Biffy Clyro biography
Biffy Clyro are a Scottish rock band that formed in Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire comprising Simon Neil (guitar, lead vocals), James Johnston (bass, vocals) and Ben Johnston (drums, vocals). Currently signed to 14th Floor Records, they have released five studio albums, two of which, Puzzle and Only Revolutions (2009) reached the top five in the UK Album Charts.
After their first three albums, the band expanded their following significantly with the release of their fourth, Puzzle in 2007 creating more mainstream songs with simpler rhythms and distancing themselves from their more unusual dissonant style that was present in the previous three albums. Puzzle peaked at number 2 on the official UK album charts on 16 June 2007. The album went Gold in the UK, selling over 100,000 units and later went Platinum in the UK in 2012 selling over 300,000 copies. Biffy Clyro's popularity was built upon further in 2008 and 2009 with the release of the singles "Mountains" and "That Golden Rule", which both reached the top 10 of the UK singles chart.
Their latest album, Only Revolutions, reached #3 in the UK chart and went gold within days of its release in 2009, later going platinum in 2010 and was nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. Only Revolutions includes the UK hit singles, " Mountains", "That Golden Rule" and "Many of Horror" all of which reached the UK Top Ten singles charts. The latter reached number eight on the UK Singles Charts after The X Factor 2010 winner, Matt Cardle covered the song. It became the UK number one Christmas single for the year of 2010.
History
1995-2000: Early years and formation
The first incarnation of what would eventually become Biffy Clyro was formed in 1995 by fifteen-year-old Ayr-based guitarist Simon Neil, who recruited Kilmarnock-born Ben Johnston and someone known as Barry on drums and bass respectively, calling themselves
Screwfish. Barry was soon replaced by James Johnston, Ben's twin brother, and the three spent the next two years rehearsing, writing and covering songs. Simon Neil has commented on this period of time, saying:
On 31 January 1995, they played their first gig under the name Skrewfish as the support for a band called Pink Kross at the Key Youth Centre in East Kilbride, now known as Universal Connections East Kilbride. In 1997, the trio then moved to Glasgow, where Neil went to the University Of Glasgow and the Johnston twins went to Stow College, studying Electronics with Music and Audio Engineering respectively.
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After playing gigs around Glasgow and receiving positive and enthusiastic reactions from the audiences, the band were spotted by Dee Bahl, who soon became their manager. Bahl offered them a chance to release an independent single on Aereogramme's Babi Yaga record label. "Iname" was released on 28 June 1999, with Northsound Radio's Jim Gellatly (later of Beat 106 & Xfm Scotland) giving the band their first radio play. This first release led to the band being chosen by Stow College's Electric Honey record label to release a record. thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow was released on Nerosa on 13 June 2000, and after hearing it, BBC Radio Scotland DJ Vic Galloway gave the band airplay. A few days prior to the release of thekidswhopoptodaywillrocktomorrow, the band were spotted at the Unsigned Bands stage at T in the Park 2000 by a Beggars Banquet representative. Soon after, the band was signed to the independent Beggar's Banquet.
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