "this is not too bad" and
then suddenly
[VOCALISING] [BEN] Oh my God!
-And then at the end you're like
"turn turn turn!"
-Turn! Turn!
-And you fly off like Fast and
the Furious and land like--
-Boom.
Listen to the sound back on.
-Land on in the back of the
plane!
-Exactly! You've seen the
movie I'm talking about!
-Like "woah!"
And they just land!
Yeah! [METRONOME CLICKING]
Yeah okay.
Yeah that makes sense but
without the [SNARE HITS] yeah.
Yeah!
Great. Well done.
Alright.
[PLAYING SYNTH]
[SIMON] I really wanted to have
a big long intro and I
thought...
'Separate Missions'? This
is the song for it.
[JAMES] It's another flavor
for the band.
The Cure were a band that
we all referenced.
They just start and they motor
along or gallop and they're
setting a scene for ages.
[SIMON] This one's a lot closer
lyrically to what 'Celebration
of Endings' was about.
Ironically even though the
music is all new it's kind of
about those
deteriorating relationships
and how we've ended up
on separate paths and
separate missions.
Well you kept your word but
you lost every part of me
[BEN] We just sit on a groove
for ages and it's kind of
keyboard driven as well.
We just sit on this
beautiful riff.
[JAMES] I love the sound of
this, I think it's such a new
sound for the band.
When you're in the studio it's
like for a week you'll be like
"this isn't workin this isn't
workin!" and then you make one
change
and you're like "it's
workin!"
And that's the beautiy of music
'cause I was so excited with
the whole song
and then this bridge
sucks and I'm like.
You're like "no it can be
perfect it can be perfect" and
then it just happens one day.
"That's it! It was always
meant to be like that!"
Listen to the sound of the
promises broken
Silence comes around 'cause
you reap what you sow
We're still trying to peel back
the layers of the onion and
find some new fruit.
You won't diminish anymore
Just- don't wanna talk about
it. Don't wanna talk about it.
[LAUGHING]
[OVERLAPPING TALKING]
All these golden, double gold
record and platinum- like
honestly
just not talk about that.
-It's a musical reflection-
-[SIMON] It's an eagle room!
-It's an eagle room, let's-
-It's an eagle room! It's an
eagle room!
Yeah I mean that's what I've
been calling it is the eagle
room
and that's why the
blinds stay down.
Just displaying them all in a--
It's just a bit of a hangup.
-And they end up stuck in a
cupboard.
-The sheer amount of
them isn't it? That's why.
It's almost like it's a nice
memory run
to go "look at how
amazing we are!"
It's almost like motivation
to move forward.
And we take great pride in the
art that we choose you know.
And for us it always has to
just be- harmonize with the
music inside.
If there is no correlation then
you're missing a trick.
Artwork should be not even an
extension of it, it should be
part of it.
[JAMES] Songs are always about
a time and a place.
You know, mentally what you're
going through, what we're going
through.
And I think that's why it's
important that you join those
thoughts up.
[SIMON] That's a picture from
our old practice room, and the
3 fuckin gumballs right there.
-They were the pictures we
approved.
-I know! Third album!
[SIMON] There were 6,000 limited
edition copies of this.
So I decided like a pure fool.
That I was gonna personally
write a line of lyrics for
every single one.
So I wrote 6,000 lines of
lyrics while making this record
and it was...
It was a pleasure to do.
Ahhhh
Ahhhh
Waaahhh
Waaahhh
[SIMON] For the first 10 years
of being in this band
I didn't really appreciate that
the voice was a muscle.
You know when I was in
my teens and early 20s,
my voice would recover
like that you know.
I could scream myself all
night, wake up the next day
and sing like an angel still,
or my version of an angel.
I bet you didn't know
I bet you didn't care
Denial ain't forever but
the truth's hidden there
somewhere
Mentally, it helps
me get in the mode.
This is part of my process
now. It helps me gear up,
helps my adrenaline start to
pump and my blood kinda flows
in the right way to my throat.
This is my ideal if I could do
my vocal warmup like this
every single day I would be as
happy as a pig in shit.
[VOCALISING]
I think I was on LSD
state of mind man.
The slow-mo chorus and here
messing like this is a good
chorus.
