Biffy Clyro | Witch Fever
The Piece Hall, Halifax
23rd August 2024
Scottish alt-rockers Biffy Clyro take to the stage for the first time in two years for an almost-career-spanning set at Halifax’s iconic Piece Hall. Louder Than War’s Dave Beech and Frank Ralph were there.
Exactly two weeks have passed since we last found ourselves heading up the M62 from Manchester to Halifax, but with summer drawing to a close, and as such, this year’s Live At The Piece Hall run also, it felt fitting to squeeze one more visit in. Every foray into Yorkshire is not without its risks, and tonight we’re delayed somewhat by the oh-so-rural issue of ‘animals in the road’, and so we arrive at the venue with Manchester post-punks Witch Fever in full flow.
Already no strangers to the four-piece, they’re a welcome addition to the line-up, and whilst, at least from where we’re standing, the vocals seem a little lost in the open air, there’s no denying the sheer energy and aggression that comes off the band in waves.
Though used to seeing Witch Fever in the grotty confines of Manchester’s club venues, they take tonight in their stride; frontwoman Amy Walpole struts the entirety of the stage, and at one point, disappears into the crowd entirely, only to re-emerge minutes later, breathless but grinning from ear to ear. And well she might.
Tonight’s set showcases the band and what they stand for perfectly. Despite this, they do seem lost on some members of the crowd, though that’s of little surprise. And though their brand of patriarchy-challenging post-punk might have gone over the heads of some people, there’s no doubt that Witch Fever are walking away from tonight with plenty of new fans.
The moment Witch Fever leave the stage, they’re instantly replaced by an army of stage techs, as classical music soundtracks the changeover, the sun slowly sets and the sandstone interior of the venue begins to light up.
It’s a short-lived moment of beauty. The traditional classical soundtrack shifts into discordant baroque. An electronic voice begins counting and a ripple of anticipation in the crowd becomes a wave before the headliners Biffy Clyro announce their arrival by launching straight into The Captain.
It may have been two years since we last saw Biffy Clyro. Shit, it’s been two years since they even graced a stage together. Yet as far as openers go, it’s a statement of intent if ever we saw one. No introductions, no fucking about, nothing to warm the crowd up. Yet instantly we’re eating out the palms of their hands.
That Golden Rule follows. Another breakneck outing for Only Revolutions-era Biffy, and the crowd lap it up. The addition of a duo of live violinists, raised on podiums behind the band, adds an extra layer to things; their presence is noticeable from the outset.
“We are Biffy fuckin’ Clyro, and this is Who’s Got A fuckin’ Match” is the first introduction we get; frontman Simon Neil cutting an imposing figure, shirtless and be-kilted as he stands on stage, the crowd hanging onto every word.
Three square sets of lights are lowered, one framing each band member as Neil tells us that they “weren’t going to play this song” before Biblical provides the evening’s first sense of breathing space. Slow it might be, but it’s no less special; the entirety of the venue lit by lasers and the crowd in full voice is something truly impressive.
Elsewhere, Born On A Horse gets its first outing since 2019, much to the crowd’s delight, whilst a weighty and discordant 9/15ths offers an insight into the band’s heavier past, bringing math-rock to the masses.
Black Chandelier provides yet another brief moment of respite, an anthemic number at the poppier end of Biffy’s spectrum. It’s at this point the sheer number of phones aimed at the stage becomes ridiculous, and we can honestly say we’d rather see someone on their mate’s shoulders having a blast, than have to watch the stage through a cracked phone screen in portrait mode.
Instant History provides yet another moment of sheer anthemia; the bass is still able to rattle our chests even outdoors. One of the more recent tracks on offer this evening, it’s a track designed to fill stadiums and headline festivals, and tonight, it threatens to bring The Piece Hall to its knees.
Both Saturday Superhouse and Living Is A Problem provide a weighty duo, the former having not been performed fully electric since 2014, and at this point, it’s obvious we’re heading towards the evening’s crescendo. Cop Syrup offers up perhaps the most impressive moment of the evening musically, its breakdown falling somewhere between Mogwai and Slowdive in the most perfect way possible; the violins a fragile centrepiece between towering walls of noise.
Closing out the main set, Mountains offers an emotionally charged, almost cinematic ending, as confetti cannons explode over a baying crowd.
It doesn’t take long for Simon to emerge again, however, armed only with his acoustic guitar, yet soon joined by a violinist. Machines sees the first tears of the evening, both with us, and many around us. Of course, it was soon offset by an excellent one-two in the form of Wolves of Winter and Bubbles, the latter providing possibly the most uplifting singalong of the evening.
And with that, it falls to Many of Horror to truly put an end on this evening’s proceedings. It’s emotional, cathartic, and overall it’s joyous. The perfect bookend to quite possibly a perfect set. And as we exit to the sounds of Frankie Valli’s Can’t Take My Eye’s Off You, it’s clear that Biffy Clyro are back, and with the promise of new material next year, we’ll be seeing them again sooner than we think.
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Dave Beech is a music writer based out of Manchester. Links to his work can be found over at his blog, Life’s A Beech, as well as his Louder Than War Author Archive. He also tweets as @Dave__Beech
All photos by Frank Ralph, you can find Frank at his website here:
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