I could hardly believe in
When he didn't
hit the ground
The fatigue started showing
And the doubt could be heard
But he had no fear, he
was best of the worst
Let me, let me do
that last line.
Yep. Yep. Let me do that
last line brother.
And the doubt could be heard
But he rode into eternity,
forever the best of the worst
We rise
Yeah.
Thanks. Good.
[SIMON] This album is like
defined by the fact that we made
it in a farm
you know and it's sonically,
you can hear the farm.
Clear that the big fucking bit.
[BEN] I just went 'round the
farm smashing things with sticks
and sampling cows making noises.
What do you do with
the drum sticks?
Yeah!
[UNINTELLIGABLE]
And then I take all the samples
back, put them into our drum
machine and make a loop.
I think that'll be good.
We'll make it a subscription
service so you get new farm
sounds every month.
Fucking brilliant.
I think being as well,
you can spend a day
experimenting and it maybe
doesn't lead somewhere
but you don't feel that you've
lost a day just quite so much.
All electrical
That's why I say when people
start a band, it's so important
that you get on
because technical proficiency
you can make up for
but you can't learn
to always get on
and you can't learn to have
fun. That's a chemistry thing.
That is some of the best music
we have ever fucking made.
[LAUGHTER]
[BEN] Today we're getting our
traditional album band tattoos,
which we've been gettin' since
2001 I think was the first time
we got one. This guy here. Hands
on the wheel.
And we've been getting tattoos
pretty much every album ever
since.
I kind fo think of it as you
know people get tattoos of
loved ones
names on them. I guess
that's to signify that
you're going to love them until
the end of your life.
That's how important
this band is to us.
-Yo yo. How we doing? Good,
good.
-Good.
These paperclips are from an
artist called Richard McGuire.
I just love this because it
kinda describes myself, Ben and
James.
These are paperclips keepin'
everything together
and, yeah, this long
as being a band
I think it's important to
celebrate the fact that we do
keep things together.
Yeah. Sure.
Who's next? Who's brave?
Okay.
That was really quick.
It's always a realyl nice
way to comemerate
such an important
part of our lives.
Just to have it there forever.
There's just no better feeling.
One. Two. One, two, three, four.
[SIMON] Brings me joy. It
brings me joy as soon as I hear
that song start.
Witch's Cup is almost
like a showtune or
somethin' from a
movie soundtrack.
I still can't put my
finger on what it is.
We're drinking from
the witch's cup
[BEN] This is like a crazy
carnival song. It really is.
It's like you've taken
acid at a carnival,
but it's mixed with a lullaby.
That's the thing. It also
sounds a bit like a lullaby,
which I think is beautiful.
Death of an original
Shows the genius of Simon
because to write a lullaby is a
fucking difficult thing to do.
To all the adorded, there's
just before and after
It makes me feel good
to hear it and play it
and I don't know if I would've
been brave enough
to work in this song again
if I was thinking about how
we would present it live.
Give this up
If I can even see
it or feel it
'Cause oh, I just hope when we
go
One of the songs where if we
could've we would have had a
massive
brass band but we ended up
having to sort of do synth
brass,
but musically it does
make you feel good.
I won't deceive at all
Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh, where
to begin?
'Cause I'm scared to believe
it
Woah-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh-oh,
can you dare believe it all
We journey through this big
great day where the song
completely changes again
and the rocks pool and
is this the same song?
Not necissarily a lot of Biffy
songs make me wanna smile
and that one does, so I hope it
does for people when they
listen to it too.
Believe it
-Do gangs. We're doing--
-Gangalang.
-The baddest gang in town.
We're near the end of the
record and we start ganging.
-Ganging style.
-Wish you were here. Sort of
wish you were here isn't it.
Wish we had a bigger gang.
I wish we had a smaller gang.
Smmooooahhh
Smmooooahhh
I think ben and I being twins,
we have to in some ways extend
the same courtesy to Simon.
It has to be a brotherhood.
The three of us.
Woahhhhh
I've known the boys from when
they were 7 and they're twins
so we're almost like a 2 piece
in that regaurd because
Ben and James and are so close.
Being twins in the band
has kind of forced
us and Simon to get
closer as well.
I think it would be weird if
you had such a tight connection
between just 2 and there's 1
person who's not involved in
that.
Brace yourself, here's
a slap across the jaw
Can you find any hunger
in your haunt
A hunger in your haunt
[LAUGHING]
We've been through our toughest
moments in life together.
There's just no doubt about it.
The things happened in the past
we never ran away from. You
know, we never ran away from
each other.
-Get in here boys.
-Get down!
-We're nearly there.
-Last couple days getting these
vocals.
The cherry on top of the ice
cream on top.
This is the shit on
top of the cherry.
If you don't like each other,
respect each other, that ain't
going to last, you know.
[JAMES] Everyone should join a
band. See if you get a chance
to go and join a band
with your brothers
or your sisters.
People who you consider to
be a brother or a sister.
That's probably the best years
you'll ever have in your life.
Denier, yeah this song actually
started as a bit of a
folk song. It was a bit
of an acoustic song
[BEN] And then Si he was like,
right,
let's rip up the notebook on
this one. Let's change this song
and it's just become this
fucking juggernaut.
Ben's drumming on it is, it's
so dynamite. It's so relentless.
Draped like her dress on the
floor a different shade of blue
I hope you don't choke
It's a hell of a lot
of fun to play.
I can't wait to get that
one on the stage.
It's going to be
a great one live.
You broke your own rules
Watchign Ben like and animal
and watchign Simon singing
I'm like they're
my fucking boys.
I need somebody to love
I need somebody to care for
and it's you
It's always been you
It's like a slab of guitars and
keyboards and bass and drums.
It's probably the least subtle
song on the record.
Of course, you didn't know, of
course, you didn't care
Denial ain't forever 'cause
the truth's hidden there
somewhere
[SIMON] You don't get this
at a normal studio.
Fucking delivery blocked
the way in.
Two can play that game Jack.
Final day. Turning the cameras
on you.
Are you feeling positive?
Feeling good?
It's always weird. It's a
weird sensation, um, happy
that we're almost there. I'm
terrified that we're almost
there.
There's always a big
gaping chasm, chasm
in my life once we finish a
record, so I'm anticipating
that a little bit.
But I'm really proud
of what we've made.
You know, I think, I don't
think any other place in the
world
at any other time in our lives
we couldn't have made this
record
so it feels very much now and I
just can't wait for everybody
to hear it but yeah
I'm fucking charred.
Ready for a week off
mother fucker.
Hey. Hi!
Roads were busy. Everybody in
the world is out of the house.
Enjoying the sunshine.
What a day! What a day!
It's become as important as 'A
Celebration of Endings',
but yet couldnt have existed
without 'A Celebration of
Endings'.
To be making that
record at home,
one of the best times we've
ever had as a band.
I feel slightly tearful
even thinking about it.
I think being forced
to stay at home
gave us this kind of
new love for it.
It's a beautiful thing.
[BEN] The three of us in
this dairy farm.
It's remarkable that we've made
this record in these
circumstances.
I'm just, I'm really
full of pride.
Together into the unknown
[OVERTAKING]
Yeah, that's dynamite!
[SIMON] If I bring in a tune and
the boys smile or the boys love
it,
that's where my joy
comes from you know.
It comes from us creating
things together.
We don't need all the
bells and whistles
for us to be fullfilled
and happy.
We just have to be making
music together
and have that vibe in a room
and that's what keeps
our hearts beating.
It was litrally making music for
for the sake of making
music cause we love it.
It really felt pure. It felt
like we were kids again.
Ba ba ba bom.
[SIMON] Barbecue in the Scottish
sun.
Just the right amount of great
and just a lovely way to end a
record.
It's Ben and James' birthday
in a couple of days
so I got them a couple
of cool presents.
Finally we can celebrate.
-Big boys.
-Oh my God.
Happy birthday to you
Happy birthday
to you
Happy birthday Ben and James
-Yo!
Happy birthday to you
-Woo! Woo!
-Make a wish!
-Yeah!
-Hip hip, hurray!
Hip hip, hurray!
Hip hip, hurray!
-Get in folks. Step back.
-Woah!
-I gotta clean something!
-That is so beautiful!
-Woah!
-Look at that!
-Oh Simon, thanks so much.
A work of art man.
-Pleasure!
Fucking brilliant!
-Thanks so much for ...
-Happy birthday boys.
-Well done. Well done.
-Cheers! Cheers!
[BIRDS CHIRPING]
[SIMON] Everything we normally
do points towards a live show
you know.
One satisfying aspect is always
when I first hear the songs
come together like wow I still
can't believe it when I hear
things happen like wow!
The conclusion of that is
when we play on the stage.
[JAMES] Just about the most
important, the highest moment
you get.
The most out of body experience
you feel you're elevating.
not much else in life can
get you to that place.
[BEN] Ther'es certainly no
better place than Glasgow to be
getting back at it.
So many lovely memories from
playing there before.
Even as kids kinda kickin'
about because the love is real
and it's going to be loud.
I just can't wait. I
cannot wait for that.
Step out to the unknown
I'll catch you on the way
down
Aim high, look out below
We're on our way together into
the unknown
[JAMES] I believe it's going to
be the first show in Glasgow.
The first outdoor show, so it
feels like quite a lot of
responsibility.
[SIMON] We're less than 20
minutes away from where we'll
play to 35,000 people.
This is where we made our new
record, 10 miles away.
It's where we live, where we
grew up, there's something
really beautiful
in this moment in time. It's
such a questioning period of
time for everyone.
It's happening in our
part of the world.
[BEN] It's not just going to be
emotional for us, but for the
fans as well you know
that everyone's been cooped up.
Just to get to put a smile on
their faces
is going to mean
the world to us.
[SIMON] I can't wait to feel
that sense of joy
and that sense of we're back.
You know we've made it
back here together.
[BEN] It's gonna be a seminal
moment.
It's a whole rebirth.
It's starting again.
I hope we can do it.
[JAMES] We can power the country
for a year off that one night
casue there's going to
be a lot of energy.
I really can't wait to feel it.
[BEN] I'm already nervous
thinking about it.
Without a doubt there's going
to be a lot of nerves.
I'll be lucky to have steady
legs. I think I'll be like
Bambi on ice.
[SIMON] Taking my nerves, my
anxiety and try to put it into
the purpose and the power and
the passion of the show, you
know.
[JAMES] Just try not to
brakedown in the first 5
minutes.
Just could be floods of emotion.
-Woo!
-Yeah, I love you boy.
[BEN] It will be super emotional
when we finally get on a stage.
We've missed it so much.
[CHEERING]
That'll be the moment where it
could go one of two ways.
It'll either be really emotional
or it will be like let's go.
[BEN] We never had these massive
ambitions when we started out
at all.
We were just this weird rock
band tryin' to piss people off.
There's a weird look Simon will
give me sometimes that says all
that.
Just one look that says, "Yeah,
we're doing this. This is
actually happening."
You just about made me
cry because I guess
it's everything. It's everything
in our life. It's everything
that we focused on.
Everything else in your
life feels like its
got to fit around this.
Don't you waste your life
[SIMON] It feels like it has
kinda come full circle.
Its a shame it takes something
so dramatic and tramatic
for it to happen but
I'm really pleased
that we are reconnecting
with where we started.
[JAMES] So much has changed, but
yet so much hasn't.
It's still just us in a room
tryin' to make each other deaf.
This only further hit home
how much we fucking love
and need to do what we do.
It couldn't mean more.
Is that a good way to put it?
It couldn't mean more to me.
[SIMON] In the same part the
world is our home our very first
song as we were making
this record and there's
something really pure about that
and you know what, we're having
as much fun as we ever have.
I think we're better than
we ever have been so
long may it continue Jack.
We are Biffy fucking Clyro!!
Creative burns, creative
burns, creative burns in a dick
show
Cultural sons, cultural sons,
cultural sons of Scotland
Spread by a whirl, spread by a
whirl, spread by a whirlygig so
Goddamn you all, you bastard
sons
Forgiveness is gone, you're
hanging on
Cradled that heart, my
sister's son
Forgive me father, I have
sinned
Forgive me father cause
I've carried all these sins
Up hills and down in holes,
it's where I've always been
Business is done,
our business is done
They ask, so I made them burn
but I saw the sun
Forgive me father cause
I've carried all these sins
Up hills and down in holes,
it's where I've always been
Business is done,
our business is done
They ask, so I made them burn
but I saw the sun